Lean Publishing Tip of the Day: Getting Feedback from Readers
From the first time you hit the publish button, through every time you add a new published chapter to your book, you are creating new opportunities for people to let you know what they think.
A key step in the Lean Publishing process is getting feedback from readers throughout the writing process.
From the first time you hit the publish button, through every time you add a new published chapter to your book, you are creating new opportunities for people to let you know what they think.
An Old-Fashioned Way to Get Feedback
Probably the most common way authors get feedback from readers is just old-fashioned email.
Authors might set up a special email address just for feedback about their book, and then share that email address in a foreword at the beginning of their book, asking for feedback.
Email is great for fostering one-on-one conversation as well as very specific feedback.
For example, an email subject might be as basic as “There’s a typo on page 32 of your book”.
Emails let you thank readers with a personal reply, which people love, and confirmation that you’ve read their feedback.
Leanpub’s Contact the Author(s) Feature
We have a feature that lets readers contact Leanpub authors in a way that does not automatically share your email addresses with each other.
Essentially, it’s up to them whether they share their email address with you when they send you a message, and they only see your email address if you choose to reply.
Pointing readers to this feature is a great way to get feedback that’s a little more indirect and informal than sharing email addresses.
Just Asking for Feedback on Social Media
One way authors interact with readers is by being open and active on social media.
This comes with some obvious risks, but also a lot of potential reward, as you meet new people from all around the world and all walks of life.
