Reader Research #4: What can we learn from our readers? (female, age unkn)

I asked 6 readers what they shop for on Amazon.com when looking for e-books for their Kindle.Here's what reader number four had to say:BIO: This reader is a female and a writer. She reads fantasy.. I was not able to gain her age.The first question I asked this reader was about online shopping, and what she looks at first when buying a Kindle book. She said cover design, book description and price. When asked why, she said 'a cover often reflects and purposefully echoes what sub-genre it is. You can spot a romance or black-covered vampire YA book a mile away. A good description, non-cheesy with no obvious cliches makes the reader interested. Price - everyone has a budget.'Although a writer herself, this reader said she shops mostly for traditionally published books because 'KDP seems riddled with unedited, first drafts piled out without much skill.' When asked to explain further, she said, 'Published books always seem more finished and professional with better pacing and less character problems.'I then asked her to tell me why she likes fantasy. She identified 'worlds and exploring, unusual characters and adventure'.We moved on to talk about reviews and this reader said she recommends almost every one she buys if she likes it. It has to be interesting, 'have fabulous thematic elements and no sudden romance/ sexual chemistry'. She also likes to see a range of reviews. 'All low is obviously a put off point. Low numbered five stars do seem a little off putting if it's a KDP Createspace and it's pretty easy to do with friends/ family/ sockpuppet accounts.'She did not provide me with her favourite author's name but said she reads books that have an emotional theme with important messages to share.I gave five ways in which some readers identify self-published books and asked if she agrees. She not only chose all 5 (poor formatting, poor cover, editing, off price, perma-free' but she added a 6th, 'cheesy women grasping flowers often in black and white whilst blood trickles out the corner of their mouth or grasping half-naked buff men on a beach'.From there we discussed indie vs traditional, to which she replied, 'if the vast majority of the fruit is bad, the chance you'll keep eating bad fruit is pretty low. It's always a good chance that the first few are bad. Statistically bad. But you can't blame some readers for being put off.' To change her opinion, athors need to 'spend a lot of time learning editing and not just editing it. Also learning pacing, themes, foreshadowing, character development etc.'She agreed that bad language and violence is ok as long as it's in character.Finally regarding free books in exchange for honest reviews, she said 'nope. If I don't like a book I don't want to finish it and often don't so wouldn't be able to give it a fair review'.What did I learn from this interview? What can indie writers take from this reader's feedback?From re-reading and analysing this interview, I got the impression that traditionally published books are still this reader's preference despite the improvement in self-publishing methods over the years. Further along she states that KDP is riddled with unedited works that lack in skill and structure, and that if you've eaten a lot of bad fruit, you can't be blamed for your negative opinions.As an indie author I feel saddened that such a view still exists amongst the writing community when so many are trying hard to change the face of indie publishing. This interview shows me that even other writers are struggling to identify more with indie books than with those of large publishing houses.I feel disappointment in those who do self-publish get rich quick books and unedited manuscripts. They seem to be letting the side down. If you're considering indie publishing, I would suggest, as I have before, editing through your manuscript at least six times and asking BETAs and critique partners to help you out if you're unable to outsource to an editor. After six times if you don't catch typos and plot holes, you never will.Also, if you are new to writing, spending some time researching and studying how to write well is important - is your first completed book after its first draft really suitable to be published, or does it require more work? Natural talent exists in my opinion, but I still believe all writers need to let their books sit for a while between drafts. Let's aim for professional bestselling indie books with 4-5* reviews.Moving on from the divide between each publishing method, this reader chose fantasy for the worlds, adventures and exploration, suggesting they read perhaps to escape reality and to visit new places/ meet new people, even if only in their minds. This is a great point to identify - we need rich descriptions with imagery and stories with incredible depth to satisfy readers like this.Of course, always aim for legitimate reviews only. It's not uncommon for friends and family members to leave their feedback having read the book/s cover to cover. I feel this is legitimate, so long as the reviewers are fair and honest. I do agree it can be difficult not to rate below 3* when you know a person, but Amazon's policy is strict and best adhered to, so let's try to be as honest (but gentle) as possible.I also got the impression this reader can identify self-published books easily and quickly. If we can get our books to blend with the traditionally published ones so it's difficult to ID them from cover and formatting, we're already half way there. Let's do everything in our power to camouflage the indie published behind our work.Need a professional cover? Use Canva - it's free.Need great formatting? Research how to set up your Open Office - it's free and easy!Need a marketing platform? - social media makes this easier than ever these days.That's it for today indies, but I'll be back tomorrow with reader research number 5!