Which are you? Are you both? Is there a difference? If so, what?
I was following a discussion on Twitter the other night and a comment was made regarding this…that fan-base is different from readers and that a fan-base may drive otherwise dismal sales. Now, they were speaking of a particular author, but it got me thinking about this and has made me curious.
Who are you a fan of? Who are you simply a reader of? What makes you one or the other?
I have been a fan of some authors. I would buy every book they wrote without reading the blurb or knowing anything about the book at all. I’d simply buy the new one when it came out.
I have been a dedicated reader of some authors. I would buy the majority of what they wrote, but not everything and definitely not without reading the blurb and flipping through some of the pages.
I have been a casual reader as well. If I need a new book to read, I may pick up a book on a whim from an author I’ve never read or a book that I’ve been eyeing but wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the time reading.
I’ve drifted away from being a fan of most authors nowadays. I like a lot of authors, but very few are autobuys for me, and even still, some of my autobuys include one author’s series but maybe not another series by that same author or may not even be the same genre. For instance, I will autobuy Dakota Cassidy’s Ex-Trophy Wives series books, but I won’t buy her paranormal books anymore because her paranormal voice doesn’t work for me. If Julie Garwood still wrote her medieval romances I’d autobuy those, but her contemporary did nothing to draw me in. Julia Quinn whom I adored and read non-stop is no longer an autobuy for me because all her books started sounding the same, only the character names were different. I do autobuy all books by Cameron Dane, no matter what genre. I autobuy Ava March’s male/male ebooks, but not her NY historicals. I will buy all of Shayla Black’s books in her Wicked Ties series no matter what. These are just a few examples. However, not many NY books are autobuys at all anymore simply because ebook prices for most (set by NY publishers, I know) are just too high for me to feel comfortable spending on a digital book.
So, are you a fan or a reader? More or less of either? And who are some of your autobuys?
~lissa
I’m like you, Lissa. I have some authors that I autobuy (as you well know *G*), but it’s mostly series that I autobuy for me.
Well, obviously, Lissa, you are an autobuy for me regardless of genre. I also autobuy Mari Carr, Leah Brooke, Cherise Sinclair and Lorelei James. So I guess I would consider myself a fan of those authors. I love series books and these authors have the best.
I read lots of different authors, far too many to list. I just sort of pick and choose the storyline that attracts me.
What is it, do you think, that makes you a fan of one author and a reader of another?
My auto-buy list tends to ebb and flow lately. Author’s that were auto-buy’s for years have been removed from the list. While I adored her earlier books, lately just too many editing errors and stunted storylines to keep me interested.
You of course are on my list, along with Cameron Dane (though didn’t love her latest), Cherise, JD Robb (though no Nora Roberts anymore), Joey W Hill, Eileen Wilks, Kim Harrison, and Sarah McCarty, (just to highlight a few).
Some other ebook author’s I am a fan of, but I don’t necessarily buy everything they write. While their voice tends to work for me, sometimes the storylines just don’t grab me, so I’ve become a bit more selective.
I have to say that the I become a fan or a reader based upon experience.
Cherise Sinclair has never let me down so she is an autobuy for me. No matter what the series, I have loved the book. Janet Evanovich was an autobuy, but then the last couple of books in the Plum series were lackluster, therefore I now look at reviews before I buy. Pamela Clare is an author I pick and chose with; I will autobuy her I-team series, but not the rest.
I start an author due to recommendations or a review copy. I continue based upon my own opinions of the book. If I am a long time fan, I will forgive a couple of books that don’t appeal to me before I knock them off my auto-buy list.
For me, it’s a question of whether or not the author’s books immediately suck me right into the story or do I have to work for it.
A prime example is Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalkers & Carpathian series. I’m a fan of the Ghostwalkers because they just grab me & take me along for the ride, but I’m a reader of the Carpathian series because they can’t hold my attention.
Honestly, if I get to the end of a book & I’m DYING to know what happens next to the characters in the book (*cough*who wins the bet??*cough*) then I’m a fan, but if I get to the end & I have a “oh, that was nice” feeling, then I’m a reader.
My budget is a bit smaller these days and my bookshelves are overflowing and a lot of authors have been puttng out material that I haven’t really enjoyed. So, I used to be a fan to many but now I am a reader to most. Off the top of my head I am a fan of Lorelei James/Lori Armstrong, Jessica Andersen, Jacqueline Carey, Lauren Dane, Gail Carriger, Karen Marie Moning, and a few others (too tired to think right now). I will confess that many authors that used to be autobuy are still on my list to check periodically to see what’s new. I never know what might capture my attention!
Kitty Thomas is an autobuy for me because her books appeal to a specific kink of mine, and she does it in a very “classy” way. I’ve also become a fan of Cara McKenna/Meg Maguire. She hooked me with Willing Victim (that kink thing again). I love the characters she creates. Though, overall I’d consider myself more of a reader than a fan. I get so many books to read, I don’t have time to be a fan. LOL.