# Do you look to see if a book is "indie" before buying?



## amygamet (Aug 26, 2012)

With so many indie published books available for Kindle, and such a wide range of quality in those titles, do you check the publisher before you buy a book?


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

No.


----------



## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

Nope. I look at good covers first and then read the blurb. I never scroll down further to see who the publisher is.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

nope


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

No.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Yes  . I mean I am aware of the publisher because I look in the field. There are many reasons why I do that. Sometimes I might want to see what publisher a book was by and see what else they have, especially if its a smaller one. Or I am purposely trying to avoid a publisher, like christian ones in my case. Or maybe I want to support a publisher that has lending enabled. Many reasons. 
Or I just want to know if its backlist put out by the author themself, or I just want to know because I can.


----------



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

No. For me, it's all about whether it's a story I want to read, not who did or didn't publish it.


----------



## Simon Haynes (Mar 14, 2011)

Rarely. I look at the best and worst reviews, judge the cover and read the first page or two.

Come to think of it, no, I don't check the publisher any more.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I generally do not actively look for it, but sometimes it's obvious, and then I usually take the 5-star reviews with a bigger grain of salt.


----------



## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

Yes. And I always read at least a page or two too.


----------



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

Yes, and I always read the sample from an author I've not heard of before. Indie authors don't seem to write in the two genres I mostly read in: traditional SF and traditional Mysteries. Saves a lot of time checking out books.  

I do buy quite a bit from "indie" publishers, though. It's the only place to get a lot of the older work from out-of-print authors.


Mike


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I usually look but it is rarely a factor in buying. There are a few publishers I avoid like the plague but checking is more a matter of curiosity. I'm a writer so of course I am interested in what other writers are doing, how they're selling their work, etc.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

NogDog said:


> I generally do not actively look for it, but sometimes it's obvious, and then I usually take the 5-star reviews with a bigger grain of salt.


You think publishers and traditionally published authors don't fake reviews?

Hate to disillusion you, but some of them originated the practice and it still goes on. Yes, there have been some that got caught at it.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

It's usual obvious, I think, regarding the price and whether the publisher has set it. I mean, if it's one of the big six (even an imprint), it will say right below the price "Sold by: Macmillan/Penguin/Whatever _This price was set by the publisher_". Hard to miss.


----------



## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

I look at the cover, read the book description, and then often will look at the sample before purchasing. Of course, that is with authors I'm unfamiliar with. With authors I know, I have a tendency to impulse buy.


----------



## EmilyG (Jan 31, 2010)

I prefer to buy indie so I look at the price and if there is a hardcover available. 

If the price is less than $9.99 and it is only available in eBook and paperback, I can reasonably assume it is indie.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

JRTomlin said:


> You think publishers and traditionally published authors don't fake reviews?
> 
> Hate to disillusion you, but some of them originated the practice and it still goes on. Yes, there have been some that got caught at it.


Of course they do, but when a book has just 5 reviews and all are 5-star, that's usually (not always!) a good indicator that that it's self-published and the reviews are all from friends/family. When a book has 500 ratings and the rating distribution diagram does not look too weird, I'm a bit more confident about what I'm seeing. And I certainly don't make my buying decisions solely (nor even largely) based on average stars or even on reviews' contents. When I'm in doubt about a new book, I like to skim the 2, 3, and 4 star reviews, as I generally find they (in general) actually tell me more about what is good and bad about the book than the 5 and 1 star reviews.


----------



## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I never look for the publisher. It never occurs to me. There are a couple of my must-read authors, like C.J. Cherryh or Terry Pratchett, these I don't need to bother with the sample, I know I want it. For other book, there has to be some reason that the book catches my eye. Recommendations from people I know personally score very high with me. I've also read some books that I would never have heard of if I hadn't read about them here.

But unless it is from a must-read author, I look at all the information before making a purchase, looking at the cover and the blurb, if I still like it, I'll read the sample.


----------



## Margo Karasek (Feb 29, 2012)

No. But I always check out the sample.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

NogDog said:


> Of course they do, but when a book has just 5 reviews and all are 5-star, that's usually (not always!) a good indicator that that it's self-published and the reviews are all from friends/family. When a book has 500 ratings and the rating distribution diagram does not look too weird, I'm a bit more confident about what I'm seeing. And I certainly don't make my buying decisions solely (nor even largely) based on average stars or even on reviews' contents. When I'm in doubt about a new book, I like to skim the 2, 3, and 4 star reviews, as I generally find they (in general) actually tell me more about what is good and bad about the book than the 5 and 1 star reviews.


I am not sure that's true that they're necessarily from friends/family (or paid for). I can only speak from my own experience but my first reviews always seem to be from people who really enjoyed the book and want to say so. I get a stream of pretty positive reviews in the first weeks and months after a novel is out. Then there seem to be a number of people who come along and have the attitude that the novel is over rated, so then I get a stream of 3-star reviews and maybe even a couple of 1 or 2-star ones.

It seems as though once there are good reviews there, the people who didn't like the novel that much want to balance things, but might not bother to post a review if there aren't quite a few good reviews. Truthfully, I've done the same name on a couple of novels I felt were grossly over rated and they weren't indie.

Sure there must be people out there who have 20 or 30 people who will post reviews for them, but I think that is a lot less common that you might think. Just my own experience though and YMMV.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

No, but then, these days, any unknown author I'm considering buying is a member of KindleBoards, so I assume self-published...

Betsy


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

JRTomlin said:


> I am not sure that's true that they're necessarily from friends/family (or paid for). I can only speak from my own experience but my first reviews always seem to be from people who really enjoyed the book and want to say so. I get a stream of pretty positive reviews in the first weeks and months after a novel is out. Then there seem to be a number of people who come along and have the attitude that the novel is over rated, so then I get a stream of 3-star reviews and maybe even a couple of 1 or 2-star ones.
> 
> It seems as though once there are good reviews there, the people who didn't like the novel that much want to balance things, but might not bother to post a review if there aren't quite a few good reviews. Truthfully, I've done the same name on a couple of novels I felt were grossly over rated and they weren't indie.
> 
> Sure there must be people out there who have 20 or 30 people who will post reviews for them, but I think that is a lot less common that you might think. Just my own experience though and YMMV.


I don't think Nog used 20 - 30 as an example of fake/bias reviews though? He used 5 as an example. And I agree. When I see an unknown author/self published book with only a few (not 20 - 30) 5 star ratings/reviews, I take it with a grain of salt and assume that at least some of those reviews are fake/family or friends. Perhaps not all. Perhaps none of them. But as a reader, I don't want to be naive and assume they're all genuine and then buy the book thinking "this is going to be brilliant" and it winds up being horrible. What IS safe to assume is that a book with 500 reviews isn't going to have 500 fake or bias reviews. A few might be but with 500 reviews, they won't have much impact. I don't believe Nog is saying that a book with only a few 5 star reviews means all the reviews are assuredly fake/bias, nor is he saying that a book with hundreds of reviews means all of them are genuine. Just that the more reviews there are, the more likely it is that most of them are genuine and unbias and therefore readers can better judge the general consensus.

I tend to overlook books that have less than about 20 reviews. I assume once there is more than about 10, some of them will be genuine but I prefer to wait until there will likely be at least 10 genuine reviews so I wait until there's more like 20. Maybe all of them are actually genuine - but I have to be skeptical because shilling IS such a known problem on Amazon.


----------



## jkachuba (Aug 30, 2012)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> No, but then, these days, any unknown author I'm considering buying is a member of KindleBoards, so I assume self-published...
> 
> Betsy


Not necessarily, Betsy. I've published seven books with traditional publishers but only recently put some of my new work up on Kindle as an "indie." These days, more of my traditionally published writer friends are giving ebooks a closer look. We're disvoering new freedom, both personal and financial, in ebooks that many traditional publsihers do not offer.



history_lover said:


> I don't think Nog used 20 - 30 as an example of fake/bias reviews though? He used 5 as an example. And I agree. When I see an unknown author/self published book with only a few (not 20 - 30) 5 star ratings/reviews, I take it with a grain of salt and assume that at least some of those reviews are fake/family or friends. Perhaps not all. Perhaps none of them. But as a reader, I don't want to be naive and assume they're all genuine and then buy the book thinking "this is going to be brilliant" and it winds up being horrible. What IS safe to assume is that a book with 500 reviews isn't going to have 500 fake or bias reviews. A few might be but with 500 reviews, they won't have much impact. I don't believe Nog is saying that a book with only a few 5 star reviews means all the reviews are assuredly fake/bias, nor is he saying that a book with hundreds of reviews means all of them are genuine. Just that the more reviews there are, the more likely it is that most of them are genuine and unbias and therefore readers can better judge the general consensus.
> 
> I tend to overlook books that have less than about 20 reviews. I assume once there is more than about 10, some of them will be genuine but I prefer to wait until there will likely be at least 10 genuine reviews so I wait until there's more like 20. Maybe all of them are actually genuine - but I have to be skeptical because shilling IS such a known problem on Amazon.


----------



## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Absolutely. I was at Harpers. I'm moving to another traditional publisher right now. But KDP gives me the opportunity to put some of my previously-published work out as ebooks, as well as trying out some new stuff.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Gentle reminder. . . .we're in the book corner so no self-promotion. . . .the thread isn't an invitation for member authors to tell us about themselves, but asks readers if they notice the publisher and/or whether the writer of a book they're considering is "indie".


----------



## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

Can't say I've ever checked out the publisher before buying. Whether mainstream, indie or self-published isn't relevant - to me, it's all about the quality of the writing and the story. So I'll read the blurb and, especially, the sample before deciding. (I'll also read any reviews, but out of curiosity, not to decide whether to buy. I learned long ago that I have to make my own judgement and not be swayed by the views of others.)


----------



## kansaskyle (Sep 14, 2010)

I don't consciously look for the publisher, but I can generally figure out if something is from an "indie" by looking at a combination of things like price (e.g., free or less than $3.99), only in Kindle format, the number of reviews, and the quality of the cover art.  

Regardless of those things, I will read the blurb about the book and check out the reviews on Amazon as well as Goodreads before I consider buying.


----------



## gamarshall (Aug 28, 2012)

No. At this point, even previously published authors are self-publishing new titles, so it's getting more difficult to determine that without some research. I look for good covers, blurbs, reviews, and then cost when I consider a book.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Yes, I keep the two separate in my mind with indies being more of a "First pass slush pile" while the trad pubs are a "Second Pass Slushpile"

In the genres I read I know the trad pubs have at least weeded out the truly horrible, if not the mediocre so Im less skeptical. For indies I know anything goes, it could be excellent or it could be written by one of those people who write Japanglish manuals.


To put it another way, the needle to hay ratio tends to be lower so I have to give a book a more serious look before buying.

That's just me though and I don't mean to offend anyone, it's just what I've settled on.


----------



## Audrey Finch (May 18, 2012)

No, I look for cover (yes, I do judge a book - sorry), blurb, costs and check the free download before buying. I've downloaded more great books than bad ones, and that includes indie authors


----------



## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

No, I don't look to see if the book is "indie". It never occurred to me to look at the publisher. And I also bought quite a few books that had no reviews at all. Regarding the reviews, I feel I can pretty much make up my own mind and I'd take my chances as long as I like the subject matter and the sample. I used to pay more attention to them but not any longer.

I think JR Tomlin explains very well how the "waves" of the reviews really work, and that's something to keep on mind, both for readers and authors. I also feel this applies both to "indies" and traditionally published books. 

What I tend to look for is a bit of interesting information about he author - just a little more than the usual "lives in suburbs with her wonderful husband, a parrot and 8 cats", which is, quite frankly, rather irrelevant for me as a reader. I think this is a marketing tool often overlooked by indie authors, In that respect, traditionally published books have probably a certain advantage because author's info and blurbs are most likely created, or at least reviewed, by professionals trained in this sort of writing.


----------



## AnnMHammond (Aug 9, 2012)

If a book looks interesting (I guess maybe the cover draws me in, but I've never noticed that before! LOL) then I download a sample.

If the sample is good then I buy the book. *shrugs* 

I didn't even know there WERE indie authors until recently......


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Honestly, I do check the publisher. My opinion is pretty much like Chad's. Being indie isn't a deal breaker, but it does make me look a little closer.


----------



## K.M. Malloy (Sep 2, 2012)

I always do. I'm an indie author myself, so if I come across a book that looks really great I check to see if it's self published, and if it is I make it a point contact the author if I really enjoyed their work.


----------



## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

No, although when I see a Poser-made cover that's pretty much a giveaway (and one that tends to drive me away, BTW). If the blurb intrigues me I download the sample, if I like the sample I either buy immediately or file in my 'interesting' collection to be bought later.


----------



## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a 'Poser-made cover'?


----------



## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Sam Kates said:


> Forgive my ignorance, but what's a 'Poser-made cover'?


It's a 3D world image generation system, produces some really nice work actually, for what it is.

For me, I don't look for indie vs non-indie, I just see "poor quality" vs "acceptable".


----------



## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

MrPLD said:


> It's a 3D world image generation system, produces some really nice work actually, for what it is.


Thanks. Not sure I'm much the wiser, but that's down to my lack of knowledge of computer software, not the explanation.

If possible, could someone send me a link to an example of a Poser-made cover? Privately, though - I'm not looking to embarrass anyone.


----------



## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Sam, take a look here at some of the artwork - people can create any sort of thing they like, then they use the image to make a cover.

http://poser.smithmicro.com/gallery/fantasy-sci-fi.html


----------



## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

...and this is a "what is Poser?" page 

http://poser.smithmicro.com/poser.html


----------



## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks again. Now I'm a lot clearer.

The examples on the site are quite distinctive in their way, though tend to have a 'home-made' feel about them which is maybe why they are off-putting to some readers.


----------



## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

They're all just tools, I daresay a competent artist would be able to make a stunning cover from the output.  Much like using Photoshop


----------



## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Actually, while Poser works well for architectural perspective and may work for generic background figures its models temd to have serious joint problems and rubber limbs. It is indeed possible to use them as a basis for a piece that doesn't have those problems but there's so much work involved that it would probably be easier draw a piece from scratch using live or photo-reference.

It's a matter of personal taste of course, but if I can tell at a glance that a piece (of any kind, not only covers) was made using Poser, I pass.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't know from Poser. . . .but it is true that a cover can look more or less professional.  I can't explain what that means to me, I just know it when I see it.  It's probably true that if the cover looks more home made, I'll probably bypass the book.  

But that's not checking on the publisher exactly, though it's probably fair to say that there is a strong correlation between more home made looking cover art and independent authors.  

Which is NOT to say ALL independent authors have less than professional cover art.  I've been a kindleer for over 4 years. . . . the quality of cover art on indie books is improving all the time.  

It also doesn't mean all non-indie books have excellent quality covers, 'cause they don't.


----------

