Buondì.
At around the end of June, something weird happened over at EasyReaders.org, our ebook shop.
Bear in mind that Easy Readers LLP, the legal entity behind EasyReaders.org, is a mini-mini, micro, barely-visible-at-all operation, the most minuscule of tiny, small businesses.
Granted, it takes up a lot of my time, and I have some fun with it, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I work gratis, it wouldn’t exist, and never would have. Still, I get to tell people who ask what I do all day that I run a publishing company, of sorts.
A typical ebook sells between twenty and fifty copies the week we launch it. The launch price is £5.99, so we’re talking a few hundreds of dollars here.
Now and again we’ve had a bestseller which might have brought perhaps a thousand of your cute little American bucks flooding into our grateful coffers. But these can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Total annual revenues, since you ask, are a fraction of one decent salary, hence me working for the joy of it rather than for actual money.
What I’ve learnt about publishing has been interesting, though. Take, for instance, the newest book (or ebook) by your favorite author.
That too might not sell a vast number of copies, perhaps not covering the costs of editing and printing, shipping, and marketing, to say nothing of sales tax, the slice that goes to the vendor (bookshop and/or online), the payment processor, and repaying any advance extended to the writer.
But given that this new work is by your favorite author, the fact that it now exists, and is popping up on book websites and in actual book shops, means that you, and possible new fans of said writer, are likely also to be interested in ‘Other books by…’
A percentage of a publisher’s annual revenues comes from sales of titles from its ‘back catalog’. If I enjoy the most recent spy story from John le Carré, for instance, I might buy others by him. The new titles function to promote the ‘back catalog’, see?
Check the ad below for this week’s ‘launch offer promotion’ on our new ‘opera easy reader’ and you’ll see that I craftily mention the others in the series, too.
That’s for those who already know they like them, but also to give context for people who aren’t buyers yet, but might be. This is not just one thing you might enjoy, but lots of things. What fun!
The ebooks store will also try to tempt you to add something else to your cart, once you’ve already decided to buy something: “Like La traviata? Then why not add Rigoletto to your cart?”
That’s called a ‘cross-sell’ (adding something of equal value), I think. There’s also likely to be an attempt to ‘upsell’ you: “Now you’ve bought this small value thing, so clearly trust us at least a little, why not trust us some more and buy this larger thing, too?”
It’s all about squeezing revenues from the back catalog, see? And the more extensive the back catalog becomes, the more important the marketing side becomes, the actual publishing part becoming just an occasional distraction.
Cynical world, isn’t it? And now I’ve given away all the secrets, too. Consider this a public service announcement from OnlineItalianClub.com!
But I was going to tell you about the weird thing that happened over at EasyReaders.org back around the end of June!
Until then, we’d been getting ebook ‘reviews’ on a daily basis, certainly several each week. Reviews are when buyers leave a star rating, from * to *****, and maybe a comment to say what they liked or didn’t like about the ebook. In terms of establishing the vendor’s credibility to the purchaser, they’re vital!
When I buy something online, I always, always, always read the reviews. And I will often leave them too, if the vendor asks me, which often they don’t, as some have learnt I can be scathing in my comments.
When I’m researching or buying something, I assume a product or service with no reviews is either new, so no one has bought it, or unpopular, in the sense that no one liked it much, but no one hated it enough to be bothered to scathe (yes, that really is a word!)
Actually, no reviews doesn’t really mean either of those things, though I myself assume so when I’m the customer, as comparing the number of reviews we got to the number of copies sold, it was always evident that only a small percentage of people would leave one.
In the same way, maybe three or four thousand people will read so far in this particular article, and I publish three each week, but a month can go by without anyone commenting, either to say something nice or to tell me I’m up myself.
Nevertheless, with the extensive back catalog (we have hundreds of ebook titles now), sales of new titles running at between twenty and fifty in the first week (plus the cross-sells, remember), the number of ebooks being bought and read were such that even with a ‘review hit rate’ of just a few percent, reviews were coming in regularly. Which was appreciated!
And then, just like that, at the end of June, they stopped!
There were three reviews on June 24th, one on the 25th, and one on the 26th.
Anita wrote one on July 5th, then nothing until Elsa (an angel) reviewed Turandot on November 10th, more than four months later.
Of course, I suspected a technical fault (sometimes websites break when software is updated), but even though I tested the system several times, I couldn’t pin it down.
I sighed, and hoped that it would fix itself. Often that happens, as other site owners figure out there’s a problem and pressure the people who wrote the code to fix it.
Two days after Angel Elsa, Angel Karen left a review, too. Which I didn’t agree with, but hey, that’s the point of reviews – to give people a chance to say what they think, and maybe warn others.
So, some relief over at ebooks HQ! But then?
DIDDLY-SQUAT, for four more weeks!
Until Angel Elsa popped up again, to write (about Rigoletto this time): “I thoroughly recommend this series of books.”
So here we are, with just the very occasional heavenly apparitions, in particular from one spirit who seems to have become detached from the herd.
But for the rest? From July 1st until today, approximately 1500 ebooks have been sold, for a value of around £10,000, and there were just FOUR reviews?
Boh. Has to be a technical problem…
Or the post-pandemic effect.
Or people must really hate me!
If anyone has a theory, do please leave a comment on this article (rather than emailing, so saving me a lot of work).
That way at least we can see that the comments function (reviews are a type of comment) is working!
A lunedì.
P.S. ‘La traviata’ -25% ends Sunday night!
Don’t forget the 25% discount on ‘La traviata‘, the latest in our series of ‘easy reader’ ebooks based on famous Italian operas. The launch offer ends on Sunday night sometime (Dec. 11th).
The first of these we did was a simplified text + audio version of Nabucco, one of composer Verdi’s most famous operas. Next we did Puccini’s romantic classic, Turandot, then another Puccini weepy, La Bohème, and back to Verdi, and his Rigoletto.
This week yet more Verdi.
So what’s ‘La traviata‘ about, then?
Beautiful Violetta enjoys a busy life of friends, parties and luxuries, thanks to the support of a rich, older man. She sees no need for true love, at least until she receives bad news from her doctor, and is introduced to Alfredo…
Why not begin with our ‘easy reader’ ebook before seeking out a recording of the opera on Youtube? It’ll help! Or just use this original Italian reading/listening practice material to add a little variety to your study program.
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters (based on the act structure of the opera) to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at pre-intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
This being the first week, La traviata is 25% discounted, so just £5.99 rather than the usual ‘easy reader’ ebook price of £7.99.
Do check out the FREE sample chapter (.pdf) before you buy a copy, though. That way, you’ll know whether the level is suitable and that the format works on the device you intend to use it on.
Buy La traviata just £5.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | Opera ebooks | Catalog
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally, immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook (.mobi/Kindle-compatible, .epub) cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them.
P.P.S.
Have you read/listened to Thursday’s bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news?
It’s FREE!
+++
OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
Catherine says
Thank you for your insight into ‘publishing’! I do always read your letters; some more interesting than others (I do have Roomies of my own….) TIME and unfamiliarity with dealing with ‘tech’ is the reason for my silence. Perhaps not much help to you knowing this, but we are out there in the ether! Please carry on!
Daniel says
As I wrote, Catherine, 95% of people don’t leave reviews. That seems to be a fact of life, unfortunately. This for whatever reason, including not really knowing how to – though we do send instructions, with pictures!
Today, though, I was lamenting the disappearance of the other 5%…
Lynne says
Often when I don’t respond to the ‘please leave a review’ request it’s because I’ve bought he book but haven’t got round to reading it yet as life has got in the way. In fact I have several lying around on my iPad or kindle waiting to be read. You’ve prompted me to get on with it!
Daniel says
Good to know, Lynne! Grazie.
Rob Mansell says
Hi Daniel,
At the risk of being ‘scathed’ I thought I’d give you some feedback so that you can confirm that your system is working.
Your eBooks sample chapter and link to the audio for the whole book is incredibly generous!
I think the price for the eBook, however, given its length, is high, even when discounted by 25%.
You’ve probably tried it before but what about bundling say 5 eBooks into omnibuses for £9.99 each. Just an idea.
I await the scathe!
Rob
Daniel says
Your opinion is perfectly valid, Rob, and I appreciate you taking the time to communicate it.
Easy reader ebook pricing is based on real world comparisons – a number of educational publishers (Oxford University Press, Black Cat, Macmillan, etc.) publish easy readers for language learners, and price them as we do. Sometimes longer stories cost more and shorter ones less, sometimes a publisher chooses to price texts at every level, whether long or short, at the same point, so as to reflect the equal value to the learner.
If I go to my local bookstore, I get to choose from a range of easy readers in Spanish or French from several publishers, which I regard as a huge learning opportunity and one I would exploit if I had more time. Certainly the price point (between 8 and 10 euros) wouldn’t put me off, given that I’d get hours of useful learning from each one.
We do have ‘bundles’ by the way. There’s one with eighteen ebooks at different levels discounted 50% compared to buying them individually. We run four 20% coupon code promotions each year, and often people buy the bundles, which are already discounted, using the coupon code (18 x £7.99 = £143.82, discounted 50% is £71.91, less 20% is £57.53…) That brings the cost of an ebook down to £3.20. Find genuine (if dated) customer reviews here: https://easyreaders.org/product/eighteen-italian-easy-readers-half-price/#reviews
The bundles are clearly signposted in our Catalog page, under ‘multipacks’. https://easyreaders.org/catalogue/
Thanks again for your feedback!
Roberto says
It’s probably similar to my relationship with Amazon/Kindle; buy it when it becomes available or there’s a special offer so that you can read it when you have time. Then the requests for reviews start arriving – but I haven’t had time to read it yet! Hopefully, I shall get through my backlog before “Old Nick” taps me on the shoulder, otherwise it will be an awful waste – but hey I’ve done my bit to keep the economy turning over!
Daniel says
Yes, I’m sure that’s a factor for some people, Roberto. But for reviews to dry up so suddenly? This can’t be the whole reason. Thanks so much for leaving a comment, by the way!
Mayken says
Hello Daniel,
Maybe it’s the mails that arrive a little while after the purchase to ask the purcjaser to leave a reiview? I mean, maybe they aren’t being sent any more.
I remember them because they said “Not ready to review yet? Consider doing so later” of something like that. I thought that nice because it takes me some tkme to get around to reading, and mostly I wasn’t ready to review when that mail arrived.
Maybe the system has stopped sending them?
Daniel says
Ciao Mayken
The system was set to follow up a purchase with a review request 14 days later, and then stop, so clearly that wouldn’t work for some people, but did work well for others. Until the end of June, at least.
While trying to ‘fix’ it, I tested it by buying things myself, waiting for the automated ‘please review’ email, and responding with a test review (later deleted, obviously) as asked. Everything worked as it should, which was a disaster, as that way I had no explanation.
More recently I think I changed the time lapse, and added a second ‘please review’ email, just to see if that would help. So far, it hasn’t!!
Lynne F says
Ciao Daniel. it was interesting reading today about publishing and reviews. This year I have bought several e-books to read at a later date I have written reviews for 2 of them and they have not appeared. The first one I thought maybe I forgot to press send so did it again and more recently sent one but they haven’t appeared. Previously I have had reminders to review even though I had already written one, so maybe there has been a glitch But don’t worry I will continue to buy ,read and listen to the e-books
Daniel says
Ciao Lynne,
The last review I see associate with the email address you used for this comment was back in February. https://easyreaders.org/product/la-diaspora-italiana-italiani-in-spagna-b2/#reviews
I’d dearly liked to have known that you had subsequently tried to leave one or more reviews but that they hadn’t appeared. It would have helped confirm that there actually was a problem (because I haven’t been able to replicate it…)
If you’re willing to try again, please do so. And maybe let me know via an email that you have done so. If I don’t then see it in the system (I publish all reviews that I see, except spam), then I can seek technical support.
Thanks for commenting, by the way!
Lynne F says
Hi Daniel This morning I posted a review for “Vita in Trincea” I hope it has arrived.. I also sent you an email I am hoping that too has arrived It was an email address from a few years ago so I hope you haven’t changed it
Daniel says
Both review and email arrived Lynne, and I have replied to the email. Many thanks for taking the time to help. I appreciate it!
Galina says
Ciao a tutti!
Sono Galina dalla Russia.
Per prima cosa, vorrei ricordarvi una barzelletta.
Il bambino di 5 anni continua a non parlare. Mamma, papà, nonna – tutti sono molto preoccupati. Un giorno a pranzo il bamnino dice improvvisamente “Il cibo non è salato!” Tutti: “OMG! Stai parlando! Perché non hai detto niente per 5 anni?” Bambino: “Finora è andato tutto bene!”
You know, when I choose a hotel for my vacation, I always read reviews of other tourists about the hotel I’m interested in. I’m very grateful to the people who leave such reviews, but… shame on me!… almost never do it myself. The only review that I wrote in one appropriate site was absolutely negative, I described one hotel that was really bad and where I was not provided with the services stated in the description of the hotel. I just wanted to warn other people about possible opportunity that their vacation in that hotel ($ 800 pro room per week) could be badly spoiled.
OK, what I talk about? Listen Daniel, may be the fact that most people don’t leave their review about your e-books, is not too bad? May be, it means that “finora è andato tutto bene”? Just a version.
Ciao!
Daniel says
Complimenti per il tuo italiano, Galina.
And thanks for your views on leaving reviews, which I’m sure are shared by many.
Personally, I think that bad reviews, if meant to inform and done honestly, can be incredibly helpful. I’ve often tried to give feedback to customer service when things have gone wrong, but been totally ignored, which is a depressing, and more or less confirms that a company’s problems are not an accident. Telling people about something like that is a public service!
Nevertheless, we used to get reviews regularly, but then they just stopped, as I described. So not like the boy in your joke, really…
Isabel says
I was hoping someone else would comment & suggest this before me ‘cos it sounds a bit mad (or bat-shit crazy) but … maybe it’s some kind of weird after effect of Covid when so much of life was changed to online or on hold and web learning was the only way and Zoom meetings were the only meetings etc and some angelic people are maybe tired of putting themselves out there in cyber space and only do it now if they absolutely have no choice.
Of course some people went the other way – and are still living in an online world of wacko conspiracies but it’s unlikely they’d have been part of the 5% reviewing the Easy Readers (although it might be really divertente if they did)
Feel free to shoot me down in flames – it’s late at night here & I should not still be up.
Daniel says
If it’s not a technical problem, then it’s likely what you say, Isabel, real life being restored, online life put on a back-burner. Our Italian school has been doing well since the lockdowns ended, so it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, I suppose. But if it’s a technical glitch…
David says
Dear Daniel, I read your informative piece on publishing with great interest and was impressed all over again at how blessed we are to have your sacrificial commitment to promoting our language studies. As an enthusiastic, although being close to my dotage, not a talented student of Italian (one face to face weekly group class and one online group) I am immensely grateful for the efforts you and your team make to keep our studies incentivised. Thank you for that, and for the present splendid opera series, and “Easy-Italian-News-punto-com”, and for those of us who have been privileged to sample your Madrelingua language school first hand a Bologna, your very inspiring and charming teachers; and your cheery, thrice-weekly posts …..essetera, essetera, essetera!
Daniel says
Many thanks for the kind comments David! (Now how about reviewing the ebooks??)
David says
“Guilty as charged, m’Lud”
In his defence the prisoner would like to amend his ways and will respond positively to the next request!
GAIL says
Your website must have caught BIG C. and is now in the long C phase 😉 buona guarigione!
Daniel says
It’s a thought, Gail. I guess I should have made sure it was vaccinated and boosted. Thanks for your contribution!
Margaret says
Hi Daniel, I’m also guilty of buying and not reviewing. And I’m embarrassed by my reason: I buy books and stories because I think they look interesting, even though they are way ahead of my current level. Basically, I am stockpiling them for future “growth.” Obviously the embarrassment comes from not advancing as quickly as I would like.
Daniel says
I pay for a subscription to Le Monde, each month, and haven’t read a word of French for weeks, Margaret. So don’t feel bad. But don’t buy things you’re not going to use, huh? Use what you have, and we also offer lots of free stuff, too.
Buono studio!
Margaret says
It keeps me going–knowing that I have them, and i WILL read them. I’ve used your free stuff as well–and thank you for being a great resource!
Celia Sheldon says
Hi Daniel just letting you know I read your article and wanted to say I suspect it’s a technical issue as to why you’re not receiving reviews. Doesn’t really make sense otherwise. . I appreciate your insights each week, Thankyou for your commentary. Cheers
Daniel says
That’s what I thought, Celia, but I couldn’t replicate it. Which is the first step to understanding and fixing it.
Thanks for the suggestion, and the positive feedback!
Patricia Milling says
Might be a much simpler answer than you think. In UK if one buys anything, a packet of screws, some pencils or a cashmere jumper, we are immediately asked to rate the purchase and review. We are all so sick of this nonsense that probably everyone has given up replying. This is not meant to reflect on the quality of your books just an observation.
Daniel says
It could be that, Patricia, though only a segment of our ebook buyers are in the UK. The fact is, it happened very suddenly, so while your theory might be a significant contributing factor, it doesn’t seem likely that’s the whole explanation.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, though!
Scott Reeves says
I think maybe Gremlins hacked your website 😂
Anywho, I do enjoy reading your weekly emails. They crack me up.
Have a great weekend
Daniel says
Gremlins hacked my life, Scott, in the form of Roomie, thanks to whom I no longer have the energy and time to get much done.
Buon fine settimana anche a te!
Zsuzsanna Snarey says
Hello Daniel,
I am sorry for not leaving reviews more often. I have just written one for Verdi, one of my favourite composers. I have also bought Nabucco, La Traviata, Rigoletto, and La Boheme, but I have not even looked at them yet. I promise to write about them when I do.
Daniel says
That would be wonderful, Zsuzsanna, thanks!
Also for the review of the Verdi story, which is now visible.
Anita says
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your interesting email re publishing ebooks and reviews.
I am one of those guilty as charged – I buy the books and listen to them all the way through, as and when I purchase them. I then put them aside to read and listen properly and do the exercises. I have ‘flagged’ your reminders to review – quite a few on my ‘to do list’ and I promise I will get round to doing them. So, many apologies!
May I just add a huge thank you to yourself and all your team for everything you do. This is an amazing website and I really appreciate it – ebooks, grammar hints, especially the history section. I loved the Roma, Medioevo and Rinascimento series.
I look forward to starting the opera series – I have just bought La Traviata and will make a start on La Bohéme today!
Have a great Christmas!
Daniel says
Thanks for writing, Anita!
I’m happy to hear that someone likes the history series, as I have two more summers’-worth to come, which I already paid for, back in the pandemic, when the writer needed income.
Buon Natale anche a te!
Christiane Bonham says
OK Daniel you have shamed me into leaving a review, was that the intention?
Your tri-weekly articles amuse me and enthuse me and occasionally, as a result I buy one of your e-books (having cleared my browsing history to ensure ease of delivery!)
I am currently almost at the end of my second course of 1-1 classes and find that I am much more confident in my Italian. I would highly recommend these courses
Daniel says
‘Encourage and inform’, Chistiane, rather than ‘shame’, so it partly worked! This is a comment, not a review, and is of course welcome in any case – thank you! But if you wanted to give feedback that other potential customers could see, then that needs to be done on the ebook site, on the page for the ebook you purchased (you should have received an automated email telling you how), and/or on the lessons site.
Thanks anyway!