Market Research

This is a horrible attempt at trying to do some market research but what the heck, here goes!

My book, Wanted, is a near future sci-fi action / adventure about some rich kids that are stranded in the southwestern United States after their plane crashes. They hook up with a strung out actress who’s running from damn near everything, including herself. In the process they run into a crotchety hermit who’d like to put a bullet in the actress’s head and send the kids packing. In spite of his better judgement, he ends up actually being a good guy and helping them out. Damn good thing too, the alternative was leaving them to the mercenaries hunting them down for their own nefarious reasons.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053KJ2QU

 

Anyhow, this book is doing well for me. Okay, not great by any stretch, but it’s my best seller (not to be confused with a real best seller that would give me F-U money… yeah, you know what I mean). Anyhow, what I want to know is why? What is it about this book that makes people pick it up over the other stuff? Is it pure cover art? Did I do a better job writing up the blurb on it? A better excerpt? The fact that it has a couple of 4 star reviews (out of 5)? Or is it genre – do people like the thought of blowing up a large city and trying to survive the aftermath (as the cover portrays)? The truth is the nukes take place before the story starts. Sure, I’ve got some explosions and impressive gunfire taking place, but that’s it for violence.

Hmm, come to think of it, I’ve got another near future sci-fi story with recent history of nuclear explosions. Maybe I should speak to a therapist about this… That story is Human Nature and it involves aliens and a woman trying to find a meaning to her life after her life is devastated. Ironically, sales have been picking up for that title as well lately. Cover art, in my opinion, is nowhere near as good though. Only one review that I can think of (editorial review too, so the 4 out of 5 doesn’t count on most sites).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053K3WXO

My question stands – for anyone who’s bought one of these, what made you do so? For those that have not, here’s your chance! In fact, how about you head out and buy them then comment here or email me (jason@booksbyjason.com) to let me know what tipped the decision in my favor? Heck, you want to earn extra points? Write a review after you buy it. I’ll even sweeten the deal – you buy and write a review, then let me know about it and I’ll let you pick two other books I’ve written and I’ll generate coupons so you can have them free!

Hmm, does offering bribery count as skewing the results of the study? If this were science, sure, but it’s not. Instead it’s called marketing!

You see I think I’m being devious here but the real truth is that if I were as smart as I think I am, I might be dangerous…