The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill: Brooklyn's Gold Coast
Because The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill 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.
Ekta Kumari
The book highlights the architectural developments and construction of Clinton Hill in New York. I wouldn't have sampled or read it based on its blurb because I'm not interested in the theme of architecture. The cover page and the title wouldn't have influenced my decision. Based on the sampling, I would say this is an informative book for those interested in the central subject. It has pictures and properly explained architectural styles. The part I read was insightful as well as engaging with a narrative that's segmented with texts and graphics about an architectural term, 'quoin'. The thing I liked the most was that the author cared enough to quote the source of some terms and pictures. There wasn't anything that I disliked about the book, but I also didn't enjoy it much due to my lack of interest in the main theme, so I don't plan on reading the whole book. While I won't suggest anything specific for improvement, there's a need to edit the book again. I was able to find an unnecessary comma after 'masonry' in the following sentence: "The stone quoin is a style used in brick masonry, and is mostly decorative." I saw a useful official OBC review, and it did affect my decision because it was quite detailed about the contents of the book.
First Ten review added on June 18, 2023, at 11:54 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The cover shows various mansions in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, built from 1830 to 1930. Curious about the said lavish mansions, I would have sampled the book even outside of the program. Alas, I could not find any samples to check out! Thus, I cannot comment on the editing or on what's good or bad about the book. While the official OBC reviewer awarded the top rating, the review did not push me to buy the book. I am not an architecture and engineering expert, and I do not expect to visit Brooklyn anytime soon. I suggest that the author make a sample available online for interested readers, considering the steep price of $25. I also recommend improving the blurb on Barnes and Noble. I noted various grammar lapses in the blurb, including the misspelled "discussion" ("discuission" was used).
First Ten review added on June 18, 2023, at 4:39 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the cover, and the blurb are fine, but the book's premise is not my cup of tea.
Unfortunately, the links provided on the Bookshelves page don't work, so I can't sample the book. As a result, I know and like nothing about the book, and I can't be sure if the editing is good. Thus, I won't buy it. The OBC review is alright, but it doesn't affect my decision. I think the author should fix the links to promote his book more effectively.
First Ten review added on June 18, 2023, at 3:07 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Adrian Rondon Salazar
If I had seen this book outside the program, I would not have been interested in reading it. The cover seems to have been edited in PowerPoint, and the red title does not stand out. I will not buy the book; the author's passion for architecture is evident in each paragraph, but sadly, architecture is a subject that does not attract my attention. I consider that this book should not be my first reading about architecture; a book on Latin American architecture would be better for me. The sample is free of errors. No suggestions or negative aspects to mention. I liked that the author entertained even when he narrated about the corners of the buildings. The official review on OBC did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on June 18, 2023, at 2:56 am by Adrian Rondon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelsey Roy
I was not initially intrigued by the cover or title of “The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill” because I am not interested in the topic of architecture. The genre is non-fiction, which I don’t normally choose. The blurb and OBC review discuss architectural history and styles in Brooklyn, NY. While I appreciate learning the history of things, I don’t know enough about architecture to enjoy this book.
I found no errors within the sample. The sample discussed the architectural style of “quoins,” which means corner in French. The term now refers to a decorative corner style. I found nothing within this book that interests me. I do appreciate the addition of pictures to reference the discussion, it would be helpful for all readers. I found nothing to outright dislike aside from my disinterest in the subject and genre. For these reasons, I will not continue reading. I have no recommendations for the author.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 10:04 pm by Kelsey Roy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mayang Bature
There was no kindle version of this book on Amazon. When I searched for it, no results came up. The ebook is probably not on Amazon so there was no way for me to review the book's first ten.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 5:43 pm by Mayang Bature.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The title and cover go straight to the point about Clinton Hill Architecture. Hence, interested readers should be drawn to this book. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates the book focuses on old architecture and engineering history. Plus, it highlights the history of Clinton Hill real estate. The topics addressed in this book are not my favorites. Based on these comments, I am uninclined to give this book a try. The sample is quite brief and centered on the quoins as a distinctive element in the construction of buildings for more than a thousand years. I hadn't heard of quoins before, so it was nice learning about it. I liked distinguishing them in the inserted photos and understanding their decorative and supporting functions. I think the images in the book are relevant for the reader to shape what is being explained. Although what I sampled was interesting and educational, it did not completely capture me. The principal themes are not my favorites. The editing looked outstanding since I didn't see any details to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believed could be improved. In conclusion, I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 5:05 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
The book makes a decent first impression with its attractive cover design, straightforward title, detailed description, and multiple customer and OBC reviews. Since the book is a architecture based non-fiction, I was excited to read the sample. The OBC review spoke about Brooklyn, which piqued my interest. That said, I loved the simple writing style of the author. There were some minor grammatical errors, but nothing that would affect my reading experience (This book traces the construction of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, New York, {remove comma} from 1830 to 1930.). Sadly, since the book was not available for purchase on Amazon in India, I won't be able to buy and read it. I have no suggestions because had the book been available, I would have enjoyed reading it.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 3:03 pm by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I was interested in this book for my son, an architect who once worked in Brooklyn. However, the book was not available on Amazon, and there was no sample to read. The blurb on the Barnes and Noble link has a capitalization error, which made me hesitant about editing in the book itself. The OBC review was good, but it did not convince me to buy the book. Also, the book is $20 for an ebook, which seems excessive. I am not going to buy the book now. I suggest that the author make a sample available on Amazon, and that a reasonably priced hard book be added.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 1:08 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
I could not find a free sample from the links provided on the website. The cover, title, and genre of this book hardly influenced me. Therefore, I would not have read the reviews of this book outside The First Ten program. I cannot say whether this book is professionally edited or not because I could not find a free sample. Since I could not find any free sample to read, I cannot say what I liked or learned from this book. I will not buy and read this book today because of the lack of a free sample. My suggestion to the author is to consider giving at least a few pages of this book as a free sample. I could not find any customer or editorial reviews of this book. It was the OBC official review that gave me the most needed information about the book.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 12:34 pm by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
After perusing the title’s official OnlineBookClub review and Barnes & Noble page, I decided not to acquire the book. I am not fascinated by how Clinton Hill, Brooklyn experienced its golden age from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. I am not intrigued by the well-known architects covered in the book and their significant contributions to the real estate sector. I am not interested in learning about the lavish architectural styles of the well-known structures described in the book. Sampling the book did not change my mind. I would not acquire it because nothing in the sample compelled me to go over the rest of the title. What I liked most is learning about John Milnes Baker’s definition of a “quoin”. I could not identify any errors in the Barnes & Noble sample; the book seems professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 6:20 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nisha DSouza
The book cover and the title were intriguing. The blurb sounded like a good read for people who love architecture. There was a positive B&N customer comment. The official OBC review was incredibly written and covered a lot of ground. The sample pages were easy to understand. It spoke about Quoins, which was something new I learned. I appreciated how the author has made the study of architecture easily available to anyone interested. I did not find anything to dislike about the book. However, I am not keen on reading architectural books, so I will not buy this book. I found no errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 2:59 am by Nisha DSouza.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Pauline Parnell
If I hadn't been a part of this program, I would not have read the sample pages of the book. The book's topic is not very appealing. The topic is too long for me. After reading the first ten pages, I decided that I would not buy the book and finish reading it. While the book has historical significance, my interest is not piqued enough to read it all. The book is exceptionally edited, and I appreciated the author's passion in his compilation of the photos of the exquisitely built houses within the book. However, this book is suited to those who love architecture and historical designs. The OBC review was well-meaning and positive, but it did not sway me to buy the book.
First Ten review added on June 17, 2023, at 12:45 am by Pauline Parnell.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Donna Walker
I like the cover and the title. I'd probably click on this online to find out more. The sample said nothing about Clinton Hill and was just textbook talk for the history and usage of quoins in architecture. There weren't even 10 pages to sample, and the sample was not extensive enough for me to decide if I wanted to read on. There was no mention of any historic building that he commissioned in this tiny sample. I found no errors in the sample. It appears to have been professionally edited. I am interested in architecture and history; however, having grown up in England, I am not familiar with American architect Clinton Hill. I would not have known about this book if not for OBC. The OBC review was really thorough and gave a more complete view of what the entirety of the book is about, and it sounds rather interesting, but I'm not sure that I want to read on. It is not a book that I would normally buy, so I'm going to give it a miss. A larger sample may have swayed me.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 10:02 pm by Donna Walker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Mae Bagarinao
Through the cover and title, I can see what the book offers. The cover presents beautiful historic buildings on Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, that would capture architecture-minded people. But honestly, I just love watching the output of the architects, and reading architectural history now would be secondary. Likewise for its genre. The blurb or overview on B&N makes it apparent what I can get from the book if I ever submerge myself in it. The editorial review was amazingly written and very detailed, which will surely ignite its targeted audiences. However, I'm not one of them. I've seen only one B&N customer review, which says that the book is a great guide to take with you on a historical walk in the area. The above aspects are enough to captivate potential readers, especially the excellently written OBC review. However, I am excluded from the book's prospects, so I am not going to buy the book. I haven't read the sample because the book is not free. Therefore, I can't say whether it has errors or not. As far as the information given about the book, I know that the book is rich in illustrations of the lavish mansions on Clinton Avenue. The cover presents some of it, and it looks gorgeous. Since I haven't read or sampled the book, I can't say my dislikes as well as my suggestions. Yes, the OBC review was perfectly written. And I'm pretty sure it reached its audience. It is very helpful for me in my buying decision, but as of now, I'll pass on the book.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 8:54 pm by Hazel Mae Bagarinao.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
The cover, title, and blurb all imply that the book is about old building architecture. Customer feedback is not available. Because I was unfamiliar with the location, the book did not pique my interest in sampling it outside of the program. My opinion was not changed by sampling. I liked how it rekindled interest in the historical significance and relevance of these structures. The increasing awareness aids in the preservation of these historic buildings. However, because I was unfamiliar with the setting, I was not compelled to finish the book. I'm passing on this one. I recommend adding text to label the elements on the illustration that are described in the caption. Add messages and arrows to certain elements such as the keystone, gargoyle, and running bond, for example. The captions are just at the bottom of the images. The photographs depict a variety of elements. Labeling the precise architectural element stated in the caption will aid in identifying the object. It will be of use to non-technical readers. I didn't see any issues with editing. The official OnlineBookClub review is enthusiastic.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 6:40 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Omneya Shakeep
"The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill" by Rickie James is an architecture history book. As a structural engineer, this book is extremely appealing to me, as I am fascinated with historical structures. The blurb gave a general overview of the types of buildings the book is about. The cover and title match the subject perfectly. All the above aspects would have made me sample the book, in addition to the high rating and recommendation from the OBC review. I was delighted to read about the "Quoin" technique in the sample. Although I was familiar with it, I was unaware of its name. There was nothing I disliked about the book, and I couldn't find any errors in the few pages I read. I would have loved to buy this book; however, it is only available at Barnes and Noble, and their Nook app isn't supported where I live.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 6:05 pm by Omneya Shakeep.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
I liked the cover and title, but I would not have read the book based on the genre and blurb. I am not interested in reading history books, so I did not change my mind after reading the OBC review. In all honesty, I was disappointed that the book was not available on Amazon and that I could not even read the free sample from Barnes & Noble. Consequently, I could not say whether the book was professionally edited. The book focuses on the rich history and stunning architecture of Clinton Hill, a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. According to the OBC reviewer, the book contains beautiful illustrations of the buildings constructed from the 1830s to the 1930s. All in all, I would suggest that the author make the book available on Amazon to motivate the reader to buy the book. I found no editorial reviews but noticed a positive Barnes & Noble review. Those interested in architectural history will surely enjoy it.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 4:10 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
The link to the BOTD went to the Bookshelf page, but I was able to download a sample of the ebook on the Barnes and Noble website. Although I found the quoin style of architecture interesting because the sample went over the different materials used and how quoins affect walls and windows, I am not interested in the topic. However, I did like the author showing pictures and illustrations of what he was talking about because it made the narrative easier to understand. I saw no errors or anything I would recommend the author change. The sample appears professionally edited. There was nothing I disliked about the first ten pages. I will not purchase and read this book because I am not interested in the topic which the book’s cover, title, and genre depict. There were no Amazon reviews, but the Barnes and Noble blurb and reviews, and the OBC review, did not change my mind.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 3:54 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Eleni Antonopoulou
The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill has a fitting but uninteresting cover. I would not sample this book because I am not interested in the genre and architecture in general. The sample I read was very informative and exceptionally well-edited. I encountered no errors while reading. The descriptions are clear and beautiful pictures accompany the text. My only criticism is that the author implements intricate language and specific terms unknown to a typical reader in his writing. The OBC review was very positive but did not change my decision. I will not finish this book because I am not interested in the subject.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 3:49 pm by Eleni Antonopoulou.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nemanja Jankovic
Both the title and the cover of the book perfectly express the main idea of the book, and I would choose to read it based on them. I read the Official OnlineBookClub review, which influenced my decision by mentioning how thoroughly researched the book is. I couldn't find the blurb, editor reviews, or customer reviews. I'll read the book since I'm curious about architecture in the second half of the nineteenth century. I saw no typos or errors while reading the book, thus it appears to have been professionally edited. I like how the architectural and building element quoin is described. Nothing in the book, in my opinion, needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 3:18 pm by Nemanja Jankovic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kajori Sheryl Paul
"The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill" is a non-fiction book by Mr Rickie James. The book details the architectural history of Clinton Hill, a historic site in New York. I like how clearly the author explains the architectural terms. I did not find any errors. Nothing is in need of improvement. The OBC review is helpful. I would skip this book based on the cover, title, genre, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and blurb as I am not into architectural books. For the same reason, I have decided to skip this book.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 3:14 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have skipped it based on the title and subtitles. I am not familiar with architecture, so I knew this book likely would not be for me. On Barnes and Noble, there is one customer review, but this review nor the description influenced my decision to sample the book. The photographs of different corners of buildings were cool; I did not realize so much work went into designing at this level. I found no grammatical errors, and there is nothing I can think of that needs improvement or that I disliked. An official OnlineBookClub review exists for this title, but I did not need to read it to know I was skipping the book. Even after reading the sample, I am not interested in architectural design.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 2:38 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Saima Rahman
Neither the cover nor the blurb would have made me read this book as they seem mundane. I am not going to continue reading this book because it is too boring for my taste, and I didn't find any compelling part to enjoy reading it. I didn't find any errors. I liked the writing and the lavish styles were described well. Since it follows the construction of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, New York, there are many stunning buildings and mansions. However, there are too much detailed descriptions of such buildings and I didn't like that much. The OBC review helped me make my decision as well.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 12:06 pm by Saima Rahman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amy Luman
The cover of the book, showing lots of architecture, did not interest me, nor did the rather unimaginative title. There were no editorial reviews of this that I could find as of today, but there was a customer review, and it was very good. The OBC review of this book gave it 5 stars and recommended it. I won’t be finishing it, though, because I don’t like nonfiction and am neither a fan of architecture nor engineering. I did like the pictures included of quoins. They helped me understand the concept. I didn’t like, however, that the sample given appeared to begin with Chapter Four. At least there was a caption of "4" before what I read. If it doesn’t denote a chapter, then I am very confused. Other than that, there is nothing that I would change since I didn’t find any errors in what I read.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 10:56 am by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover on the OBC site has too many images, and I can barely read the title in the thumbnail, so it wouldn't have caught my attention. I like much more the one on the Barnes and Noble site. The blurb's too succinct, and, to be honest, I didn't even know Clinton Hill existed. Despite the high ratings, I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages didn't change my mind. I learned what a quoin was and also a "jerkinhead," but the rest was boring. I guess the topic is such a visual one that I have trouble engaging and understanding, even if the book has pictures. For example, I didn't understand the following sentence "The longest sides oriented horizontally, first left, then right, around the corner." I didn't find editing mistakes. The official OBC review, in this case, didn't change my mind. My main suggestion is to use the Barnes and Noble cover for all promotional materials.
First Ten review added on June 16, 2023, at 8:41 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 4%
The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill earned a score of 4%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 4% 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 The Architecture of Historic Clinton Hill
