Do Blogs Sell Books?

Maybe not your own books.

But definitely someone else's.

Or at least that's my experience.

Obsessed by such questions I watch this kind of stuff.

So I checked all the numbers before I posted about Dominic Smith's debut yesterday (an author who I do not know, by the way). It's been out for 6 months and there has been no new press on it recently, just my blog post and a post at Readerville about it.

After the posts, I watched his numbers change at both Amazon & BN over the next 36 hours. In fact at Amazon there are only two copies left.

Of course I don't know how many were there to begin with. I know there's no way to figure out precise numbers sold but the numbers do  tell when something is moving - and the book moved far.

This kind of stuff is  why I always think of blogs as "little Oprahs".

Oprah's success with books was based, I believe, on the fact that she was trusted so implicitly by her viewers that when she said "I love this book" they bought it.

So does each blog have a core group of readers who clearly keep coming back because the blogger has some credibility and over time - hopefully builds some trust with her readers.

When a blogger talks about his/her own book that's promotion. Sometimes it works,  sometimes it doesn't. But when a blogger talks about someone else's book it isn't.

(Well, usually it isn't.)

I think readers are smart and they can smell a real rave versus a phony plug.

Anyway - to all of you who bought The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre in the last few days, I'd love to hear  what you think of it after you read it.

Comments

[Linda L. Richards]

Great post, MJ. One of the things I love about it is that it underlines one of the things I've been saying about Internet technologies for many years. These technologies reward those that give. And I'm not just talking about books here. But the more you give -- of yourself, of your time, of your passions -- the more you get back. The thought pleases me. Provides a note of sense in an often nonsensical world.

As sort of a side note, I think by now everyone knows how much MJ Rose gives of herself. I've no doubt that the rewards are heading towards her in a very large way.

[Kris]

Very interesting. I have posted about other good books on occasion, and this is a good reminder that those authors probably really appreciate it. I may have to watch Amazon after I do so, just to see what happens!

[C.M. Mayo]

I doubt it's blogs per se that sell books, but rather, good blogs. What makes a good blog? Well, I visit this blog every few days because every few days there's something worth my while to read. Alas, reading most blogs-- and that includes litblogs-- makes me feel like I've just scarfed down stale Twinkies. But I'm optimistic; blogging is still such a new form.

[MJ]

Thanks for all the kind words, you guys.

[Simon Haynes]

It's not just mentions on other blogs, but recommendations. If you're doing the daily round of fave blogs and one of the regulars tells you about this great book, you're far more likely to zip over to Amazon or at the very least keep an eye open next time you're in a book store.
How many different mentions does it take before the average person decides to do something? Seven, wasn't it?

[MJ]

It used to be 3 times. Then it was 10. Now some say its as high as 100 times.

[UYGU]

http://www.hugechoiceof.com/