# Reading samples: To what extent do you use them?



## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

As an author I'm interested in how often and to what extent readers use the free sample offered by Amazon.

Authors are readers too, and I can't imagine why your habits would be different as a group from straight readers, so you're welcome to vote too.

Thanks!

Eric

PS: The reason I'm asking for an answer based on the last sample you read is so your response will be based on a precise case in recent memory, rather than a guesstimation of your average over time.  The results should reflect reality better that way. (Yes, I'm that much of a geek.)


----------



## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I usually read the whole sample, checking formatting, typos, writer's style etc. Even if the writing is good if the other is bad, no sale.


----------



## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

Rarely. Maybe once every 20 purchases? Generally I'll look at the cover, the blurb, and the reviews (if any). If any of those strike me as clumsy, I'll avoid it.


----------



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Since I've had a Kindle I always sample - I've cut down considerably on unread books and wasted money that way, I even sample books by authors I'm familiar with since if I haven't read them on Kindle before I still need to check formatting etc. 

I always read the full sample before buying - there's no need to make up my mind any earlier when it takes only a minute to get the rest of the book if I want it.


----------



## romac (Jun 23, 2010)

I'm a sample addict. I actually don't think there's a single book on my Kindle that I purchased without reading the sample first, and several it's saved me from purchasing because even the sample didn't hold my interest.


----------



## Karen Fenech (Jul 1, 2010)

I enjoy the reading samples and always download them before I buy.  I usually know if I'm going to buy before I reach the end of the sample. Still, I read to the end because if I've decided to buy, then I'm hooked and want to read on.  : )


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a whole mess of samples. . .but haven't read many of them. . . .most are from the first couple months I owned the Kindle. . .nearly two years ago now. I realized I was getting them and not reading them, so stopped. Instead, if I note a book that looks interesting, I wishlist it. Periodically I'll go through my wishlist and see if anything appeals -- you know, when you've just got to spend some money.  At that point I usually just go buy the thing though I _may_ start with the sample to see if it sucks me in. 

One of the reasons I've found samples somewhat less than satisfying is that there's sometimes not much of substance. In a paper book the first few pages always have title and copyright information, maybe some acknowledgements or a forward or something. Family saga books frequently have a family tree, and fantasies or historicals have maps. All that is fine. But if it's a Kindle book, and all that stuff is there, you may get to the start of the actual story and only have a page or two. . .that's not usually enough to tell me anything so I'm more likely, at that point, to just delete the sample and forget about the book. So, for me, having that stuff in the back is better. You can always put a short linked ToC at the front so it's easy to find them when wanted, without using up sample locations. . . . .


----------



## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

I've used the samples when choosing books for my kids.  Most of the books I want, I know that I want. 

I have used samples when there are different editions of the same book for Kindle.  Especially with classics, I will check a sample of a paid version to see if it is better than a free version, or to compare paid versions from different sources.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

These days (had my K2 for about 1-1/2 years now), I pretty much sample anything before buying unless it's either by some author I always love (rare) or the book is free. Even with the freebies, I might still peruse a bit of the sample to make sure I have some interest in it, and if not I don't end up adding another book to my archive that I'd just as soon not have to deal with later.


----------



## Raffeer (Nov 19, 2008)

I use samples to remind myself of a book that I am going to buy i.e. as soon as I see something I know I am going to buy, or that looks interesting, I download the sample and keep it on my home screen. That way I can keep track of what's available. 
If it is a free book I do order it as soon as I see it but otherwise the only things on my home screen are samples and the book I am reading. As soon as I finish reading I "delete" (move the book to my archives and the sample to outer space).


----------



## AlexJouJou (May 16, 2010)

I use samples only for things I'm really not sure of. If the book is under $7 I probably won't sample it at all. I'll just buy it.

I do the samples for books that are like $9.99 or higher since that seems much more of an investment. I put them in a collection called "samples" for when I'm looking for something I don't already have...goodness knows I have over 100 books anyway but sometimes nothing appeals. 

The last one I sampled was "Book of Shadows" and I did end up buying it due to the sample (even at $12.99 which I find high). It was really good an worth the price.


----------



## caracara (May 23, 2010)

I always read the first page or so of a book, to see if it drew me in, even with library books.  I usually read the sample, but I listen more to reviews, and general plot.  That is the one thing I miss about DTB, the back cover (or inside flaps), but samples are helpful.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

caracara said:


> I always read the first page or so of a book, to see if it drew me in, even with library books. I usually read the sample, but I listen more to reviews, and general plot. That is the one thing I miss about DTB, the back cover (or inside flaps), but samples are helpful.


This just made something else occur to me. . . .I think one of my problems with samples is that then I forget if I've read the book. Like, if there's a 'sample chapter of the next volume' of a series at the end of a book. If I read it, I may get confused when I'm in the bookstore shopping and I read the beginning bit of the book and think. . .that's familiar, I must have read it. So I don't buy it. Later I realize, no, I never read it, but I did read the first chapter. Because of this, I almost never read the sample chapters at the ends of books.


----------



## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

I'd never buy a print book without opening it and seeing if I like the writing style, and it's the same with ebooks. I can tell pretty quickly if I'll enjoy the writing. The deeper aspects such as characterization and plot can't be foretold this way, so there's always the element of risk, but samples help a lot.


----------



## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

caracara said:


> I always read the first page or so of a book, to see if it drew me in, even with library books. I usually read the sample, but I listen more to reviews, and general plot. That is the one thing I miss about DTB, the back cover (or inside flaps), but samples are helpful.


I do miss back covers and the ability to sample from later in the book. I've been fooled into a couple books because of an exciting first chapter that quickly dropped off. WOLF HALL and LITERACY AND LONGING IN L.A. come to mind.

This is an interesting thread because one of my Writer's Cafe threads started as a Smashwords question and became a lively discussion among authors over how long a sample should be...


----------



## Sometimes Lucy (Jan 28, 2010)

I've just started using samples, and I don't know why I didn't before. It's a great way to tell if I really want the entire book


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

CNDudley said:


> ...
> This is an interesting thread because one of my Writer's Cafe threads started as a Smashwords question and became a lively discussion among authors over how long a sample should be...


One guideline: make sure some of the actual story is in the sample! I forget which book it was that I sampled, and after the copyright and title page stuff, the TOC, a dedication page, an introduction by someone else, and the author's intro, there was maybe one page of the actual story.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I always get the sample and read at least a few pages to make sure it's not in Topaz format. I generally read most if not all of the sample unless I start spotting too many formatting errors.

Mike


----------



## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

If it is a book by a author I am not familiar with then I always read the complete sample. If it is a book by one of my favorite authors then I go ahead and purchase without the sample. It has saved me alot of money. Usually if I like the sample then I enjoy the book.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I do GET samples, but I never read them... I get them to remind myself which books I want to purchase. It's my "shopping list" for reading. and I did not vote because that wasn't an option.


----------



## donna callea (Dec 25, 2009)

I love kindle samples.  I almost always order a sample-- even if it's for a bestseller with good reviews.  I recently got a sample for a $9.99 book that's had great buzz.  But it just wasn't for me.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I rarely samples, but I don't want to say zilch.....

Also, remember that amazon sample size is by percent of your file, so it may not even be a full chapter, so that option seems odd to me.


----------



## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

For me, the samples are critical to my purchase decision. Free samples are one of the best marketing tools out there for books. Its hard to go back to print once you get used to it. Just try standing around in a store for two hours reading all the first chapters. You can do it, but I feel strange doing so.


----------



## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

I always sample, but don't always feel the need to read the whole sample before buying the book. Actually, the more of the sample I feel the need to read, the less likely I am to end up buying the book. That usually means I'm not sure early on, and that I'm sitting on the fence.


----------



## WilliamM (Feb 10, 2009)

I always read the sample first unless its an author I always read or if its a conuation of a series im reading 
I rarely go by the reviews on Amazon..I could care less if others like the book or not and they are usually filled with spoilers or irrelevant reasons for giving a bad review..
unfortunately some samples dont allow you to read much more than the first few pages


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

There are half a dozen authors in the world whose books I buy without sampling. They are the ones whose hard covers I always pounced on the minute they came out pre-Kindle. Other than that, I sample everything, including freebies. Free is no bargain if I'm not going to read the book.


----------



## TC Beacham (Nov 23, 2009)

I always read the entire sample (usually several samples and then choose one) no matter who the author is - even if I love an author's writing, I may not be into the setting or subject right then.


----------



## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I love the samples! Even for things I'm pretty sure I'll want, I like to try the sample first. Even if it's something I might really like, it might not be the thing I'm in the mood for right at this moment, you know? And then I use my sample library as a reminder for what I might want to buy next, or use it when I'm at the library to remind me what I'd like to read.


----------



## rcordiner (Jul 4, 2010)

I think that they are crucial - particularly if you don't know the author


----------



## TulipTrainer (Jun 6, 2010)

Always. A sample is a huge must.


----------



## BrianJamesFreeman (Jul 6, 2010)

I've found myself sending samples to my Kindle to remind me to come back and read more about a book later when I'm in a hurry, etc.  That way the sample is right there waiting for me the next time I have some free reading time.

Brian


----------



## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

I'm probably 50/50 on samples. If I know I want it and it's cheap, I go for it. I'll sample new authors.

Scott


----------



## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

I almost alway read the entire sample before I'll decide, and I almost always sample before I'll buy.  The exceptions are typically sequels, where I've already read the preceding book.  I can think of just two books where I hit the buy button before finishing the sample.  Both had extremely compelling first lines, and I knew by the end of the first page that I wanted to know the rest.


----------



## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

None of the options fit me. I sample when I can and usually read until I decide which way I'm going. If I don't like the writing style, I stop. If I like, I usually read the whole sample.

As far as the formatting goes, I found that with the "In her name omnibus", I bought the book in spite of errors in the sample, and there were no errors in the actual book.

Oh yes, I agree with Nog, I hate it when the sample is filled with nothing to do with the story.


----------



## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks for all the great input everyone.  I never would've guessed these results.  A lot more thorough, do-it-yourself assessments (60% reading the full sample, for example) than I'd imagined, and not a whole lot of reliance upon the reviews of other readers, according to the comments.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I sample 100 percent of the time.  If it isn't grabbing me, I might read a page or two.  If it's sort of okay, I'll read longer.  But in any case if I'm going to buy, I pretty much read to the end of the sample because I'm...reading the story!!!


----------



## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I do read user reviews, but I weight them heavily depending on how articulate they are. Some positive reviews are enough to let me know that I DON'T want to read the book!


----------



## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

When I first started using ebooks, I was still in the same state of mind as when I read paper books - I tried to shop and make up my mind while shopping.  And if I wasn't sure or didn't have time, I tried to keep track of which books I might be interested in later. I didn't like using my wishlist for this, because I use my wishlists heavily for other purposes.

Then I figured out that sampling solved all of my problems.  I never have to assess anything the instant I hear of it.  Sending a sample is a very fast one-click thing.

Do I read every sample?  No.  But when I do browse through them, I am sitting back and relaxed and ready to read and enjoy them.  (Which is why I like Smashwords' long samples better than Amazon's short ones.)

Sampling is the niftiest thing about ebooks.

Camille


----------



## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Now that I use the Kindle app on my iPad, I sample everything. Like Camille, I think sampling is one of the best parts of e-readers.


----------



## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

I always sample language-learning books and books with several translations. I'll sample new authors as well. I buy the majority of my books from recommendations made by friends and author interviews on television; those have already caught my eye enough that I don't feel I need a sample. 
I'll also sample books I'm on the fence about buying and sometimes I'll just sample to remind myself to read a book later. It's the lazy version of my "Books to Buy" list.
When I do get a sample, I read the whole thing before purchasing.


----------



## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

I almost always sample before I buy. I love the sample feature and usually read the whole sample before I make my decisionm about buying the book.


----------



## stacydan (Jul 20, 2009)

I LOVE the sample feature, it has been very helpful, and sometimes I wish I had sampled instead of one-clicking on some 0.99 cent books.  I have noticed on several occassions that the book description will be great and I think I am going to love it, but then unfortunately, the book disappoints.  

I have two categories for samples (fiction and non-fiction) and have quite a large collection in the fiction category.  I also use this category to remind me of books that I want to check into it later.  It really irritates me when the sample is too short (or half of it is acknowledgements, TOC, etc.) and then at the end of the sample I'm STILL not sure if I want to spend the money on it.  ugh

I don't Always read the entire sample before buying, especially if it has grabbed my interest.  I use the samples ALOT and I am SO glad we have this option, I just wish all authors would provide a decent sample size.


----------



## Beth O (Jul 9, 2010)

Just an FYI - author's don't choose the sample sizes on Kindle or the search inside this book feature on the print versions.  Amazon does.  The author only controls the sample on the author's website, and even then, some publishers restrict how much the author can post on the author's own website (since even that is considered "publication" and the publisher controls publication rights).

Has anyone ever considered e-mailing the author for a longer sample?


----------



## izzy (Jun 12, 2010)

I answered zilch, but im trying to start sampling more before buying books. I figure if i ever get through my TBR pile sampling will be very helpful.


----------



## graykane (Jul 11, 2010)

If I find the reading sample enjoyable at all, I'll read it to the end before making a decision. But in a couple of instances (I've had the Kindle only since the end of December), the reading sample was misleading: the authors produced an incredible first chapter that did not reflect the work as a whole. In those cases, I read but ignored the reviews that warned readers about that. Now I take those types of reviews more seriously. (It's a learning process!)


----------

