# Do you sample before you buy?



## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I usually do.  Not always, but usually.  I have been impulsive and purchased a book here and there without sampling.  Once I had wished I had sampled first, because I wouldn't have purchased it had I read the sample.  But that only happened once. 

Do you sample first?  Always?

Have you ever not sampled and ended up being sorry?

Vicki


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

I only sample if I don't know the author or if the description is a bit . . . off.

I don't sample as much as I used to but no, I'm never sorry because it's my own fault for not checking.  I have sampled a few things and been glad I did.  Sometimes a sample doesn't appeal to me but I'll eventually buy because I hear good things about the book as a whole and get curious enough to try it.


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## Vianka Van Bokkem (Aug 26, 2010)

I always sample first  



Vianka Van Bokkem


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## Lisa M. (Jun 15, 2010)

Usually, unless it's one of my beloved authors. Even with sampling I've bought some dud books though, the samples sucked me in but then the books were blah.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I always sample first. Nothing worse than a poorly formatted e-book.


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## kyrin (Dec 28, 2009)

I always sample. The one time I didn't, I was extremely disappointed.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

I always sample first, and it's saved me from buying a couple of awful books. 

One exception was Thomas Troxel's book. I didn't sample that one first. But I also haven't gotten around to reading it, so I dunno if that was a good idea or not yet.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I tend to sample more often than not - even for favorite authors so I can check the formatting.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I don't sample to read.. I get samples so I know which books I want to buy when I have $. I never read the samples at all.
I have 64 books in my sample collection, waiting for my book allowance...


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

I've never sampled.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I never sample.
I just don't have the time to read through a few pages and then have to go back and get the whole thing.  More importantly if the sample is small, then it may not be enough to tell if I am going to like it.  A few authors that others rave about have been slow starters for me.  So I usually commit to the book.
Besides, I don't very often pick up something that does not come recommended.  Or is free.  I keep a lookout for bargains - like the first book of Robin Hobbs for $0.00 or Perdido Street Station by China Mieville that I picked up for $0.00.  Or His Majesty's Dragon that I also got for $0.00. 
None of them cost me any more to get the whole book.  And by the time I would have read the sample, the books were not free anymore.
I have only been disappointed twice with books that others liked - books that I could not finish.
Anyway that's my story and I am sticking with it.  I never sample.

Just sayin.....


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

I don't because I will continue to skip over it. The description & re Jews give me a fairly good idea if I'll like it or not.


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## jmkwriter (Sep 14, 2009)

I always sample. If a book can't interest me in the free sample, it's probably not going to interest me at all. Too many other books out there.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I don't always but I have quite a few times and I currently have around 30 samples on my Kindle to try. 
If it is an unknown author and the book is above $7.99 in price then I almost always sample first.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I always sample, unless it's a book in a series that I already like or from an author that I love.

I've picked up a few samples that have started off terribly and I thought "Thank God I didn't waste money on this". I don't know how I ever survived before samples!


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Without fail, even for books I've read before (e.g. I picked up the Anne McCaffrey Pern 3-in-one, read it a million times in the past, but wanted to make sure the formatting looked OK before getting it.) 

I use the Look Inside the Book for print and samples for Kindle religiously, no matter what the price, name of the author, or publishing house is.


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## Asphodel (Jul 19, 2009)

With the exception of additional volumes in a series that I've already been enjoying, or a new book by a well-loved author, I always sample. Like some other KBers, I also use samples as a sort of virtual shopping list to help me remember what is on my TBR list.

I've never not sampled and regretted it, but I have sampled, bought, and regretted my purchase. Most of the time you can get a good feel from the sample as to whether or not you'll like the book, but not always.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Unless it's either an author who has already proven him/herself with me and I'm pretty sure that I'm interested in this book, or if it's a freebie, I almost always sample. I don't have the money to throw around on books I'm not going to enjoy.


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## DavidRM (Sep 21, 2010)

I didn't sample my first 3-4 ebook purchases for my Kindle. When I finished only 1 of those and wished I had my money back on the other 2-3, I learned my lesson.

*Lesson learned. Tuition paid. READ THE SAMPLE.* 

-David


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Yes. Even before ebooks, I would read the first couple of pages to get the flavor of the writing. But that only comes after an enticing blurb.


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

DavidRM said:


> I didn't sample my first 3-4 ebook purchases for my Kindle. When I finished only 1 of those and wished I had my money back on the other 2-3, I learned my lesson.
> 
> *Lesson learned. Tuition paid. READ THE SAMPLE.*
> 
> -David


Ditto. You can get a feel for someone's writing style from a few pages, so at the very least, you know what you're in for stylistically. That doesn't mean you won't hate the book when you're done with it, but it lowers the odds


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I always sample.


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## AuthorTerry (Aug 13, 2010)

I have authors I auto-buy, but otherwise, I want a taste of their writing before I buy a book. Libraries are good ways to do that. If it's a new (to me) author, I'm likely to find the book in the library first if I can't read a sample on line.


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## RiddleMeThis (Sep 15, 2009)

The only books I will Sample for are books that fit BOTH A. An author I don't regularly read and B. Have bad reviews. 

If it has both of those then I will sample before I buy it. If its one but not the other Ill just buy it.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

I always sample first.


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yes, I always sample before I purchase.


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## mathewferguson (Oct 24, 2010)

Sampling is my new fun hobby!


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

So I could use some advice from readers. How much of a sample is necessary. Smashwords recommends 50% of the book as a sample, but I think that's too much. How much do you have to read to make a decision about purchase? I don't think Kindle gives authors a choice (correct me if I'm wrong) but on Smashwords I'm giving 20% of my novel, but a bit less than that for my memoir and poetry books. Your suggestions would be welcome.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Robert Tell said:


> So I could use some advice from readers. How much of a sample is necessary. Smashwords recommends 50% of the book as a sample, but I think that's too much. How much do you have to read to make a decision about purchase? I don't think Kindle gives authors a choice (correct me if I'm wrong) but on Smashwords I'm giving 20% of my novel, but a bit less than that for my memoir and poetry books. Your suggestions would be welcome.


I guess it depends on how long your book is. If the sample is only 1 or 2 pages, I'd increase the percentage. (Some authors have things like a table of contents and such at the beginning, making the actual sample of the book less.) If someone can read the first chapter, I'd say that is fine unless you have small chapters. 

Vicki


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## AuthorTerry (Aug 13, 2010)

For my short stories, I went with 20% (I think) at Smashwords. For the novel, I believe I kicked it up to 25 or 30. Kindle offers the first 4 chapters, although I don't know if they go by pages or actual 'logical' stopping places. 

I can usually tell within a few pages if I'm going to connect with the book. I have another question, if I can piggyback it into this thread, which is, do readers store their samples for reading at a later date, and if so, how long and how many do you accumulate before deciding whether or not to purchase. Just curious looking at the download to purchase ratio for my Smashwords offerings.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I have samples that I picked up as far back as May.  I do keep the ones I like, to remind me to buy.  So, you can quite possibly get sales months down the line.

Vicki


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## Paul Clayton (Sep 12, 2009)

Everywhere.  Especially the chocolate store.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

For Samples - Amazon does not give the first 4 chapters.. They give like 5%-10%, which on a longer novel is actually a workable readable amount, on short stories and novellas, if there is alot of "stuff" at the beginning the sample may not include any of the story at all. 

The "Look inside" preview may be 4 chapters, but it is still in Beta testing and not available for all books yet.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

callingcrow said:


> Everywhere. Especially the chocolate store.


Ha!!! 

Vicki


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Once in a while.... but I generally buy books that I already am sure that I want.


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## mathewferguson (Oct 24, 2010)

Robert Tell said:


> So I could use some advice from readers. How much of a sample is necessary. Smashwords recommends 50% of the book as a sample, but I think that's too much. How much do you have to read to make a decision about purchase? I don't think Kindle gives authors a choice (correct me if I'm wrong) but on Smashwords I'm giving 20% of my novel, but a bit less than that for my memoir and poetry books. Your suggestions would be welcome.


I say give 50%. It's all about hooking the reader and what if you only give 20% as a sample and it turns out that one extra page might be the difference between a sale or not?


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

I always sample. If a book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, I don't finish it.  So sampling saves me from buying books I wouldn't finish.
L.J.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

We went with a 50% sample on our book - what was scary though is that it's about 60,000 words  (whole book is 120,000... and that's Part I (of 2)).


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## runner4546 (Oct 27, 2010)

I'm just starting to....I find that it's usually not enough though to sway me from buying or not. Usually the reviews and recommendations here do it.


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## Laurensaga (Sep 29, 2010)

I sample first, though it didn't save me. The first chapter was geat, but I should have listened to my gut telling me not to click the buy button.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Sampling has become my new favorite pass-time since I got my first Kindle last year


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## warobison (Aug 29, 2010)

I've sampled a few, but I find that the description usually serves me just as well. However, I wish that I'd never showed my wife how to sample because now, if she starts a sample, she feels that she _MUST_ finish the book even if it does cost $15.99!!

.


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## 25803 (Oct 24, 2010)

Sandra Edwards said:


> Sampling has become my new favorite pass-time since I got my first Kindle last year


I'm like Sandra. Since I got my Kindle, I love sampling. However, I don't usually save them up. I generally get to the sample fairly quickly and if after about a chapter I'm hooked, then I go ahead and buy the book immediately and read it right then.

The free d/ls are generally the ones I tend to save to read later.

I thought the samples would be a way for me to save money on my book budget -- and in a few cases that has been true, but mostly I'm hooked and my book budget isn't any smaller.


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## ESStobymom (Mar 16, 2009)

No, I have never sampled.  I don't have time to read samples, so I just buy the book, or, if I've bought too many books recently, I'll put the book on my Wish List.  I tend to buy books by authors with whom I'm familiar, and don't mind some formatting errors in Kindle versions; I feel having them on my Kindle is worth a few errors.


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

I always sample. In fact I'm probably one of the few that back in the days when so many freebies were being mentioned on all the forums never downloaded a freebie but always got the sample first to be sure I wanted the thing at all. I also use samples as kind of a TBR. When I buy a book I read it. So samples sit there and when I get to them if I like them enough to buy the book I do it at that time.

As an author, I went with 50% on Smashwords. My romance is 118,000 words, so that makes for a big sample, but still if someone likes the story and reads that 50%, they're only halfway through and should want the second half enough to pay $2.99. My only problem with it is that I know the SW version isn't as well formatted as the Amazon Kindle version (which I did myself), and I wish I could get everyone with a Kindle to buy the Amazon version instead of the SW version.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Robert Tell said:


> So I could use some advice from readers. How much of a sample is necessary. Smashwords recommends 50% of the book as a sample, but I think that's too much. How much do you have to read to make a decision about purchase? I don't think Kindle gives authors a choice (correct me if I'm wrong) but on Smashwords I'm giving 20% of my novel, but a bit less than that for my memoir and poetry books. Your suggestions would be welcome.


I think 50% is unnecessary - that's not a sample, that's just literally half the book. A sample is supposed to be a small portion of something.

I mainly sample to see what the writing style/quality is like and I can usually get a good idea of that within the amount that Kindle samples provide, even on shorter books. While there may still be issues which arise later in the book or I may end up just not liking it, I certainly don't need 50% of it to decide whether I want to commit to a buying it or not. My most recent book was a 6% sample and because it's a long book, I didn't even finish the sample before deciding "this sounds good, I'll buy it".


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

I want to thank everyone that replied to my request for advice about samples. Sounds like some like it long, some like it short, and some like it in between. I guess I'll just have to experiment with my books and see which sample length leads to the most readers. Happy reading everyone.


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## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

I did so even before eBooks.  I would read a chapter or two in the bookstore, and then when Amazon started the peek inside program I did that too.  The ability to read a sample before purchasing a book is going to raise the level of entertainment and quality of books on the market because it allows Indie authors to compete with celebrities and their ghost writers for shelf space.  A meritocracy in publishing may very well be the result.


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

I'll sample books by authors I've not read before to check the formatting quality and to make sure it's not a Topaz format book. Samples are generally too small for me to decide if I'll like the book or not. 

Mike


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I LOVE to sample. It's one of the things I love the very most about a kindle. The one thing I really, really would like is if we are reading a sample, and we like it, and we could buy the book and then *sync to the page we were on in the sample, when we open the purchased book file.*


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

I don't sample on favorite authors or freebies, or recently a series that everyone has raved about & the price was low or if the plot sounds so interesting, I may forget to read the sample. Otherwise, if I am buying the book, I'll read a sample or use TTS & stop as soon as I know I like it enough to buy the book. Then, I'll buy the book & start again at the beginning. I rarely read the whole sample now, especially if I plan on buying the book shortly. In the sample, I am concentrating on diffent things - the style of writing, etc. Then when I buy the book to read, I just want to get lost in the book. I also keep the samples as reminders of books to get.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I usually sample books whose authors I don't know. The ability to sample is one of the things that I love about Kindle books.


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## kindleworm (Aug 24, 2010)

I"ve never sampled.  So far, I have not been disappointed in my kindle book choices, both freebies and the ones that I payed for.


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## RobertMarda (Oct 19, 2010)

So far the only books I have not sampled are free books that I already know the author or something about the book.

For new authors I will always sample because I want to see the content and be sure it is acceptable to me.  I also want to see if the author is able to craft a story that grabs my attention.  I can usually tell with the first few pages of the book.  Before reading this thread I would have downloaded subsequent books without the sample but I'll probably sample them all now just to be sure I don't find a problem with formatting.

Once I've read a sample I like I will buy the book if I have the money.  If not I move it to a collection named plan to buy.  I keep samples until I have read them.  So if I read and don't like then I just delete the sample.

For me if a sample is half the book that is fine with me, it gives me more to read to be sure I don't find anything objectionable before buying.


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## Laurensaga (Sep 29, 2010)

ellenoc said:


> I also use samples as kind of a TBR. When I buy a book I read it. So samples sit there and when I get to them if I like them enough to buy the book I do it at that time.


This is exactly what I do.


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## Dee_DeTarsio (Oct 26, 2010)

I almost always sample, except when I don't! If I've read reviews elsewhere or have been waiting for a particular book I usually just go for it! But, in the end, I always think it's best to take the time and do the sample!


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I always sample also.


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## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

I usually tend to sample, but if the reviews are really good and draw my attention to it enough, I'll just buy it.


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## Keith Blenman (May 31, 2009)

I download samples but never read them. I figure that if I start reading the book, i'll buy it immediately. Given that I'm always broke, I just get the sample as a constant reminder that I should eventually get to that book.


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