Think Like A Reader
Do you know how your readers habits?
Unless you are writing purely for yourself, in which case there is no point in publishing your work anyway, there comes a point when you need to think like a reader. So when, where and how is your ideal reader reading?
Toilet Reads
My grandfather used to disappear into the toilet with a newspaper and a packet of cigarettes and was not seen again until an irate and desperate member of the family banged on the door shouting, “How much longer are you going to be in there?” This was before broadsheet newspapers realised that they needed to adapt to their readers’ habits and shrunk to tabloid size. Shorter, snappier stories with more pictures that could be read in the time it takes to have a shit have always been the format of traditional tabloid newspapers in the UK.
Now we all read on phones but the same principle applies. Are your stories toilet reads or do they require a longer commitment and which do your readers want?
I find reading longer stories on a phone daunting. Small screens contain fewer words so the reading mountain I have to climb appears larger. I often read longer stories on my laptop, but will only read books on a Kindle or similar and, if given a choice, have a preference for a ‘proper’ hard copy.
When I first wrote this in 2024, stats for my website told me that around two-thirds of my readers were using a desktop. Factors such as layout, search engines and demographics will influence this, but I also write mid-length stories so many of my readers may have had similar preferences to me.
In 2026, 63% are using a phone. I have always tried to pack as much as I can into as few words as possible. Now, making every word count is even more important for online publishing.
I grew up reading books; there was no digital option, so to me, there is something comforting about a physical, paper book. It is not just that its batteries never go flat, there is that feeling of knowing exactly where you are in the reading process and, with the aid of a bookmark, you can open it up in the same place.
E-books will return you to the point you stopped reading and show you a percentage read but it is not quite the same as looking at the wad of pages still to read.
All the episodes of my serials are now listed on a contents page. The idea being that readers who have paid good money to read my stories can find the next installment in a couple of clicks by going to Erotic Serial Stories and clicking on the serial they are reading.
Is Length Important?
Chapters in modern books are often a lot shorter than they were in Dickens’ time. They are designed, by many authors, to accommodate our disjointed lives.
When reading longer stories on Substack or Medium it can be very difficult to stop and come back to the same place. The author has to strike a bargain with me; they have to convince me in the first paragraph or so that this story is going to be interesting enough for me to set aside time to read it.
Read more about story length.
Alternatively, they can split the story into short sections or chapters and publish them as a series. Each of these needs to end with a question. In the past I have referred to these endings as ‘a cliff-hanger’ but it does not need to be that dramatic; a simple, what will the character do next, how will they react, what is around the corner, will keep the reader engaged.
If you put a question in the reader’s mind they will continue reading or bookmark your story to come back to it.
More about writing serial stories.
How Often Do I Do It?
Reading is like sex - some people like to do it every day, sometimes a quickie several times a day, others like to spend a bit longer doing it but only get the chance once or twice a week. Some couples plan date nights. The sense of anticipation becomes part of the enjoyment. This is what your readers need to feel about your stories.
When I settle down with a good book I do not want it to end. I want to know how the story ends, what is the resolution to the problems or questions the author has imposed on their characters, but if I am enjoying the experience I find my reading slows as I approach those final pages.
When the book is finished the natural thing to do, if I enjoyed the experience, would be to pick up another by the same author, but I am fickle, promiscuous even. My mood changes Maybe now I want something rougher, more pacey, or something new and challenging, or slow and languid to sink into like a soft duvet.
Stellar authors publishing physical books have the advantage. Writing 50,000+ words, editing, compiling and producing each book takes time - around a year. Their legions of fans are slavering with expectation by the time it hits the shelves.
The rest of us, down here in the engine room feel the need to keep shovelling coal on the fire. The ship is going flat out. Many writers I follow produce so much content that I cannot keep up. When I look at their back catalogue of stories there are hundreds, sometimes even a thousand to choose from. My brain tells me that any writer who has knocked out several hundred stories in the space of a year cannot have put the same care and craft into every one. Yes, there will be gems in there somewhere, but can I be bothered to sort through them (the answer is no).
Platforms like Medium and Substack do not help. They promote the latest new shiny thing and bury yesterday’s gold nuggets. If an author does not publish something regularly they drop off a reader’s radar.
This is probably influenced by search engine algorithms that are continually searching for the new and updated. New stuff equals hits, traffic and money flowing into the platform’s coffers - great for them, not so good for writers or readers looking for something published a few years ago.
Shakespeare last published 400 years ago and Dickens 150 years ago and neither has updated since then, but we still read them.
Less well known authors can quickly vanish; even finding a list of who I subscribe to on Substack has taken a bit of searching and is non-existent on Medium (there is a list of the 700 I follow but it is not in alphabetical order - I know I can search but that requires me to remember the writers name and any quirky spellings they may have used).
Creating An Itch
I get immersed in the stories I am writing just as if I am reading them. I find it very difficult to hop from story to story or subject to subject. I always have several projects bubbling away. When I get to the point where one of those stories grabs me and sucks me in then that is the one I concentrate on.
I tend to read pieces by writers whose emails drop into my inbox once or twice a week or less. I also pick those who have created that itch to read their next story or the next episode of a serial.
We are all different, so examine your own reading habits and try and imagine those of your readers and work towards them.
Want to know who creates an itch and then scratches it?
Recommended Reads
I haven’t done a recommended reads for a while. I notice in one of my first posts that I hoped to publish one every two weeks so - two years later. I find it difficult to find, or rather re-find stuff on Substack, so here are a few I’ve managed to pin down. As far as I know all are free to read.
More about writing with the emphasis on erotica
Writing About Writing
I am not a self-proclaimed expert on writing erotica. I do have a second life as a creative writing tutor which means I know a bit about the writing process. These articles give some insight as to what works for me. All writers are different, adapt my ideas, ignore them or do the opposite, as long as it works for you.
Serial Stories
My stories are about strong, confident, often dominant women. Even if they submit, it is on their terms as they explore new experiences, new relationships, new passions.
Thanks Simone, I never really thought of writing that way. I figured if it keeps my interest as a writer then it will hold true for others too. This is good to think about.
Well summarised Simone- like how you’ve demonstrated what impact your personal preferences have on how & when you read. A very interesting article- saving for later 😌