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Collecting Reading Data

presented by

Andrew Rhomberg

CEO Jellybooks

@arhomberg

@Jellybooks

©Antonio Roselló

Part I

Why?©Li Dandan

The Unknown Reader…

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Despite the digital

transformation of the

publishing industry,

authors & publisher

still cannot measure

reader engagement!

Do consumers read

the books they buy?

It doesn‘t really matter, does it?

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If readers buy and pay

for books (revenue)

does it matter if they

read them or not

(engagement)?

Ah, but are publishers

selling paper or are they

offering entertainment

and education?©Frederic Bordoni

Part II

How to Collect Reading Data?

Online Content = Web Analytics

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• Google Analytics

• Kissmetrics

• Mixpanel

• Optimizely

• Adobe Site Catalyst

• Flurry Analytics

Use of log files

(Server), tracking

pixels und Javascript

tags for the collection

of data.

What is an E-Book?

• An E-Book is 90% HTML = “web page”

• Reading application (iBooks, Kindle) = “Browser”

But, but, but:

• server log files = Amazon, Apple, Google, etc.

And content is processed/read offline

• application logs = Apple, Amazon etc.

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Amazon, Apple & Google collect

vast amounts of reading app/device data,

but don‘t share this with publishers.

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Solution is…

3

10

3

=

HTML 5 + CSS 3 + JSA key feature of ePub 3 is the support for Javascript,

as well as HTML5 support for offline storage of data.

... and the data connection?

Engage readers!

When the reader clicks on a

link at end of chapter/book

(styled as a button), a data

connection with Jellybooks is

established = user opt-in

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Readers use familiar Apps

Test reader are recruited based on whether they

already used one of the apps supported by JBKS

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iBooks

iOS

ADE

Windows

Ebook Reader

Android

“Google Analytics for Ebooks”

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1. Modified ebook (ePub3 format) distributed to users,

who read on their existing reading device or app

2. Embedded Javascript software tracks (offline) reading

3. Readers click on button at end of chapter/end of

ebook to upload/sync data to Jellybooks

4. Data Visualisation for Author/Agent/Publisher

Part III

Execution

ePub Modification by Jellybooks

• We receive a regular ePub 3

file from publisher

• We modify it with candy.js to

record reading data

• We automatically insert sync

buttons to extract data

• We make sure user is aware

of the modification via

identifiers like “candy stripe”

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Format 1: Distribution via Email

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Format 2: Invitation-only Web Page

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Survey Follow-up

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not finishedfinished

Part IV

Visualising Data

KPIs of a Book

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1. Completion Rate

how many readers finish?

2. Velocity

fast read or slow read?

3. Recommendation factor

do readers rave or rant?

and more…

KPI – 1

Completion Rate

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

F

F

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

B

B

Displayed like Table of Contents

Each horizontal bar = completion

rate for a particular chapter

narrative

front- and back matter

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Completion Rateb

oo

k

cha

pte

rs

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Completion Rate - Example 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

35

B

B

B

20% drop off

within first 5

chapters - “not

my kind of book”

80% finish book,

straight through

24CR: 80% excellent CR: 62% very good

Completion Rate – Examples0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

35

B

B

B

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

B

25

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

F

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

B

B

CR: 30% good CR: 20% poor

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

F

F

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

B

B

B

Completion Rate – Examples

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Completion rate – Example0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

F

1

5

9

13

17

21

25

29

33

37

41

45

49

53

57

61

65

69

73

B

A lot of “flipping” (jumping between

chapters), which is typical of book titles

readers find “have to read” but that

don’t hold their attention…

Rapid decline of reader

engagement in first 100

pages

Completion Rate

• Does the book keep reader’s attention?

• Rate is measured as percentage relative to those who start reading

• Unlike ratings (subjective), this is an observational KPI

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KPI - 2

Velocity

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Example A – Fast Read

29The majority of users read this ebook on a smartphone

female, 27 female, 25 female, 48

Example B - slow read

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male, 26

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3.79.1

10.110.4

12.412.512.813.1

14.114.4

15.116.1

17.518.5

20.821.6

24.726.2

26.827.6

32.1

0 7 14 21 28 35

Ranking by VelocityDays

Quick

Slow

Velocity

• Measure of whether

readers glued to the pages

• Are readers coming back

daily/hourly or are they

distracted by other books,

movies, social media etc.?

• Measure of how

“digestible” content is for

readers.32

KPI - 3

Recommendation Factor

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Would you recommend this book

to a friend?

0 = not all likely 5 = neutral 10 = Extremely likely

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Recommendation

Factor= Promoters (%)

(9s and 10s)

Detractors (%)(0 through 6s)

-

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NPS for Individual Books

“The book was great and I have read

other books by this author. In addition,

I have probably recommended this

book to at least a dozen people

because it was that good.”

Promoters (9,10s) 97 81%

Neutrals (7s, 8s) 10 8%

Detractors (0-6s) 13 11%

Recommendation Factor

(Net Promoter Score) 70%

Audience Insights

Demographic Factors

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Demographic Breakdown of CR

Average CR 35%

Gender

male 34%

female 35%

Age

<35 0%

35-45 25%

>45 54%

Profile of a Book

Everything in one Slide

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An Anonymous Example

“I really want to read the next book.“

“Even as a forty-something woman, I find myself really

enjoying YA dystopian fiction.”

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Male CR

29%

NPS

32%Velocity

10 dPrice Tolerance

$6.27Completion rate

61%

female CR

66%

<35 CR

50%

>45 CR

78%

35-45 CR

56%

gripping (32%) entertaining (32%) good (20%)great (28%)

Get a taste for data candy…