Reader Research #6: 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 six had to say:BIO: female, age unknown, writer.The first thing I ased this reader is what draws her to a book on Amazon and she said cover design, book description and price. The reason being, 'the first thing I look at when browsing is the cover. If the cover catches my eye then I'm more likely to check out the description. If that draws me in then I will look at the price. I'm not above paying for a book I really want to read but I'd be lying if I said free and cheap e-books didn't find their way onto my Kindle a lot.'She advised me she has no preference for traditional or indie published book, explaining 'I read a lot of famous/ traditionally published authors but since joining the fray I find myself just as drawn to more indie authors. Knowing how important it is to have our books read I love that I can do that for others. And I've read some really good books this way that I would have completely missed otherwise.'We discussed the preference some readers have for genre and she advised that she will read almost anything set in front of her. She loves fantasy/ paranormal and urban... the magic and fantastic creatures that stretch my imagination to its farthest points and i love a good who-done-it.' She steers clear of horror, recovering from a Stephen King book. She also advised me that she sometimes likes to read humorous and pithy drivel that doesn't require much thought.When asked about verified reviews on Amazon sha said she doesn't really care because people acquire books in different ways. 'Low star ratings give me pause, if there are a lot of them... unless there are comments that say the book is so horribly edited that it couldn't be read'.When asked if she recommends books she says she rates almost all the books she reads on Goodreads. 'If there's something about it that I really feel I need to comment on, I'll leave a review... it just needs to make me feel something...if I'm still thinking about it days later, then I will definitely share it.'Prior to this, this reader advises that if the author of a book she wants to review is indie and she has negative feedback, 'I want to be helpful but don't want to be publicly negative or drive down raitings. I will contact the author'.There were too many authors on her favourites list to state, but she said that she reads for entertainment value. 'I want to be whisked away to another reality where I can forget everyday stuff for a little while'.With the exception of price, she highlighted that indie books are obvious when they have poor formatting, cover design, editing or if it's perma-free. She says this doesn't always put her off though because she understands some indies are working to a budget, but she has read some good stories with poor endings, and she felt that was a waste.She'd advise to fix this, authors should know their strengths. 'Do some research, go on line and Google what exactly a copy editor does and do your best to emulate that. Read your book over and over and have others you trust read it to help you at least find the spelling and punctuation errors. Try to be consistent in your formatting. It doesn't have to be fancy. If you put money into anything, I would suggest the cover.'Finally, she said bad language doesn't put her off a book, and she would leave an honest review in exchange for a free copy.What did I learn from this interview? What can indie writers take from this reader's feedback?This interview interested me as her hooks for online Amazon shopping are the same as mine, and her reasoning is, too. I look at cover first because that's how I'd shop in a bookstore. I'd go by what attracted me, then read a bit more about it, then look at how much it cost. Like me, she has no problems paying for a book, but she likes freebies too. As I agree with this shopping method, I'd stress indies to ensure their cover is traditional-looking and spruce up their description using Amazon's accepted tags, which I'll share on this blog over the weekend for you.Again, she shares my shopping habits, so I completely agree that traditional books are easier to buy and therefore I tend to buy more of them. However, since becoming indie myself I have realised the need for sales and reviews, so have consciously made more of an effort to support my fellow authors.This is a great thought, because it reminds us to help one another.Can you exchange helpful services for one another? BETA reading, a cover for a full critique? Can we consider payment in other forms such as talent and skill and experience, rather than cash? Personally, I offer free written author interviews which I post and share from this online journal. In exchange, all I ask for is a mention to help drive traffic to my site, and/or for them to consider applying for some other cool opportunities. None of this makes me money, but it helps to get my name out there.Authors helping authors.It's comforting to hear she reads a wide variety of genres. I think most of us do, though we steer toward a favourite. This could be an indication to genre hop gently and where appropriate, so your books can be enjoyed by your current readers as well as attracting new ones, though some may disagree. Personally (as you can tell by my releases) I like to write in different genres.Lots of low star ratings and poor editing (unreadable) will put this reader off, but she'll leave reviews when something strikes a nerve. I'm the same. I can read through some errors and ignore them because I've found worse in some traditionally published books, but if there are lots of negative reviews, it puts me off giving it a go.Most of this is personal taste, but it might be wise if you're in this position to maybe approach some of those reviewers and ask if they can give you more constructive criticism to help you improve it, then give it another go. Thankfully this reader would rather contact the author direct which is always a nice thought - she doesn't want to drive down the rating or put others off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and some may not give it a chance because of negative reviews. Personally I think 3+ stars is a review worthy book. Any less and I wouldn't review either.Also, for those still writing, give the reader a memorable experience. How can you wow them? What makes your reader/s tick and how can you hit that target? If you're writing about a real life event (death, marriage, birth etc) then how can you speak to the reader on an emotional level?This reader also says she isn't always put off buying a book that is obviously indie due to the above factors she highlighted in the interview, but when the book has a poor ending, this disappoints her. It's nice to think readers will give us the same chance they give their favourite authors and it's our job not to disappoint and to show we're up there with the bestsellers, right?She gives some fantastic advice that I don't need to repeat here about how to avoid being 'obviously indie'. Go back and have another read if you can.Finally, again another reader who is not put off by bad language and violence. She would also leave a review if the book was given to her for free.So that's it for the reader research interviews. I hope they were helpful and if you need further help or advice, feel welcome to contact me.E. Rachael Hardcastle