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How do you balance meeting your reader’s expectations with also surprising them?

August 31, 2018 by The Extra Squeeze in category The Extra Squeeze by The Extra Squeeze Team tagged as expectations, readers, surprises, writers

Balance | The Extra Squeeze Team | A Slice of Orange

Dear Extra Squeeze Team,

How do you balance meeting your reader’s expectations with also surprising them?

Rebecca Forster

USA Today Bestselling author of 35 books, including the Witness series and the new Finn O’Brien series.

Think of it this way:

Instead of writing a book, you’re making a movie. You put a lot of hard work into it and you think it’s pretty good so you’re kind of proud of the film. It turns out that all the people who see the movie think it’s SPECTACULAR and they want more. So you make more movies and you work hard to make each one a little better, more creative, more surprising. But people think that each movie is A LOT better. They LOVE your movies.

They can’t get enough of your movies.

You’re nominated for an academy award!

You’re going to walk the red carpet. But what to wear? You don’t want to disappoint anyone. Do you pick a neon pink, crystal-covered number because you are a star? Do you go for a classic cut gown because you want your audience knows you’re in it for the craft? Or, as the big night approaches, are you paralyzed by indecision and opt for the black, wide legged pants and a white blouse that you’ve worn to every wedding you attended in the last ten years? The latter choice, while sincerely attractive, will bore your audience to tears.

Just now I am trying to decide ‘what to wear; as I write book eight of The Witness Series. I had no intention of writing another Witness Series book until fans started asking why I left one beloved character out in the (literal) wilderness and I am paralyzed. One thing I know for sure is that my readers want me to answer the question of what happened to Billy but they want me to answer it in a way that pleases them. The problem is that I don’t know what I think. Should I give them a real crystal covered ending? A sober, long dress ending or do I play it safe in those palazzo pants and shirt and be done with it all.

I am driving myself crazy with what ifs and indecision. The last thing I want is to disappoint. But when this question was asked of the Extra Squeeze team, I realized there was one thing I hadn’t considered. It could be that my readers are telling me that what they really want is a natural end to the journey they have been on with me. Maybe they are gently pushing me to the neon pink dress shimmering with crystals because these characters deserve a conclusion that is spectacular and satisfying and true to the people they have become. Not characters, people who have a their own reality to live.

I guess there is nothing I can do but write. In the end, when this book is reviewed I will know if I was true to everyone: myself, my readers and these wonderful characters.

Jenny Jensen

Developmental editor who has worked for twenty plus years with new and established authors of both fiction and non-fiction, traditional and indie.

Writers always want to satisfy their fan base, gain new readers and at the same time, not lose sight of their own creative core. It’s a balancing act but I don’t think it’s always necessary. “Reader expectations” vary from writer to writer and from reader to reader but I think those expectations generally concern character; motivations, future plotting, desired outcomes. Successful series characters become dear friends — I’d have Miss Marple or Kinsey Millhone over to dinner anytime! The reader becomes invested.

I have clients who take reader input very seriously and I respect that. When reader’s express expectations that are at odds with what the author has in mind my response is to remind her that she is the one writing the story. Unless the fan suggestion is far better than what the writer had in mind — and that has happened, more than once! — I suggest that the writer bear the fan concerns in mind but not stray from her creative stream. Again, she is the creator of this work. It isn’t a collaborative effort.

If your work has garnered fans so engaged with your characters that they have developed their own expectations (or wishful ideas for story direction) then it is a blazing sign that your work is successful. A huge part of that success is the authenticity and originality of your voice. You write what your creative brain directs and the quality and truth of that is what appeals to readers. To consider fan input and to find you can accommodate some if not all of that input makes sense, but if it does not fit, gently reject it. There is nothing more jarring than a story that takes a discordant trajectory. You, as the author, know and feel when the story hits an off note — or you should!

Surprising readers is your job and you must be doing it right if your fan base is developing expectations. Inherent in that ‘surprise’ is often a trajectory that goes against reader expectations. That’s why it’s a surprise. Scarlett doesn’t wind up with Rhett. And that famous ending rings true to the original, authentic voice of the proceeding 960 pages. It’s still surprising readers 82 years later.

The best genre writing follows a formula of sorts and that formula contains some reader expectations; romance will have a successful love match, crime novels will vanquish the bad guy etc. Within that genre formula is a lot of room to play with character development and plot surprise. How each writer uniquely handles that is what keeps us genre readers coming back. Accommodate reader expectations if they work; write a gentle personal note when they don’t.

Robin Blakely

PR/Business Development coach for writers and artists; CEO, Creative Center of America; member, Forbes Coaches Council.

Robin is again, out of the loop. We have a suspicion she’s somewhere having a lot of fun without us.

H.O. Charles

Cover designer and author of the fantasy series, The Fireblade Array

Well, I managed to miss meeting my readers’ expectations in my desire to surprise them recently! In that instance, I had to go back and change the ending to give them pretty much what they wanted. It meant a more predictable ending, but happier readers. For an end-of-series ending, that was more important than my own ego.

As for the middle bits… I dunno. Some reviewers say my writing is predictable while others find it very twisty-turny. My advice would be to write something that pleases you, but be prepared for the fact that some will be impressed and others won’t. You cannot please everyone.

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CHEAP DATE: E-Book Pricing

January 31, 2011 by Rebecca Forster in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster tagged as Authors, cheap ebooks, Free eBooks, pricing, readers, Rebecca Forster

by Rebecca Forster

When I was asked out on my first dinner date, my mother gave me some sage advice: â€œOrder Chicken Kiev.â€

To this day, I donâ€™t know if my mother was being considerate of my dateâ€™s financial status (Chicken Kiev was the cheapest thing on any menu) or was worried that I would be considered high maintenance and never be asked out again. Either way, I ate so much Chicken Kiev back then I thought I might be Ukranian.

Which brings me to the topic of the day: frugality. I donâ€™t eat Chicken Kiev any longer (Iâ€™m not even sure I could look at it) but I do clean my own house, make most of my own clothes and serve leftovers for dinner. Yet, when it came to books, frugality was never a consideration. I know what it takes to write a novel. It is damn hard work. As an author, I hope that readers realize that they are paying for my effort in the same way I benefit from the expertise of anyone whose service I purchase. So, when I found a site called The Frugal E-Reader I had a few questions about books and price.

Enter Elizabeth Trudgeon Brown, Founder of the Frugal E-Reader: Kindle Finds for Under Nine (dollars), a review site for Indie and traditionally published authors alike whose books are available digitally. I wanted to ask her what role frugality plays in this new age of publishing.

Why did you decide to blog about inexpensive (some would say cheap) books instead of books in general?

While I was eagerly waiting for my Kindle to arrive this summer, I spent a lot of time at the Kindle Store and Discussion Forums searching for books to read. I caught a few discussions about $9.99 being the price cap that eBooks are generally accepted at, or that some readers were frustrated about prices being over $9.99 since the Agency Model took affect. I started to search for books that were under that threshold, and was pleased to find that so many were available! I decided to create a place that readers could come to so that they wouldnâ€™t have to spend a lot of time and effort researching for themselves.

Your reviews are exceptionally detailed â€“ nothing frugal there. Do you find your frugal followers lean toward one genre or another?

Mystery, thriller, or suspense titles are generally popular among the readers of The Frugal eReader. Classics are also widely accepted, so whenever I come across a classic novel that is under $9.00, Iâ€™m sure to include it. However, I believe each genre has its own following and as long as the specific premise is intriguing, it actually doesnâ€™t matter what genre a title falls under to do well.

Are you setting a new decision matrix by leading with price?

When I first started to search for books to read on my Kindle, I was thrilled to find that along with some traditionally published books, there is a whole community of self-published authors that offer their books at lower prices. Without my Kindle and the many hours I spent searching for books, I may have never known of these authors or books. Iâ€™m not necessarily trying to set a new decision matrix; my goal is to provide one place where readers can discover books and authors at great values.

Do you think this â€˜frugalâ€™ approach creates a new mindset among readers?
Will they continue to expect the same quality and length of work for ever lower prices?

I donâ€™t believe that quality should always be directly related to cost. Though something may be â€œfrugal,â€ it shouldnâ€™t mean that it canâ€™t be of great value, and vice-versa. Whether a book is $0.99 or $9.99, readers wonâ€™t enjoy coming across typos, grammatical errors, or formatting issues.

One of the biggest complaints of digital books (especially Indies) is that there is no editorial oversight. Do you think â€˜frugal E readersâ€™ are more forgiving of editorial mistakes because of the lower prices?

Iâ€™m sure readers can be more forgiving of certain editorial mistakes with self-published authors â€“ but to an extent. Though self-published authors may not have the immediate means to hire professional editors, proof readers, or artists, they should still put as much time and effort into proofing and editing their work as they have possible. The big picture is important here; with the expansion of the eBook market, readership and revenue are likely to increase. The possible additional funds should be used for additional editing, cover art, or anything else to improve upon the published work. No matter what the market is, investing revenue to improve upon or expand awareness of a product is essential to increased success.

I have seen discussion boards where readers resent paying for digital books. They believe since they are uploaded so easily they should be the lowest price â€“ free, in the ideal world. What would you say to them?

In most cases, the eBook version is the lowest price. Although the price may still seem high for a digital copy (say $9.99), you could pay up to $24.99 for the same title if you were to purchase the paperback or hardback version. The higher price is understandable because in printed books, there are additional costs. However, there are rare occurrences where the Kindle price is more expensive than the paperbackâ€¦ this could potentially be due to the high demand of that particular eBook, or the fact that the digital version provides instant gratification.

I can understand how people may feel that the digital versions should be free, especially if they have already purchased the same title as a paperback or hardback. We may see this one day, as we do now with our music or certain DVDs and Blu-Rays. However, readers should also keep in mind that what we are essentially paying for is the story; the time and effort the author took to create it, and the intellectual entertainment that the story provides – no matter what format itâ€™s in.

What is your advice to traditionally published and Indie authors regarding price as they enter this market?

I hope that the authors see the value in maintaining reasonable prices for their work as the market for eBooks continues to increase. They shouldnâ€™t fear pricing their books low â€“ especially if they are newcomers to the publishing world. Let me reiterate that price does not always correlate directly with quality. A lower priced book should not mean that itâ€™s â€œcheapâ€ in the sense that it is poorly written, or poorly formatted. When an unknown author enters the market, they should consider pricing their work as a means to develop their brand. Also keep in mind that a reader may be more inclined to purchase the work of a new author at a lower price â€“ less risk. Once the author can establish themselves and the demand for their work increases, then prices can be adjusted accordingly.

Check out The Frugal eReader at:
Blog: http://www.thefrugalereader.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Frugal-eReader/101086513289732
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FrugaleReader

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