by Barb Drozdowich
Do you dream about creating a group of Superfans who will buy every book you write?
Yes? Well, then, do you make it easy for readers to become your Superfans?
I’m Barb Drozdowich, the admin of this site, and a technical trainer by trade. “How to make it easier to turn your readers into Superfans” is a topic I address frequently in my books as well as my workshops. I’ve written 27 highly-rated books and have created 6 online courses that delve into the technical aspects of being an author. Many of my books have won awards.
I want you to keep the idea of “Superfans” in your mind as we talk about today’s topic. To create these Superfans, we need to make sure that we don’t do anything to frustrate our readers. In fact, our job is to make purchasing/following/subscribing as easy as possible.
In order to do that, there are three simple steps:
- Create content in a reader-friendly format
- Use simple psychology to help guide readers
- Harness what we know about e-reader technology to make it easier for readers to find us — and buy more of our books
The Science of Writing for Readers
I’m a science grad who became a science prof – so when someone from the publishing industry (in 1995) suggested that textbooks would be converted to electronic format, I jumped for joy!! After decades of lugging around massive science reference texts, the idea of tucking a computer disk into my bag was pretty exciting!
Because the first Kindle wasn’t released until 2007, the idea of reading electronic textbooks was still over a decade away at that point. At the time, though, fresh out of university and thinking I knew everything, I was excited, but my fellow profs – who turned out to be smarter than I was – expressed concern about the differences in reading style. Honestly, back then, know-it-all me thought they were over-reacting.
Over the years since, I’ve done quite a bit of research into the differences between how people read via a paper source, like a paperback book, versus how people read via an electronic source, like a Kindle or e-reader. I’ve created a 20-minute video that explains some of the various theories. I would encourage you to take a few moments and watch here.
To sum up, people don’t actually read material presented electronically. Instead, they scan.
People “read” in a non-linear, non-continuous fashion. They will allow their eyes to take breaks between paragraphs. They will make use of headlines, graphics, bold text, italic text or lists to guide the movement of their eyes.
Another key finding from the existing research is that the more a person reads on electronic sources, the more they exhibit this scanning type of “reading.” This finding implies that scanning behaviour, or non-linear reading, is more pronounced amongst younger readers than older readers.
Why does the way people read matter? I would say it affects various ways you communicate with your readers.
What part of your writing life does this science affect?
The following list of places where “The Science of Writing for Readers” applies offers some suggestions:
- Blog posts
- Website content
- Amazon book descriptions
- Layout of promo newsletters and promo websites
- Social media tactics
Looking at the list above, how does “The Science of Writing for Readers” change how you would create content for these locations? Longtime readers of this blog will realize that our content is always formatted in ways that make “scanning” easy and pleasurable.
Psychology – Loaves of Bread And Jars of Jam
Think back to the last time you were at the grocery store to buy a loaf of bread. Did you study the choices available or did you grab your usual brand and walk away? If you were thinking about trying something new and your local grocery store is like mine, you were likely confronted by many different choices.
Did you choose white, brown or multigrain bread? Did you choose a wheat bread or an alternative-grain bread? Organic ingredients or non-organic, seeds & nuts or not. Did you just stand there staring at the shelves, swamped by the number of choices? Did you give up and buy your usual kind of bread? Or, overwhelmed by choice, did you just skip the purchase altogether and stop at your favourite coffee shop for a bagel or blueberry muffin?
Numerous psychology studies have been done around the concept of choice – or having too many choices. My favorite concerns the display and sale of jars of jam. Perhaps because I’m fond of jam!
The “Jars of Jam” study involved creating two different types of displays of jam in grocery stores. One display had many different flavors of jam, number of jars, size and shape of jars and varying prices. The second display typically had 2 flavors of jam and one size of jars, all at the same price. This experiment was carried out in different types of stores and in different locations within the store.
The second display (the simpler display) always sold many more jars of jam than the first.
Some feel this result is counter-intuitive. Wouldn’t people appreciate having more choices? Or are they, in fact, overwhelmed by too many choices with the result that they don’t make any purchase? The research indicates that they are, and that the sale is lost.
What’s the connection between the bread, jam jars, and turning readers into Superfans?
Look at the menu-line of your website. Do you provide numerous alternatives for a reader to choose from? Or do you use the menu structure to nudge people in the direction you want them to go?
For authors, the “Jars of Jam” theory applies in two critical places:
- Website design – especially with respect to the menu-line and buy links
- Promotional platforms and & newsletters – think BookBub
Which one below would you think is better for readers to find information?
Example #1
Example #2
If you answered example 2 you would be correct!
Why does BookBub sell so many books?
BookBub is one of the most successful promotional newsletters. Do you think the psychology behind the “Jars of Jam” correlates with the limited number of suggested books in each newsletter?
How to create more effective sales links in the back matter of books.
Depending on what study you read, somewhere around 80% of worldwide book sales are electronic. There are variations from country to country, and genre to genre but let’s generalize and assume the majority of your book sales will be digital, not paper.
What this means is that a large number of readers will read your book on a Kindle or a Kobo or some other type of e-reader. In my experience, many authors are purists. They would prefer to read paperback books and are not as familiar with the e-reader technology.
How much do you know about the capabilities of e-readers?
As someone who has carpal tunnel, I love my Kindle e-reader! By the end of the day, my hands don’t have the strength to hold a paperback book open; however, I love to read.
When I get to the end of a book I can peruse the hyperlinks an author has left for me. Do I want to join their mailing list? Do I want to buy the next book in the series? Do I want to follow them on Facebook? So many choices…
Too many choices? And as we’ll find out, maybe the wrong format!
Several years ago, my family was camping in the mountains. I had my trusty Kindle and was happily reading in my camp chair. I got to the end of the book and found the page that said:
Please join my mailing list here, join my street team on Facebook here, and be sure to check out the rest of my books here.
Since up in the mountains I didn’t have any WiFi to link my Kindle, I couldn’t click on any of the links. I picked up my phone and tried to use Google to search for what the author might be referring to with her “here” embedded links. I couldn’t find a mailing list link on her website, I couldn’t find the street team on Facebook and I couldn’t remember my Amazon password so that I could shop on my phone.
Feeling somewhat frustrated that I couldn’t decode all the “here” links, I moved on to the next book on my Kindle — even though I had enjoyed the first book and wanted to read more by the same author.
With the immediacy of today’s society, we expect to be able to search and find – or in hyperlinked text, click-and-buy or click-and-find.
When I got back to civilization, I did a bit of research and found that without WiFi millions of simple Kindle and other e-reader devices have no way of connecting to the internet. And yes, you read that number correctly. There are an estimated 70 million Kindle readers out in the world, not to mention other brand-name e-readers. The vast majority of e-readers cannot access a cell signal, so without WiFi, they are just glow-in-the-dark digital books.
My example was from when I was camping in the mountains, but our readers read our books at the beach, in parks, in cars, in trains and so on. Many of these examples have no available WiFi.
Were you aware that readers can’t click or tap on links in an e-book without WiFi? What does the back matter look like in your e-books? Do you have a series of hyperlinks for your readers to click on?
Instead of offering our readers a series of embedded links to click on at the end of our stories we should use our words to direct readers to where they need to go – just like we do at the end of our paperback books. You can find great examples of this in paperback books published in the ’90s – before the birth of the Kindle. Scour your bookshelves for some older books and flip to the back!
Just like the jars-of-jam study, don’t provide too many choices and overwhelm readers, but find a logical place to send them to do what you want them to do. Send them to a retailer to buy some books; send them to your website to join your mailing list; send them to your front-line social media site. Brainstorm where you want them to go to begin their road to becoming your Superfans.
Most readers are pretty good at buying books. They just need you to make it as easy as possible for them – they will love you for it!
I hope I have given you a few things to think about and I hope you will take a few moments over the next weeks or months and give some thought how you will foster your group of “Superfans.” How will you make it easier to buy your books, find your website and join your mailing list, follow you on social media? Your career depends on it!
Did you get some ideas about building a Superfan base? I look forward to your thoughts in the comments below.
WordPress Consultant & Author trainer Barb Drozdowich has taught at University, trained technical personnel in the banking industry and, most recently, used her expertise to help dozens of authors develop the skills needed to succeed in today’s fast-evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books. She maintains a database of 4000+ book bloggers called The Book Blogger List and all her books can be seen via her author website.
In her latest book, Website Tips & Tricks, she focuses her attention on the needs of an author website. She uses common English and basic language to teach authors what is important to know about their website and how to make it better. Website Tips & Tricks can be purchased from Amazon
Scriveners have you optimised your back matter links? Have you made changes in the way you write and format your books and other content? Does your site make it easy for readers to join your email list and buy your books?
Thanks, Barb. Excellent observations.
I prefer fiction on my Kindle but textbooks in paperback or hardcover. Sometimes I purchase both versions of nonfiction books, because digital publications are easier to search.
How’s Anne?
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the comments! I tend to purchase the electronic version as well as the audio version of non-fiction. I listen to the book while I walk the dog (she’s not much of a conversationalist so I need to occupy my mind while we walk) and use the search function on the electronic version. So many choices and I find it interesting what people do!
Anne is making positive strides each day and I believe is expected to move home this week some time. I don’t imagine much will keep her down for long 🙂 Thanks for asking about her!
Barb
Barb, this is exactly the side of my writing life that I’m not tackling, and so really invaluable. What you say about wifi is a disgrace (I used to study telecom for a living) and I’m really disappointed it’s not more widespread by now but there are many reasons why and they’re not likely to change soon. It will happen but slowly.
I ran to check my website headers and I think I’m closer to #2, so relieved! Thanks again for this thoughtful direction.
Hi Will,
You are welcome. Regarding WiFi, I live in British Columbia – we have a lot of mountains. I actually don’t have cell service in one half of my house – likely because of the geography. Since my original epiphany of no WiFi, I’ve run into a similar situation on a ferry, a plane, a coffee shop – I now tend to test out my Kindle where every I am to see what will happen. What works really well at home with my home internet connection, rarely works well outside of the house.
Congrats on #2 fo your website – moving in the right direction 🙂
Barb
Good point about the hyperlinks. Without it spelled out, they won’t know where HERE is.
Thanks for sharing this Alex. We all need ideas and these are good ones.
Agreed!
Hi Alex, I’ve actually had discussions with book formatters that insist ebooks need the embedded links as they look neater. They may know how to format in general, but clearly don’t understand the limits of the technology.
Barb—Thanks for excellent, helpful advice. For me, the fact that so many read on their e-readers without WiFi came as a real eye opener. Could you add an example of best practices à la paperback books published in the ’90s for those (like me) who can’t put their hands on a vintage ’90 paperback?
There’s so much to learn and you’re an excellent teacher!
I hear you! Before we had so many different ways of “reading” a book, the back matter in a book would direct readers back to the bookstore where they purchased the book. Typically readers would be given little snippets of several books that were currently in print to seek out as well as information on the author’s upcoming new release. They were told generally where the books would be available and encouraged to purchase. I think we often forget that readers are really good at buying books – we just need to not get in their way 🙂 If a book is available at bookstores, Amazon, B&N, and iBooks, state that. If it is available at a local library, state that. But don’t say the book is available everywhere if it is only available at Amazon. Be clear but not overwhelming 🙂
Barb,
Fascinating blog. You bring that requisite scientific and marketing insight into the process of selling books. I’m more a right brain person so it was a little uncomfortable (but necessary) to take this all in. I intend on sharing your article with my web and social media consultants. I think we can all learn something from what you’re saying.
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to another article. Our best to Anne!
Ken Strange
Thanks for your kind word Kenneth! I often am the odd duck in the writing word. Although I appreciate a beautifully written story – that skill isn’t in my wheelhouse to mimic. What I can do is help on the other side of the equation – the information that is often overlooked in my experience. Hope you find all sorts of cool ideas stemming from the information in this post!
Barb
Hello, Barb! Thank you for this great post! I now read almost exclusively on my Kindle, though my wife and I occasionally read something on paper. I hadn’t thought at all about any differences between the two technologies. But I only scan (I think) when I don’t know whether or not something will be worth my time. I don’t finish novels that don’t “grab” me from the start, which is how I write my fiction. While I do have a blog, and I know a blog can be an important marketing tool, I’m always conscious that my time writing on the blog is time I’m not spending on my fiction.
Hi Jack,
Thanks for dropping by and sharing thoughts! So glad that I could provide something unique today 🙂 I’m always studying reading styles. I have younger ones in the family and although their screen time is monitored, they read on a kindle – resulting in more screen time. They most definitely scan – as I see from their reduced reading comprehension at times 🙂
I love this post. Your suggestions are easy to understand and make total sense. I just had my website redesigned and I don’t like too many choices – whether it’s about books or clothes or whatever. Too much is a turn-off to me. Thank you so much for your post.
GREAT!
Hi Patricia! So glad you liked my post today! One of my pet peeves is too many choices also 🙂 I feel for authors trying to display massive backlists, but I tend to nudge in the direction of nested pages to simplify.
Barb
Barb, what are nested pages?
Another term is menus with sub-menus and sub-sub menus. The example is “Books” as the primary menu entry with “Series 1” and “Series 2” as submenu entries. The sub-sub menu entries would be the books in each “Series.” Does that help?
A lot of chew on with this post. Thanks!
Hi Marion! I’ll take that as a compliment 🙂 Enjoy!
Great article, Barb. It never even occurred to me about needing wifi to download from an ebook’s back matter. This is timely, as I was just updating back matter for a new series release before I took a break for your post. It hit me between the horns about how many places someone can be electronically reading but having no means to connect for the upsell – campgrounds, the beach, a solitary confinement cell, and even that god-forsaken ferry lineup that is ridiculous this morning at Departure Bay.
My takeaway on writing and formatting – the KISS principle. Thanks again for the eye-opener and give my best wishes to Anne and Ruth.
Hi Garry,
I hear you about all the choices – the ferry lineup is a land of wifi purgatory as is the mid-point in each journey – not even cell service. Lord help you if you get to the end of a book in the middle of a power outage 🙂 Enough battery in the Kindle to read, but no access to the internet. 3rd world problems 🙂 Good luck with your formatting with your new information!
Barb
Thank you for explaining “nested”, Barb.
Always happy to help 🙂
Barb,
Lots of lightbulb moments in this post. I do many of these behaviors but either was not aware of them or never stopped to wonder why I do them. As soon as you explained, I slapped my forehead and thought, “Of course!”
I’ve fallen into the habit of using “here” instead of the actual link. But you pointed out that makes the reader work harder to find you. Breaking that bad habit today!
Thanks for a great analysis.
Glad to hear Anne is making progress. Best wishes for her complete recovery.
Hi Debbie!
I LOVE it when I can cause light bulbs to go on! In a previous life I would stand at the front of a lecture theatre looking for eyes to light up 🙂 Always happy to add my unique prespective!
Barb
Terrific article, Barb! It never crossed my mind that an e-reader might not be connected to WiFi, even though I read most of my fiction on a Kindle Fire. *facepalm* Sometimes we (writers) need someone like you to spell out the obvious. Thank you!
When I scored my first publishing deal, I looked into how to use simple psychology to sell more books. And to this day, I keep psychology in mind while marketing my books. The same principles apply to social media and blogging. It might take a smidgen longer to create click-worthy teasers, but the added effort will pay off.
Question: What’s your view on using pop-up ads to gain email/blog subscribers? At one time pop-ups were all the rage. Is that advice outdated nowadays?
Hi Sue, Yes, as we are talking about – 3rd world problems 🙂 I hate popups unless they are VERY well done. In my world they need to only take up a fraction of the screen and only appear once. Most don’t really know how to control the setting properly in my experience. I’m more a fan of asking people to subscribe/join a list. I teach blogging quite frequently and I encourage a “sign off” or “signature” that gives instructions. My students start out skeptical but are converted once they see the rates of additions 🙂
I’m going to rudely butt in here because I know both of you. I have a web page popper connected to MailChimp and it accounts for 75% of my new mail list signups. It’s staying.
Hi Garry, I agree they work for many but I’m not overly fond of them because they frequently aren’t set up properly. Done correctly they are very helpful!
Barb
This is a goldmine of useful information! Thank you!!
Hi Liz, You are welcome!
Such a valuable post, thanks Barb. I have felt inadequate for not knowing how to turn a link into a “here” on my blog. I will now stick to my links which aim readers at valerieparv.com, Also makes sense that I prefer my local Aldi’s 5 kinds of jam versus the 50 at larger supermarkets. Bookmarking to reread later. Thanks Ruth for sharing this treasure, and best wishes to Anne. Good to hear she’s making progress.
Hi Valerie, So glad I could share some valuable information.
Barb
Useful and practical post, Barb. A keeper. Thanks!
Thanks Susan!
Packed with good stuff! I still prefer physical books but dip into my Kindle and phone as other reading options.
Hi Tracikenworth! Thanks for dropping by and sharing! Glad I could share useful info!
Barb
This is a wonderful blog post. I’d never heard that too many choices can confuse people and cause them to not make a choice at all. But it makes sense. When my ex-husband and I were trying to select a tile for a remodeling project, he complained, “There are too many choices.” Of course there were because we’d been to every tile store in the county. It makes sense to streamline the call to action at the end of a book. That way, the reader just has to click one link. The author needs to decide which call to action is most important. I think it should be to sign up for the author’s email list or buy another book. So glad you wrote this post. I will share it now on social media and in my weekly roundup of the week’s best posts. I wish you the best!
Morning Frances! So glad I can add a few gems to think about! As I’m a subscriber of your mailing list, I’m honored that I’ll make the note 🙂
Barb
This stumped me, as I am writing only in e-format, and couldn’t think of another way to present the link.
QR codes, which can be picked up by most people’s phones, taking them to your website, or directly to Amazon.
A single page of tiny URLs, with a suggestion that they take a picture, and check them out when they get near a connection.
Other than that, I’m stumped.
Hi Linda,
You can just write out the links. For example, my website is barbdrozdowich.com rather than my website is here You can say “I can be found on Twitter as @sugarbeatbc” rather than saying “I can be found on Twitter here.” Does that help?
Brilliant post. I even shared this with David Gaughran 😉
Thank you so much!!
I enjoyed the read but one question:
I have seen stats that actual sales of ebooks are much lower, more like 30% of all sales, and that paperbacks are still above 60%. I’m seeing conflicting reports here. Seems like a straight-forward thing.. we should be able to know the real numbers. This stats company shows about 50-50 split it seems, between print and ebooks:
https://www.statista.com/topics/1177/book-market/
Hmmm….
Sales of ebooks are very country-specific, genre-specific to name a few factors. Many European countries are very paperback heavy in sales numbers, but the US tends to be very ebook heavy. Titles that are published by larger traditional publishers tend to be paperback heavy and titles that are published by small pubs or self-published authors tend to be ebook heavy. I’m not sure of the source of information for the link you posted, but the majority of publishing stats come from publishing houses and are not representative of actual book sales. I work with a wide variety of authors – fiction/non-fiction/trad pub/self pub – and I regularly check in with them about trends. There are exceptions, but the vast majority sell significantly more ebooks than paper. Ask a selection of authors and see what they tell you. I have 27 titles and all are non-fiction technical and since January 96% of my sales have been ebook. There are differences when I divide up by country.
Well the stats there seem to be more officially correct than anecdotal stats we hear in our ‘bubble’. It’s after all, the job of stats companies to collect the right data. Most of the stats are also paid so I don’t have full access either. Some are here:
https://www.statista.com/chart/5714/book-reading-in-the-united-states/
I myself find it hard to believe only 30% percent of sales are ebooks. Baffling. But apparently we’re not even 50/50 yet. Which is both disappointing but also means there’s plenty of room to grow.
I think these also include broader data, as in not just fiction but full sales across spectrum of books (like for education etc).
Excellent information. I can see I have some work to do! Thank you!
Glad to hear!