Clash of the Titles: Exciting News, Poll Results, plus...Fish in a Barrel?

When it comes to books, how easy are you to reel in? Do you swim against the current, requiring a strong line to tug you along? Or do you flow right in to a story's net? I admit I can be a stubborn swimmer. I've become a more critical connoisseur of fiction. Occasionally I'll abandon ship, but I'll usually still swallow a tepid plot even while making a face. It just takes more to make my knees go weak from the complex flavors of a novel. Writing chops get me baited. Strong plotline pulls me in. It's a magical moment when everything comes together perfectly and I'm happy to leap into the boat without resistance.
A couple weeks ago COTT put up a survey asking how long you give a book to reel you in. We received 54 responses! So today we're going to share those results and many of the comments that came in:

11.1% of responders said one page

35.2% said one chapter
46.3% said until they lose interest
7.4% said they finish every book they start, regardless of interest. (God bless 'em)

What do you think? Here are some of the comments we received:

• I know some stress the first paragraph and even the first line, but I don't want my reading to become fast food. Don't bore me with bad writing, but give me something to savor, something to enjoy for a while. Hopefully, my own writing will do the same.


• I always try to give the author a chance, as some great books have slow beginnings.


• I am the eternal optimist! I keep thinking, "I know its gonna get better. I just know it." So I trudge along, supporting the author the best I can until finally...I can't go any further. I have noticed that I have a much more critical eye than I used to, though. So maybe my patience isn't quite as long as it used to be. I just hate to give up on ANYBODY!


• I love it when I'm hooked in the first few pages. Definitely must be in first chapter. I no longer feel obligated to finish a book I can't get into. Twice this year I've chosen not to finish books that failed to hook me.

Thank you to those who participated in the survey--we love giving readers a voice! Throughout the week we will be interviewing our competing authors and collecting your names for our book giveaway so be sure and join us.
And now an exciting announcement:

We all knew it was coming...We at Clash of the Titles have had such fun getting to know new authors we decided to dive deeper into their novels. Join us in June when we launch a Clash of the Titles Book Club! Our first selection will be COTT Conqueror Karen Witemeyer's A Tailor-Made Bride, available for free Kindle download in the month of May. Which means...no reason why absolutely everyone can't join, right? (To download the free Kindle for PC, click here)

Keep up to date on Book Club News right here

Make it a great week, everybody!

bio: Michelle Massaro is a homeschooling mom and aspiring novelist, as well as Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles . Connect with her on twitter @MLMassaro, facebook, and her blog Adventures in Writing