About Your Reader Count…
Writers, we need to talk about your reader count.
We all want to measure that. It’s a lot like social media, where lots of followers implies you’re resonating with people. But it’s also a perception of skill — if we have a lot of readers, that must be evidence we’re doing a good job creating something that’s not junk.
But lately, I’ve intentionally narrowed my writing focus. I’ve gotten clarity on what I want to produce and for whom.
And guess what.
I’m not gonna be high on that count.
Probably ever.
It’s got nothing to do with my ability and everything to do with how I am opting to focus. I am CHOOSING to have a smaller audience because my mission and vision have clarified. I’m not throwing spaghetti at the wall.
You might opt to do that, too.
And genre? It’s just one of the elements that can decrease your reader count, as I explain in this video.
Would you rather have a super loyal, engaged readership, or tons of rotating people who don’t always even read your next book? Let me know on LinkedIn.
[Transcript summary]
Writers, we need to talk about your reader count.
Now, I know that most of you out there really want that number to be high. It’s kind of like on social media, where you want a lot of followers, and we think that if we have a lot of readers, that means that we’re a good writer, that we’re successful.
But sometimes, there are other elements that come into play for how many readers that we actually have, one of which is the genre that you are writing in. For example, if you write upmarket fiction or literary fiction, there is not as much demand for that as say, commercial fiction. So, your reader count is naturally going to be a little bit lower. That doesn’t mean that you are not a good writer.
So, for me, the better way to judge your talent and whether or not you are good at what you do, is whether or not the readers that you do have come back. Are they loyal? If, when you put out something new, are they clamoring for it?
So, don’t focus on the numbers. Focus on whether or not you are able to build the relationship with the readers that you have and whether or not they are really engaging with you in a really authentic way.
Take care, everybody. Bye.