Readers' Suggestions for LSB

[Mike]

Thanks to the folks at Dear Author for highlighting some problems they've experienced with LSB. It's always nice to hear that the areas we're working on to improve are those which matter to readers and customers.

So, over to you. What would you like to see us work on to improve your experience with LSB?

All ideas are welcome, just brainstorm

[Kate Willoughby]

Can authors pipe in here, too? Or do you just want readers' comments?

[Mike]

Sure Kate, you are all heavy readers after all. Just keep it from a reader's POV please

[Darragha Foster]

When I surf ebook publisher sites to buy ebooks, I use the following features:

I read the reviews which are posted right next to the title/book cover;
I use the "give us feedback on this book" form, right next to the title/book cover;
I play the crosswords, use puzzles and mess around with other games on the site, if any;
I use the e-postcard feature, if any;
I like the way some sites are set up with the author name on a top bar or side bar. I click on the author name and it takes me to his/her page within the publisher's site;

That's all I can think of right now.

Darragha
the reader...and the writer

[Kate Willoughby]

1. I, too, really liked being able to read the reader reviews by just clicking one button directly on the book's page.
2. I like knowing how long a book is before I buy it, because obviously you can't just look at the spine.
3. When investigating a title, I like seeing what other people bought.
4. The heat levels...Publishers get too clever when trying to label these and as a reader, I just would rather have the heat levels clearly named so that I don't have to refer to a legend to know how sexy they are.

[Mike]

Thanks for the feedback D

Originally Posted by Darragha Foster

I read the reviews

Are you more interested in readers' reviews or those from review sites?

author name on a top bar or side bar

Is this for that one author on her book pages, or a ist of all authors on the page?

[Mike]

Thanks Kate

Originally Posted by Kate Willoughby

I like knowing how long a book is

What's the best measurement? Word count, or an approx of how many pages it would be in paperback, or something else?

heat levels clearly named

Do you think LSB needs more than the imminent division between Liquid and Molten?

[Vanessa Hart]

Originally Posted by Mike

Sure Kate, you are all heavy readers after all.

Mike, is it really necessary to comment on my weight? I've been dieting all year! (Well, except at RT last month)

OK, my serious suggestion. Some readers want print copies of the books, but these appear separately. I know it's a lot of trouble, but it would be convenient to have both a download buy button and a print buy button on the page with the book's description.

Nessie

[Darragha Foster]

Weight? Jesus Cristo! I've been on Jenny Craig since March and am down nearly 30lbs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fabulous. I know.

Okay...here are the answers to your questions, Mike, the darling of LSB:

When I want to purchase an ebook, I like to see what other readers have said about it first. I then look at what reviewers have said. Look on Euro-Reviews' website. They have a little "comments about this book" thingie by their reviews that readers can fill in.

I like the navigation scenario where I pop onto a publisher's homepage and right there, up at the top it lists all their authors. I mouse over and author's name, it highlights, I click and I'm on that author's page. On that page are all the books the author has available with that publisher, plus review snippets, a "comments" box for readers, etc. Look at the bottom of this page...that's what I mean...http://www.writerspace.com/promotions/

Thank you!

Darr

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Darragha Foster

Look at the bottom of this page...that's what I mean

Very well done site that. Okay, gotcha

[Shara Lanel]

Originally Posted by Vanessa Hart

Mike, is it really necessary to comment on my weight? I've been dieting all year! (Well, except at RT last month)

OK, my serious suggestion. Some readers want print copies of the books, but these appear separately. I know it's a lot of trouble, but it would be convenient to have both a download buy button and a print buy button on the page with the book's description.

Nessie

No talking about dieting. I'm hanging right at the 25 lb mark and not losing more. Sigh.

I totally agree with this suggestion. Having the print book link on the same buy page as the ebook link, blurb, etc, would be awesome. For myself, I like to consider the cost difference between the two versions, and whether I'd rather have it in print if that's available. And when we, as authors, link from our sites, we have to link separately for the ebook-blurb-excerpt or the print version that doesn't include an excerpt and has a shorter blurb.

Shara

[Kate Willoughby]

Originally Posted by Mike

Thanks Kate What's the best measurement? Word count, or an approx of how many pages it would be in paperback, or something else?

Do you think LSB needs more than the imminent division between Liquid and Molten?

Well, I know word counts because I'm a writer, but pages would probably be better for the average reader.

I think I'll have to be educated before I answer the question. The way I understand things is that Molten is super hot. Everything else is Liquid. Right?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Kate Willoughby

Molten is super hot. Everything else is Liquid. Right?

It's mainly a sexual content rather than a sexual passion difference.

Liquid is usually standard hetero sex between one couple, with a happy ever after ending.

Molten will deviate from that. Could be same-sex, or multiple partners, or have sex toys, BDSM etc. The ending need not be HEA, could be happy for now.

I've seen "heat level" used in various ways by other pubs and review sites, so I don't have a clear idea of what the term means. More importantly, I don't know what info the reader wants it to convey.

[Tina Holland]

Originally Posted by Darragha Foster

When I want to purchase an ebook, I like to see what other readers have said about it first.
Darr

Would it be possible to have our proofers leave a few comments (at least regarding the story)?

Tina

[Tina Holland]

Originally Posted by Mike

It's mainly a sexual content rather than a sexual passion difference.

I've seen "heat level" used in various ways by other pubs and review sites, so I don't have a clear idea of what the term means. More importantly, I don't know what info the reader wants it to convey.

I think other pubs may define it by quantity...but not 100% sure.

[Georgia Woods]

As a reader, I want to see what other readers thought of a book, not what reviewers say - too many reviewers are partial to certain publishers or writers or types of stories, and I don't put much weight in their words. It's like movies - some of the best movies got bad or mediocre reviews, and they still became blockbusters because the run-of-the-mill moviegoers loved them. And the reviews can be in the form of polls, like giving readers the chance to rate a book out of 5 stars and showing the average rating next to the book. That way, you don't get disappointed because the excerpt sounded wonderful, but that was the only good scene in the entire book. From a writer's standpoint, I would think that good reviews would be considered a pat on the back by my peers, but my readers' opinions would be everything to me. They are the ones who fork out the money for my product, and they are the ones I would hope to touch with my word art. I do like to see if a book got any awards or nominations.

As for heat level, most sites rate the heat level by the amount or number of sex scenes in relation to the total book - the greater number of sex scenes the higher the heat level. Most also have a top level, like 'extreme', for books that include scenes that have sex considered outside the 'norm', whatever that means, which it seems will be the 'Molten' level here.

Just MHO.....

[Mike]

Welcome to SiN Georgia, and thanks, very useful

[Celine Chatillon]

Yes, Georgia, you give some very good insights.

I like e-pubs who have all the links for print and e-formats together for the reader to consider on the same page... I can't understand some of the publishers who don't even have their print books on their site at all, but only at Amazon, etc.

[Georgia Woods]

Originally Posted by Mike

Welcome to SiN Georgia, and thanks, very useful

Thanks for the welcome - I'm finding my time here to be very enjoyable, and am happy to see a publisher actually solicit and listen to what their readers have to say. Very refreshing!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Georgia Woods

Very refreshing!

Yeah, that's us, a nice long cool drink of liquid silver iced tea

I'm the "readers' advocate" around here, so bring your friends along--I'll listen

[Georgia Woods]

Originally Posted by Celine Chatillon

Yes, Georgia, you give some very good insights.

I like e-pubs who have all the links for print and e-formats together for the reader to consider on the same page... I can't understand some of the publishers who don't even have their print books on their site at all, but only at Amazon, etc.

Celine - I agree here, too. If a book is available in several different formats, like several ebook/digital formats, print, audible, I want to know all that up front so I can make an informed decision.

[Bonnie Dee]

And the reviews can be in the form of polls, like giving readers the chance to rate a book out of 5 stars and showing the average rating next to the book.

I like that idea. It'd be nice to have quotes from readers too, but for those who don't wish to think up something to say, a simple 'check the box' rating would be good.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Celine Chatillon

I can't understand some of the publishers who don't even have their print books on their site at all, but only at Amazon, etc.

Probably a customer service issue Celine. I've had some 'interesting' exchanges with customers looking for print books. It's not easy explaining why you can't do diddly squat for them when there's some problem with their print order. If it's on your site, customers quite reasonably expect you to be able to provide some support etc.

[Emma Sinclair]

I know when books are part of a series, the book page says, BOOK X of the X Series, but maybe a link to the other books would be nice. Or perhaps some kind of search function where I can search by series. Just because I know that a book is part of a series doesn't mean I can find the rest of it (especially if it's a multi author thing).

Also, a questions I guess - for the Molten line, is it going to say why that particular book is Molten (like BDSM, etc), or will that be up to the blurb to tell me? There's not much I don't like as a reader, but I HATE thinking I'm buying one thing and getting something another.

[Georgia Woods]

Originally Posted by Emma Sinclair

I know when books are part of a series, the book page says, BOOK X of the X Series, but maybe a link to the other books would be nice. Or perhaps some kind of search function where I can search by series. Just because I know that a book is part of a series doesn't mean I can find the rest of it (especially if it's a multi author thing).

Also, a questions I guess - for the Molten line, is it going to say why that particular book is Molten (like BDSM, etc), or will that be up to the blurb to tell me? There's not much I don't like as a reader, but I HATE thinking I'm buying one thing and getting something another.

I 100% agree with you here, Emma. I've seen some sites that let you search by author, by series, or by title, and I love that. Some of them even allow you to search by type of book, like historical, contemporary, werewolf, BDSM, etc. And any time there is a series involved, I want to know it and at least have the titles of the others in the series or a link to a page with the entire series on it.

As for your comments on the much-anticipated Molten line, yes, I like knowing what I'm going to be reading about and intensely dislike buying a book anticipating content I don't get. I enjoy reading just about everything, but we all have our little 'quirks' that we enjoy more, or our 'turnoffs' we may not particularly like reading about, and having a hint of content up front is very desireable.

[Mike]

Gotcha on the Molten content guys, I'll go see what we can do. Putting it at the end of the blurb sounds like a good idea for now.

[Darragha Foster]

What about a "coming soon" on the "all titles by this author" page? It's kind of cool for a reader to see the covers for books yet to come by same author of the books he/she is buying at that moment (God Bless 'em)

Thanks,

Darragha

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Darragha Foster

What about a "coming soon" on the "all titles by this author" page?

I'm fairly sure we'll be able to do that in our new shopping cart. I want a pre-order ability, which should tie in with this.

Originally Posted by Mike

Molten content ... Putting it at the end of the blurb sounds like a good idea for now.

We're doing this now.

[Georgia Woods]

Originally Posted by Mike

I want a pre-order ability, which should tie in with this.

Oh, so like if someone has a new title coming out, we can go in and pre-order ...... I like the idea, just wondering how it would work. I know at Amazon, I order sometimes months in advance when one of my favorites has a new title in the works, then they charge you and automatically ship it when it hits their warehouse, sending you an email notification. But e-books are different, so would you preorder and then get notified when it's ready for purchase, or would you pay first and get the link sent when the book comes out or ?????

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Georgia Woods

pre-order ...... just wondering how it would work

No idea at this stage Georgia, have to see what's available and possible when this becomes feasible.

[Georgia Woods]

Originally Posted by Mike

No idea at this stage Georgia, have to see what's available and possible when this becomes feasible.

Okay, just wondered .....