The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Jihadi Hijacking: Code Name: Dodger Mission 3
Because Jihadi Hijacking 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.
Cjgarland89
At first glance I wasn't too excited about this book. After a glance at the OBC review and Amazon reviews I decided that it was worth trying out. It definitely lived up, the first ten kept my attention, although it was a little confusing in the first few pages on what was actually going on with the aircraft photos and then a traffic report I guess, I'm not sure I understood that part. But Justin's introduction of himself was attention getting because I love anything involving the CIA, and it perks my mind because who's to say that's never happened before?
There weren't any errors from what I read, but I will not be finishing this book mainly because it's just not really for me or my genre.
First Ten review added on September 16, 2016, at 6:44 am by Cjgarland89.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
truebookaddict
I would not have chosen to read or sample this book because I do not read spy/terrorist thrillers. Plus, the cover did not appeal to me at all.
I will not buy and read the whole book. As I said, I do not like to read spy thrillers. Based on what I read, and the blurb about the book, I know this one is not for me.
I didn't notice any typos, but I did notice some run on sentences and some commas missing here and there.
The character of Justin seems to be a really great kid. I liked how he stood up for the kid with cerebral palsy at school. That says a lot for the type of character he is and his genuine nature shines through in the writing. I did feel that the writing was a bit...rushed. I'm not sure if this is because the point of view is of a teenage boy. If so, that's brilliant because that's how boys are (for the most part). The only improvement I would suggest would be some more thorough editing.
First Ten review added on September 16, 2016, at 3:50 am by truebookaddict.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not sampled this book, I would not have read it because I was a little hesitant about the premise. After reading the book, I thought that it was a lot different from what I had imagined, and I really enjoyed the fluid and detailed writing style. I also liked the collection of photos before the story began, which allowed me to visualize the scene with ease. I did not read an OnlineBookClub review, but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 16, 2016, at 1:53 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I probably would not have sampled this book based on the OBC review and blurb. I am not really interested in any type of action or spy books. After reading the first ten pages, I was pretty interested. However, I will not be finishing the book, because I honestly just don't have the money to buy the book currently. I might buy it and finish it later on. I really liked the use of other media in this book. There were maps and pictures used to help the reader understand what is going on. I also like that the author rated this book so parents know what age should be reading it. The book seems professionally edited. This seems like a great book for preteen aged kids.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2016, at 12:15 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Momlovesbooks
The cover caught my eye. The short description enticed me, but when I read the official OBC review, I was hooked. The first few pages were very descriptive. The main character seemed strong and quick-witted. Unlike a lot of modern day protagonists, he seems to be empathetic to others. The story started off with action and is only building. I'm sure my teenager would enjoy this one. I'll also be reading it.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2016, at 8:50 am by Momlovesbooks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gravy
The cover is not appealing to me. It looks dated, and could be improved.
The first part of the sample was all pictures and, while this is no doubt interesting to some, was a bit boring to me. Had they been sprinkled into the actual book, in appropriate places, I would have found them much more interesting. The writing was fun, but clearly for a younger audience, and though I often read YA, this isn't for me. Even if it were more to my taste, I didn't like the amount of explicit violence. It seemed a bit gratuitous for the apparent target age.
I did appreciate Justin as a character, and believe that I would like him if I read this, but that wasn't enough to change my mind.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2016, at 5:11 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
L_Therese
When I noticed that this book was the third in a series, I had immediate reservations. As a general rule, I prefer to start a series at the beginning. However, the review stated that the book also works as a standalone, so I wasn't going to write it off completely yet. I read the first ten pages, and though they beginning was fairly promising, it's young adult audience appeal was very apparent. If I were ten years younger, I would have enjoyed it more (okay, maybe closer to fifteen years younger). There were a couple of places where I questioned the editing, but I don't think any of these places were definitively incorrect (and a young adult reader probably would neither notice nor care if "yarmulke" were spelled phonetically). So in the end, I am going to pass on this one. I'm sure it's very amusing all the way through, but it is certainly for a younger readership.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 10:27 pm by L_Therese.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
Based on the cover, title, blurb, and reviews, I would not pick this book up. Although I love action stories, I'm not too much of a fan of terrorism stories. I do think this book sounds really interesting because it is written in the first person perspective of a teenage spy. I do think the spy and CIA angle is really cool. However, I'm not a fan of the genre. After reading the first ten pages, I will not continue reading the book mostly because the genre is not my cup of tea. However, the book so far is well written and I did not see any major grammar errors. This book may appeal more to others who like this genre.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 6:01 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
braver
As this is the third book in a series that I have not read any of, I would not have picked it up. All the pictures and diagrams at the front of the story were a little confusing, not having any reference for why they were there or what they were for. I didn’t love the writing style and felt that the book reads young, but I suppose that is appropriate for a story being told by a teenager. The plot was relatively intriguing, though hard to appreciate some of the action without knowing the characters’ backstories. All in all, I think it’s fine, just not compelling enough to get me to read the series.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 5:48 pm by braver.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book without the program as Terrorism theme books isn't my cup of tea. Also it is the third book in the series and I prefer to start series from the start whenever possible. Reading the official review and the sample didn't change my mind. The sample started well, giving us background about Justin Reed, and then moving to the hijacking of the plane. The book seems well-written, but the subject matter isn't to my taste. Due to the issues mentioned above, I won't buy and read the book.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 3:46 pm by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
easy_dc13
I would have chosen to read this book once I saw the reviews, which are all very positive. Seeing as this series is of the Action/Adventure genre, I would have checked it out. No typos or errors from what I have read and I might go ahead and read the whole book. The writing style is engaging and the main character seems relatable so there is that.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 3:11 pm by easy_dc13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kourtney Bradley
I am immediately able to tell with this book that is just not something for me. The idea of a teenage turned secret CIA Agent is a bit too juvenile for me, as it's appears very unrealistic.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 2:12 pm by Kourtney Bradley.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
This book has a great sense of humor while still having some good action and intensity even within the first ten pages! It's written well, reading is going very smoothly so far (I read well past the first 14 pages, as several had images on them) and it's just over 200 pages, the perfect size for me. I'll definitely finish it!
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 1:32 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shelle
Based on the genre, blurb, and cover of this book, I likely would not have selected it. I am glad I had the opportunity to sample it and think the characters seem interesting and colorful. I could easily see teenage boys liking this series, it's just not for me. There were no glaring errors and the book appeared to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 1:05 pm by Shelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vermont Reviews
From the preview, I could see that the author Erick Auxier has the experience to be able to put this story into the reality of every day life. The scene has been set... The characters are in their positions... The action is about to take place... The story must be told... One line that I really enjoyed from the preview. "I mean, if they were so "intelligent," why did they, like bad storm troopers, always seem to miss the target." Justin Reed, protector of the weak. Protects Dillon the new freshman from "Big Red" the bully who was harassing Dillion. Justin takes on half the football team and gets expelled from school for three weeks. This story sounds like a great one. Right now my reading list is over filled. Otherwise I would have downloaded this one for later. Congratulations on being book of the day.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 1:01 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ashley_claire
This is a tough one to review because the actual story doesn't start until about page fifteen. The review on OBC promises an action-packed book that also uses moments of humor and self-reflection to slow the story down a bit. I don't love the cover, but I don't hate it either. I think the pictures that take up the first pages of the book serve a great purpose to younger readers who would benefit from seeing the inside view of the plane and the different maps. I won't be continuing the book, solely because I'm not the right audience for it and it's not my cup of tea. But I think older teens would love it.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 12:50 pm by ashley_claire.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
bookowlie
I found the cover a little busy looking, and it's not even clear what the title vs. the series is from the cover info. The Amazon summary blurb is well written and the plot looks intriguing, although I don't care for novels with a terrorism theme. The terrorism storyline was also confirmed in the Official Review, even though the reviewer loved the book. The author has a nice, conversational writing style in the sample pages, but the writing and main character's story seems more suitable for teenagers. Based on the theme and writing style, I am not interested in reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 11:29 am by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover and title are not appealing to me. After reading the blurb, I am less enthused in reading it. in addition, action is not my go-to genre and I find the content a bit too scary and realistic for my tastes. However, the OBC reviewer seemed to have enjoyed it, which is always a good sign.
The book seems like it could use another round of editing. For example, ""Consolidated Industries, Inc"." places the punctuation after the quotation. It should be placed before the quotation since it is not the end of the sentence. Also, when Justin speaks about the three men shouting, the actual words that were shouted should have quotation marks and they do not.
I do like how the author provided some visuals of the plane and maps prior to diving into the story. However, I felt going from Justin's background to the terrorist attack to Justin being suspended from school too jumpy. With this and the subject matter in general, I do not plan on finishing this book.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2016, at 11:15 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 22%
Jihadi Hijacking earned a score of 22%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 22% 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.
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