Hello from a grey, damp and pretty miserable looking Bristol!
I got distracted! I subscribe to a lot of sites, and much as I want to read all the latest news from each, I tend to let them mount up in a file
until I’m bored or I’m looking for something specific. Do you do that with my emails? Anyway, I digress. One of those sites is called Fantastic Fiction. Of course I follow myself, as you do if you’re an indie author. When Chance Encounters came out, they emailed me about the new release, and yesterday, I had a very unusual update on one of my favourite authors, Val McDermid, because she has a new book coming out. It’s called Lady Macbeth, it’s historical fiction, which is a change from her norm, and it doesn’t have a cover! I’m interested. So I click again. But it’s not available until May next year. I’m not sure if I’ll order it that far in advance. So a question for you:
Would you buy a book without a cover? A) Yes, if it’s a favourite author. B) Yes, I never take any notice of covers, or C) No.
Then I clicked over to my author page on Fantastic Fiction, and I liked what I saw. A lot. It is so much nicer and far easier to navigate an author’s work than Goodreads, or even Amazon. The only thing I would question would be the genre list at the end, but I’m guessing that’s what others have looked at who have followed me.
And here’s the thing that caused even more distraction. It’s given me some statistics that I’ve never worked out. Because having left the corporate world of stats and reports far behind me, I avoid stats unless absolutely necessary. Here’s what Fantastic Fiction told me, without having to do anything but scroll.
Misplaced Loyalty was the first book I published in 2012. There are 15 books, including the prequel, The Making of Meredith, in the Meredith and Hodge series. (I knew that, of course)
With Chance Encounters now live, I have published 25 books in 11 years (excluding boxed sets). That’s an average of 2 (and a bit) books a year. But here’s the one that amazed me. So far in 2023 I have written and published FIVE books. I thought it was four. (Yes, honestly.) I’d forgotten Error of Judgement came before The Little Compton Mysteries this year.
There are a couple of downsides to having clicked that link, apart from the distraction away from what I was doing. 1. As I’ve started writing two other novels, I’m now wondering if I can finish another one before the fireworks and bells herald in 2024. My sensible self says, ‘No, get real!’ My silly self says, ‘We’ll see. Why are you writing about stats when you should be writing the next one?’ and, 2. I’ve bought even more books from my favourite authors to add to the TBR pile. I think if I never bought another book and live to my mid-nineties, I might just get through them.
Image-by-yanalya-on-Freepik
To conclude: I went to look for something, got distracted by new books and the dreaded statistics, then ended up writing this to recommend you to subscribe to Fantastic Fiction, so you can easily find everything written by your favourite author. I feel I should add a word of caution. Tread carefully, it might (read will) cost you. Result: Several hours later, and I have to go back to my emails to find what I was looking for.
I’d better dash. My silly self is calling because before all this distraction I was working on the latest M & H Enough … who knows, I might make six!
Happy reading,
Image 1 & 3 by yanalya on Freepik
Image 2 by wayhomestudio on Freepik
No I don’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s the Author I buy it for xx
Hi Sheena, yep I’m the same, even if I don’t know the author. It’s the blurb, the recommendation, the author for me. M x
Hi from Canada. I do like the cover of a book but if it is from an author I love I would buy the book without a cover. That would include yours 🙂
I’m looking forward to the next H&M whenever it comes out. I enjoy hearing about what you’ve been up to. Its a little mini novel from you.
Happy writing
Thanks Kim. I’m working on it now, well I will be once I’ve replied to you. Take care, and happy reading. M x
I am a bad “judge a book by its cover ” person. It’s all part of the first impression, and we all know how important first impressions are. But there are a handful of authors I will read anything by, one of them being you. So A, yes if it’s one of my small handful of authors.
Thank you, Randi. I have to say I have avoided some books because the cover was really bad, and didn’t seem to belong to a genre I read, but generally I wouldn’t recognise a book because of the cover. Interesting how the brain works, isn’t it.
I forgot to answer the question. I will buy any book without a cover if it’s one of my favorite authors!
Yes, me too. I’m not bothered by covers too much when looking for something to read. It is always either the author or recommendation.
Hi Marcia, Greetings from a wet and windy south Hampshire! To answer the question you posed about book covers, personally I don’t pay much attention to them, although if an author has taken the trouble to get an interesting one it indicates to me that their writing is important to them and they are less likely to publish poorly researched or edited books. Generally, I have several favourite authors and associated series (19 authors at the moment). For example when you release a Meredith and Hodge book it gets added to my list to read, however as you know I’m not a fan of your Bearing Witness series, and haven’t read any of your Little Compton books yet. I keep an excel spreadsheet to keep track of what I’ve read and what I’ve purchased, at the moment there are about 400 books read, an almost 500 to read (not all purchased yet but series I’m following and some authors who I’m planning to take a look at in due course). I’m not a quick reader; I like to savour the exploits of my favourite characters so despite being retired now I only get through about two books a week – life and other people get in the way of reading as much as I’d like! Anyway, I’ve rambled on, just visited the FF website for a quick browse and added my favourite 19 authors … you included of course! Best wishes, Christine
Wow. That is organised. I’m impressed. I’m not overly fussy about covers and I may have hit the buy button if it wasn’t so far away. That said I’ll probably buy next time I get a prompt from someone. 2 books a week is also good going, I’m going to finish the year on about 3 books a month. But am currently reading a Mrs Pargeter’s boxed set. I’ll move on once I’ve finished the current book and go back to it after several other types of read. Best wishes to you too, Christine x
Well, you ROCK! No surprise there, actually. I’m on your team rooting for #6!
I’m doing my best. Might be early next year though. Depends on these distractions!
any time is great! ????
Thank you!