bookfuel: finding your superfans

© 2015 BookFuel.com

Finding your Superfans

Bill Van Orsdel

(303) 974-7845

[email protected]

“I don’t mind eating a bucket of worms, as long as I know where the bottom of the bucket is”


What is a Superfan?

• Buy every book you write

• Tell at least one other person to buy your books

• Join your fan club, providing their email address

• Engage with your publishing and marketing efforts

• Pre-order your next book


Wait, there’s more• They are typically influencers• Spread the word about your author brand• May defend you in social media (from trolls)• Engage with you to help keep your writing centered on market needs• Create Demand & Guidance for follow-on books• Can provide input during your publishing efforts on cover design• May be a valuable beta reader• Can provide social proof, visits, likes, reviews, blurbs & blog comments• Can even help with event marketing! (signings, tours, tours, launches)• Superfans often find other Superfans for you!

Superfans expand your marketing reach beyond what you can achieve on your own


What is a Superfan worth?

Attract 4,000 Superfans, and publish 4 books each year, making $2 per book sold

• Direct Revenue = $2 * 4,000 = $8,000 per book

• Indirect Revenue = $2 * 4,000 = $8,000 per book

• Superfan + Influenced revenue = $16,000 per book

• Repeat three more times: $16,000 * 3 = $48,000

• $16,000 + $48,000 = $64,000 per year from Book Sales

It’s starting to look like a full time job!


How many U.S. Book Buyers?

• 316 Million in U.S. population in 2013

• 250 Million are at least 15 years old (eligible to buy)

• 98 Million bought at least one book last year

• 50 Million bought a copy of 50 Shades of Grey

• 16 Million buy at least one book per week

• Power Buyers industry term

• Also known as Super Readers

• Quickly consuming all bestseller books in their favorite genre

• Actively looking for new books by new authors You!

BISG.org: “Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading”, February, 2012


Super Reader Profile

• Purchase at least one book per week

• Purchase 60% of all ebooks

• Responsible for 49% of all ebook revenue

• 62% Female, 38% male

• Skew younger than traditional book buyers

• 55% employed full-time, 14% are retired

• Median Household income: $50K-$75K/year band

• 47% suburbs, 27% city, 26% in small towns

BISG.org: “Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading”, February, 2012


"What types of books have you read in the past year? Please select all that apply."

Generation Gender

Harris Poll from 2010(multiple responses allowed)

TotalEcho

Boomers (18-33)

Gen X (34-25)

Baby Boomers (46-64)

Matures (65+)

Male Female

FICTION (NET) 79% 84% 81% 76% 76% 73% 84%

Mystery, Thriller and Crime 48% 41% 50% 47% 61% 39% 57%

Science Fiction 26% 31% 30% 25% 13% 32% 20%

Literature 24% 42% 28% 13% 13% 27% 22%

Romance 21% 20% 20% 23% 20% 3% 37%

Graphic Novels 11% 18% 11% 8% 4% 15% 8%

Chick-Lit 8% 14% 9% 5% 3% 4% 12%

Westerns 5% 3% 3% 7% 9% 7% 4%

Other Fiction 36% 36% 41% 33% 36% 29% 42%

NON-FICTION (NET) 78% 73% 78% 81% 81% 79% 77%

History 31% 31% 30% 28% 36% 40% 23%

Biographies 29% 25% 28% 31% 34% 29% 30%

Religious and Spirituality 26% 22% 23% 29% 27% 21% 30%

Political 17% 18% 14% 15% 23% 25% 10%

Self-help 16% 15% 19% 15% 15% 12% 19%

Current Affairs 14% 14% 15% 14% 16% 20% 9%

True Crime 12% 11% 13% 12% 8% 9% 14%

Business 10% 9% 12% 9% 9% 16% 4%

Other non-fiction 29% 29% 31% 28% 26% 28% 30%

Source: Harris Poll 2010

Genre share of mind, by age and gender

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/mid/1508/articleId/578/ctl/ReadCustom Default/Default.aspx

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/mid/1508/articleId/578/ctl/ReadCustom Default/Default.aspx


Romance Superfans?• 16,000,000 Super Readers

• 12,640,000 Super Readers of Fiction (*79%)

• 2,654,400 Super Readers of Romance Fiction (*21%)

• Set a marketing goal to reach “x” Superfans

• Convert between 1% and .01% of Super Readers into Superfans:

• 1% = 26,544 Superfans

• .15% = 4,000 Superfans Your Goal*

• .01% = 265 Superfans

* Sell 11 books per day/book, Sales Rank <22,000


Profile your Superfans?• They browse the Top-100 Paid & Top-100 Free lists in

their preferred Amazon genre (keywords & key phrases)

• They are in groups on Goodreads and LibraryThing

• They are in genre-based book clubs and meetups

• They may congregate in groups within Facebook or LinkedIn.

• They may monitor trending Twitter #Hashtags

• They follow popular book review blogs in your genre

• They may also be Superfans of a particular genre of art in another medium: for example, Theater, Soap Operas, Musicals, TV Series, Gossip Blogs, etc.

• RWA research: https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=582

http://www.meetup.com/

https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=582

https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=582


Awareness during Post-Launch

1. “My book hit a milestone!” posts to your regular online communities/groups (time)

3. Price discount experiment Campaign on Bookbub-like services: Freebooksy, Bargainbooksy, Pixel of Ink, others (Free to $50+)

4. Keeping running more short-duration & spaced-out Goodreads Give-Away campaign (possiblyincluding PPC campaign in support) ($$$+) (Also, ebook “review” giveaway on LibraryThing.com)

5. Find at least one offline opportunity to create awareness: readings, signings, speaking, panels, etc.

6. Find trending #hashtags that are relevant to your book, join the conversation (Free)

7. Keep posting regularly to your blog, build and follow your editorial calendar (free)

2. Run one engagement contest to your email fan base (with a limited-time Premium offer) (time)

http://www.novelpublicity.com/2012/02/how-to-run-a-goodreads-giveaway-with-maximal-results-11-tips-we-know-youll-need/

http://www.lindsayburoker.com/book-marketing/goodreads-advertising-results-and-tips-on-creating-campaigns/


Interest during Post-Launch 1. Continue “Interest! posts” to your regular online communities/groups (time)

3. Atomize your book’s content and use small snippets to generate interest in the larger book• Specific blog entries covering topics, issues or research• Facebook posts with micro-content• Tweet out links to your micro-content, with trending #hashtags

4. Share the results you are measuring in your blogs: match efforts to outcomes (time)

5. Follow up with blogs that didn’t have a slot for your at launch, and ask to execute guest posts

6. Continue using incremental testimonials and review blurbs to update your site(s), description(s)

2. Go back to your successful (traffic generating) guest blog sites and invite them to post on your blog. (time)

7. Continue expanding social media circles with Google+, Facebook, Twitter follows, blog entries


Trial/Evaluation duringPost-Launch

1. (Carefully) Consider submitting for regional and national writing contests in your genre (time & $)

3. Expand your review-seeking campaign to more reviewers and bloggers, including professionals

4. [Prescriptive Nonfiction] Consider creating a Google Hangout series with “open mic” (time)

5. Create a book trailer and post to Facebook, your Anchor site and Amazon Author page. (time & $)

6. Decide if KDP Select is right for you, for one quarter. If so, execute three free-day campaigns

2. Exchange sample files with another (same genre) author and cross promote (time)

http://animoto.com/

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/01/07/how-to-create-a-book-trailer/


Purchase during Post-Launch 1. Begin measured experiments with price. (ebook and print)

3. Chart book rank within selected genres. Adjust genre selections if warranted.

4. Watch your inventory for giveaways. Re-order?

5. Find or Create a podcast (online radio) interview in your area of expertise. Offer deal at end.

7. [Prescriptive Nonfiction] Bundle your book into professional practice.

2. Experiment with improved Book Descriptions and keywords

6. Keep looking for bundling opportunities with peer authors, build a bundle yourself

bookfuel: finding your superfans

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