Dec62017

In Which Gail Dives Head First Into Also-Boughts

Hello my darling Gentle Reader.

This is blog post is going to be one of those long rambling ones where I am ruthlessly using you to try to understand the strange world of ebooks and publishing.

So, yeah, you can skip it if you’re not into that kinda thing.

Also-Boughts!

Oh you know them, they live on Amazon and other book vendors, below the description, lurking like tempting little sweets…

You might also like…

or

or

Readers who likes this book also liked…

Most authors, including me, find these utterly fascinating. It’s basically:

Who am I author-friends with without ever actually meeting them?

A strange kind of author gossip.

We know something (although certainly not everything) about Also-Bought algorithms:

  • They are often tailored not just to the book but to you, the reader, and your previous buying history.

But not everything:

  • They’ve changed a lot over they years, Soulless, for example, had the movie Serenity as an Also-Bought, now that kind of cross pollination between media seems verboten.
  • You can read more about also boughts from an author perspective, here.

I had a new release recently, and with that a shift in my Also-Boughts. At the same time, Amazon (accidentally?) killed sponsored ads site-wide for desktop (who knows if this is a blip or not).

This meant those Als0-Boughts were pretty much the only other thing offered up to readers and for this short spate of time, and they couldn’t be easily hacked into.

So I thought I’d investigate…

Why these books?

Wanna play?

Here are some of my Also-Boughts, in order, and not my own books.

OK, so first we have Louis McMaster Bujold. I love her and she’s quite popular and this is a lower price point than her normal offerings on a recent release, but this looks to be a continuing series het fantasy.

I’m guessing fan crossover is likely responsible?

Jordan L. Hawk. No surprise here. Hawk’s Hexworld is an alternate Victorian universe with shapeshifters featuring gay romances, lots of crossover with Romancing the Werewolf. I purchased it recently myself. I read everything she writes in this universe.

Grace Draven is a killer romantic fantasy author, and this is a holiday novella offering, so it shares that with RTW. I picked her excellent Radiance for Coop de Book a while ago so I’m not surprised to see her here. She’s been making waves for a while now. (Amused to see that title though, what with Georgette Heyer and all.)

A Thousand Miles Up the Nile got a shout in the same Chirrup that announced the RTW release. I’m assuming that’s why it’s here.

Okay, here is where things start to get interesting. With the exception of Trickster’s Queen (which is on massive sale, is by my favorite author, and is spy related so I gave it a huge shout out and I think everyone should buy/read it) the other three are total unknowns to me.

Third page in and already I’m confused, so now I investigate!

Bec McMaster – a name I know because she also writes steampunk (and there really aren’t that many of us). From the cover I am assuming Fantasy Romance. However, from the others in the series this might be steampunk, or at least gaslight fantasy. The price point is right to be rec’d along side RTW and it’s also a recent release. That said hers isn’t a name I hear often from my readers.

Devon Monk – is a urban fantasy author out of Portland with a huge Oregon following. Pacific Northwest is also my biggest US territory. I blame Powell’s. This is a holiday themed short for only $1,99 set in a popular fantasy world, so I’m guessing that explains the connection.

Amy Hoff – Is a totally new name to me, the book is described as a supernatural crime novel “When Scottish folklore meets everyday Glasgow.” This book is in KU and so far is the only KU to show up in the Also-Boughts. I’m wondering that’s why it was nested there? As a kind of lure?

Jeannie Lin is a new author to me but I sure am intrigued. Steampunk China, dark, but fascinating twist on alt-history. Reviews look good. Have any of you read this series?

“In 1842, the gunpowder might of China’s Qing Dynasty fell to Britain’s steam engines. Furious, the Emperor ordered the death of his engineers, eliminating China’s best chance of fighting back.”

Patricia Briggs is no surprise at all. I nest next to her in bookstores (last names, you see?) and we share quite a few readers. What’s interesting is that it’s the first obviously traditionally published book to show up as an Also-Bought. This is also a pre-order, it’s not out until next March.

Anne Renwick, another new author name to me. (I do try to keep a close eye on my fellow authors, I swear I do!) This is a prequel short set in a KU only steampunk world. Pretty cover.

Josh Lanyon, a surprise to me. This is looks like a straight up noir mystery short, with a dude gumshoe. Not normally a story to be connected with my stuff. But looking at HIS also-boughts and categories it seems like this might be a queer character? And it looks like he writes pretty snarky. I didn’t get any of that from the description or the cover.

KJ Charles is one of the leading authors for MM historical, mainly regency set. So no surprise at all to see her listed here in pre-order form, also this does not look to be a gay romance. Surprised there wasn’t more, to be honest. I really enjoyed her Society of Gentlemen series.

Ministry book, since Tee & Pip are dear friends of mine and we came into steampunk pretty much together I’m not at all surprised to see their next listed here for pre-order. I know we have a ton of crossover fans, to the point where people want cross over stories (sorry, IP issues make that impossible). I believe this is the last one in their Books & Braun series, comes out boxing day.

Nalini Singh & Courtney Milan are two of the biggest stars in the het romance firmament at the moment, the one in PNR and the other in Historical. Courtney and I share an agent, and this is Hamilton related (props on that bandwagon jump). It also looks like her story in the collection might be… could it be … gay? Hummmmm. And one of my Alpha readers is a big Singh fan, although this one is contemporary het rom, so I don’t know how many of my readers would read this book.

Kate Danley (never heard of her). Looks like chick-kicking-arse UF, so basically on brand for my trad books.

Lyn Gala, fantastic gay SF author who I have rec’d a million times, this is her Aberrant Magic series, which is gay UF. I comfort reread her sci fi regularly, don’t know why I never tried this series. Runs off to sample the first book.

Robin LaFevers’ Grave Mercy was a Coop de Book pick, and it was on super sale recently and I gave it a shout out. Light fantasy with strong historical element and assassins so… yeah. Perhaps not like Romancing the Werewolf, but definitely one for my reader base.

Angel Martinez, I have tried the first book in Offbeat Crimes like three times now. It should be totally my thing: gay, cops, urban fantasy, humor. It’s like a laundry list of Gail’s loves. But for some reason that first book…and you need to read them in order. Grrr.

J Kathleen Cheney.  No clue on this one. Not sure from the description what this series even is. Fantasy maybe?

Okay, there’s a bunch more but I’m gonna leave it there. Not sure where I’m going with this, just find it interesting.

Pippity pip,

Miss Gail

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11 Responses

  1. Stephanie Burgis said:

    Bec McMaster writes steampunk romance with werewolves and vampires – definite crossover! (And fwiw, I’m one of your readers who buys her books too. 🙂 I really like her work, especially her London Steampunk series!)

    Also fwiw, I buy both your books and everything Nalini Singh writes in any genre!

  2. anne said:

    Hello. You mention Bec Mcmaster in your blog. Like you she writes fantasy and steampunk romance, but depending on the series (or even the titles) the fantasy/steampunk/romance aspects are more or less proeminent. However, she does not make use of humor or same-sex romance.
    As for as Lilliput, she looks too cute.
    Regards

  3. Becky said:

    Kate Danley is GREAT!!! Het fantasy, with a kick-@ss heroine with a filthy mouth. Not steampunky at all, but very fun reads. Speaking of fun reads, I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Lightning-Struck Heart!! Currently on book three, thanks for introducing me to Sam. And Gary (I want a hornless gay unicorn best friend!). And Tiggy. And Knight Delicious Face… and everyone else! 🙂

  4. Her Grace, Heidi Kneale said:

    I’ve read Jeannie Lin. I like her stuff. Butterfly Swords was the first book of hers I ever read. I’ve always liked stories set in the Chinese culture ever since I read Pearl S Buck.

  5. Teel said:

    Enjoyed this explanation, but I find I am not up to speed with all of your abbreviations. Have I guessed right?

    RTW – Romancing the Werewolf!
    KU – Kindle Unlimited?
    MM – man on man sexuality ?
    UF – urban fantasy
    Het – heterosexual
    PNR – paranormal romance ?

    Lilliputian has the bestest whiskers!

  6. Crista Crown said:

    Also Boughts are rather addicting, aren’t they?! (Just a note, Josh Landon is a she.)

    As a reader, I definitely use also boughts to discover new authors—this list would definitely be a bunch I need to try, if the ones I haven’t. (And is a reminder to me that I need to catch up on my McMaster Bujold.) As an author, I definitely appreciate the boost it tends to give my sales. I don’t generally do preorders, and you can generally see the sales bump when the also boughts kick in.

  7. Miriam said:

    Amy Hoff was recently recommended on Goodreads via for people who like your books. It was Bonfire Night I think – has a bi selkie in it. So maybe cross readers with RTW?

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