The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for A Kingdom Forgotten: Book 1 of A Throne of Souls
Because A Kingdom Forgotten was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
chocomeiske
At first glance, this looks like a sci-fi/fantasy which happens to be my favourite genre. The sample was really good. I love the aesthetics of the book and would buy a physical copy just because of that. It has cool illustrations and chapter headings which I always appreciate in books. I thought it was well-edited aqnd well-written.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 10:47 am by chocomeiske.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cjgarland89
I wouldn't have sampled this without the program mainly because I don't like fantasy books. This cover screams fantasy and the OBC review confirmed it. After sampling I can appreciate the author's writing style and the complexity of the story, but I wasn't hooked enough to buy it and finish it. I didn't see any errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 6:45 am by Cjgarland89.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bfrisco
The title and cover for this book were interesting enough to me that I might have looked into it, however, the description would have probably changed my mind. The book did seem professionally edited. When I started reading it, however, I did not entirely enjoy it. I appreciated the author's attention to detail and the fact that the author described the setting in such an in depth fashion. I wouldn't continue to read it, because frankly, it seemed overwhelming, and I don't enjoy books that feature a lot of death. Considering a child died in the first few pages, I have a feeling it only continues from there. Additionally, the official review confirmed my suspicions that the book would be very confusing.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 5:15 am by Bfrisco.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MarisaRose
"A Kingdom Forgotten" is not a book I would have chosen to sample if not for this program. The book cover and the blurb remind me of so many other sci-fi fantasy novels I've already read. After sampling the first few pages, I have decided not to continue reading this book. I enjoyed the maps and pictures at the beginning, they looked well made and I think would genuinely be helpful for the reader. However, the writing was incredibly wordy and further, nothing in the beginning sample really grabbed my attention. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 5:03 am by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
While I noticed no errors, some of the sentences had me rereading them. I'm not a fan of the cover nor the style, but can see how others would enjoy it. Mainly due to my current lack of interest in the genre I don't plan on reading this.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 3:28 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jungkookblog
I don't think I would be reading this book because the magic in the book is not catching my attention, and the cover looks like the book would be cringe worthy. I will be reading this book because it's far more than what I thought it would be. It is very descriptive and the character seems mysterious, and I like his personality. It seems professionally edited. I did not see any review, and I don't think it would affect my decision.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 2:16 am by jungkookblog.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book without this program. I don't usually read science fiction and fantasy books. The blurb and OBC review didn't really intrigue me. The content isn't in my interests. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. I liked the map presented at the beginning. I also like the way the setting is given before each part. I feel like it helps clarify the story since there were quite a few different time periods and places right off the bat. I also liked the style of writing. Unfortunately the content just isn't for me. I did not find myself interested in the story as I read. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 13, 2017, at 12:34 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kourtney Bradley
The first thing that caught my attention about this book is the cover. The top half seems like a futuristic, Sci Fi appearance, while the bottom half seems to have a historical fiction feel to it. After reading the review, I really started to have mixed feelings as to if this could even be something I would be interested in. It seems a but hard to follow interested the first ten pages, and I'm not usually a fan of books that take a long time to get into. I'm going to pass on this one for now.
First Ten review added on March 12, 2017, at 10:48 pm by Kourtney Bradley.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
L_Therese
I enjoy fantasy as a genre, but when the talk about a novel indicates that it might take weeks to read it, I start questioning whether it would be worth the time. For me to choose to read this whole book, it needed to blow me away. As I started reading the first ten pages, the first thing that stood out was the formality in the writing style. It seemed overdone, and I questioned whether a professional editor had examined it. Nothing stood out as incorrect, but the overall effect was awkward. It seemed like it would require a lot of concentration to muddle through the detailed descriptions of characters' clothing to figure out what's actually happening.
First Ten review added on March 12, 2017, at 3:34 pm by L_Therese.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
The cover is definitely one that captures the eye; the title is clever; I do like a good fantasy, but the war/battle aspect worries me - I'm not a big fan of many fighting scenes; there are very few reviews, but according to many and the OBC review, this read might be a bit much for me. Therefore, I would not have sampled this book without this program.
Based on what I read, the book does seem to be professionally edited. I would like a bit a dialogue toward the beginning. For me, the book already is starting out to be dense. Due to this, I do not hold much interest in finishing the read. Therefore, I do not plan on buying this book today.
First Ten review added on March 12, 2017, at 3:18 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ananya92
This book is ridiculously long as can be gauged from the sample itself. Though the author makes excellent use of words, I felt disconnected with the narrative. The sample starts off with the story of Damon, and it seems that for quite a portion of the book, the narrative is going to move between individual stories. There is no doubt that the book is superbly edited, but its difficult to keep up with the storyline. The review confirmed my belief that the novel is slightly complicated, though it can be a rewarding experience. Based on the review and description, as well as the sample, I think this book is not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on March 12, 2017, at 12:44 am by ananya92.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I wouldn't have read it. I usually read romance books. Having read the sample, my opinion remains. I liked the formatting and how the characters were introduced. However, I thought that there were many descriptions and the pace of the plot was a little slow. The book seems professionally edited. It has a favorable onlinebookclub review. While I'm sure others, who read the genre will enjoy the book, I will not be reading it further.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 11:50 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
bookowlie
Both the cover and summary blurb made me think this book would not be something I would prefer reading, due to the war-style fantasy genre. Also, the summary is long-winded with a long plot explanation, then reviews and an author's note - a little too busy. It would be better if the blurb was clearer. The sample pages are technically well written, but contain an overabundance of descriptive details. Based on the sample, I am not interested in reading further.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 9:36 pm by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Azeline Arcenal
After reading the sample, I won't read the rest of the book because the sample wasn't interesting enough. I did like the inclusion of the map and sketches at the beginning of the novel. I did not notice any major grammatical errors either.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 7:49 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kdonegan91
The title and cover did not interest me because they imply the book is written in the fantasy or sci-fi genre. I do not enjoy that particular genre. After reading the sample, my perspective has not changed. The sample did not hold my attention or make me anxious to read more. Therefore, I will not be purchasing this book.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 6:40 pm by Kdonegan91.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jamesabr
This book was enchanting to sample! If I were not a part of the First Ten program, I would have sampled it due to the intriguing OnlineBookClub review of it. For me, the best part was the descriptive nature of the Damon's creation of the floating orb. The imagery made me feel as though I were in the room with him as it happened. I will definitely buy and read this book. There were no typos or grammatical errors in this book.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 5:50 pm by jamesabr.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CataclysmicKnight
This cover 100% would've gotten my attention no matter what on this title. Final Fantasy VI was my first introduction to tech and magic working together (Magitek), and this book encapsulates that perfectly thus far. The blend of vehicles, guns and a Rolex with swords and armor is great! This also looks like it'll be one heck of a read from the reviews, the intro and the Amazon description. I'll definitely read this one!
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 4:54 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vermont Reviews
Today's choice for book of the day A Kingdom Forgotten by
Charles W McDonald Jr. Was a great fantasy read. At this time my reading schedule is overbooked and I will not be downloading the book. I liked the character names. I also found the story interesting.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 4:36 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book. Although the blurb sounded different, I felt like this was a book that was similar to high fantasy, a book that I would have trouble getting into. The official review agreed. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I felt a little confused by what was going on, especially with the time jumps. It was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 3:34 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ashley_claire
I have previously read the OBC review for this book and thought it might be a book I'd be interested in. But the complicated plot and extensive characters kept me from picking it up. Just from reading the sample I can see why this is a hard book to keep track of, it does skip around a lot. The writing was fine, but it wasn't enough to pull me into the book and make me feel like I just had to know what was going to happen next. I'm going to have to pass on this book because I don't see myself ever reaching for it, knowing the effort it will take to keep all the information and timelines straight.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 2:14 pm by ashley_claire.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SandraTWP-BRW
The cover is great. The use of color and light is particularly intriguing, and the juxtaposition of the historic eras makes me want to learn more. The reviews I read also made me want to check out the book.
The excerpt I read was very well edited. I found no errors.
The plot is great, but extremely complex in structure as well as presentation. I'm hard put to remember the last time I read a work that was so extremely descriptive. This detail is necessary because the story world is very removed from the one we live in, but it makes for a slow read. It just takes time to take all that information in.
I'm really torn. I want to read this book, but I know it will take me a very long time. I'm going to pass for now, but put it on my wishlist for the future, when I know I'll have time to dedicate to it.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 12:44 pm by SandraTWP-BRW.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
I like the cover of this book as it is very eye catching and has that fantasy look that I think is appropriate for the genre. After reading the first ten pages however, I don't think I can continue reading the rest of this book. This book is definitely very complex and I usually like to read books that I can get into immediately without thinking too hard. I have to really be in the mood to read more complicated books and difficult themes but unfortunately I am not in that mindset right now.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 12:37 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
James Craft
The review makes this sound like an interesting book worth checking out. I like the cover but at a smaller size it doesn't look very appealing. All in all, I don't think this looks great on first glance and I'm not sure if I would want to read it, but I will withhold judgment until after reading the opening several pages. However after sampling the book I have to say that I will not be continuing this one. It didn't manage to hook me as I would have liked.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 11:46 am by James Craft.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I probably would not have picked this book up if it was not part of the First Ten program because I am not a fan of science-fiction. I thought the blurb was a little confusing but the online book club review helped me get a better idea of the story.
After reading the first ten pages, I was pleasantly surprised at how well-written this novel is. Unfortunately I do not intend to read the rest of this book because it is just not my cup of tea. But I can definitely see how fans of sci-fi will enjoy this series.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 11:18 am by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I would have sampled the book on my own as I love the genre. The cover is awsone and the official review had me hooked. The sample was intrguing and enjoyable. I would have read the book based on the sample if I didn't have so many books on my list. As my reading list is full, I won't read the book right now.
First Ten review added on March 11, 2017, at 10:22 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 12%
A Kingdom Forgotten earned a score of 12%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 12% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for A Kingdom Forgotten
