Should Authors Heed eBook Reader Data?

A recent New York Times article discusses how technology is allowing authors of eBooks to see all kinds of reader data:

• How long does it take readers to read your book?
• Do readers finish your book?
• Do readers skip chapters? If so, which ones?
• Do readers linger over certain scenes?

Some critics argue that having this kind of information will make authors more like pushers of product rather than creators of art, catering to the whims of a fickle consumer. They argue the information interferes with the creative process. Personally, I think the notion of authors writing to the market’s needs/wants is not something new. I have author-friends who have been “persuaded” by agents and publishing houses to write about topics that are “selling” or “hot now.” This kind of nudge or coercion, if you can call it that, is now coming directly from the consumer, rather than the publishing industry and, perhaps, has never been at this micro-level before, although you can argue that it has.

Is this kind of stuff good for authors to know? Sure, why not. Information is good. When I attend book clubs, readers tell me all the time what they’d like to see happen in the sequel to Baby Grand, and I always listen — readers have been very passionate about the book’s characters, which is so cool. But the truth is I already know in my heart how the next book will go, and I don’t think anything anyone says will change that.

I guess that’s the key. It’s like parenting. You listen to what’s being said. You read the information that’s out there. The reviews. You consider the suggestions. But then you do what you think is right. If authors feel strongly about their characters and their books, nothing should sway them from the book they set out to write, whatever the reader data says.

Do you agree? What say you, authors? Would you like to have this kind of reader information? Would it change the way you write?

Topic Tuesday: How Important is Your eBook’s Cover?

From time to time, in lieu of a Debut Author Q&A, I’ll be featuring what I’m calling (at least for now) Topic Tuesday posts where I ask three authors, many of them already profiled here, to weigh in on a specific issue with regard to publishing.

For our first installment, we’re discussing book covers. I know, when I browse the stacks at Barnes & Noble, a book cover plays very heavily into whether or not I purchase a book (yes, I know… apparently, I judge a book by its cover). But what about ebooks? How important is a book cover to an ebook? Just as? More so? And are there different considerations for an ebook cover, since readers don’t browse ebooks in the way they do physical books? And can you ever really KNOW how influential a book cover has been in the sale of that book? Hmmm… For some answers, I asked authors:

In terms of getting noticed and garnering sales, how important would you say your book cover art was for your ebook?

Here’s what they had to say. And please feel free to offer your insights in the comments below. I’d love to hear them!

“Oh, yeah – cover art is important, especially for ebooks (for any book, really). The adage is true: people do judge books by their covers, and with so many books out there for people to choose from, poor cover design is one easy way for folks to quickly dismiss a book without further consideration. So it’s possible someone could be missing out on a great book because a cover is crap. Of course, now we have to discuss the definition of “crap.” It’s entirely subjective, although cover designers…

Cooperative Publishing

I attended a free seminar put on by the National Writers Union, New York Chapter, on Monday about the various publishing options out there. Four authors told their stories about their own unique roads to publication.

One of those authors, Scott Pruden, told of his experience in joining with nine other authors to form a “cooperative publishing company” — basically the members of the company are all interested in writing and publishing their own book, so they decided to band together, create a company, Codorus Press, and publish each others’ books one at a time. Think of it as self-publishing, but as a group.

Scott Pruden went first. His book, Immaculate Deception, a novel, is the first product of the company. The way it works is that all members work on the book in some capacity based on their talents/strengths — cover design, editing, marketing, etc. — and the author, in this case, Scott, shells out the money for all the costs associated with the book (1st run printing costs for 1,000 copies cost Pruden approximately $4,000, and that’s not including any other costs, such as ISBN registration).

It was an interesting way to go that I had not heard about before and seems viable for someone interested in self-publishing who doesn’t want to go it alone. Although I’d hate to be poor #9 on the roster.