# How many pages before you give up?



## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

My mother told me when I was first starting to read whole books that you should give it at least fifty pages.  She was probably giving me advice at a time when I was reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing or some other young adult fiction.  Fifty pages was probably enough to give the author a chance to hook you for that genre.  But what about thriller fiction, sci-fi, contemporary fiction, and how about non-fiction?  What about new indy authors - do they deserve the same opportunity that we afford to corporate-published authors?


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I treat all books the same whatever the author/publisher. If it can't grab my attention within 50 to 75 pages, delete and move on.


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

Fifty pages sounds OK as far as seeing whether an author is going in an interesting direction. I’ve quit books having read less, but I’ve also quit books having read more. For ebooks, they get whatever the sample has.

Concerning indie authors, they don’t get as much slack as the “published” authors. They’d better demonstrate their writing skills pretty quickly. If they don’t have that, then it doesn’t matter if it’s a good story or not.

Mike


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

One page.  I can tell if a book is written well or poorly based on the first page.

Sometimes, however, I will like the first page well enough, but get bored after several more pages, and then give up.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Fifty pages is pretty dang generous, honestly. I'll get a feeling after the first paragraph or two about whether the author knows what they're doing. I'll give them a couple pages to see if they get to their business of telling the dang story. If either one is too poor (either the story or the writing) then I'm probably going to move on.

David Dalglish


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

David, you're right.  I think I was generous about the one page.  Not to be snooty or anything, but in many cases, I can spot bad writing in the first paragraph -- even the first sentence -- and move on.

Here's my ultimate test:  If I start wondering "Hmmm, I wonder what's on TV?", that means the book's not going to be my cup of tea.  If I lose track of time, and get sucked into the story, that's my kind of book!


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

Most of the time, if I can get passed the first few pages, I'll give it an entire chapter. 

After reading a couple thousand (seriously!) opening chapters on Authonomy, I have great brakes.   I stop for "Bait and Switch" tactics - "Throw Away" characters and "Splatter" openings. 

Any sign of those and I quit.

I'm inclined to be more forgiving for Indie authors - just because I am one. I've read some really good Indie books.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a very hard time giving up on any book I've started...so I have no real rule.  I've had books that I struggle with for 3/4 of the book, but the last 1/4 was so great I forgave the author.

Betsy


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

About 30 pages.  If there's something *really* stupid, or bad formatting/grammar/spelling, I'll stop much earlier.  Too many POV changes in the first 30 pages is another sure way to get me to put the book down.  It takes me about a chapter or scene to "like" a character and either be committed to learning more--or not caring at all.  If I have just gotten interested and the POV changes?  I generally can't be bothered.  

I don't care where I got the book, whether it is Kindle, hardback, used, classic, Indie, best-seller...


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## Tracy Falbe (Jul 4, 2010)

I generally give a book 100 pages. Sometimes I've stopped at around 75 when it's painfully obvious things are going nowhere, at least for my entertainment needs. It's usually a bad sign when I have to tell myself "OK, give this until page 100" but with longer sagas I know that it can take a while for the story to gel and then the effort is worth it because the narrative gets interesting.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Mostly I read the whole book. I've quit on a few toward the end because I just didn't care what happened.


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## findjon (Mar 11, 2010)

At my age, I read for fun. Don't talk to me about books that will make me smarter. I was already as smart as I'll ever be a few decades ago. And, reading retirement financial books is the best way to nod off quickly.

Give me a good mystery book. For me, I prefer a different era like the Nate Heller books by Max Allan Collins or James Ellroy books.

I don't give any book a big chance. If it isn't interesting from the get-go, I let go. Sure I paid for the book, but I don't have to pay more in my time to read a book that bores me. If I don't enjoy reading it, why read it? For my original investment in the book? That's silly.

Stats show that most men in their 20s and 30s don't read novels like we Boomers (or Geezers) used to. What a shame. There's very few things as good as settling down and reading a good book.

Jon Spoelstra


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## Danielleqlee (Jun 21, 2010)

DArenson said:


> One page. I can tell if a book is written well or poorly based on the first page.
> 
> Sometimes, however, I will like the first page well enough, but get bored after several more pages, and then give up.


I agree, if a book starts off boring, there's a good chance it will stay that way.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

First chapter. If you haven't hooked me by then, bye-bye. And I reserve the right to stop reading at any point after that.

Oh, but I should say that for


Spoiler



smutty


 romance novels, I'll probably only give it a couple of pages. If I don't like the characters, I stop.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> Fifty pages is pretty dang generous, honestly. I'll get a feeling after the first paragraph or two about whether the author knows what they're doing. I'll give them a couple pages to see if they get to their business of telling the dang story. If either one is too poor (either the story or the writing) then I'm probably going to move on.
> 
> David Dalglish


ITA! I need to be drawn in and quickly. If at anytime I become bored...I stop reading and move on.

Sandy


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

I agree with Maria that it depends on the book. Crummy writing, bad formatting or proofreading may be evident right away. Poorly drawn or unsympathetic characters may take a bit longer. Deficient plotting may not show up until much later. Recently for the first time I quit on a "thriller" no more than 20 or 30 pages from the end when I realized I just didn't care how it came out. First time for that but IMO the author just got silly towards the end.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I usually try to give an author around 20% of the story ... if I'm not feeling it by then, then I'll give up and move one.  That said, there have been times that I've only given a book 5% or less ... when I just know from the beginning that it's either poorly written ...


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## MJGhajar (Jun 14, 2010)

For me, it's the first chapter, or the first a few pages...If I like it, I usually go to the end. I like the free 1st chapter download that Amazon has. It gives me a good idea whether I want to continue or stop.


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## blefever (Jul 29, 2010)

intinst said:


> I treat all books the same whatever the author/publisher. If it can't grab my attention within 50 to 75 pages, delete and move on.


I agree 100%. If I can't get interested by then, I'll never get interested.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I'd like to amend that I don't mean the story needs to start out BANG-ZOOM guns blazin' and bodies fallin' and heads flyin'. I more mean that I need to be _interested._ Some of the real classics have slow beginnings, but they have two things going for it. One, the writing is very solid, confident, and that carries over to me and wills me to give them a chance as well. Two, even the slowest of novels, if written well, will find sneaky ways toss out hints of great things to come (like, say, Fellowship of the Ring).

David Dalglish


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

5 . . . _maybe_ 10. If there's a strong voice but the story hasn't quite taken off enough so that I'm eager to see what happens next, I might peek ahead and give it another ten, then another ten after that.

If it's a book I end up loving, the majority of the time I can sense that in the very beginning, sometimes on the first page. It's a way that the author has of engaging the reader, saying something about ordinary things in a way that makes you look at them differently, combined with a story that pulls you along.

Being a picky reader is tough when you review for a blog, but then when I do write a review it's usually for something I can endorse wholeheartedly. I'm not sure how people can be bothered to finish reading a book they don't enjoy.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I have given up on some half way or less through the Kindle sample, and very occasionally after a page or two. Once I've actually paid for a book, I'd probably give it a little more slack in order to recoup my investment. But there are some books I've read that were pretty well written, but after awhile did not seem to be going anywhere or were otherwise disappointing and I quit quite a ways into them. In fact, I quit one recently at around the 75% mark, which may be a record (of dubious merit) for me.


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

I read 25% if it's on Kindle or 100 pages if it's a dtb before I give it up.  Couple of years ago, I finished the book regardless.  Then one day I realized there were too many potentially good books waiting to be read on the kindle or my bookshelf.


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## drenfrow (Jan 27, 2010)

I have to say I am surprised at how many people give up on books so soon.  I have read many books that had a slow start but then totally sucked me in.  If I had judged them on just the first few pages I would have quit.  Now I feel like a freak admitting this but I can honestly say until a few years ago I had never not finished a book once I started reading it.  In the past few years I have given myself permission to abandon books but I still bet I have only done it 5-6 times.  I guess maybe I am pickier up front.  I don't start reading something unless I really expect to like it.  And I am a fast reader, which probably makes the biggest difference.  If I knew it was going to take me a couple of weeks to finish a book I would probably be more likely to abandon a book I wasn't enjoying.


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## Steven L. Hawk (Jul 10, 2010)

If I make it to the end of the sample, I will usually buy and am usually in for the long haul.  However, I have purchased, kept reading, and then... moved on to something else.  If I get back to rest of the book later, fine.  If not, no biggie.

So many books, so little time...


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## StevenSavile (Jun 23, 2010)

5 or 6 pages if I am feeling generous, but I am at an age now where I am gravitating back to the same writers, guys I know I can trust. So those I tend to see through to the bitter end. If I've bought it, I'll give it time. If it is library or browsing or sample... way less forgiving. I can maybe read 10 books a year with all of the writing commitments and life going on around me... why waste even one of them on a bad book?


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

unless its just absolutely horrible I will finish regardless


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## tbrookside (Nov 4, 2009)

I think I can count on one hand the number of books that have wowed me within one page, so if I used the one-page method I'd never read anything!


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## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

mistyd107 said:


> unless its just absolutely horrible I will finish regardless


I love the book ticker. What does the number 81k locations indicate?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

drenfrow said:


> I have to say I am surprised at how many people give up on books so soon. I have read many books that had a slow start but then totally sucked me in. If I had judged them on just the first few pages I would have quit. Now I feel like a freak admitting this but I can honestly say until a few years ago I had never not finished a book once I started reading it. In the past few years I have given myself permission to abandon books but I still bet I have only done it 5-6 times. I guess maybe I am pickier up front. I don't start reading something unless I really expect to like it. And I am a fast reader, which probably makes the biggest difference. If I knew it was going to take me a couple of weeks to finish a book I would probably be more likely to abandon a book I wasn't enjoying.


The ones I gave up on in the first few pages were not because the story did or did not suck me in, but normally some combination of really bad writing,* offensively stereotyped characters, or obviously dealing with subject matter that disgusts, offends, or bores me. If it's the story itself that turns me off, I'll probably give it a chapter or two to see if it's going to pick up; but realistically, if an author cannot draw me into the book on page one, it's more likely than not that either it's a genre/story too far out of my comfort zone, and/or the author his not doing a very good job. After all, every author knows (or should know) how important the opening of a book is, and if the part of the book that they should be working the hardest on to be good does not interest me, it's asking a lot to believe that it will get better. 
____________
* It doesn't have to be Pulitzer Prize-winning stuff, but I have my lower limits.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

DArenson said:


> One page. I can tell if a book is written well or poorly based on the first page.
> 
> Sometimes, however, I will like the first page well enough, but get bored after several more pages, and then give up.


This sums up my take on it nicely. I have a low tolerance for poor writing.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

jackwestjr_author said:


> I love the book ticker. What does the number 81k locations indicate?


LOL it took me a second to figure out where the 81 k was. Sorry blame it on a LONG day. Anyway, Thx I ABSOLUTELY love baseball so when I saw the ticker had to use it. Since the Kindle uses locations instead of pages the 81K is the total number of locations I've read so far this year.


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## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

If I can make it past the first page or two of a book, I'll usually finish it.  I have, on a few occasions, put a book down halfway through, but a story really has to drag before I give up on it.


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## Tuttle (Jun 10, 2010)

I generally finish all books I start. If there is too bad of writing, then I'll drop it within the first chapter. However, beyond that I'll expect to go back and finish the book, just not necessarily when I start it. Perhaps it is that I read abnormally quickly, but I find that even a just okay book is worth the time I spent reading it. 

The two situations where I'll put a book down and finish it later (i.e. read another book or ten first), are when it is long and I'm feeling like I'm getting nowhere because of just not being able to get into it, and when it is too emotional for me.

Both are rare, though both have happened. The former has happened when I started in the mood for a science fiction book and after getting about a quarter of the way through was craving epic fantasy. This meant I was just not being able to make progress when I sat down and was reading. The latter generally occurs when it is just depressing to read the book - this is either because the book is meant to be sad or because the book is too personal. I find the books still worth reading, but if I don't pace myself, then I end up miserable because of wishing I was different than the person that I am.


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## Carld (Dec 2, 2009)

Like DArenson, I know very quickly if the writing is up to snuff. If the first paragraph seems clumsy, or amateurish, I'm not likely to read much further. It doesn't have to be Slam Bam Action!!, but it does have to display a minimum level of skill for me to keep reading.

Someone told me I'd make a great slush pile reader, being able to reject things within the first paragraph. Yeah, until I found something I liked then they'd find me curled up somewhere with the manuscript and a coffee, reading away.


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## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

Depends. I'll usually give a book at least fifty pages. But if it's terrible, one page will do.


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

I am not sure that there is a reason an 'introduction' should be boring or lose the reader--of course no two readers are alike. If a novel doesn't get going somehwere pretty quickly, then it's not for me. 

Does that mean the main plot has to be fully introduced? Not necessarily. But if the story reads like it's remaining in neutral instead of at least first gear for a really long time? Move on. There's too much else out there to read.

I do agree, as was stated above, that established authors probably get a little more leeway in this.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

I give up on any page I lose interest. Could be the first page or 50th or the 200th. I usually know within the first chapter though.
L.J.


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## Bane766 (Aug 2, 2010)

There are very few books that I don't finish.  I read rather fast as well, so it doesn't take me that long to finish even a 1100 page novel.  Gerald's Game by Stephen King is one of the few and I tried to read it several times...I couldn't get past page 30.  I thought it was so boring, stupid, and I didn't care about the main character.  I also stopped the most recent Wheel of Time book midway through as I decided the story was just not interesting to me.  After 11 1/2 books I'm done with the series altogether.  There was just too much waiting with pretty much nothing happening...which, to me, books 7-10 were the same nothingness going on.  I wanted it to get better which is why I continued reading, but it just didn't. 

Even if it has bad/confusing writing I usually end up trying to slug through it ie: Satanic Verses (very interesting story, but the Indian culture references were very confusing to me).

Some books I get bored with and stop halfway through...I'm a determined person though so I usually come back to these.  Lisey's Story by Stephen King is one of these.


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## pdallen (Aug 3, 2010)

I'll give them 100 pages. Many classics take that long just to set the scene and introduce all the characters. But if a book has gone nowhere in 100 pages, I will toss it.


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## Nell Gavin (Jul 3, 2010)

I'm a recovering technical writer. During my stint (about 15 years), I couldn't read anything. Or mostly anything. I was once told by an editor that the job had ruined reading for her. That's a sad thing, when you consider that people get into the business because they love to read. Technical writing ruined reading for me.

Technical issues would stop me only words into a book. Having that kind of hypersensitive focus, reading became like watching someone with a facial tic who also had Tourettes. I couldn't concentrate on the story because the grammar or sentence structure was so distracting. Since I proofread other technical writers, I read books as if I were holding a red pen, and I couldn't stop. 

There were only a very few books that "passed", and which I could finish. I was able to finish Slammerkin, and Water for Elephants, and The Kite Runner, and Heaven Lake, and A Confederacy of Dunces, and a few others. The rest all went to a book sale.

But I'm better now. I haven't been a technical writer for about 18 months, and I'm slowly regaining my reading bearings. Now I want my book sale books back.


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## Bane766 (Aug 2, 2010)

Nell Gavin said:


> I'm a recovering technical writer. During my stint (about 15 years), I couldn't read anything. Or mostly anything. I was once told by an editor that the job had ruined reading for her. That's a sad thing, when you consider that people get into the business because they love to read. Technical writing ruined reading for me.
> 
> Technical issues would stop me only words into a book. Having that kind of hypersensitive focus, reading became like watching someone with a facial tic who also had Tourettes. I couldn't concentrate on the story because the grammar or sentence structure was so distracting. Since I proofread other technical writers, I read books as if I were holding a red pen, and I couldn't stop.
> 
> ...


I'm actually rather good at catching punctuation errors, misspells, etc in books I read. The thought of being an editor crossed my mind at one point when I was younger...after I thought about it for awhile, I figured I'd end up just like you did. I love to read so it was an immediate hell no for that job.


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## Nell Gavin (Jul 3, 2010)

Bane766 said:


> I'm actually rather good at catching punctuation errors, misspells, etc in books I read. The thought of being an editor crossed my mind at one point when I was younger...after I thought about it for awhile, I figured I'd end up just like you did. I love to read so it was an immediate hell no for that job.


I know, right? You have to feel for the people who work in the industry. I doubt any of them can read for pleasure.

But, if you happen to be in the industry and are looking for a book you can finish, any of the ones I listed will do.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2010)

jackwestjr_author said:


> My mother told me when I was first starting to read whole books that you should give it at least fifty pages. She was probably giving me advice at a time when I was reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing or some other young adult fiction. Fifty pages was probably enough to give the author a chance to hook you for that genre. But what about thriller fiction, sci-fi, contemporary fiction, and how about non-fiction? What about new indy authors - do they deserve the same opportunity that we afford to corporate-published authors?


I read 1/4 to 1/2 of a book before I make a call on it. Some have been so bad that I couldn't make it that far, but that was because the characters were constrained and obviously edited for politcly correctness or marketability. Billy the crack head character can't have dialogue in propper english or It just irritates me. I love indie, I am indie, so maybe I am bias. But with Indie books I might even go half way before I put it down, simply because I know the hard work and affort that went into the project. ...Just sayin.


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

Nell Gavin said:


> I'm a recovering technical writer.


Oh, I can so relate to that. I've had a terrible time with it. When I started reading random opening chapters on Authonomy, it was so painful.

PS. didn't like "Water for Elephants" couldn't get passed the first chapter. It was SO depressing.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I generally give it 20 pages.  If, by then I don't care about what happens to the characters or want them to get a grip-- I'll pass.  Writing that doesn't engage me will also have irritated me enough by then to give the book a rest.  I'll come back to some books if they are good but I'm just not in the mood right then.  I read for pleasure (even if learning something) so I don't like wasting my time on something that doesn't give that pleasure.


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## Linda S. Prather Author (Jun 25, 2010)

Like Jon, I read to be entertained and time is too short to read something I don't find entertaining.  I gave up on a Cornwell novel after the third chapter.  I was bored out of my mind, although up to that point she was one of my favorite authors.  I love the samples mainly because they give me an idea if it's the type of book I would like.  I used to read a book all the way to the end regardless.  Not any more.  I have to have something I'm interested in.  It may be the plot, the characters or just the location, but I have to have something.  30 to 100 pages depending on the genre.


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

If they can keep my interest through page 10, it's extremely rare I will put a book down.  If I'm in 50 or 100 pages, I might as well finish.  In for a penny, in for a pound.


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## WilliamEsmont (May 3, 2010)

I can usually tell in a page or two.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

I try to give a book at least a chapter or two, but sometimes I can tell from the first page. Just depends, really, on how forgiving I feel at that particular moment. I can cut an indie a little slack for not having the benefit of an editor and a copy editor, but a NYC book has no excuse for sub-par writing.


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## Carolyn A (Jul 25, 2010)

This is another reason why I love the Kindle - the ability to preview a sizable chunk of story. If a story is horrible on the first page, I woudn't have taken it home in the first place, whether from the library, bookstore, or whatever. But some books have good openings and then drizzle off after that. So with the Kindle, I can read the whole preview before deciding whether to buy. Much better opportunity to decide than making a snap decision in the bookstore.

Carolyn


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## Chris Redding Author (Aug 14, 2010)

You guys are kind. You get 15 pages and I'm done.
though I did just put down a book halfway thru when I predicted too many things.
cmr


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## Gordon Ryan (Aug 20, 2010)

findjon said:


> Stats show that most men in their 20s and 30s don't read novels like we Boomers (or Geezers) used to. What a shame. There's very few things as good as settling down and reading a good book.
> 
> Jon Spoelstra


Jon, from one geezer to another, I agree with you. The "Fast Food" mentality has driven the book underground to a large extent. As to when I give up, it is rare. I usually read the entire book, just to learn what the author did wrong. I can forgive a plot line not coming together, or what I call the "logic train" especially in a thriller or complex plot, but I really struggle with the writing side. Poor spelling, grammar, POV, etc. are more disrupting to me than plot holes. Although I love to find plot holes, even while watching a movie.

And don't forget, Jon, according to Steve Windwalker's Kindle Nation poll, more geezers own Kindle than 20's and 30's. Does that mean geezers rule, or some such cliche?


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

A related question is: should free samples of an author's books be provided to entice readers to buy the entire book? If yes, how much of a book should be available for free? I've seen recommendations of from 20% to 50%. So let me ask readers to chime in and give me some advice.  Do free samples usually lead you to buy the book? How much do you need to read before making that decision. Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to reply.


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## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer (Aug 10, 2010)

It all depends on the writing and whether I can connect with the characters. If they don't feel genuine and the plot seems forced and there are random point-of-view shifts, then I'm out of there in about 25 pages. But I confess I'll go to the end to see who's still standing.


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## sixnsolid (Mar 13, 2009)

I am a slogger....I will slog through until the bitter end.  Unfortunately that tends to make me obsess about what to read, because I really hate slogging through a book that I don't enjoy.

I am so weird


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## Carld (Dec 2, 2009)

Robert Tell said:


> A related question is: should free samples of an author's books be provided to entice readers to buy the entire book? If yes, how much of a book should be available for free? I've seen recommendations of from 20% to 50%. So let me ask readers to chime in and give me some advice. Do free samples usually lead you to buy the book? How much do you need to read before making that decision. Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to reply.


Free samples nearly always determine whether I'm going to buy the book or not. For me, a sample containing the first chapter is plenty. Fifty percent seems like an awful lot. Who needs half a book to decide if they like it or not?


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

Robert Tell said:


> A related question is: should free samples of an author's books be provided to entice readers to buy the entire book? If yes, how much of a book should be available for free? I've seen recommendations of from 20% to 50%. So let me ask readers to chime in and give me some advice. Do free samples usually lead you to buy the book? How much do you need to read before making that decision. Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to reply.


I am more likely to buy a book if I can sample it first. I would like to sample the complete first chapter--not just the first page or two--and if that chapter is interesting, then I would definitely buy the book.


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

Thank you Carld and Gina1230 for your comments and advice. I will adjust my samples where possible to provide the first chapter only. Happy reading!


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## FictionalWriter (Aug 4, 2010)

I have a notoriously short attention span so if I'm not hooked by chapter 2, I'm putting down the book. If you're a friend, I'm way more lenient and you get about 100 pages.


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

I'll forgive some little things but not boredom. I don't need a slam bang opening that competes with movies or video games, but it does need to raise some questions on the first page that I want to see answered. If the book strays too much from those initial questions, I start getting bored. Abandonment soon follows.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

I can usually tell in a few pages if I'm interested or not. I don't need much of a sample but if it's longer, I just read until I make up my mind.

Once I've purchased the book, I'll stick with it as long as I can. I recently put down a book after about 5 or 10 pages, but I stuck with another one for over a hundred because I _wanted _ to love it, but ultimately, I just didn't.

I remember not caring at all for _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest _ for the first 75 pages or so, and then loving it. I don't know what happened that changed my mind, but I was glad I stuck with it.


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## William L.K. (Aug 5, 2010)

It's pretty quick for me, I usually give it the first chapter.  If it doesn't get to me by then, I move on.


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

Actually, some of the best books I ever read were slow to get rolling. It took about 100 pages to get me hooked but, for those I was patient for, I'm awfully glad I stuck it out.


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

It depends. I made it through 200 pages, once, but that's because it was for an English class  

On a more serious note, I typically go through the sample and ask myself, "Would I pay $x.yz to find out what happens?" If yes, I hit that nifty one-click purchase button. If no, then...no.

I agree with the others, though, that you can tell in the first paragraph or so what the author's writing style is going to be like. If I notice blatant grammatical errors ("him and I," anyone?) in the summary, the sample doesn't get downloaded; if I notice it in said sample, then I stop right where I found it.

If I paid for a book, I will do my best to finish the whole thing. Since I'm reading e-books these days, I'll generally let poor formatting and the occasional "whoops" go. Once I catch about fifteen unique errors or so, unrelated to format, I stop reading. Whether it was a traditional publisher or an indie, they should have known better.


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## CaraMarsi27 (Aug 7, 2010)

I used to feel obligated to finish every book I started, but I don't have that kind of time now. I usually give it the first two chapters. I'm a character driven reader. I've read books by very big names that never pulled me in because I didn't connect with the characters. I've read books by mid-list authors that I loved because I loved the characters.


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

AYY said:


> If I notice blatant grammatical errors ("him and I," anyone?) in the summary, the sample doesn't get downloaded; if I notice it in said sample, then I stop right where I found it. If I paid for a book, I will do my best to finish the whole thing. Since I'm reading e-books these days, I'll generally let poor formatting and the occasional "whoops" go. Once I catch about fifteen unique errors or so, unrelated to format, I stop reading. Whether it was a traditional publisher or an indie, they should have known better.


Absolutely, AYY!!! Considerate authors take great care with the copy editing of their work. Many farm it out to copy editors at considerable expense, just to be sure. We are all learning about formatting for e-books, it is such a new experience for some of us, so your indulgence is very much appreciated. On the other hand, while an occasional typo will find its way into the most carefully screened work, no reader should be burdened with the kind of sloppy editing you are talking about. It's unprofessional, a probable symptom of poor plotting and characterization as well, and one should not hesitate to spurn such authors.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

Depends on the book.  I remember when I was a kid and starting to read Strangers by Dean Koontz, my Dad told me to give it a good 100-150 pages before I got frustrated.  it actually got me from the beginning and I didn't find it slow.  However I tried, on multiple occasions, to read The Stand by Stephen King and after about 250 pages I gave up.

I recently tried reading The White Lady Murders on Kindle but only less than 5% in when all the grammatical, punctual and other various errors had me hitting the delete button.  I haven't any idea if the story was good or not, everything else was too distracting.

But I've also slogged thru an entire series in hopes it would at lest end well only to know I wasted my time.  Twilight comes to mind.


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## WilliamM (Feb 10, 2009)

findjon said:


> At my age, I read for fun. Don't talk to me about books that will make me smarter. I was already as smart as I'll ever be a few decades ago. And, reading retirement financial books is the best way to nod off quickly.
> 
> Stats show that most men in their 20s and 30s don't read novels like we Boomers (or Geezers) used to. What a shame. There's very few things as good as settling down and reading a good book.
> 
> Jon Spoelstra


ditto on the above points..other than that i try and give a book the first couple chapters before I decide to continue


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

CaraMarsi27 said:


> I used to feel obligated to finish every book I started, but I don't have that kind of time now. I usually give it the first two chapters. I'm a character driven reader. I've read books by very big names that never pulled me in because I didn't connect with the characters. I've read books by mid-list authors that I loved because I loved the characters.


Nicely stated. If I connect with a character or characters in a story, nothing will stop me from reading it.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

It depends.  If it's bad writing / sloppy grammar, I'll stop immediately.  I haven't really run into this with published books, but from what people have said regarding indies I'm guessing I may run into it.  If it's a matter of story - I dunno.  Chalk me up as another person who generally will finish a book, even if I don't care for it.  Again, that may change as I start exploring indie books more, but I don't anticipate that.

Oh - I have high hopes, by the way - I have a sample of Flaming Dove and I purchased The Weight of Blood.  I'm re-reading my Dark-Hunter books right now, but I'm I'll probably going to read those in a month - my first two indie books


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## Maker (Jun 22, 2010)

I used to write book reviews for a newspaper and an editor gave me some good advice I've applied ever since: "There are too many good books out there to waste time on the bad ones." 

If I had unlimited time then I'd be patient and stick to the end of every book I picked up but since my time is limited I won't commit beyond the first chapter unless I know the author's work well enough to be confident that the book will get better. 

But it seldom happens that I don't finish a book because I tend to choose authors/books that I'm already deeply interested in.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Arkali said:


> Oh - I have high hopes, by the way - I have a sample of Flaming Dove and I purchased The Weight of Blood. I'm re-reading my Dark-Hunter books right now, but I'm I'll probably going to read those in a month - my first two indie books


Ah crap. I have to help represent the entire indie body in terms of quality? Um, er, so...I hope you enjoy!!!

And thank goodness you have Flaming Dove as well. That way Daniel Arenson can play cleanup when I fail miserably.

David Dalglish


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> Ah crap. I have to help represent the entire indie body in terms of quality? Um, er, so...I hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> And thank goodness you have Flaming Dove as well. That way Daniel Arenson can play cleanup when I fail miserably.
> 
> David Dalglish


  I'm sure it'll be fine. If not, I'll call for the tar and feathers!


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Arkali said:


> I'm sure it'll be fine. If not, I'll call for the tar and feathers!


Tar and feathers? Now that would be an interesting sight...


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Alice Y. Yeh said:


> Tar and feathers? Now that would be an interesting sight...


*grumble*

No photoshop!!


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Where's Betsy when you need her?


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