Tracking Bookworms With ‘Reader Analytics’

The advent of the electronic book has given some publishers a new data stream as they attempt to divine reader preferences. Indeed, the emerging field of “reader analytics” is being used to gauge “engagement” as publishers try to figure out which books actually get read from cover to cover.

Major e-book retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) along with Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) collect encyclopedias of reader data on their platforms. Thus far, publishers don’t have access to the data. Hence, publishing data is largely limited to book sales, reviews, talk-show interviews and plain old word of mouth.

Among the early practitioners of “reader analytics” is Jellybooks, whose service has been described as “Google Analytics for e-books.” The service offers subscribers free e-books and access to what amount to review copies of books. In return, subscribers agree to click a “sync reading stream” feature so Jellybooks can determine reading habits like how long readers read in a single sitting, whether they skip around and whether they actually finish reading books?

These data represent a gold mine for publishers trying to figure what books and genres will succeed, whether to fork over large advances to authors or, for example, whether to pass on the next story on a crime or mystery series.

The free e-books come embedded with JavaScript used to track reader habits. At the end of each chapter, readers click a button that connects and syncs them with Jellybook’s analytics.

Key metrics tracked by the reader analytics tool include: completion rate, velocity, or the time required to finish a book; and whether those who actually finished reading a book would recommend it to others.

Readers “who do not finish books do not recommend them,” Jellybooks Founder Andrew Rhomberg told a recent digital book conference.

Publishing web sites like this one also use various metrics like page views and click rates to figure out what readers like, how long they stay on sites and how they find individual stories. These data are used to gauge sought-after “reader engagement” in the same way Nielsen ratings were long used to measure TV audiences and their preferences.

London-based Jellybooks reportedly tests about 200 books from unnamed U.S. and European publishers. Its sample size ranges up to 600 readers. According to the New York Times, Rhomberg reported during a workshop at a recent digital book conference fewer than half the books tested were finished by most readers. Meanwhile, only 5 percent of books tested were finished by more than three-quarters of readers.

One takeaway is that readers appear to have shorter attention spans. On the other hand, skeptics note that it is easier to give up on a dull plot when you didn’t have to pay for the book in the first place. As one commenter asked in response to Times report, “Does it really matter to the publisher if the reader finishes the book if the purchase has already been made?”

In response to another commenter worried that “reader analytics” tools like Jellybooks might further homogenize book publishing, Rhomberg countered, “Actually, it’s all about connecting books to the right audience.”

And for those worried about someone “reading over their shoulder,” there are always printed books.

Recent items:

Data Analytics Powers ‘Next Big Book’

Can Algorithms Be Authors? One May Be Coming to Your Pocket Soon