The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Across the Ocean
Because Across the Ocean 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.
Rebecca_Rivera
This cover is well made. However, I would have preferred the display to be simply the cover and not the cover set within a photo. It reduced the size of the cover, making the title and the author’s name difficult to read. It looked unprofessional presented this way. The book does not sound professionally edited. The writing sounds a bit juvenile or perhaps written by someone not entirely familiar with English. I found many grammar and verb tense errors, as well as some typos and many problems with wording. Example: “...and had good sense of humor.” “She’d told Martin that she wish she hadn’t.” “...who had been in many fights won them all.” “Amanda would wrap scorns and cakes to the teachers.” As an American reading this story, Leroy did not seem like an authentic American to me. He called his mom, “Mum,” which is something they do in England, I understand, and in Canada. He also called his college friends “mates,” which is another word not used in the US. I also found Martin’s and Leroy’s actions to be unrealistic. Their interaction in the restaurant was not enough, in my opinion, to be exchanging phone numbers. I was also confused why I was reading so much about Leroy’s point of view when the blurb makes the book sound like Martin is the main character. I was not drawn into the story within the first ten pages. No action takes place to entice me to keep reading. I would not have sampled this book on my own because the cover and the blurb were not in my line of interest. The OnlineBookClub review confirmed that this is not my type of story. I did find the premise intriguing, but I feel the writing could be improved to connect the reader more fully to the characters. I will not be finishing this book due to its genre and the unedited writing.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 11:32 am by Rebecca_Rivera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CarrieMe
Based on the cover and blurb, I might choose to read this book. I really like the cover, the image is dramatic and mysterious. The premise of the book sounds potentially interesting. However, after reading the sample, I don't plan to read this book. The writing, while not incorrect, has a slightly awkward and unnatural quality to it. However, the book seems professionally edited and I didn't notice any mistakes.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 11:10 am by CarrieMe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeyran Main
I really enjoyed reading the sample for this book. The cover is very intriguing and the work appeared to be professionally edited. I am looking forward to reading the whole book. The sample provided assisted me in making that decision and without it, I am not sure I would have picked it up.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 9:29 am by Jeyran Main.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cjgarland89
Based on the cover and genre I was immediately interested in the book and purchased it. The beginning is pretty exciting and drew me in right away. It was free from errors and I can't wait to finish it.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 9:17 am by Cjgarland89.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
truebookaddict
Had I not sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read/sample this because I really liked what the story is about. I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I'm not going to buy and read the whole book. First, there were far too many grammar errors (too many to name...these were not typos) and the dialogue, and really the story itself, sounded much too stilted. The flow just was not good. It kept me from really engaging with the story. The other reason is...I'm not going to pay $4.99 for a 92 page eBook, especially if I didn't like it. (It's way above my eBook spending limit.) It's a shame because the concept of this story is really good. I think with some thorough editing, and perhaps a reworking of the story, this could be good.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 9:12 am by truebookaddict.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MarisaRose
I wasn't sure what to think of "Across the Ocean" when I first read the blurb on Amazon. This one could be appealing, but I wouldn't purchase the book blindly. After sampling the first ten pages, I was intrigued by parts of the book. I wanted to know more about the two characters introduced and their relationship. However, the writing was a little lacking. I found the writing didn't always flow well and the perspective was a bit confusing. I don't plan to read the rest of this one.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 8:25 am by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jungkookblog
From the cover, I think that this book will be a romance novel, which makes me want to not read this book. I will not be reading this book because the story doesn't really give much background information on the characters, but goes right into the romance. It seems professionally edited. I did not see a review, and I don't think that would affect my decision.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 2:57 am by jungkookblog.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kitkat3
The cover is okay, and the title is appropriate. The blurb makes me interested in the story, and it has received good customer reviews. The OnlineBookClub review was helpful in explaining the plot. After reading the first ten pages, I don't think that this book is for me. I don't really like the writing style.
First Ten review added on August 21, 2017, at 1:19 am by Kitkat3.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book without this program. I don't generally read historical fiction books, and the blurb didn't draw me in. I also tend not to read books that don't have an OBC review. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. The dialogue seemed oddly formal, which didn't really match the rest of the text. The story also wasn't for me. It did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 11:30 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
L_Therese
The cover was hard to see as a thumbnail, which probably would mean that I wouldn't have considered it except for this program. When I visited the book's page, I was able to get a better picture (literally and figuratively). I wasn't sure what the main emphasis of the story would be: the DNA tracking or the health crisis. As I turned to the first ten pages, I was hoping to see the first elements of story set-up. To my disappointment, the writing seemed a smidgen awkward. It wasn't working for me, so I passed.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 10:41 pm by L_Therese.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review I might have picked this one up. It had an interesting storyline that I could have seen myself reading. After the first ten pages, however, I quickly changed my mind. Crickmore's writing style is definitely not for me and the dialogue seemed too forced for my liking. I will not be reading the rest of this book even though it does look technically all written and edited.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 8:40 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jaime Lync
Across the Ocean by Hawa Crickmore has an appealing book cover and an intriguing story line. Two strangers from different continents and seemingly different lineages may, in fact, be related! Martin lost his parents in a car crash when he was just a teen and he has no more known relatives.He needs a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative to survive a life-threatening disease. Could Leroy, a mixed African-American man be his saviour? I love the concept but the first ten pages the author introduced too much personal information on the characters through a dialogue that complete strangers were having. I will not be reading this book anytime soon.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 8:34 pm by Jaime Lync.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. Having read the sample, I thought that it was easy to follow and understand. The book seems professionally edited. I did not come across an official onlinebookclub review for the book, but I do not think that the absence of one affected my decision. Since I do not read the genre usually, I do not think I will be reading the book further.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 11:01 am by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gingerbo0ks
Whilst it is based on true events, I don't know how much is fiction or not and this would affect my decision on whether to read the book or not. The review praised the book though so I gave it a chance. I didnt spot any errors but the sample wasn't exciting or interesting enough for me to want to continue further.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 10:40 am by Gingerbo0ks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I would not have chosen to sample the book based on the title or cover, though the premise apparent from the description is intriguing. I will not buy and read the whole book on the basis of the sample because I do not like to read about fighting, and the style is rather fast paced. I did not notice any errors; this appears professionally edited. I liked the characters, but would have preferred to dwell with them more; the pace swept me along a bit too quickly. I did find an official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 3:48 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ReviewerDiksha
The first few pages of this book fail to make an impression. The writing is lousy and could use some more work, along with the narration that just seems to fly away without making an impact. I had lost interest midway through the sample and continuing with the book is not an option. Maybe it gets better later, I couldn’t say. The cover of the book might attract the reader. However, before deciding to buy this book, they should go through the reviews first.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 3:04 am by ReviewerDiksha.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Naval Aulakh
"Across the Ocean" is a well written historical novel. The protagonist of the story starts to prove the importance of DNA test. The plot is well written. Characters of the story are very strong. After reading its review on OnlineBookClub, I decided to read the sample. I enjoyed reading it. But, I am not fond of reading historical fictions. So, I would not read it further.
I did not find any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in the sample. The cover of this book is also interesting.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 1:48 am by Naval Aulakh.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ananya92
The book deals with an unusual concept, highlighting how people in the world are intricately related in unthinkable ways. The book is not very long, and it seems to be edited properly, which are two points in its favor. As there was no review, I had to judge the book by the description and sample. Though the description was interesting, the sample didn't really interest me as much. The writing of the book just wasn't fascinating enough to do the concept justice, I feel. Therefore, I think I'll be skipping this one.
First Ten review added on August 20, 2017, at 1:04 am by ananya92.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Christina Rose
I am not a big fan of this cover, although it can be seen as intriguing. It is doubtful that I would have picked this book up had it not been the BOTD. The storyline is an interesting one, but I thought the sample was slow to start. There did not seem to be any errors in what I read, so this book does seem professionally edited. I enjoyed the review, but will not be buying the book.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 9:53 pm by Christina Rose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Donnavila Marie01
This story about a young fighter in the person of Martin and a young man Leroy from the US have something special. This is a heart-warming story that will bring us back to the slave trade generation. The author uses the power of history and personal touch in his writing style which makes the story relatable. The characters are strong and their emotions touch the soul of the readers. This is a perfect read for those who are in the field of history and those who want to understand the chain effect of events.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 9:49 pm by Donnavila Marie01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CataclysmicKnight
I'm really intrigued by this book. The hashtags "#SlaveTrade #Ancestry #Brotherhood" were used on twitter for this one, and when I sampled the book I read about a fighter with almost inhuman strength and a chance meeting at Nandos. While I'm really interested in what's going to happen in the book, and it's a great length (less than 100 pages according to Amazon), I don't see spending $5 to finish it. I may keep an eye out for a good sale though!
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 9:40 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Azeline Arcenal
The cover of the book is okay, but the title seems a little catchy. I found the official OBC review to be very helpful. The sample was interesting, but I don't think I will have enough time to read this book. Therefore, I think I will not purchase this novel today.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 9:01 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
I really like the cover of this book. Based on the sample I have read, the book definitely seems to be engaging and well-written. I would love to read the rest but unfortunately I don't have the time right now. But I hope to read it later in the future. Happy Birthday to the author.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 8:39 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
micoleon13
I really like this cover page, it's both brooding and mysterious. I would pick this book up based on the cover. The Onlinebookclub review was complementary, but gave a lot of the story away, which put me off a bit, although I thought the concept was interesting. The pages which I read started off with an interesting story, but the writing style felt stilted and didn't flow smoothly. I found an error on the opening pages, "thinking he was handsome and had good sense of humour", while its just missing one word, that, and the writing style put me off reading further. Another editing read through would be beneficial. I will not be continuing with this book.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 8:33 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jwalker73
I was unsure of what to make of this book based on the cover and title alone. The cover is quite dark and does not give any indication about what this story is about. The blurb and reviews show this is a genre that appeals to me. I was particular drawn to the fact that it is 'based on partly true events'. This makes the story more intriguing. The first ten pages were easy to read. The author introduced the main characters in the story while ensuring the pace moved quickly. I have enjoyed what I have read so far and would be interested in pursuing this novel at a later date. I do not intend to purchase today as I did not get that overwhelming sensation that drives me to start a book immediately, but I would be interested in seeing where this story goes.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 8:31 pm by jwalker73.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lennycat
Had I not read the first ten pages as a part of this program, I probably would not have read this book because the description did not sound interesting to me. The book cover is interesting and seems professional. I read the review on OnlineBookClub.org and it was a favorable review, with a good explanation of what the storyline was about. After reading the sample, I did not find any technical or grammatical errors. Unfortunately, I found the writing rather clunky. It didn't really have a good flow and jumped from scene to scene without any connection. The dialogue was very formal, with no rhythm or flow. I would probably not choose to read this book. Sorry.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 7:03 pm by Lennycat.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a sample of, Across the Ocean by Hawa L. Crickmore, I have decided that I will not be purchasing this book. Before reading the blurb for this story, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be reading this. The subject of this story does not appeal to me. While reading this book, I found some elements of it interesting. I find the main character, Martin, to be a very likable character. He's engaging and personable. Based on what I have read this book does appear to be professionally edited. This book does have an official OnlineBookClub review, but the review had no impact on my decision.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 6:09 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Izesicle
The cover looks great. Typically, I would not sample a book about slavery because it is a very difficult, emotional and haunting read for me, similar to books with lynching or the Holocaust. This is why I will not read the whole book. That aside, it is a very topical topic and informative. Everyone could benefit from reading about inclusion. The sample reads like a good intro where you immediately see the two main characters meeting. I did not notice any typos or grammar errors. There is a little bit of awkwardness in some of the word choices or phraseology. For example, nobody says "I am" in casual conversation, it's usually "I'm".
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 5:43 pm by Izesicle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Snowflake
The cover of this book is a little intimidating. I'm not sure I would have read the sample without the first ten pages program. The idea for the story is quite good and the characters seem to be quite interesting. I did learn a bit more about the book from the Amazon blurb and the OBC review. I was very surprised to read that the OBC reviewer found no typos or grammar errors because I found many in the first ten pages. This book does not seem to be professionally edited. It also felt to me like the book was being translated from another language. It did not seem to follow the language patterns of England or America. I found the writing quite stilted and the story really seemed to jump around a lot without enough information to the reader to understand the change in scenes. With all that being said, I still enjoyed the story idea and the energy of the book. I do not plan to read the rest of this book at this time but it is quite likely that I would be interested in reading a professionally edited version in the future.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 5:31 pm by Snowflake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Miche Sora
I like the author's writing style and the book has been professionally edited. The story has a good flow to it, making it easy to get sucked in. The author tells the story from three points of view, which works well.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 3:20 pm by Miche Sora.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
bookowlie
The cover is very stylish and made me want to know more about the book. The summary is well written and I was able to get a good sense of the plot and themes. The beginning pages appear to be professionally edited and the writing has a smooth flow. That being said, the sample didn't grab my interest and I don't usually care for books that have science themes.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 2:34 pm by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vermont Reviews
Today's choice for book ofthe day. Across The Ocean by Hawa C. C rickmore is a story about Martin Grandson a young cage fighter who is about to have a physical fight for his very life.
In reading the preview I found that the story could use some professional help.
The following corrections need to be made.
Correct
thinking he was handsome and had (a) good sense of humour.
Correct
She'd told Martin that she'd (wished) she hadn't.
Correct
Oliver Blight was a well-known fighter who had been in many fights. (He had) won them all.
Correct
Abundant (Life) Ministries
Correct
(Scones) not scorn.
I am not buying the book based on reading the preview.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 2:32 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I probably wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as it isn't a genre that I normally gravitate to. The cover isn't very appealing, but the blurb is fine. The premise of a champion cage fighter who is diagnosed with bone cancer sounds intriguing. However, the sample failed to grab me. I found the writing a bit stilted and the dialogues too formal. I won't read the book, as the subject matter is not something I am interested in reading.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 1:26 pm by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I like the cover and title of this book. The plot sounds unique and interesting. After reading the first few pages, I can say that this book is professionally edited and easy-to-read. Unfortunately, the plot seems a little too coincidental to me. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on August 19, 2017, at 1:09 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 9%
Across the Ocean earned a score of 9%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 9% 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 Across the Ocean
