A couple of months ago I was "interviewed" via email by a postgrad student doing a dissertation on book blogs. One of the key questions was:
How effective do you think your reviews are in terms of enhancing book sales?
My response went something like this:
I think they may help make certain books known to a wider audience – but I have no idea if this has any impact on sales. Lots of people might comment and say they’ve added it to their wishlist, but I have no way of measuring whether this is translated into an actual purchase.
I was only reminded of this question on the weekend, when Lisa, from ANZ Litlovers, left a comment under my review of The Free World which said:
Bought it with one click, yay for Kindle!
Once-upon-a-time I might have been able to track sales via my affiliation with Amazon. But I cancelled my membership several years ago. And even then, I would not be able to see those readers who bought their books from other online retailers or bricks-and-mortar shops.
So this is where you come in. I'd be interested in hearing from any of you who have gone on to buy books based on a review you've seen here.
If so, what did you buy — or borrow from the library? Did you buy it straight away or simply add it to a wishlist and seek it out at a later date? Do you think book blogs enhance book sales? What is the deciding factor when you buy a book — a review, the blurb, the price or something else entirely?
