I find that I am a bit of a publisher snob and I don't like it.
I have read books from smaller publishers and sometimes I like them. But lots of times I don't. I am not sure if I don't like them because of preconceived notions about smaller publishers or if they really aren't that great.
This is not to say that every book I read from one of the major publishers is amazing, but for some reason I find myself going back to those books that have a big name behind them.
When I am looking over egalleys, or catalogs for ordering I just really tend to stick to the big publishers.
So, do you find that who published a book is important to you? Or do you even look at who published a book?
Do you have a favorite smaller publisher? Or a wonderful recommendation from a smaller publisher or published independently? Let me know!
I hear what you're saying, and there are some dreadful indie pubbed books with all kinds of punctuation errors or plot flaws. BUT... lately I've read lots of great indies, and novels by small publishers. And as a hybrid author myself, I'm trending more and more to not really caring who the publisher is, but caring about a great plot and characterization!
ReplyDeleteThat's the way to go because I need to be more open!
DeleteI completely agree Jana! I believe I'm a snob as well. There are very few small publishers out there that have amazing book titles. It could happen for sure but I tend to stick to the bigger ones as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't let the publisher bother me too much. But I definitely am more likely to try books from publishers I know and trust.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I wish I wasn't that way because I am sure I miss some gems. Maybe this will be one of my new years reading goals for next year...
DeleteCan't say that I give publishers a thought in book choices I purchase, but then I also tend to buy books that I know I will enjoy or it's a continuation of a series. I've reviewed a few indie pubbed books provided by the authors, and only because I was really intrigued by the plot.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge publisher...snob? I don't think I'd say snob. Maybe, hm, well I don't know what I'd call it, but I definitely use the publisher as a guide when picking books. I don't see anything wrong with that.
ReplyDeletePublishers are people, and people have tastes, and I find there are certain publishing houses who must have people in their acquisitions department (or whatnot) whose tastes correspond a lot to my own. Just like finding a reviewer who has similar taste to me.
Even two books with similar plot features I enjoy will usually be different depending on the publisher. For example, I don't tend to like books put out by Flux and Harper Teen is hit or miss for me, but I tend to like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Bloomsbury. Harlequin Mira historical fiction tends to be ok for me, but I really like NAL and Random House historical fiction. As far as indie publishers, I don't usually like their books as much. There's a whole lot of books put out by them that I really don't like, but occasionally they'll put out something I do like.
That's why I rely on reviews so much. Publishers give me an idea of what I'm likely to enjoy (same way I'm likely to enjoy books written by certain authors), but reviews help me find the books that are the exception to the rule. Angelfall by Susan Ee was one such gem.
I don't really pay attention to publishers unless I get into eBooks and then, I think, it makes a difference. I found e smaller digital presses just don't have the same level of editorial review or vetting process the larger publishers do so the quality is just lower.
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