Readers quit reading for a lot of reasons.
So why do they quit on you?
Maybe they’re bored.
Maybe they’re busy and lose interest.
And maybe – dare I say it – they don’t like the story.
Perhaps this has happened to you.
You shared a story – emailed it to your fans, posted it on social media, printed copies for everyone you know – and got crickets in return.
If you did get feedback, it was lukewarm or vague.
“I liked it…. Yeah, it was pretty good.”
Ever heard that one?
Or how about this one?
“It was a little slow… but I liked the characters.”
Have you ever gotten a bland reception to your story?
I have, and it sucks. You don’t know what to do. You don’t know what steps to take.
And you feel like a failure.
So what should you do?
That’s the tough part.
Many writing coaches out there would advise you to write something in a popular genre. “Study the Top 100 on Amazon,” they’ll say. “Write what readers are buying!”
But for every title in the Top 100, there are thousands far outside of it that probably tell the exact same story, with carbon-copy characters.
Copying other successful writers isn’t satisfying, and it’s almost never successful.
Other coaches may offer to read your book and give you feedback – for a small fortune.
But that isn’t practical – nor is it fulfilling. Sure, you want feedback, but don’t you want to climb this mountain yourself?
It seems like there’s a rising flood of content on the internet that’s designed to help writers…
…but none of it does.
Sure, it’ll teach you to blog, and sell, and create online courses, and freelance, and every damned thing with an internet connection – but it won’t help you accomplish your storytelling goals.
So you keep writing and publishing – hoping your readers will love and share.
But those crickets keep chirping.
So what should you do now?
Here’s a nugget of truth that lots of other writing coaches won’t tell you, because it doesn’t generate clicks:
Writing is really, really hard.
Telling a story isn’t simple.
That’s why millions try it, and only a few privileged thousand sell their stories to thousands of raving fans.
Writing books is just like losing weight, running a marathon, quitting a habit, and starting a business – it takes discipline.
Here’s a good way to think of discipline:
Discipline = Choosing Self-Denial x Time
Discipline doesn’t happen.
Discipline is achieved. It is earned.
And so are the riches and rewards of writing great stories that get shared like viral videos.
What does a disciplined writer do, then?
In a word: Learn.
To become the best writer you can be – the writer they love – you must understand who your readers are, and what they expect in a good story.
Readers don’t quit without reason.
Even if they “forget” to continue reading, there’s a good reason they forgot.
Now, there will always be the persistent “non-reader” who gives a book a shot and doesn’t finish it. My best friend Josh is this way – my novel, The Bean of Life, is still in the back seat of his Toyota.
But avid readers never quit without good reason.
It’s not a conscious decision (usually), but it can be.
And your job is to investigate your story like a detective and find any gap in its principles that could allow your reader to think, “Meh.”
The first tough choice
The first difficult choice you’ll have to make, then, is to get some training.
No man is an island. You need community.
You need a coach.
But the last thing you want is a drill sergeant to yell at you about your favorite hobby. You also don’t want to drop a small fortune to get some tips on how to revolutionize your creative life.
(You probably want to get started fast, too.)
Good news: I’ve got something just for you.
The 10 Reasons Readers Quit Your Book
For the next 10 weeks, I’d like to take you on a journey into the secret world of the reader’s mind.
I want to show you how a story functions like a machine.
I want you to get your hands dirty.
This book is the real deal.
In 10 Reasons, you’ll learn:
- The SECRET expectations every reader brings to a story
- The psychology REASONS your story isn’t meeting readers’ expectations, allowing them to quit your book
- The simple, common-sense STORY SECRETS to each of these Reasons that readers quit your book that will WIN them back as loyal fans
So I’ll be posting 1 Reason and Story Hack each week for the next 10 weeks.
And then I’ll remind you that you don’t have to wait for the next post, because you can get all 10 Reasons and Story Hacks in my free book, The 10 Reasons Readers Quit Your Book (and How to Win Them Back) today!
Seriously.
You won’t regret it. I promise.
Here’s what to do
It’s time to take the next step.
It’s time to revolutionize your storytelling and become the writer you were meant to be.
But you have to take the first step.
You have to be hungry enough.
You have to be brave enough.
This journey isn’t easy. Even at the end, storytelling will still be really, really hard.
But it will be more fun than you’ve ever known.
Because when you tell stories that work, stories that matter, and stories that readers love, you’ll see the horizon open up for you. Dreams will become reality. Impossibilities will lose their armor.
You’ll be a writer that they love.
So join hundreds of fellow authors today. It’s 100% free. Just dive in, get the free book, and start learning how to tell stories the way they were made to be told.
