Prime members

[AbstractDream]

Do you often read the First Reads?
I'm not normally tempted by them but this month, there's quite a few.
Will you be reading any of them?

No, I assume they are one step up from self published rubbish, so I never download them.

See I do grab one every month. But I don't think I have read one.

I have enough free books to wade though. Or ones from published authors I already like for 99p.

I always get one, and most of the time I enjoy it. Only a couple have been rubbish.

No. Never read one. Sometimes I look at them but never been tempted to get one. Assumed they were mostly self published stuff anyway.

I got "the hike" this month. I'm looking forward to reading it. when I've got through my 200+ TBR list

I am wary of them because I do think Amazon publishing includes a fair amount of vanity publishing. I usually take one though I haven't read them yet, but that's because for me TBR doesn't mean one pile, one shelf, or a finite quantity of books that I have any expectation of finishing in my lifetime. TBR means To Be Read. Some of them are probably worth reading, some will be disappointing, but that may be true of the latest books from Penguin, Macmillan or anyone else!

They have published books by writers who've had or still have more mainstream publishing contracts, including Eliza Graham who I actually first heard of through MN, and I've read and enjoyed one of her books from the library, probably 15 years ago now and have others TBR. So I've actually bought some books (albeit probably on offer for up to £2) by writers like that, and I have bought some Amazon published Kindle editions of books first published in paperback and/or hardback 15 to 20 years. Some writers have used Amazon imprints, mostly named by references to Seattle - Thomas & Mercer is their crime imprint, named after a street junction. Examples: Martin Edwards is still publishing his own books and lots of stuff as a reissue editor and short story anthology editor, with several other publishers, but has a historical crime series published via Amazon. Charlie Williams was published by a mainstream publisher but has had his books reprinted in paperback and on Kindle via Amazon.