Tag: sample

Do you read an excerpt or sample before buying a book?

Bookish Question #169 | Do you read an excerpt or sample before buying a book?

Do I read an excerpt or sample before buying a book?

Before agreeing to review a book?

No.

Before buying a book?

Maybe.

I will often preorder the kindle version of books from authors I’ve read before, especially if the book is part of a series. In those cases, I already know the author and their writing (and often the characters and their stories).

But I will rarely buy a book from a new-to-me author without reading the sample first. In general, if I read the sample in one sitting and the price is right, I’ll buy the book.

So what’s the right price?

I’ll almost always buy a book if it’s 99 cents. I’ll often buy a $1.99 ebook (especially if it’s on sale and is usually $7.99 or more). I’ll never buy a book if it’s $9.99. I don’t usually pay more than $5.99 for an ebook. Instead, I’ll wait for it to come on sale.

After all, I have more than 200 unread ebooks on my Kindle. I can wait.

What about you? Do you read an excerpt or sample before buying a book?