Investing in readers: a new approach to audience development
Rachel Van Riel www.openingthebook.com
Š Opening the Book Ltd
Traditional model of audience development
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Reader development model
Is the best way of supporting writers to find them an audience?
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Example: Give me a break
• National promotion devised with libraries across Wales • Current paperbacks in Welsh and English offering different kinds of break
• Targeted to 20-30s - how does reading fit in their lives? • Book displays in libraries plus a website
© Opening the Book Ltd
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The reading experience • The reader-centred approach sells the reading experience and what it can do for you, rather than selling individual books or writers. • This builds the audience for books by moving readers beyond brand loyalty to individual writers, developing confidence and interest in trying something new.
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• Free spirit
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Changing the culture of public libraries
• Move from passive provision of books and computers to actively engaging the audience • 12,000 library staff in UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia have taken Opening the Book online training • Explosion of conversations, displays, reading groups, websites, events, promotions, outreach projects
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Changing libraries from control and process‌
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‌ to imagination and engagement
A new school where the first intake of 57 children speak 33 languages Š Opening the Book Ltd
Furniture helps audience development
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Recommended by a reader at this library
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Reader to reader • Word of mouth is the best promotion there is • Use what people say • Comments in books, on Readers’ noticeboard, on websites • Returned books • Pictures of readers • Book chains • Reading groups
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Use real people • Write down what people say in their own words • Can be small – passport-size photos with postits on a noticeboard
• Can be large – on the end of a bay of books • Use on noticeboards, on websites, in local newspapers, on websites, at the bottom of emails © Opening the Book Ltd
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Using real readers to promote to other readers
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Reader-centred promotion in Danish libraries
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Reader-centred booklists
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Outside the library • Look for situations where people will pick up a book • Create small manageable choices • Make sure there are a range of reading experiences on offer
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North Wales cancer treatment centre • Modern building, all facilities • Day patients stay up to 7 hours and come on repeat visits • Pleasant environment but reading matter limited to Readers’ Digest and out-of-date women’s magazines
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The reader-centred approach • Look for situations where people are ready to engage • Many people are aware that their power with words does not match the strength of their feelings • This is a great route into poetry
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All the best • Tempting book display at the library • Staff training to help people find poems
• Postcard poems used outside the library, for example in Registrar’s Offices (births, marriages, deaths) and florists
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Reader-centred websites
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Whichbook.net • Starts from the reader and what you want from the reading experience • Combines smart technology with individual readers to deliver depth and quality • Averages 90,000 visits per month • Runs as WelkBoek in Netherlands and Ønskebok in Norway ran for 5 years • Unique – it does things Amazon can’t do © Opening the Book Ltd
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Starting from your users
• Raise people’s confidence and enjoyment in reading and the internet • Open up reading and information choices
• Offer opportunities to share reading and website experiences • Grow your audience through investing in them
© Opening the Book Ltd
Investing in readers: a new approach to audience development
Rachel Van Riel www.openingthebook.com follow@RachelVanRiel
Š Opening the Book Ltd