Is Buying Fiction Books A Waste Of Money?

We buy things that we feel provide value to our lives and it’s important that I say this before I get into this article.

The importance attached to books is different person to person. One of my close apprentices asked me recently whether or not buying fiction books is a waste of money and I decided to turn it into a full blown article because I felt there was a lot that I needed to cover. Also, I wanted to provide value to my readers so I decided it necessary to turn this into a blog post.

With that out of the way, let’s get into this article.

Is buying fiction books a waste of money?

Buying fiction books is not a waste of money if they provide value and you actually read them. Money spent on fiction book is an investment in intellectual entertainment. Think about this, you pay for cable to enjoy various Television Services. Is it a waste of money? Not if it gives you the value (usually entertainment) that you pay for.

This example is to show that we spend so much money on things that give us temporary pleasures such as movie tickets etc. and we derive value from them by enjoying the entertainment they provide. Same goes for any kind of book, it’s only a waste of money if you don’t actually read it or don’t get any sort of value from it.

Understanding the Value from Books

It’s important to understand what value means when it comes to buying books. This part of the post will therefore discuss what value really means and how you can assess it on your own when deciding to buy a book whether fiction or non-fiction.

Book choice

The value of any book is subjective. For some people non-fiction books hold more value than fiction books because of the pleasure that they derive from them. The way we differ in the choice of books we choose to read is one of the reasons why it’s not accurate to say that buying fiction is a waste of time.

If you’re considering buying a book whether fiction or non-fiction, worry about what the book means to you and the value it may bring. Stop thinking about whether or not you’re wasting money.

Remember that buying books is an investment in you.

Value promised & Value delivered

Another way to assess the value of any book is to understand the result the author promises to give you via the book and whether or not they actually deliver upon this promise. For example, if a book promises to teach you organic ways to get fit, whether or not it delivers on that promise will be the determining factor as to whether it fulfilled its purpose [for you] making it a worthy purchase or it did not therefore making it a waste.

Buyer Intent

The reason why you buy a fiction book is another way to assess whether value. People buy books for different reasons, if that purchase can satisfy whatever need; it is a worthwhile purchase. Using this pattern of thinking we can therefore assume that we all buy books to read them right? So it’s fair to say that if we don’t read the books we buy then it’s possible we wasted money buying them because we didn’t take any step toward actually utilizing them or allowing them to fulfill the need they were meant to.

Buying vs. borrowing books

One of the more common questions I get from newbie readers is whether or not one should just borrow books rather than buying them. In my opinion, it’s better to buy and own books rather than borrow them. It’s better to only borrow rare books that cannot be easily found in both physical and online bookstores.

Buying books commits you to reading them because you’ve spent money to get them.

How to buy books

If you’re considering buying a book and are not sure as to which one you should buy and don’t really want to waste money below are some tips that you can use to make your purchase decisions and purchases a lot easier.

Talk to avid readers

It’s good to get the opinion of well-seasoned readers about books.

When looking to buy a book whether fiction or non-fiction you should consider getting some recommendations from people that read that a lot. Just be specific as to what you’re looking for.

Talking to avid readers can serve you the trouble of buying the wrong book. So make sure you get in touch with some readers both offline and online.

Discover what you actually want

One of the reasons why people think buying fiction books is a waste of money is because they don’t appreciate it as much as avid fiction readers do, they therefore cannot fully perceive the value.

Before you even consider buying a book you must first discover the kind of book you want. It’s easier that way. Buying books randomly with no plan can be sometimes rewarding and sometimes non-rewarding. Therefore, rather than roll the dice, its best to figure out what you actually want.

Research books online

Online reading forums are great resources because they provide a community for people interested in reading. You should utilize these forums and engage with people and use them as resources for information.

You can also gather information by reading the reviews of different books to get a good sense of what the typical reader got from reading the book.

Podcasts and video reviews can be quite important and great resources for information so don’t overlook them.

Get the digital copy and skim read

If you have access to kindle or any other resource that can allow you to buy and read the digital version of the book then you should get the digital copy and read through it to see if the book you chose is actually worth physically buying or not.

You can also check out online summaries about the book to get a deep look into whatever book you’re looking to buy.

Talk to book store owners

Book store owners are another helpful resource that can help you make better purchase decisions. Book store owners usually have vast experience with books and can usually point you toward the right book.