Comments on: Why I Read the Harry Potter Ending First

By: Chris Blackman

Chris Blackman — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:42:21 +0000

J. K. Rowling’s bank account: Uh-huh.
My bank account: Uh-huh.
I think she knows about marketing her books!

By: Chris Blackman

Chris Blackman — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:41:55 +0000

J. K. Rowling’s bank account: uh-huh.
My bank account: Uh-huh.
I think she knows about marketing her books!

By: Neil Anuskiewicz

Neil Anuskiewicz — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:31:59 +0000

The people I know who love Harry Potter, which range from a friend’s children to my aunt and uncle in their 60’s — absolutely love the Harry Potter books and would not miss reading every single one for anything.
It seems almost like a cult. Well, in a good way.
Neil

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:03:32 +0000

Drew — I can’t say I read the endings of a matter of course, but interesting approach!
Paul — I remember that, too, now that you mention it (old man).

By: Paul Williams

Paul Williams — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:19:21 +0000

Doing that is so Harry from “When Harry Met Sally.”
Harry would start with endings of books – because of his dark side. In case something happened to him before he finished the book, he wanted to know how it ended.
This comment makes me so 1989.

By: Drew McLellan

Drew McLellan — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:59:36 +0000

Ann,
I read the ending first too. By 12:30 am on Saturday morning, I knew.
Then, I could savor the book. Of course…I do this with every fiction book I read. What I love about this reading technique is the fun of observing the author’s deft hand at peppering the book with clues that lead to the conclusion.
And in this case…it was heightened by 2 years of waiting. It was worth the wait.
Drew

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:53:35 +0000

Thanks for the comments, all. And David — that’s exactly the sort of conversation I was terrified of overhearing…. what if the other woman added a key piece of information along with “You’re gonna love it.” … I couldn’t take the stress of worrying that any given conversation might suddenly turn for the worst….

By: David Reich

David Reich — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:06:36 +0000

I can understand why you read the ending first, Ann, although I’ve always been able to resist the temptation.
I just overheard two women talking, as one was sitting in a waiting area reading Harry Potter. It looked like she was near the beginning and the other woman said “You’re gonna love it.”
The reader said I already know the ending. I read the last four chapters so the suspense is gone and I can then relax and enjoy reading it from the start.
So, looks like you’re not alone. (Hope you enjoyed it, by the way.)

By: Christelle

Christelle — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:59:49 +0000

Quite relevant article … If I’d got children, I would read the end before … Suspens and secrets keep on being relevant strategies of buzz.
I’d just like to ad that Harry Potter is a fabulous exemple of CRM becaus the heroe has grown up with each children (customer) …

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:47:47 +0000

I definitely lack impulse control when it comes to a good book. I can’t stand not knowing what happens.
As for the true Harry Potter fans, I don’t think knowing the end before reading the beginning will stop them from purchasing the book, watching the movie or standing in line at a book release party wearing their spectacles. Like Jennifer said, however, it is a shame to ruin it for those who would rather not know what happens until they get to the end of their own fantastic journey through the book.
Heather
audio book downloads

By: Jennifer R.

Jennifer R. — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:15:30 +0000

Good points, but with regards to Mack’s I think there’s a difference with leaking an intact song from a compilation on a CD and possibly releasing details/spoilers on a book that numerous existing fans of the book prefer to remain in the dark about until they have uncovered the plot slowly on their own at the pace of their own reading. Of course, as far as Harry Potter goes, I’m one of the ones who didn’t even so much as read the chapter titles when I opened the cover, just dove right into chapter one and read til I finished the book.
I guess this is a case where marketers/media need to be sure they know their audience, and due to the numerous requests to remain spoiler free on the various HP fansites, such a “leaking” wasn’t necessarily a good thing to this audience.

By: Mack Collier

Mack Collier — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:47:22 +0000

Hype and buzz drive sales. This is why Rowling’s whining about the NYTimes and Baltimore Sun reviewing the book early shows that she doesn’t understand that these moves will BOOST sales of her book. The early reviews create a NEW angle to the Potter hype, and all new buzz.
Same thing happened when artists and labels whined that Napster was killing the industry, but when an album was leaked to Napster early, all it did was expose more people to the music, which created more buzz and WOM, which lead to more sales. Radiohead had never had an album hit the Top 20 in sales in the US prior to Kid A being leaked onto Napster 6 months prior to going on sale in the fall of 2000. Being leaked onto Napster exposed the band to a completely different audience, who loved the music. As a result the band, who had never cracked the Top 20 in album sales, debuted at #1 in the US when Kid A went on sale. Coincidence?

By: Nic Darling

Nic Darling — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:23:19 +0000

The Gone With the Wind paragraph says it all for me. A good book is worth reading even if you know each step of the plot. Does the obsession with secrecy surrounding Harry Potter reflect a mediocrity of the text, or does it underestimate the reader? It seems to suggest that either the book isn’t good or that the readers are incapable of appreciating it.

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:43:55 +0000

Oops.

By: BJ

BJ — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:36:13 +0000

“in the final volume of the Potter saga.”
Nice, firm ending of a sentence. Almost like you’re pretty sure there can be no more sequels:)
You spoiler:)