The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Hibernation
Because Hibernation 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.
L_Therese
As I familiarized myself with this book, it didn't seem like a book I would have chosen for myself outside of this program. I read the plot synopsis a couple of times before I was even sure that I had read it correctly. When I started reading through the first ten pages of the sample, I noticed the word "drug" instead of "dragged". While a minor error, this one is a pet peeve of mine. The moment I saw that error was the moment I decided that I definitely was not planning to finish the book.
First Ten review added on April 2, 2017, at 3:17 am by L_Therese.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jungkookblog
I don't think I will be reading this book because I do support LGBTQ communities, but I don't find any interest in them at the moment. I will not be reading this book because the first ten pages did not relate to me that much. It seems professionally edited. I did not see any review, and I don't think that would affect my decision.
First Ten review added on April 2, 2017, at 3:13 am by jungkookblog.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cjgarland89
This is different kind of read than I usually see. It's for an interesting plot with the LGBT vs church type of angle. The OBC review is okay, but informative. I was a little confused about the path of the story overall. After sampling it is easy to get wrapped up pretty quick within the story, however at this time I'm not interested in finishing this one or buying it!
First Ten review added on April 2, 2017, at 12:22 am by Cjgarland89.
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 descriptions in the sample which enabled me to imagine the situation. However, I found the writing a little formal. The book seems professionally edited. It has a favorable onlinebookclub review. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be purchasing the book today.
First Ten review added on April 1, 2017, at 5:32 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
chocomeiske
If not for this program, I wouldn't have read a sample of Hibernation.The sample was interesting with two pastors and their views on same sex relationships. Interestingly enough, one of the two is a homosexual who has yet to come out of the closet. I did encounter a few grammatical and spelling errors which leads me to doubt if this book has been professionally edited.
First Ten review added on April 1, 2017, at 11:22 am by chocomeiske.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
There were a number of errors, mainly the wrong word being used, so I would not say that this was professionally edited. I'm really not sure where the author is going with the story: pro one side of the argument or the other, or exploring the conflict without bias? Even the official reviewer stated, "At the conclusion, there was no feeling that the author had made a stance for or against the matter", which doesn't give me enough info to really decide if I want to read this or not. The writing is interesting, though the thought of that particular balloon being in a Thanksgiving Day parade seems a little ludicrous, not to mention sexist, and stereotypical (just my take on it). If the story were more believable and had a clear direction (even if that direction were unbiased exploration of the issues), I would be more interested. As of now, with what I know of this book, I have to say no I won't be reading this.
First Ten review added on April 1, 2017, at 5:30 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ananya92
The description of the book seemed quite interesting, but the sample was, frankly, disappointing. The author's writing style is dull, and I agree with the reviewer that the pathbreaking overturn of events promised in the blurb, is hardly evident in the sample. The editing seems to be fine. The book seemed pretty slow paced for its length, as I expected that a shorter book would have a faster narrative. Despite the interesting plot idea, the final product is an half-baked attempt. Therefore, I won't be completing this one.
First Ten review added on April 1, 2017, at 3:48 am by ananya92.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shreyoshi Sen
This book is not for me though I read the review but I won't purchase it. The book is professionally edited. I don't read such type of stories but still I found myself drawn towards Winter's secret.
First Ten review added on April 1, 2017, at 1:37 am by Shreyoshi Sen.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Pilar Guerrero
The cover of the book looks interesting, with several elements that suggest what the book will be about. The description of the characters' inner struggles is good, as well as the influence of the female figure on one of the character's life. It is easy to understand why he acts the way he does based on his memories of Big Mama. What is not so clear is the earthquake, the description seemed confusing.I would not buy the book, even though it looks interesting and well written, because I am not interested in this kind of topic.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 11:17 pm by Pilar Guerrero.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vermont Reviews
Hibernation by SJ Epps shows the emotions of those who are often times cast aside by society. Today's society is becoming more accepting of those who are different. I found the preview to be a great lead into the story. The characters where true to life and the plot is fine. I would have purchased the book based on the preview. At this time my reading list is overfilled and I will not be downloading this book.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 8:39 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kdonegan91
The cover and title sparked my interest. However, after reading the sample and OBC review, I have chosen not to purchase this book. I am not interested in books revolving around the LBGT topic.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 7:32 pm by Kdonegan91.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jamesabr
This book has an intriguing start! If I were not part of the First Ten program, I would have sampled it due to the subject matter. It hits close to home for me, and from what I have read, it will serves as a striking image of conflicting viewpoints on same-sex marriage. I think I can guess what Pastor Winter's "secret" is, but his wife Tabitha and those who are a part of his congregation seem to have interesting background stories also. My favorite part of the sample was Winter's attention to detail in describing the exaggeration of the first parade float. This book was so well-written from what I have sampled, that I will purchase and read it. I look forward to the rest of it! There were no typos or grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 7:24 pm by jamesabr.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book. The blurb seemed very interesting and the cover is a thought-provoking design. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind, but reading the official review did. For the sample, the premise continues to be interesting and the writing was engaging. I especially liked the italicized sentence at the end of chapter 1; it was powerful. It was professionally edited. The official review, however, comments on the lack of a final main message, which makes me feel as though I would be unsatisfied with the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 6:53 pm by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
There is a lot happening on the cover of this book, and the title doesn't seem to relate, which both is a bit of a turn-off for me. I will be honest and state that, at this point, I am still confused as to what genre this falls under. The blurb is simple to understand and does pique my interest. However, even though the customer reviews are fairly high, I question how much I will enjoy this read since the OBC reviewer states that the book falls a bit flat on the suspense aspect of the read. Therefore, without this program, I would not have sampled this book.
Based on what I read, the book does seem to be professionally edited. I do like how exciting the first few pages are - the float being on fire. It makes me wonder why and will everyone make it out okay? As I continue to read, I now question, is the float incident real or was it part of the theme of that float? I think this needs to be made a bit clearer more toward the beginning. Aside from this, my interest is piqued. I'm curious to find out more about the memorable characters mentioned in this read and how LGTB fall into place here. Therefore, I do plan on buying this book and eventually finishing the read.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 6:13 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CataclysmicKnight
The theme of this one really isn't something that's interesting to me, so straight away I can say I won't be finishing it but it isn't the author's fault. The cover was certainly interesting and I would've probably looked into it whether it was book of the day or not, but now that I've sampled it I'm not interested.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 5:56 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up. The storyline is not really something I'm interested in. After reading the first ten pages, I also don't think I would continue reading the book. I think this genre may be for others interested in a political and action thriller but it's not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 3:15 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ashley_claire
I don't read Christian fiction so this is not a book that would catch my attention. From reading the Amazon summary and the OBC review, I'm having a hard time understanding the direction of this book. Is it for LGBT rights or not? The review says that no clear message is ever given, which is all the more confusing. This is going to sound like a silly thing to scrutinize, but I really dislike the name of the main character. It feels like the author tried to give him a "cool" name by taking a normal name like Sam Winters and then just flipping it. The name just keeps sticking out to me in an unpleasant way. The writing style was fine, though I did find an error. It should be Adam's apple instead of Adam Apple. I will not read the rest of this book. Not only because this isn't a genre I normally read, the lack of a clear point of view for a book like this is a real problem for me.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 2:37 pm by ashley_claire.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
Solely based on the cover, blurb, review, and description of this book, I would not likely have picked it up at all. This genre and speciality don’t fit at all into what I normally read. Although it is very evident that this book is well written and edited, despite reading the first ten pages, I will not be reading the rest of the book. In the sample that I read, I did like how conflict was created right from the first line and the Pastor’s internal struggles are made blatantly clear. I also liked the tension between the Pastor and his wife, showing that she too is likely aware of the Pastor’s internal struggles. I will not be buying and reading the rest of the book, but would say that consumers of this genre will likely enjoy it. The OBC review of this book did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 1:50 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amagine
Just by reading the sample, I can tell this book is very well written. The title page catches the eye because of the colors. The title is fitting for the character of Winter who hides his real self. His name matches the title and his character as well. The plot about a homosexual pastor is interesting and unique. I also didn't find any grammatical errors. This is a book I would be interested in reading.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 1:24 pm by Amagine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I probably would not have picked up this book because I am not into LGBT stories. The Online Book club review did a great job of making this book seem good. After reading the first ten pages, I can say that this novel seems professionally edited and adequately written. I do not intend to read the rest because the plot does not interest me.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 12:06 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I probably would have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I enjoy books based on LGBT rights, and this one seemed pretty interesting. After reading the first ten pages, I will be buying this book. I really enjoyed the exciting start to the book. It seemed a little over the top, but I think it really set the scene for the book. What really drew me in, however, was the main character's inner struggle. I want to see how it plays out. It did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 11:55 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
bookowlie
I was intrigued by the creative plot and cover of this book. The Amazon summary is well written and interesting. However, I found it hard to become absorbed in the story due to the writing style. Although the beginning pages appear to be professionally edited, there is too much description and I found the story slow paced. Some readers might enjoy this type of writing style, but it isn't my taste.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 11:15 am by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
James Craft
The cover creates a compelling view of the book and makes it seem incredibly different and interesting. It isn't my normal type of book to read but it seems like a really empowering book for fringe groups that don't normally get the spotlight. It only got 3 stars from OBC but that isn't a huge mark against it because the review was still positive. All in all, this one isn't really my type and I don't think I'll have time to read it, but I'm still glad it was written because it seems like a great read!
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 10:22 am by James Craft.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as it isn't a book that I normally gravitate to. The cover is nice and the blurb had me intrigued. The sample started well enough, with the parade and the violence of the police toward the protesters, but it failed to capture me. The sample was well written, but it was a bit slow-paced and too busy for my taste. I wouldn't read the book as it didn't interest me enough to want to finish the balance of the book. The official review didn't affect my decision either way.
First Ten review added on March 31, 2017, at 10:19 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 17%
Hibernation earned a score of 17%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 17% 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 Hibernation
