Article: How Do You Know What Your Getting???

Have you ever bought a book you didn't like? I know I have. Did you want a light romance and receive something better suited for a dark corner of an adult goodies store? Or maybe you were looking for something a bit naughty and ended up with a whole lotta' nice. There are a few simple tricks every reader should know that don't take much time, don't cost any money, and will help raise their ultimate book satisfaction rate.

First, familiarize yourself with the publishing houses. Many publishing houses specialize in a particular genre such as erotic, paranormal, or contemporary romance. The publishing houses may even use sub-imprints to help readers gauge the rating of a book's content. This trick will take less time than you think by paying a little attention to the titles you already buy. You will be surprised to find patterns in your purchases.

Second, watch for content warnings. With the recent boom in indie publishing, authors are adding their own content advisories to books. These warnings can range from simple age recommendations such as 18+ or 21+ to explicit warnings of graphic language, violence, or specific sexual content.

Third, check a book's reviews. Even if the author and/or publisher disclose content ratings, other readers may perceive the content differently. Please, read more than the first review you find. It takes at least three or four reviews to get a clear picture of a book's content because personal preferences vary.

Finally, if you are still in doubt about a book's content, submit a question to the author or publisher before you buy.  If you have a question about a book's descriptive information, odds are other readers do too.

These tips aren't going to keep you from stumbling into a dud every once in awhile; however, they should help improve your chances of finding the types of books you are looking for. Remember, if you find content in a book that you consider objectionable that was not disclosed in the book description, send the author an e-mail rather than leaving destructive feedback. Honest mistakes such as programming errors happen and destructive feedback does not make an author or book better...it only hurts sales and puts your favorite authors out of business.