Passed beta read, but now questioning readability

[Vanessa]

My novel launched recently. The process wasn't clear, but I felt confident. But now, I have no traction, and no reviews. I suspect it's a readability issue.

Do you feel that beta readers go slower and are more forgiving than end users?

During beta reading, I learned so much about readers, and how to accommodate them, but I'm not sure if my investigations went far enough. Do you have insights into end-user readers? Do you know how to optimize your text for a speed reader? (and should you?)

My musing are based on a small sample size. My novel is free, and I was excited to see a small number of downloads. But, no reviews. I feel very nervous about this review situation. To test, I downloaded ONE other book and looked at the quality of the recent release. I didn't want to review it -- I didn't want to be mean. This put me in a funk all night.

*huh. My sample size is too small.*

I think I just answered my own question. I'm going to look at the comparable novels in my free books category, download, and read a few. This is my book's competition -- scratch that -- this is my book's friends. :)

If your book needs friends -- we're looking for a bestie!

Thank you for thinking through this with me.
:)
-vanessa ashers.

[Darya Silman]

Did you launch a campaign before the release? Discount for the first few days, announcements on your social media, paid promos, giving free copies through ARC sites? The issue can be that the book didn't reach the audience because nowadays, there are more writers than reviewers.

My paid beta reader just crushed my finished manuscript, so no, I don't think beta readers are more favorable than end readers. But the issue can be that beta readers didn't know what they had to look for. They just stated that they generally liked/disliked the book without going into details.

End readers rarely leave reviews. To my observations, only around 30-40% of readers will read a free book right away after downloading. People downloaded it because it was free. And out of 30-40% of the people who read the book, only 5-10% will leave reviews. My friend received 11 reviews, excellent ones, 4 or 5 stars, throughout the first year after the release, all due to the absence of active promotion and spreading the word.

[Vanessa]

Hi Darya,

I muddled through the release -- but I'm trying to make up for it. I reached out to a few bloggers, reviewers, etc. I'm putting in an hour a day, but I'm sure I could benefit from a more active campaign.

At the time, I felt my biggest hurdle was announcing to my family that I was self-publishing a novel with a spicy cover. I wanted it out there (and done with the ribbing and jokes ) before the holidays. But I lied to them -- it's actually 3 novels -- and I waited to see if anyone would click the link. *Strangely, you could almost hear the crickets* *Perhaps I set the wrong tone* *families are complicated*

It seems like Reddit agrees with you on your impressions of who reads, who reviews, and how long it takes. I suppose the extended silence from all fronts is gnawing away at my confidence and composure.

Thank you for being a calm voice of reason in the vacuum.

You are appreciated.

Have a fantastic day today!
:)

PS I will do some more research into further marketing options. Thank you!!

[J.R.]

A few things.

- First, it is VERY difficult to sell and market a novel. That is even putting aside the current economic climate and how hard people are getting socked right now with inflation and energy prices. Unless they have name recognition, even traditionally published novelists with the backing of a publisher to help them struggle to sell books. So you're not alone. It's VERY hard to sell a novel.

- Most readers don't review books. I've seen numbers of like you'll get a review for every 100 books you move. (Fewer for free books. And for free books ... Reviewers for some reason tend to be meaner.) So you can do the math.

- It often isn't the novel itself but the marketing/packaging. Take a very hard and critical look at your cover. Is it professional and genre-specific? Or does it look homemade? If you're good there, take a hard look at your sample. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors. Make sure you have a clear hook.

- If you're specifically looking for reviews .... There are some reputable ARC sites you can use to attract reviewers. On these sites, you generally pay a listing fee to have your book advertised to readers who will accept a free copy in exchange for writing an honest review. (Note that this is different than an author paying for reviews. That's not kosher with Amazon. You are NOT paying the reader/reviewers. All they are getting is a free book. You're paying for the ARC site to market and offer the book for you to specific readers who like to, and agree to, review books. The reviewers are honest, and you're NOT guaranteed a good review.) A few of these sites are BookSirens, BookSprout, Hidden Gems, NetGalley, etc.

- Family/friends ... often, Amazon will block these reviews anyway as they can figure out they're connected to you, the author, but in my experience, family/friends often aren't all that great sources of support.

[Vanessa]

Hi J.R.,

Thank you for lending your voice of experience! I've learned so much in the past week. At times, it's overwhelming but certainly surmountable. I'm made some important inroads:

I've reached out to potential reviews from this online list: https://www.theindieview.com/indie-re...

I'm double-checking my blurbs to ensure that reader expectation matches where the story goes! My covers are spicy -- but appealing to my audience.

I'm continuing to keep my posts updated across GR -- sharing price changes -- and updating topics to stay within the guidelines of each community group. (It's both free advertisement, but also a way to see which groups/key words are more interested and aligned with my subject.)

The journey continues to be interesting and confounding by equal shares -- and I've very much enjoyed the challenge.

Also, I love that as I've shared my experiences, I've met many new people, and learned closely kept secrets from dear friends. So many of us have a story we're working on, but keep it quiet. It's been endearing to hear that writing and dreaming are more universal than I anticipated.

:)
Have a wonderful holiday week!

[A.D.]

In my experience, it takes a LOT of work to get a single review. Most people read and forget, even if they like what they read. I've gotten some reviews by asking for them from people I know personally, and by sending out courtesy copies to reviewers. But it's a tough world out there. It takes a lot of time and dedication to get anywhere.

It looks like you have 3 novels on Goodreads. I'd be happy to read and review any of them - or all, though that will take me awhile as I don't have endless time and don't read quickly. But I'd be honoured to be your first review!

[Vanessa]

Hi AD,

Happy Friday!

I'm so sorry. I'm trying to figure out to stop the incessant emails from Goodreads (digests, post updates, etc) and I think I went too far. I have achieved total radio silence -- but at the cost of missing your update!

I'm working to fix this.

I completely understand what you're saying about getting reviews. I've been sending out queries to indie reviews/bloggers, and nothing.

But, this week was extraordinary. On the same day, I received a nice message that the reviewer had more than 200 books in her TBR and politely declined. It was so good to hear a voice. The same day, another indie reviewer finished my book, emailed me back, and posted a GR review. He was so nice! [I can share his name if you're interested]

It's amazing how the smallest interactions can change your perspective. I'm gonna keep trying .... but if you offer is still open, please email me vanessa [dot] quietly [at] gmail.com. I tried to DM you, but your account isn't taking messages.

Have a wonderful day today!
:)

[Stephen]

Vanessa, you are bumping into the reality that most authors face, even trad published ones. How many people have visited your product page? How many know your book is there? How many ads have you taken out to drive traffic to your product page? You are hitting the hardest part of publishing. Sure, writing a novel can be a major accomplishment all on it's own, but selling it (or giving it away) is an entirely different struggle. You have to get eyes on your product page first. They don't just magically appear. There aren't thousands seeing your product page every day just from natural search. Getting eyes on your page is the biggest battle. If you can get them there, you use the cover and blurb and sample text to get your sales (or downloads).

So how do you get readers to your product page? Your keywords is one way (through search). Free ads on sites that list your book as free (google them). Paid ads on sites that list your book as free (google them). FB ads, Amazon ads, bookbub ads. Blog tours may or may not have much impact. And probably the lowest return is social media. Social media tends to be followers. They've already bought or downloaded your book. What they are helpful with is building an email list, which again doesn't happen until those people have read your book. You need to drive traffic to your product page first. It really is that simple. Doing that is not so simple.

And then there is word of mouth. Not your mouth, but the mouths of your readers. That's were great books see their success. But not all great books. It takes the right story in the right genre with the right initial readers to get word of mouth going. And it's not really something you have control over after launch. The great book, sample, blurb, and cover all have to already be in place. And you absolutely should have a website. It's another avenue to drive readers to your product page.

Getting eyes on the product page is key. Your product page can be out there, but it does nothing if people aren't driven to it.

[Stephen]

For getting reviews, You'll probably see something like 1 review in 100-1000 free downloads. Keep in mind, probably 75% of the free crowd is loading their library with free books they want to "someday" read. If they find another free one before starting yours you can probably say goodbye to them. Your book will remain in a dark corner of their digital library. This is why most downloads never get read.

For paid sales, you'll probably need between 20 and 100 sales per review. Most readers don't take the time to review the books they read. They don't want to be bothered. So you will need lots of sales to get reviews.

[Vanessa]

Stephen wrote: "For getting reviews, You'll probably see something like 1 review in 100-1000 free downloads. Keep in mind, probably 75% of the free crowd is loading their library with free books they want to "some..."

Hi Stephen,

I'm so glad that I waited to reply to you. I had drafted a knee-jerk reaction that was essentially, "I think I get it." But then over the week, I kept thinking more about it.

Thank you for making me question my assumptions and challenge my working paradigm!

If I'm following your arguement, I believe I'm getting milestones confused with the goal. The goal, as you pointed out, is to drive people to the product page, and make a sale.

A milestone is a review -- and it's not necessary for the reviews to come before the sales -- in fact, most reviews will come after the sales (but I should calibrate my expectation to very low (1 per 100 sales/reads)).

So while I was chasing bloggers and independent reviewers, I could pursue this differently. I could work to drive interest toward my product page.

AND I totally need to work on my product page! (which I have neglected in favor of chasing indie reviewers.)

I hear you.   I'm making lists. 

I'm nervous, but I'm growing used to the idea that I can't just hide behind my computer (and an alias).  I need to put a picture out there -- strangely, it's a horrible challenge after 3 years of remote work -- and I keep making promises to myself that I will do to it (maybe, next week).  

Thank you for the push in a new direction. :)
-vanessa.


PS: I loved looking over your work and website. Looking at your bookcovers, I remembered fondly my love for old sci-fi, and an old literary goal came to mind. I want to invent a word. I love "grok" and "kipple". Perhaps my place isn't in romanace, but somewhere else. Thank you.

[Stephen]

So, let's suppose your first chapter is engaging and the rest of your book is fantastic. That doesn't matter if no one ever knows it's there. So if it's fantastic, next is the cover. It should speak to the genre and of course trigger some interest in the reader to look further. And your blurb should be giving the reader an idea of the type of story they can expect (not a condensed version of the story) and then hook them into wanting to look further. But even if you have the fantastic story, and great cover, and interesting blurb, that doesn't matter squat if no one ever gets to your product page. After getting those things in order, your number one mission for that book from then on is to drive potential readers to your product page. And those should be targeted readers who regularly read that genre. Having random people from social media sites clicking your links will just cost you money. Ads, bloggers, social media, email lists... get ready for marketing because it's a whole new world. Unless you are lucky enough to have interest spread by word of mouth, get ready to market your books if you want success. Ads and growing your email list should primary focuses. Social media and bloggers should be way down the list. And if you can you want to be driving readers to your web site. From there you send them on to your product page using an Amazon Associates link. If you aren't in Associates, join up. It's free. And anything anyone buys on Amazon when coming from your link you will earn about 3% on. They browse your book and then go on to buy a wristwatch, you earn 3% from that. Good luck!

[Lynsey Reads Romance]

Hey! I was browsing the beta threads and came along this one. I beta/proof/review romance books and would be willing to read and review your book if it is KU or a free format. Let me know!

[Vanessa]

Hi Lynsey,

What an awesome offer! Yes, my books are part of KU and I would really appreciate your candid opinions (and a GR or Amazon review).

I promise I'm open to hearing from readers and I'm very interested in the end-user comments -- and my biggest hope is connect with people who read (and love) romance novels!

Please let me know if you want to connect. Here is ok -- or I have my DM set to accept all senders.

Many thanks and have a wonderful week,
-vanessa.

[Vanessa]

Stephen wrote: "So, let's suppose your first chapter is engaging and the rest of your book is fantastic. That doesn't matter if no one ever knows it's there. So if it's fantastic, next is the cover. It should spea..."

Hi Stephen,

It's good to hear from you. Thank you for the new notes -- and the reminder to keep evolving/trying/wanting.

Following your earlier advice, I did update my product splash page with some pics and pizzazz; and each month, I see a trickle of KU reads.

My To-Do list now includes a website and Amazon Associate acct. You have a solid rationale and your recommendations are direct and precise. Thank you!

In the background, I hear "don't focus on things you can't control."
I like your approach -- stay focused and productive -- don't whine.
Fix what's broken and keep going.

But my biggest challenge will always be don't overthink it.
*deep sigh*

Thank you,
-vanessa.