Why casual readers suck and who indie authors should target
Casual readers who scour Amazon for their next dopamine rush are the absolute worst people in the literary world. And indie authors don’t need them.
Indie authors who are serious about building their income from fiction have a gold mine these days and it doesn’t involve casual readers who are mainly freeloaders paying a small fee to “borrow” books from Kindle Unlimited. This low-cost method is convenient for reading addicts while authors earn less than a penny per page read, and it’s one of many reasons why it’s time to starve these people dry.
There are two ways authors can quit catering to them. Or, at least authors who don’t write fiction for mind-numbing escapism. One, get your books out of KDP Select, and two, build your own community of dedicated readers who will fall in love with your world.
Those are the people you want on your team. Not casuals who might give your work a five-star rating and glowing review, only to forget about it ten minutes later when they’re searching for their next fix of instant gratification. Honestly, these people make me physically sick.
How to get more than just casual readers who will forget you
Easy. Put in the extra time and energy to create something special. As opposed to writing book after book, go deep. Turn those books and each corresponding series into lore drops. This might mean slower publishing times and maybe even years between titles, but it’s the long game and one you will reap the benefits of.
Imagine having character profiles, insights on your series, deep dives into your world’s lore and magical systems, origin stories, bonuses a reader can only unlock if they purchase certain books, and longform content on inspiration behind your stories.
It might repel casual readers who aren’t interested in you or your story; just their next fix. But who cares about them? I would personally take between 5,000 and 10,000 readers to build a mini fandom over 30,000 readers who are just “borrowing” my books on Kindle and getting paid less than a penny per page read.
Think about it: If 30,000 readers read three of your books, and all three of them are 300 pages long, and you’re earning 0.0045 per page read, do the math. That’s $121,500 (rounded). Now, take 7,500 readers who will spend $5.99 on each book in that same trilogy, sold directly. That equals $134,775. A shade under, really, but even at a 95 percent royalty since direct sales give you more take-home income, you’re still earning $128,036.
That’s the difference between casual binge readers and fans who actually give a damn about your work. Casuals will read your work because it fits the genre, tropes, character archetypes, etc. But they won’t remember anything after they make their next one-click purchase.
As for a dedicated reading audience that can’t get enough of your lore? They value it, and they will pitch in.
The takeaway…
You’re not hitting home runs when you cater to casual readers. Sure, your readership may grow, but chances are, they’ll muddle you in there with hundreds if not thousands of other authors.
Instead, step away from the ballgame, target a niche number of readers, and watch your income grow as you get more and more loyal readers. That’s who you need to cater to because they more than make writing stories worth it.
No, you won’t see massive numbers, but the example above drives home the point that you won’t need to. Set up your direct store like the one I have over at Payhip, start taking back your royalties, and definitely start turning your book series into mini fandoms. The moment you own your audience, you own your future.
