An article in today’s Australian newspaper has prompted me to re-think exactly how much my e-reader knows about me and how little I know about the technology that is used to monitor the book apps I’ve downloaded on my iPad and iPhone.
Today’s article, “Your e-book is reading you” (which I think is a reprint of an article in the WSJ – the link to which is here.) highlights the amazing amount of data these kind of devices can provide not just about what you are reading but how. Gone are the days when no one knew when you skipped the boring bits, abandoned a literary classic or got totally bogged down and bored. Instead (apparently) your e-reader knows:
- How fast you read the book and when you slowed down, skipped bits, or stopped reading it altogether
- Which passages you highlighted or bookmarked
- How many times you opened a book and how long you read it for
- How quickly you purchased/downloaded a sequel after finishing a book
I have to say, I never really thought about my e-reader gathering such data, but now this information is proving invaluable to sellers as well as publishers. They can now use this knowledge to gain insight into your reading habits. They can tell when a reader’s interest tends to drop off, when a series might be flagging and the kinds of books readers consume in one sitting versus those which tend to get read in fits and starts (most non-fiction, apparently gets read this way).
This information can also be very specific and some publishers are even conducting market tests in which readers can customize elements of the book – from the level and intensity of love scenes (!) to which of three potential suitors a female protagonist chooses. At one level this smacks of commercial dilution of the creative process (rather like writing a book by committee!) but obviously this kind of analysis is proving invaluable for publishers (and writers) on exactly what readers want. By looking at the pace with which books are read and the places where readers get bogged down or bored, publishers can also glean when a writer is losing a reader’s interest.
For instance, for Suzanne Collins’ hugely successful Hunger Games trilogy publishers found out:
- It takes the average reader 7 hours to read the final book on the Kobo e-reader (which equates to about 57 pages an hour)
- That 18,000 Kindle readers highlighted the same line in the second book – “because sometimes things happen to people and they’re not equipped to deal with them”
- On Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader, the first thing most people did upon finishing the first book in the trilogy was to download the next one.
Obviously this kind of data makes it clear why the series is so popular – readers read it voraciously and then immediately want to read the next installment. But how do you feel about your e-reader knowing that much about your reading habits?
Do you consider it an invasion of privacy? I for one would prefer no one knew which bits I skim over, especially if I’m reading some impressive high-brow literary tome:) As a writer, though, I can imagine this information could provide an amazing insight into what my readers liked and disliked about my books. At the same time this feels kind of scary and, dare I say it, a bit depressing too (knowing Big Brother is watching what everyone is reading in such detail). What do you think, should we be scared or exhilarated by the prospect?
Very interesting…
I don’t find the gathering of data that troubling, but rather what the gatherers might do with it. If it’s used to limit writers in any way.
If you put the creation of fiction in the hands of readers by giving them the power to decide exactly what is written, I am certain the overall quality of fiction will be greatly reduced in time. Let’s not forget, however smart readers are, it’s also the books that are made available to them that elevate their capacity of perceiving quality & I’ll say it, their intelligence, through training their minds. At least that’s how it was in my case. Books made me smarter and made me love smarter books. !
The revelation that “On Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader, the first thing most people did upon finishing the first [Hunger Games] book in the trilogy was to download the next one” made me think of the time I finished the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There was no eMarketing back then, and no eReaders, just a teenager finishing a book on a snowy January afternoon and wanting the next one so bad he walked two miles through the snow storm to borrow the next book from his neighbor.
An eReader could never harvest that sort of data.
(Sorry, that was a bit off topic; I’m through strolling down memory lane now. Carry on.)
If they are selling this insider data, they should give the ereaders away, in payment for the invasion of privacy. Or allow a reader a choice to become a part of the “experiment” or not. All this data gathering & linking is Big Brother watching & goes against the personal liberties we cherish in this country. We have no “expectation of privacy” even in our own homes–while corporations profit off their secret spying.
Once you buy an ereader, how is it that the data you generate is not your private info? What strings are attached without the consumer having a choice on their participation? And where will all this spying for profit end?
Great post, Clare.
Jordan, I believe when you get a kindle the amazon agreement has you agree on the data thing, but I’m not entirely sure. Doesn’t sound like there is any opt out provisions but it’s a prety hefty trade off for reading an ebook. My concern is that now they have data for example on the perfect type of hero (which apparently one imprint has supposedly gleaned from their data) then books will become more and more generic, catering to the ‘average” reader tastes, when we know that more often than not massive best sellers come out of left field. I hope the creative process isn’t stymied as taking risks is all part of the game – but also I’d really like the think that what I read and how I read it is my business and my business alone. I can see however how publishers and writers could use it to better understand their market – but I’m not sure that’s worth the price…i might have to investigate this issue further as I have to admit I hadn’t really considered some of these issues until I read this article.
I resent google’s invasion of my privacy. They are EVERYWHERE & own sister companies or make data sharing agreements to further entrench them in our lives. For every technological advance, there can be trade offs, but why don’t we have a choice?
You are probably right about the kindle agreement. Would I pay more for a device or a search engine with privacy? Yes.
If someone can glean a perfect hero off an ereader, then I’m glad there will be more indie authors. Talk about a formulaic nightmare.
Personally, having the e-reader collect that sort of data doesn’t bother me. As a writer however, I think anyone with an e-book published through any means ought to have access to the data on their book.
I think it’s very cool to learn that 18,000 readers keyed in on the same line in The Hunger Games. That is awesome information to know.
As to ‘perfect heroes’ and formulaic work–we are what we allow. In general, we are becoming a nation of tech-zombies. The other day at work I saw a family of 3 sitting together in the waiting room–mom, dad, son. Each sat with their legs crossed, not interacting with one another, but each holding up their phone device and completely engrossed in that little square object–not each other, not anyone else.
And they represent only a miniscule portion of zombie-land.
So in that context, while it’s not something I would go for, formulaic and choose-your-ending scenarios for books don’t seem that unlikely.
We’re the movie “Wall-e” in the making.
This bothers me as a reader far more than it excites me as a writer. That is an invasion of my privacy. The books I read/skip/skim/quit are nobody’s business. The book industry’s been doing well with a general knowledge of what readers like, but that is too far for me.
I’m so glad I still have a lot of print books where nobody can gather my reading habits.
I push myself to learn & try new things with every book. Knowing a specific line resonated with readers might inhibit the creative process for authors who are more interested in repeating that success, rather than being a trend setter. Whether an author thought they were above such influence or not, the brain might instinctively try to recreate what has worked before. What a nightmare!
I quit entering writing contests long ago because I saw how it influenced my writing into a “formula” that worked. I questioned my need for one level of success at the expense of my own personal gratification & creative challenge.
I actually like the idea of an interactive story with different outcomes based on choices a reader might make. That’s a very cool notion that has infinite possibility for the author, the reader, and the publisher. That would be a multi-level plot scenario that I would love to write.
I know I’m straying off topic, but there’s an underlying thread to this subject that is worth discussing. Some of this will end up in a book project I’m working on.
I suppose it’s possible to even unconsciously want to try to replicate a certain line or phrase’s success.
But I was thinking more along the lines that I write to try to make sense of people and make sense of life. And since it is typically reported that female readers make up the bulk of the reading audience, and since I often feel I don’t understand the female reader even though I am one myself, knowing what lines they are zeroing in on helps me to understand this mysterious element of the population.
That and I’m a data-geek. An analyzer at heart. So knowing these things about books is cool to me.
To limit privacy invasions (from both marketers and government), people who are worried about it will have to limit their overall use of electronic devices. Law enforcement can go back and subpoena Google searches and Tweets, even those you’ve deleted. (I shudder to think of the Google searches they’d find in the average thriller writer’s History tab!) Now ereaders can be added to the list. The ACLU is resisting these tactics in court, but it seems to be the trend of the future. One person who really understood his exposure to electronic data tracking, and got caught anyway, was Osama bin Laden. One errant cell phone call from a courier enabled us to bring him down.
I’m not worried about it.
I’d like to know more about reader choices and reactions. Who wouldn’t like to know how their “stuff” plays out there? You write some fabulous bit, then find out 90% of readers crashed and burned at that point. Nice feedback. Eh? I hope those stats will become available.
Thanks, Clare. Very interesting but not surprising, given what internet companies have been collecting for years. One of the great ironies here is that Google’s mantra supposedly is “don’t be evil” (a jab at Microsoft).
This is definitely a good news/bad news kind of story as other commenters have noted. What’s worst, to me, is that the data-gathering was being done without e-reader-users’ knowledge. That’s been a problem elsewhere and has only partially been addressed through opt-in/opt-out options. Then comes the question of how the data is being used and who’s profiting from it. If I as a writer CAN profit from this information, I want to have the opportunity, just like the e-reader companies do. Finally, it also raises (again) the questions of the distinction between privacy and anonymity and whether we’re confusing or conflating the two.
Welcome to the not-so-brave not-so-new world of the internet, eh?
Thanks, Claire. Very interesting post. This info gathering is everywhere, particularly with credit cards. I had a guy who does IT work for a bank spend an evening explaining to me how information collection is so fine-tuned that it can be determined what you are likely to order in a restaurant (and what place you prefer at a table!), what day of the week you are likely to go clothes shopping, and what advertisements catch your eye. The whole purpose is to tug you in a certain direction…and yes, I like being tugged, but only when I’m aware of it.
The only thing I would say that all the information isn’t accurate. I’ve started several books but stopped because I had to read one for review, or because it was a review book that was too soon to post a review for. Plus there are books that I would love to immediately download,but if it’s the same price as a paperback then I support my local BAM. I have mixed feeling about the info-gathering, but as long as they know it’s not accurate and the information helps, I can live with it.
As a writer it certainly would be interesting to know what bits readers skimmed (depressing but useful info nonetheless!) as a reader I don’t like the idea of someone reading over my shoulder at all. The thought of readers being able to choose how a story progresses or ends as they read reminds me of the choose your own adventures my son reads…they get very lame! Sometimes I learn more from a book that challenges my expectations and ends in a way I would have never expected. I guess it is a brave new world but for all the good data that might be generated I remain unconvinced that it’s worth the price we pay in terms of breach of privacy,possible censorship and the overall dumbing down of books.
The nice thing about such widespread use of technology and even techno snooping, is that when one is ready to disappear it is super easy…as long as you’re willing to live like Jeremiah Johnson. Can’t trace you via eReaders and phones if you ain’t gottem.
Of course, I don’t think there are too many these days who’d relish the idea of being off the grid in exchange for privacy.