Author Topic: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers  (Read 1020 times)

Hopscotch

Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« on: December 30, 2021, 05:27:57 AM »
Midpandemicsummer, the bottom fell out of my sales/reads - 60% income loss - and only now is there a bit of recovery.  My current reads outrun sales.  I realize KU readers and bookbuyers are different audiences.  But is there some way I could nudge some of those readers into becoming buyers so I can afford a good pair of snow boots? 
. .
 

alhawke

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2021, 06:17:58 AM »
Have you tried a book promotion? Even a KU targeted promo for more reads? A promo and new release helped rejuvenate sales a bit for me this month. In fact, I'm planning to run a sale every holiday season from now on. I think it's the only way to compete with all the books on sale in late December. KU is like discounted, in a way, so you might want to highlight free reads with a sale now or in late December in the future.

But January might breathe some life back into regular sales, anyway. Hopefully for you and me.
 

writeway

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2022, 02:41:25 PM »
No, you can't change people's habits and it's a waste of time to try to do so. Some KU readers do buy books but many don't. They either can't afford to or they read way too many books to buy each one separately, this is why they are in KU. You are right that KU readers and buyers are a different audience but KU readers are now the new library readers. You always had a chunk of readers who never bought books but turned to the library instead.

Focus on what YOU can control. If you want better sales, do your best to get things going.

Lower your prices and run some promotions. Then raise your prices so you can make more per book. Write something new if you haven't in a while. Keep promoting your backlist. Do some mailing list swaps. If you are on BookFunnel or StoryOrigin, do some group promos. Start work in a new genre. Write something trendy to get money rolling, write some erotica, use your KU free days and promote the heck out of them. Try submitting to serial apps like Radish, etc., so you can have extra money come in outside Amazon. If some of your books are lagging in KU then you might wanna try going wide with those and see how you do.

But, don't waste time thinking you're gonna convert all the KU readers into buying books. Won't happen.

« Last Edit: January 10, 2022, 02:48:49 PM by writeway »
 
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idontknowyet

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2022, 03:20:58 PM »
i agree with no you cant change readers.

I disagree with the fact that KU readers can't/won't buy books. Just not true. If authors i love arent in ku, i buy their books. you have to be a one click author, but still plenty of them around. are the bulk of the books i read in ku sure, but i still own tonnnnnns of books. only a handful of which i got free (wish i knew about the free promos before i became an author.)
 

LilyBLily

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2022, 07:52:55 AM »
I'll try a new author in KU, and if I like that author's work consistently, I'll read all the rest in KU. Then I'll think about buying the ones not in KU if they're the same subgenre. Or I'll wait until the author runs a deal and "help" the author by buying (or "buying" a free book) during the discount run. That way the author gets a little more cash and some ranking love and I haven't spent much. I'm a library reader of old and buying books doesn't come naturally to me. 

I think authors make a mistake to super discount their new books to their own newsletter peeps. A small price reduction is welcome, but if I love that author's books I'll buy them--and I don't need them to be 99 cents. For a new title, after an initial small reduction in price, the author ought to keep the title at full price for a long time. Wear me down and make me buy it because I'm yearning to read it.
 

writeway

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2022, 05:30:35 AM »
i agree with no you cant change readers.

I disagree with the fact that KU readers can't/won't buy books. Just not true. If authors i love arent in ku, i buy their books. you have to be a one click author, but still plenty of them around. are the bulk of the books i read in ku sure, but i still own tonnnnnns of books. only a handful of which i got free (wish i knew about the free promos before i became an author.)

Sigh. Please go back and read what I said. I did say SOME KU readers will buy books but if you think all of them do you are wrong. Most KU readers are in KU BECAUSE they don't want to buy books. That's just the way it is. There is probably a small percentage of KU readers out of millions of KU readers who will buy books and those who do buy will only by from their favorite authors who might not be in KU. But no, the majority of KU readers are not buying books all the time. And if you are in KU too, most likely they will borrow the book and not buy it. This is why KU authors lose so much of their audience when they go wide, because even their fans on KU don't follow them.

Also, one thing we need to learn as authors is that just because WE do something doesn't mean others do. Just because you or a few folks might be KU readers and still buy books does not mean the majority does. A lot of KU readers will skip a book if it's not in KU. I have books wide and in KU. I know the differences between the audiences. But again, I said SOME do. I didn't say none.

Anyway, the main point is, it's a waste of time trying to change someone's habits. If someone is in KU and looking for sales, then they need to go wide. Don't put your books in KU if you expect everyone to buy them. Just put them wide where folks can't borrow them at all.
 
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Crystal

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2022, 11:21:10 AM »
The truth is: we are much less important to readers than we think. Unless someone is a super fan (and even then), they will probably not change their buying/reading habits for you.

IME, most KU readers do buy some books. (My overall income is probably 75% KU, but when I poll, I tend to get about 40% of readers being KU exclusive, 40% KU sometimes, buy sometimes, 20% buy all the time. The deeper the backlist, the higher the percentage of reads vs sales. KU readers are more likely to go through your entire catalog IME).

But why would they buy your books if those books are in KU?
 

JRTomlin

Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2022, 07:13:50 PM »
Honestly, I am in KU and am highly unlikely to buy a novel that is in KU even from my favourite author. If I decide I want to read a novel again, I just borrow it again. That does not mean that I don't buy novels. I think most KU members do. They just don't buy ones that are in KU. Of course, people's circumstances differ. Some in KU can't afford to buy books at all. In my case, I can't afford to buy as many as I read because I am a voracious reader. I don't think we can make very broad assumptions about the millions of readers out there, but I strongly suspect that KU members buying books that are in KU is an exception.

The suggestion to write something new and do some promotion is a good one.

ETA: As for going wide, that is a decision that involves a lot of thought. If you're in KU it can be tough to make that transition and I am speaking from experience.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2022, 07:15:56 PM by JRTomlin »
 

angela

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Re: Nudging KU readers to become bookbuyers
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2022, 02:16:29 AM »
You can "window" your new releases with them not being in KU on release, then enrol them later. But you'll lose your new-release energy, and irritate a % of your fanbase (though it's impossible not to irritate some of them some of the time no matter what you do.)

Another thing you can do is write up a long list of all the things you DON'T want to do. Then consider the fact that most authors don't want to do those things, then pick one of those things and do it. It's hard to be in the top %, but doing just a couple of things nobody wants to do can put you above average.