Thanks to Alice's tip in the comments yesterday, I have just figured out that Craving Beauty was voted the Best Silhouette Desire of 2005 by the readers at Cataromance! Yes, I need to get a clue but let's move on and celebrate!!
Actually it's funny because today's post was going to be about awards. This is the time when a lot of the nominations for various awards, including the RITAs (which are considered the Oscars of the romance world) come out. Bronwyn Jameson (triple RITA nominee!) did a post here about how the awards/nomination process works.
The Cataromance Awards, however, are somewhat different because the author doesn't enter - it's the readers who nominate them through their own reading over the year. I've never actually entered a published author contest as yet. I don't have anything against them (it's definitely a nice buzz to final/win) - I just haven't got around to it. Maybe next year?!
But moving on to my point. While it is very nice to win (thank you Cata readers!!), do the words Award Winning Author across a cover make any difference as to whether you buy a book? Does it make you give the book more of a chance especially if it's a new author?
(p.s. Tomorrow's post may be very late or non-existent.)
13 comments :
Congratulations... tipping the nonalcoholic wine cooler. LOL
Thanks, Cynthia! I'll join you with my green tea *G* (Hey, it's 10am here!)
Award winning author does not tend to make me read a book. Usually, it is the blurb on the back and sometimes the cover. Other times I just pick up whatever my favorite authors have written (I don't read what the book is about), such as: Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, Fiona Brand, Nalini Singh (no joke), Linda Lael Miller, Anne Marie Winston, and on and on. I am book rich, cash poor ;)
p.s. I am going to link you on my blog so others can get to know your writing.
Katie - I love that you put me in the list as those other amazing authors! :) I was the same with books & cash when I was a student. Just. Couldn't. Resist. *g*
Thx for the link! :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
I haven't read that one, but I loved Secrets in the Marriage Bed and just read it for the second time!
Josie - I loved hearing that you read Secrets twice! Yay! :)
Milady - re the AAR type awards - do the books that are mentioned as both good & bad, pique your interest? I always want to read them myself and make my own decision.
Congratulations!!!! You know as a reader, I never paid any attention to the awards. If a book caught my attention, I read it. I didn't have a clue there were awards until I began to write.
CONGRATS!
oh good... I drink Green Tea too. Got my habit in Japan. LOL
Congratulations! (Felicitaciones) Craving beauty is a great book. You deserve it.
Regarding your other comment, for me it doesn't make a difference if the author is an award winner or not when I buy a book, I pay more attention to the cover and the back cover description, I also read the excerpt in the front page.
They actually don't make me more likely to read a book. I go more by authors known to me or recommended by personal friends.
Seems like it would be a nice validation if you were nominated by readers, though!
Congrats!
Thanks, Kendra. That's an interesting point about most readers not knowing about awards. I don't think I did either until I began to write.
Milady - LOL! I didn't notice till you pointed it out.
Cynthia - isn't it great? I have to keep it up when I go back to NZ. It's so healthy for you!
Barbara - thanks! I'm similar to you - the back cover blurb and excerpt make all the difference.
Maura - yup it is a very nice validation! :)
Nalini, good question. I've always wondered the same thing. And I say YES. To me, winning an award, specifically one presented by your readers, is like seperating the great books from the good books. If other people thought enough about the book to give it an award, then I pay a bit more attention. Of course there are plenty of fabulous books that never win an award, but award winners do get my attention, especially if I'm not familiar with the author. :)
Thanks for your take on this Alice. I agree with it having an impact when it's a new author. Maybe it only leads to someone picking up the book but that could make all the difference in a sale.
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