SPF-051: Masterclass: The Value of a Reader Survey – With Mark Dawson
A reader survey is a significant tool in helping you make educated decisions about what to write, where to publish, and how to market your book. In this immensely practical episode, Mark provides details about the key information his completed 12-question 2017 Reader Survey provides and how he intends to use it (the full results are available as a free PDF with this week’s podcast). He shares the questions he uses and how they benefit him as he connects with his audience and continues to write, publish, and market his books. You don’t want to miss this very practical edition of the podcast!
Important questions to ask your readers
What do you need to know about your readers? Mark reveals three key questions to ask about demographics, and how the answers to those can make a difference in how you write and market your books.
How are readers attracted to your books?
A reader survey that gives you good feedback on how and why readers get interested in your books is a great tool to help you figure out how to fine-tune your writing and marketing. Mark explains how to get hold of this data and how the answers he has received have given him valuable insights into the most important elements for attracting new readers.
Questions that help you determine your book costs and pricing
Can a simple reader survey question help you determine the cost of a lead? How can reader feedback help you determine the price to charge for your book? Mark expands on how he used the survey to help him come up with a pricing strategy for his books.
What to write and where to publish
Information from a reader survey can be invaluable in shaping your writing and publishing strategy. Mark shares from his personal experience the impact that hearing from his listeners has on his writing – from boosting his confidence to helping him decide what to write next.
Outline of This Episode
- [2:14] Why should an author do reader surveys?
- [5:25] What size list do you need for a survey to be effective?
- [7:20] Three important demographic questions.
- [14:35] How are readers attracted to your books?
- [21:57] Questions that help you determine costs and pricing.
- [31:52] What to write and where to publish: Key questions to ask.
- [42:26] The value of reader surveys for making future decisions and turning fans into superfans.
Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode
- Survey Monkey
- Free download of Survey questions and answers
- Bookbub
- Audible
- ACX (Audio Creation Exchange)
- Kindle Unlimited