Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat.
This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. As we are a faith-based group the questions refer mainly to Christian fiction or non-fiction.
Today’s question is:
As a reader do book awards make you want to check out the book?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group. Remember to comment today on Tuesday Book Chat to enter the giveaway.
Let’s chat!
If I am being honest on a whole no. Partly because most awards are for books already out. If the winning books are ones I have read I like that. Also seeing authors, we have interviews on the blog or at a Facebook group is fun. Also, it depends on the award. I do like to see the list of Christy winners but probably wouldn’t go out of my way to check out the book if I haven’t read it or have it on my TBR list. Some reader contests I am interested in but again its to see who the winner is and if I know of them. When it comes to the smaller ones where it feels most of the finalists are also committee members or there is a small pool to choose from I mostly ignore.
I can’t say I have ever bought a book because it was a winner of an award.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group.
Comment on today’s post to enter the Tuesday Book Chat quarterly e-gift card giveaway sponsored by Narelle Atkins. Two winners per quarter, $10 US or $15 Aussie e-gift cards.
The winners can choose between an Amazon.com or Kobo USD $10 gift card, or an AUD $15 gift card from Amazon Australia, iBooks, Kobo, or Koorong.com.au.
No the awards don’t change my mind. I only go by the blurb on the back. I think it’s awesome that they got the award, it’s a big accomplishment. It just doesn’taffect my decision, neither does reviews.
Hi Joannie, I am the same. I do put up reviews and often then will read others but unless its a book I am unsure about I rarely read reviews. (On other items reviews have saved me from bad purchases).
I am excited for authors I know when they do well. Not so the contests where there are so many categories and it looks like every book got a prize (going on the fact there are pages of winners) oh and when I say categories I mean every genre and sub genre and sub genres of the sub genre that most of us have never heard of. so no just the best Historical Christian Fiction they have so many subcategories that it dilutes the award for being best.
Hi Jenny, In the 2000’s, before I was published, I really cared about which books won and were a finalist in the Inspirational category of the RITA Award because my local library would order in those books. It was hard to find Christian fiction at the library, and this was before ebooks were readily available.
You wrote:
“When it comes to the smaller ones where it feels most of the finalists are also committee members or there is a small pool to choose from I mostly ignore.”
This sums up the problem that Award organisers can face. The perceived bias devalues the award and, sadly, can make the award irrelevant in the eyes of readers.
Reader judged and bookseller judged awards are interesting because they’ll highlight trends and what’s popular.
Years ago, I’ll never forget a very successful and multi-award winning romance author encouraging debut authors to enter first book categories. Her logic was that all the authors are largely unknown new authors and the quality of the book is what mattered rather than the popularity of the author and their brand.
Our local book shop have a box of books to judge from fiction to non fiction, kids books etc. I loved it as I got most of the adult fiction and quite a few of the children’s books. I judged fairly as we had a very short form to fill in and a scale 1 – 5 but it stated what 5 would be best of the best, etc. Which means you can not put all 5 books best of the best. but I think there were a couple of questions so it helped with the judging. What I did then see on the other books some gave 5 out of 5 because they didn’t want the author to feel bad. So even book seller contests can have issues depending on who is judging. We and many others were staffed by volunteers. Which also probably helped because you get a range of readers. It also made that award more real cos we knew the judges were not judging because it was a friends book.
I find the smaller contests were the judges are often judges who also write in the same category there will be a bias. Some judges will disqualify themselves if they are given a critique partner or have an invested interest in a book. but when there is a small pool of final judges there isn’t enough for this to happen and most people will have a bias. Especially the contests where all genres are up against each other. For example if was a final judge and was given a Women’s fiction, Regency and then romantic suspense or CCR you can bet I would already be leaning towards the Romantic suspense or CCR. I would be dreading the Regency and have a similar reaction to the Women’s fiction. It wouldn’t be intentional but it woudl be there cos I don’t read those books. Where as reader contest I have judged I got to pick the genre. which gives it an even footing.
I am always happy for the authors that win awards. My late father was an unpublished author, so I know how much work and time is involved in the craft. Receiving recognition for your hard work is exhilarating and quite fulfilling.
As to if an award makes me more likely to read a book or not… If the author is known to me then yes, if it’s an unknown author and I like the genre and blurb I will put it in my TBR list and read it after other book responsibilities.
Thanks for commenting. I agree its good seeing people I recognise win awards.