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Readers' group questions ~ good idea or not?
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K.B.
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May 15, 2012 03:53AM
There's a trend to add questions for readers' groups at the end of novels. What do people think? Have you used them? Should I add some to the end of my novel?
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It certainly can't hurt.You might get 99% of your readers ignoring it but that 1% who are interested might be spurred to contact you for a more in-depth interview on their blog.
I say go for it.
Thanks, Michael, that makes sense. My book has already been published but I wondered if there was any mileage in posting reading group questions somewhere on Goodreads. A bit like posting a quiz, perhaps.
I think it's a good idea. Although I don't always read questions, I'm interested in finding out a little more about the author and what has influenced their writing. I like to see the titles of books that the author has enjoyed too.
I put mine on the web site...http://www.jsegan.co.uk/index.php?tab=3
I like them myself, and I'll often go looking for them if I've found a book interesting.
I quite like the questions, can be handy if it is a book you're going to discuss with a group but even if not, I usually read them.
J.S. wrote: "I put mine on the web site...http://www.jsegan.co.uk/index.php?tab=3
I like them myself, and I'll often go looking for them if I've found a book interesting."
I've just had a look. Will be reading your book soon - I won it on the Giveaway - shall be able refer to the questions. Thank you:)
This is very interesting. I posted the same question on another writers' site and most of them didn't like questions and thought they were patronising. The authors that replied were mainly romance/chick lit, I think. Wonder if that makes a difference? I like to look at questions after I've read a book, if they're available, just to get another slant. One of my book groups have used questions once and it did stimulate a more in-depth discussion than usual.
Had a look at your questions, JS, and thought they were very good. Do you think they've encouraged sales?
Thanks, Everyone!
Angela wrote: I've just had a look...."
I tried very hard not to put any spoilers in the questions!
Totally OT, but... I had a peep at your profile, and my mum used to be a teacher in Luton - maybe you met once in the long-ago past!
K.b. wrote: "Had a look at your questions, JS, and thought they were very good. Do you think they've encouraged sales? "To be honest, the web site gets VERY few hits, although it is quite early days in the greater scheme of things -
The Ghost of Mandy Rosental was only published 3 months ago!
I just felt the questions were important because I like to go find them myself when I've read a book. And it is the kind of book which is 'questiony' which helps.
One point on the ORIGINAL question which I was thinking about - I would rather the questions were on the web site than in the book, because the moment I've finished the book, is not the moment to be thinking about the questions - it is the moment to be reflecting, sometimes for a few days, and THEN to go find the questions.
Hi JS. I was a teacher, too, in West & South Yorkshire and pretty much nose-to-the-grindstone. Your mum might be interested in my novel, Once Removed, which has a young teacher as one of the main characters.I like your point about having the questions available but not at the end of the book. Have you considered posting them up here at Goodreads? Perhaps you & I could start a new section in parallel with the quizzes.
I did look at whether the 'Quizzes' thing would support this, but it so doesn't, because it is multiple-choice! (Although I guess I could do it by just creating generic answers: Yes, No, Maybe?)Is there another way of doing it?
Maybe I should put them in the book description? (They are spoiler-free... which actually means the BIGGEST question isn't there, but I figured this would be the first thing anyone would think about anyway... because it is BIG!)
I was wondering if we could approach the Goodreads management and suggest a "readers' group questions" section. But I wasn't sure if there'd be any interest or how to go about such a thing. In the short term I think I'll do what you've done and add some questions to my blog.
I don't know how you'd go about setting up something like this but I do think it's a great idea - there are a few sites I've found which provide book group questions and I usually have a scan before my group meets, useful for inspiration.
Who could we ask? It could be a new section, like the quiz section.
I have just filled in the form on the 'Contact Us' page, asking for this, and pointing at this thread.http://www.goodreads.com/about/contac...
I had a reply:"Thanks for the great feedback! We’ll definitely take this into consideration as we continue to improve the site."
So maybe we'll see this sometime!
Brilliant! Guess I'd better hit the drawing board and compose some questions for Once Removed, just in case.
Mod
Which is when Ian finds he starts to talk to himself. I like the question personaly gives some insight to the book usually
Thanks Dave & Ian, the more interest there is the more likely Goodreads will be to set up this new section that will benefit readers and writers.
I thought of someone else it would benefit - teachers! (Come to think of it, there must be a site where teachers exchange this kind of thing?)
Mod
Nothing wrong with talking to yourself is there Ian??
I've just updated my blog with a Readers' Treats page. http://www.kbw-onceremoved.blogspot.c...The idea is an author posts a cover photo, blurb and a "treat" for their readers. That treat might be readers' group questions for their book, a photo that inspired a character or setting, a character's favourite recipe or anything that might enhance a reader's pleasure. What do you think?
Of course, pop over to the blog and have a look.
