The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Brotherhood of Merlin: Book 1
Because The Brotherhood of Merlin 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.
braver
The book's description was WAY too long and wordy, which made me concerned about the quality of editing in the book right of the bat. The first sentence of the second paragraph is poorly written, and I found the language choice to be at odds with the scene (children are playing and eager to see their father, but we get phrases like insidious pothole and imminent wonders). Then we get an odd jump when we move from father interacting with children to seeing his wife - all of a sudden, he's Lucian and the perspective shifts to him. It also felt like the author was writing formulaically and it felt stiff and awkward. Nothing about the opening engaged me and I will not be finishing the book.
First Ten review added on September 9, 2016, at 9:27 am by braver.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not sampled the first ten pages, I would not have read this book because it has always been difficult for me to get into high fantasy or epic fantasy genres. I do like the cover, but I feel as though the blurb is overly long and I did not feel interested in the story. After sampling the book, I will not be reading the entire book. I do enjoy the present tense writing style, and the story seemed to flow smoothly. However, I felt a lack of momentum in the story; in addition, there were so many characters that I feel like I did not have a chance to connect with, and I got a little lost as the story progressed. The book does seem like it was professionally edited. I did not see an Official OnlineBookClub review, but this did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 9, 2016, at 2:53 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cjgarland89
The first ten of this book was interesting, my favorite part was the descriptive language. It painted a clear picture of what was going on and who was involved. I didn't see an OBC review, but it wouldn't have influenced my sampling this book because the title alone caught my attention immediately. I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors. I will not be finishing the book book or purchasing it, not because I don't find it interesting, but because I don't think it can maintain my attention throughout the book.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2016, at 6:52 pm by Cjgarland89.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Serena [Poetree]
The cover looks violent and the title seems to reference King Arthur, a story about which I know very little, so I would be very unlikely to pick up this book. There are a few errors even in the first couple of pages, including a lowercase proper noun. Although I enjoyed reading about Lucius's family, the story lost my interest when his true identity as Lucifer was revealed. I don't like supernatural stories, especially those involving angels, so I will not be reading the rest of this book. It does have an interesting premise, but I don't think I would enjoy it. The lack of official OnlineBookClub review had no effect on my decision.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2016, at 4:24 pm by Serena [Poetree].
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I probably wouldn't have sampled this book without this program as the plot didn't grab me. Reading the sample didn't change my mind. I didn't like the writing and the sample didn't interest me. I won't be reading the balance of the book as it isn't my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2016, at 3:26 pm by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Momlovesbooks
The title caught my interest. I enjoy historical fiction and the time period of King Arthur. The story was detailed and seemed to have interesting characters. However, after I read a few pages, I realized it wasn't what I thought it would be. I'm going to pass on reading the remainder.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2016, at 1:27 pm by Momlovesbooks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
truebookaddict
I would have chosen to sample this one based on the blurb and reviews. I'm a fan of fantasy and endlessly fascinated with the King Arthur legend so any spin on that captures my interest.
I need to read more of the sample before I make my decision to buy. Frankly, I did find the dialogue a bit stilted in the first chapter (ten+ pages). It's almost as if the author was trying too hard to make the characters' dialect sound authentic.
The book does seem professionally edited. I did not notice any typos or grammatical errors.
I liked the set up of the wolf-mastiff being protective of the children. It tied in nicely with the cover. Also, the establishment of the importance of family was evident, which I liked. My only suggestion for improvement would be to rework the dialogue a bit to make it sound more natural.
This book did not have an OBC review. The lack of the review did not affect my decision. However, I feel a detailed review might have given me more insight into the book.
First Ten review added on September 8, 2016, at 10:15 am by truebookaddict.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
This sounds like an interesting read, but the blurb needs work. It's too long, and has no real hook.
The cover is okay, though not my favorite, but the cover for the paperback edition isn't good. The difference between the arms on the two is small, but makes a world of difference.
The fact that this had no OBC review didn't effect my opinion (in fact, it never effects my opinion).
The writing style is not for me. Perhaps that is just a preference, but it seemed clumsy, and I found the dialogue to be weak.
I am sometimes a reader of this genre, but this one won't be going on my list.
One thing I did enjoy, the way steampunk was worked into it. Not the typical type of book to find it in, but it was an interesting addition that I would have liked to have read.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 9:37 pm by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
I love fantasy, and Arthurian tales are about as awesome as fantasy can get. This book seems like an interesting twist on it all so far, and I love the bits of fantasy blended throughout the first chapter. However, this book is on the long side for me (400 pages) and I haven't been hooked yet, so while I'd love to read it sometime I unfortunately don't see it happening.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 8:58 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
smarter
If I had not sampled the book for this program I would not have picked it up at all because it isn't my particular genre. I will not be purchasing this book for that very reason, and also because I found it to be very dull and uninteresting. I was confused as to why the father was referred to as Father for the first few pages then suddenly by his name (Lucian). Another part I found confusing was at the end of the first chapter when it mentioned "the following two years [being] the happiest of Dante's life." I'm assuming it means two years have past between when Lucian comes home and the events of the next chapter, but I really can't be too sure. Again, because this isn't my genre this might just be something that happens often in books like these and I'm just not fully grasping the concept. I did enjoy, however, that the dialect was written exactly how the characters would pronounce it ("ye," "'uns," etc.). The sentences were too short for my taste but other than that I didn't notice any typos or grammatical errors. The book does not have an Official OnlineBookClub review, which I found disappointing because I would've liked to read someone else's take on it.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 7:28 pm by smarter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
Based on the blurb, cover, title, and customer reviews, I would pick this book up. Although I don't generally read fantasy books like this, I was really intrigued after reading the premise of the story. This sounds very creative and original and really interesting. After reading the customer reviews, it seems like the audience is very receptive to this book and loves the storyline. After reading the first ten pages, I am even more intrigued. After reading about the man coming home to his wife and kids, everything seems normal, but then at the end of the chapter you actually find out he is Lucifer himself. I was very shocked and did not expect that so it was a really good twist. However, based on time constraint, I will not be able to continue reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 6:31 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I wouldn't have read this book based on the blurb and genre. I really am not into sci-fi books. I feel the same after reading the first ten pages. The writing is great, and I really liked the vocabulary that was used. I just am not into this type of book, and the book didn't manage to pull me in enough to make an exception. I also noticed some missing commas right away. They weren't terrible errors, but being a grammar freak, I definitely noticed them.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 5:07 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shelle
This is not a book I would normally gravitate to based on the cover and genre. However, I am glad I had the opportunity to sample it. I really like the writing style and the story was engaging from the beginning paragraphs. I still doubt I would read this series, but I'd definitely recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy, or perhaps tween/teen boys looking for a good series. The book appears to be professionally edited and erro-free.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 5:07 pm by Shelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kia
Based on the description of this novel, I would not have chosen to read it. The description makes the book seem like it will be very political in nature and that is not something that I am usually very interested in. However, I found the first few pages really sparked my interest, especially the part about Lucifer angering God by having a family on Earth. It seems like quite the twist in classic Christian mythology. Overall I found the first few pages to be captivating and mistake free. I wish that I could purchase the book today, but unfortunately I can't due to personal finance reasons (even with the generous discounted price).
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 2:56 pm by Kia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vermont Reviews
I have read the preview. The character of Lucian Battias Commode is one of the main characters who meet his nemesis Michael. Lucian is told he has to leave his family and never see them again. The story sound like one that I would enjoy finishing. My plate at this point is full and I would not have time to finish this one anytime soon. I do like the cover art. I did enjoy the preview and based on that I would have purchased the book. Rory D. Nelson has a style that I enjoy. I love the fantasy genre.
The book has almost 60 reviews which is a good number of satisfied customers. Based on the reviews and the preview. I would buy the book.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 2:38 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kourtney Bradley
Based on the cover of the book, this is not something I would choose to read by myself without having read some reviews. The first ten pages of the book depict a father returning home from a long journey, and that the small family has been somewhat in "hiding" for quite a while. At this point its unknown why. I did not find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 2:37 pm by Kourtney Bradley.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ashley_claire
I went into reading this sample not thinking much of it, as I'm not really that interested in much to do with King Arthur. The Amazon summary is also a turn off because there's just too much to follow and it's too much information. However, the book is well written and I've been in the mood for a new fantasy book and so far this book seems interesting enough. I think it helps that the ten pages stops right when an event is happening, and I feel the need to know more about what is going on. I will read the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 12:51 pm by ashley_claire.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
bookowlie
I found the Amazon summary long-winded and hard to follow. The cover artwork is eye-catching, including the nice font used for the title. The writing is a bit flat in the sample pages and I couldn't get engaged in the storyline. Based on the summary blurb and beginning pages, I am not too interested in reading further.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 12:50 pm by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
If it wasn't for this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover is intimidating and the blurb seems to portray this book to be action-packed, which isn't my favorite kind of read. Though the reviews are positive and the genre (Arthurian, Myths & Legends) do intrigue me, the fact that there is no OBC review deters some of my interest, as well.
The book does seem to be professionally edited with the exception of one error. On page 3 of the sample, the father says, "Now Now!" which should be "Now, now!" instead. My favorite part of the bit that I read is the description the author presents of the family dog's role and the sweet and loving interactions the family has with each other. I did become confused with the words such as "pooters" and "coonter". Therefore, an improvement that could be made is a quick explanation of these words. Even though the bit I read seem to be light and fun, the blurb does make it seem to be more action-packed. Therefore, I will not be finished this book due to this.
First Ten review added on September 7, 2016, at 11:14 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 5%
The Brotherhood of Merlin earned a score of 5%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 5% 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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