Can we ask for feedback on the Mumsnet Books please?

I bought the guide for toddlers and thought it was great. In fact, we bought two because my husband burnt the first copy (long story, it wasn't intentional). But it was pretty pricey - I think I paid over £12-15 for it. Had I shopped around I am sure that I could have found it cheaper but I was pretty desperate at the time! But it might have put me off if I hadn't been so desperate. And I think many mothers might be browsing bookshops for something that might help them, and the price might be a problem?

I am 6 weeks pg and was definitely interested in the Pregnancy one so got it from the library so I can see if I like it and therefore buy by own copy.

I like the witty style and the comments from other 'real' people in the same situation as me, but my biggest irritation with it is that I want to know what is happening with the baby as it develops and the guide doesn't really go into this. Also, I want to know what I should be doing and when (like a checklist) . I have just ordered the Pregnancy Bible from the library after seeing lots of MN'ers recommending it as apparently it gives a week by week run-down of what's going on. As a first timer, the practical anatomical things are really important and interesting.

Also, practically, the book is quite dense and text heavy - I like the odd picture, flow-chart, diagram (even cartoon).

Because of this I won't be buying the book even though I was sure I would before I got it from the library.

The other thing is that I have engaged the services of an independent midwife who is pointing me in the direction of lots of research about scans and I am weighing up whether to have them or not. You don't mention at all that there is quite a lot of evidence about how the long term effects of scans are not proven and I think all sides of the argument should be presented.

I also agree with other MN'ers that posting is free compared to buying the book.

Hope the feedback is useful.

I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant with my first baby, but haven't bought any pregnancy books - I found so much useful info on the internet that it doesn't seem worth buying hard copies of books. Having said that we have a had a few books bought for us as gifts. They tend to be the funny/amusing anecdote ones that have some factual/informative stuff mixed in, and I have found them quite entertaining. I think maybe you could increase sales by targeting the helpful friend/relative market, who would buy them as gifts - not sure where you're selling/promoting them at the moment but mainstream bookshops and amazon would be the obvious first choices. I also think that you'd have more success with this market if your front cover reflected the humorous content of the book more - at the moment these look like serious pregnancy/toddler books that you'd be referred to by a health professional, rather than the humorous guides that they are. Take a look at the covers of books like 'From here to maternity' 'from lad to dad' and the 'blokes guide to pregnancy' (the 3 that we were given) - I think friends/family are more likely to be attracted by the light-hearted covers of these books than the more serious mumsnet covers.

I have glanced at the mumsnet guides and they are amusing. However... I now find all parenting "guides" somewhat pernicious. It seems as if everyone has an agenda and it usually doesn't tally with how I, in my heart of hearts, feel about raising my baby (... i.e. my agenda!). Having bought a variety of books to read when preparing for baby I ended up throwing them all away and feeling much happier for it. A year in and I've discovered I'm basically an attachment parent so if in need of advice I seek it on the web from those with a similar ethos.

The price isn't shown until you click through and see there's a fiver off - maybe you could put this on the first page?

Just a thought .

er... are people not buying them because you can get all the info off MN for free? And it's interactive and you can ask/talk about your specific situation? Just a thought...it's why I wouldn't buy one.

My mum bought both books for me from the charity shop she works in - both still wrapped together in cling-wrap so the previous owner hadn't even opened them.
I was pregnant at the time and had a toddler so read some of both. They are both still under the bed not touched for months now.

They are amusing and full of tips but like someone else said they don't have "answers" ... just suggestions. I read it and felt a bit "wanting" still. I can't explain it very well. Maybe the lack of an authority figure? I quite like the Dr Spock books and he gives lots of scenarios with no definitive answer - but maybe I like it because his book is a bit more stuctured. I can get all the random answers by logging on to Mumsnet (and do) but in a book I think I'd like it to have more of a structure - a few summary paragraphs written by an editor at the start of each section and then the differing viewpoints.

I'll go and look again and see what else I think.

Interesting, isn't it...? I thought the toddler one was hilarious, but I think the problem is that parents-to-be want a voice of authority. They don't want lots of funny views on a problem, they want THE ANSWER!

There isn't one, obviously - the best you'll ever get is lots of funny views on the problem. But by the time you've worked that out for yourself you're not buying books any more....

You could re-jig the contents so that they're more organised along the problem = answer line, but that's probably an editing nightmare!

Mumsnet has a good search facility and keeps posts for a long time (indefinitely?)... Also I think people may feel more reassured by 'experts' than by the collective wisdom of a talk forum. Having said that I might get the toddler one

I bought the toddler one months ago but haven't opened it, it's sat in my bedside table.

DH is getting me the pregnancy one for Xmas, and I'm more likely to read that one.

Have to say though, I bought the toddler one mostly to "support" MN, just like I bought the MN Xmas cards last year but never sent them to anyone.

If I wasn't already on MN I don't think I'd pick the MN books over any other on the bookshop shelf. Not that I've ever actually seen the MN books in the shops - where are they sold?

Sorry I haven't read any of the other messages.

But you do know that pregnanat women are great big, fat humour vacuums? Don't you? I have four children and I can honestly tell you I would NEVER have felt calmed by someone called VinegarTits or AnyFucker, quite regardless of what they had to say.

Also. Pregnant women are humourless. Totally. They remain that way for 2 years post birth. Do not waste jokes on these people. Stand back and do sign language. Really.

I have peeked at the pregnancy guide in Waterstones and it was hilarious - a brilliant read. However I did not buy it or recommend it because my Internet life is my secret. If I had the MN book on my shelf or gave it to a friend I would worry they would guess I am a poster and seek me out (paranoid emoticon).

Well, I'm no longer in the target market. Not pregnant and have no toddlers. Simple. And when I was it was before I had discovered MN. So it might be too late to target MNers. Better to address potential MNers via NCT or the hospital Bounty pack.

Hmm I think it is this issue of you're either in one of two market segments:

1. Mumsnetters - many of whom won't buy it becuase they would MN for the answers to problems

AND

1. Those who have yet to hear of Mumsnet or if they have heard of it aren't members and will see a lot of quite witty quotes but won't relate to the brand quite as much so won't buy it either.

The parenting book market is hideous these days. Only the top few, maybe 20, books sell in any decent numbers apparently.

i have just handed my toddler one on to a friend... it was ok

but the book i bought before i discovered mumsnet i would NEVER part with! and that must have been about 2004?

Alternatively, why don't you go down the e-fulfillment route and make smaller publications available for download for a reduced cost.

Or go into the gift book bundle market - a 'baby bootcamp - view from the trenches' book for the first six weeks, bundled in a basket with babygros, nappies and gin a rattle.

The books are great, but I wouldn't buy them. Why would I need to when I have mn?
I'd buy one as a gift for someone though.

You ought to compile something a bit more like 'Can I Give Them Back Now' - a book showcasing the 'off the record' side of parenting with plenty of humour and all the weird and wonderful anecdotes you get on MN.

I bought the toddler's guide, along with What to Expect Toddler and Gina Ford Toddler.

I guess the MN books slot in between these style, neither entirely comprehensive, nor taking a line on what a parent should do. They are more entertaining to read, certainly, but I tend to use parenting books for random bits of info rather than entertainment. Also, they are not so appealing to give as a gift - covers are a big part of this. Should have gone for a 'chick lit' feel! And the amount of space dedicated to really large quotes means you feel a bit cheated in terms of value for money.

I don't think the quotes work v well out of context from the threads - doesn't quite translate to a parenting book, where you want the authoritative word of experts.

My dd is 10 so I have no need for books on pregnancy or toddlers!

I don't think the front covers of the books would make you want to pick them up if you saw them in a shop...Babies the mumsnet guide has the best cover but why go for black and white?

Whomoved in post of tues 24th 8:00:32 has all the key questions for mums (this mum anyway). If you can answer those I'll pay a lot more than a tenner!

They came out too late for us.

But I have a pregnant friend, although as hers is due in December there is no point getting her the Pregnancy one for Christmas. The Babies one would be ideal - but when's that out? Not until next year?

I bought loads of books while pregnant - on pregnancy, giving birth and baby names and I read them all, cover to cover.

I also bought lots more on child development and bringing up children which I planned to read after the birth. Ha ha! I haven't even touched one of those as I'm just too bloody busy. (Suspect I may get round to reading up on baby & toddler development when DS is about 10, and think "oh that's what that was all about then" )

I would have bought the mumsnet one if it was out then. I am unlikely to buy the toddler one for myself (see backlog of books above).

My friends are breeding like mad at the moment however, and I would definitely pick up the books in a shop and buy one of them as a present if it looked good. I would need to have a flick through first though, and I haven't seen it anywhere yet.

Seems I'm not practising enough ...

Being as wot I am a practising qualitative researcher, I'm happy to help you out for a vast fee with any further research you may wish to do amongst your target audience ...