The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for A Perfect Victim
Because A Perfect Victim was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Heidi M Simone
The cover is interesting and the title is eye-catching. I do like to read mysteries sometimes. Though the blurb has a mistake ("he police" should be "the police"), it piques my interest due to the murder mystery aspect. The ratings are positive, including the OBC review. Therefore, I would have sampled this read without this program.
Based on what I've read, the book does seem to be professionally edited. I really like the main character and how relatable he seems to be. The bayou setting is also something I enjoy since I haven't read a book in this setting before. Since this book was free and it grabbed my attention, I bought it and plan on finishing the read.
First Ten review added on April 22, 2017, at 8:27 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
jungkookblog
I don' think I will be reading this book because the cover doesn't like very amusing I will not be reading this book because it got confusing in the beginning. It seems professionally edited. I did not see any review, and I don't think that would affect my decision. Book has great detail to lure readers in.
First Ten review added on April 22, 2017, at 2:47 am by jungkookblog.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I probably would have sampled this book without this program based on the genre, blurb, title, and OBC review. It seemed like an interesting book. After reading the first ten pages, I will be finishing this book. It started off a little slow with all the talk about oysters, but the descriptions of everything held my attention. When it finally got to the juicy part, I was sucked in. I'm interested to see what happens next. I also liked the character development so far. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on April 22, 2017, at 1:50 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cjgarland89
At first glance I figured this would be a read I would enjoyed. After sampling and seeing it begins with a murder it's definitely one I will be picking up soon to read. The OBC review was great and concise. I didn't see any errors and am looking forward to finishing this!!
First Ten review added on April 22, 2017, at 1:00 am by Cjgarland89.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Momlovesbooks
The cover of this book caught my eye. After reading the description, I felt sure it would be something I'd enjoy. I read the sample and was quickly drawn into the story. It appears to be descriptive and well written. I love a good mystery, so I'll be reading this one.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2017, at 4:02 pm by Momlovesbooks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read romance books. Having read the sample, my opinion remains. I liked how the author introduced the characters and described their thoughts. However, I found a few descriptions very detailed. I did not come across any major grammatical errors. The book has a positive onlinebookclub review. While the book seems well written, I do not think I will read the rest of the book because I do not usually read the genre.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2017, at 12:22 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
There were some errors. Sentences that looked as though the form had been changed, but only halfway.
The premise engaged me, and I find myself curious about this, despite it not being something I'd normally read. I would not have looked at this, but may grow more curious with time. As of right now I must answer no. My to-read list is just too full at the moment.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2017, at 5:02 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amagine
Claire seems like an interesting character. The author succeeds in making her someone readers can relate to and sympathize with. I didn't notice any grammatical errors. Also, the cover and title of the book is intriguing and will catch the attention of readers.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 11:16 pm by Amagine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Pilar Guerrero
This is a well written book, I liked the descriptions of the places, the action, even the culture at that time. This book reminded me of those good books I had to read at university, that could not go fast, because every paragraph offered something to be enjoyed. I appreciate the depth of the story, the emotions conveyed and also the ones that will come up later. I got the book and will find time to read it.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 9:46 pm by Pilar Guerrero.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book. Although I do love realistic thrillers, I felt like the blurb did not really appeal to me and sound unique. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I felt a bit detached from the characters and I thought there were already a lot to keep track of. It was professionally edited. The official review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 7:17 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The cover and title of this book are nice. The Online Book club review painted the book in a good light, and I liked that the blurb was concise. After reading the first few pages, I can say that this book is well-written and professionally edited. Unfortunately, mysteries tend to be competitive and I did not find anything in the plot of this novel that piqued my interest.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 6:33 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
I really liked the cover of this one, so I was drawn in rather quickly. The first chapter was great, I loved the descriptiveness, learned a bit about oysters and was really sucked in. I can't say the same for the second chapter (thus far) though... it didn't capture my attention. As such, I don't see finishing it.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 6:19 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I would check this book out because I am a huge fan of the genre. I love mystery and suspense. However, this book does seem to be similar to other mystery and suspense books I have read in the past. For that reason, I don't think I will be continuing to read this book because I prefer a more original storyline.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 6:03 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jamesabr
The first chapter in the sample was pretty interesting, but the shift in focus from Daniel Doucet to Claire Marshall was the most interesting. If I were not a part of the First Ten program, I would have sampled this book due to the positive Online Book Club review. For me, the best part was learning about Claire's deceased husband, Thomas, at the cemetery. This set the scene and my expectations for her character well. I will definitely purchase and read the rest of the book. There was one typo: between "the smell" and "the taste of his kisses", there should be a comma.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 4:50 pm by jamesabr.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MarisaRose
'A Perfect Victim' seems like a book right up my alley. I love all kinds of mysteries. This one seemed especially appealing because of the New Orleans setting. New Orleans is known for its rich culture, some of which I was hoping would by conveyed in the narrative of this book. After reading the first ten pages my initial impression was that I had to know more. The book starts off the first chapter with a burning cabin and a suspicious character. I was immediately hooked and ended up reading far more than the ten pages required for this program. The essence of the bayou was apparent from the first page (as I'd hope). The author does a wonderful job bringing the setting to life. I'm excited to finish this book! My only hope is that the ending isn't as predictable as the OBC reviewer had found it.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 3:50 pm by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kdonegan91
The cover and title immediately sparked my curiosity. After reading the sample, I am pleased to say that it completely captivated me. I enjoy the author's style of writing and the realism of Claire's character. The OBC review has made me even more anxious to read on. I will finish reading this book in the near future.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 3:18 pm by Kdonegan91.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Azeline Arcenal
I usually don't read mystery books, but after reading the first ten pages of this book I will read the rest of this book. I also read the review of this book on the OBC website which helped me to decide if I wanted to read the whole book or not. I did not see any major grammatical errors either. From the start of the novel there was a lot of suspense and tension which was a major factor in my decision to read the whole book.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 3:05 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vermont Reviews
A Perfect Victim by Patricia Dusenbury today's book of the day preview made me want to ask Claire for one of her anxiety pills. It left me with a dry throat and needing a drink. I love a good thriller and this one fits the bill. Thanks for a great story. I am adding this one to my reading list for this month.
Vermont Reviews
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 3:00 pm by Vermont Reviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
The cover, blurb, and official OBC review of this book looked interesting, but I'm not sure that it would be enough for me to have picked up the book were it not for this program. This is simply due to the fact that crime / mystery stories are not my usual go to genre. After reading the first ten pages, I could tell that this book was well written and edited, but it wasn't enough to change my mind. I particularly liked the descriptions of the New Orleans coasts and the vividness that the writing portrayed the location. I will not be reading the rest of the book, solely due to the large number of books I have on my current TBR list which fit a genre better to what I usually read. The official OBC review did not affect my decision in any way.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 1:46 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Christina O Phillips
The summary and title were interesting to me. I read the first ten pages and like that it started with Daniel and told us just enough to make us have questions. I like where we meet Claire. It was well-written and engaging. These first few pages made me want to read more.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 12:14 pm by Christina O Phillips.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ananya92
This book is in the crime thriller genre, circling around a young widow Claire and how she is trapped in a murder she did not commit. From the first page, it is clear that this is another regular crime thriller/murder mystery. The description and the review of the book were pretty encouraging. The author's writing style is vivid, smooth and engaging. Although this seems like any other good book in the crime thriller genre, since I'm a fan of this genre, I'll finish this one. Though the book is engrossing, there were a few grammatical errors which could have been avoided with better editing.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 12:06 pm by ananya92.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shelle
I wasn't sure about this book and am glad I got to sample it. I liked the descriptions of oyster harvesting and the bayou in the first chapter. My attention was grabbed and I got even more interested by the explosion. I think this will be a good book and I'm looking forward to reading the whole thing. This book appeared to be professionally edited and error-free.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 12:01 pm by Shelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
James Craft
The cover and title of this one really caught my attention right out of the gate and I have to say that it sounds incredibly well put together. It got a perfect review from OBC and has some good coverage on its sales page. The first ten pages don't have any noticable errors or problems, but it didn't manage to hook my attention enough to make me want to buy a copy today. I have too many other projects to read right now so I don't think I'll buy a copy to replace something else on my To Be Read list.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 11:48 am by James Craft.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
bookowlie
I read another book by this author and liked it very much. Since this one is free for the day, I grabbed it! The summary blurb is well written and gave me a clear sense of the plot. I enjoyed reading the sample, which appears to be professionally edited. The writing has a nice flow and the main character is introduced well with an interesting backstory.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 11:00 am by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gali
I probably I would have sampled the book on my own, as I love the genre. The cover isn't very fetching, but the blurb is intriguing. The official review further had me hooked. The sample started really well, with a murder no less, and immediately pulled me in. I enjoyed the sample and found it well written. I got the book and plan to read it in due time.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2017, at 10:31 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 60%
A Perfect Victim earned a score of 60%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 60% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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