Thursday, April 09, 2009

Reviews, Lists, & Awards


Happy Thursday!
It's Heather, making the switch to Thursdays for awhile. Hope your week is going great.

So, with our Buzz Girls Tina Ferraro and Tera Lynn Childs finalling for the Young Adult Rita Award this year, I've been thinking about how much awards can really spotlight a book. I know before I sold, being a Golden Heart finalist/winner helped get my name out there. Getting your *title* out there as a published author is even better. So, yay for Rita finalists How to Hook a Hottie and Oh. My. Gods. I hope the award spotlight brings Tina and Tera more and more readers.

Of course, hitting the NYT or USA Today Bestseller list helps too. It can call attention to the book for people who wouldn't normally notice it on the shelf -- and it's pretty darn cool. Just ask Buzz Blog friend Alyson Noel, who topped the NYT list with Evermore recently. It's in my TBR pile and I can't wait to read it.

Review sites can also help call attention to new books. It's been a thrill to see my book pop up as a future read on Story Siren and some other cool review blogs.

So a question for you guys -- does a review, award, or list make you want to buy the book? I know I bought Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book when it won the Newberry, just to see what all the fuss was about.
How about you? Have you ever been lead to a great book by the buzz?

Hugs,
Heather
Never Cry Werewolf ~ HarperTeen Sept. 2009
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010

4 comments:

Amanda Villagómez said...

Yes, I frequently get book ideas from review blogs. I also try to read books that my students talk about a lot just so that I can relate to them more about it when they bring up the books. That was why I finally read the Twilight saga this year.

Alyson Noel said...

Aw, thanks so much for the shout out!
To answer the question, I'm definitely drawn in by buzz, but a great cover and interesting premise work just as well!

Thao said...

Congrats to Tina and Tera. The buzz girls rock!
I don't think I'll pick a book because of an award or the likes...covers attract me more than anything.

TinaFerraro said...

Heather, thanks so much for the Rita shout-out! ;)

And yes, I definitely buy books because of buzz. Some, like The Luxe are impulsive buys, and others, like Evermore, start on a list near my computer and nudge me until I buy them! All because I'm hearing great things...