Week 5 - Building Base Knowledge Part II

Week 5: Assignment 1What useful information have you learned from the resource that you have been monitoring  since week one?

I have been monitoring Early Word since week 1. I think Early Word is a great resource. It lets me know when an author has a new book coming out and even provides a trailer for the book in some cases. Also you can find out when a book is being made into a movie and when it will be in theatres.

Week 5: Assignment 2What’s popular in your branch?  If it’s “popular” or “commercial” fiction then you want be sure to look at The New York Times Best Seller List or People Magazine.  For forthcoming titles check the Publisher’s Weekly On Sale calendar. If literary fiction and narrative nonfiction is popular, you can monitor the Indie Next Best Seller List (formerly BookSense) and NPR.  Do your customers want to read the book before the movie comes out?  More than likely, you have a diverse mix of customers who have equally diverse reading preferences, but all of these resources are available via Early Word.  Take a look at the site and click around; there are lots of links in both sidebars.  Post to your blog: What resources are new discoveries for you?  What do you think that you will continue to use?

I like the sidebar and how it is broken down into categories. I can choose any category I need depending on the customer I am assisting. I also like the newsworthy articles in the middle of the page. It informs me of the popular or hot items I need to be aware of. I will definitely keep using Early Word because it is a tool I can use to help my customers find what they are looking for.


Week 5: Assignment 3 Pick a title from the highly anticipated titles of 2013, found under the righthand “Coming Soon- Season Previews” sidebar on Early Word.  Write a blog post using appeal factors or read alikes to describe the title.  Why is this title expected to be popular and to whom would it appeal?

Here's the books the stood out to me:
1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
2. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

I chose these two titles because I like both authors and their writing style. Neil Gaiman's books are normally in the Fantasy genre. Stephen King is known as the master of Horror. I would recommend the Neil Gaiman book to anyone who likes his books. I would recommend the Stephen King book to anyone who read the Shining because it is a sequel to that book. I expect both books to be popular because both authors are well known and have a fan base.