The Four Kinds of Readers by Tina Radcliffe + Giveaway

Have you ever thought about how other readers read fiction? I have. I’m even sort of a reader voyeur. I watch people read on planes, in the library, and at the airport.  How their eyes move along the print can be very revealing. How quickly do they turn the page or scroll on the screen? 

Are they frowning or smiling? Jaw clenched or relaxed? Do they pause to think or mull over the words? Or are they sucking them in like a warm delicious soup, eager to get to the bottom of the bowl and emotional satiation?

I’ve been analyzing readers for a long time. Not only to I stalk er..watch them but I follow them on review sites and read all their reviews. This has nothing to do with the reviewing of my books. This has to do with understanding the psyche of a reader.  I want to know what makes them tick. 

I have discovered that there are four kinds of readers. 

Credit: Unsplash

1. Skimmers. These are the professional readers. They have spreadsheets and they know how many books they need to read each month to reach their yearly quota. This breaks down to x number of pages per day. These readers are always on target, hitting their daily target without fail. It’s important to remember that skimming does not necessarily translate to lack of comprehension. These readers are simply fast and not bogged down by details. They absorb quickly. Many binge readers are skimmers. 

2. Repeaters. These are a very special kind of reader. They are looking for a particular emotional response when they pick up a book. Yes, they read new releases, but they tend to read similar types of reads and rarely venture outside of their emotional comfort zone. They more likely to reread than the average reader and they know exactly which book to grab from the shelf to match their emotion du jour. These are readers who prefer print and their personal collection of keepers rival the local library. 

3. Savourers. Time has no meaning for this reader. They read like honey dripping from the bottle. Each word is tasted. This reader often stops to look up words, terms, and phrases so they can absorb each flavorful nuance of every word and sentence and paragraph. They want the complete experience. These readers never read reviews and avoid blurbs. That would spoil the meal and reading is just that. A Joie de vivre. An exultation of reading spirit. The savourer always finishes a book once they start. 

4. Inspectors. Before these readers will commit to a book, they study and analyze reviews on multiple platforms. They read the blurb and the ‘Look Inside’ feature on Amazon. Often, they will go to the author page to study the author. Inspectors read the acknowledgments and dedications carefully. It is important to note that these readers do not feel compelled to finish a book. They are looking for a five star and are known to abandon a book that is anything less than a four. There are far too many books in the world to waste time on a three. Readers who read the last page first are inspectors.

Along with these four, there are mash-ups. Mathematically, that means a combo potential of six. 

Skimmer / Repeater
Skimmer / Savourer
Skimmer / Inspector
Repeater / Savourer
Repeater / Inspector
Savourer / Inspector

As a reader, I am your basic run-of-the-mill Skimmer/Repeater. I binge read quite a lot. And I also keep a large collection of emotional reads available. Some of those on my shelf include your basic swoony hero emotional read and the underdog heroine who triumphs over insurmountable obstacles emotional read and the hilarious romp emotional read. 

I’m proud to be a Skimmer/Repeater!

It takes different readers to make the up the reader world and all are equally valuable and necessary. 

What do you think? Have I missed any reader categories? What type of reader are you? 

Leave a comment for the opportunity to win books! A $20 Amazon gift card and a print or ecopy of Christmas with the Cowboy, my latest release from Love Inspired and the third book in the Big Heart Ranch series.

And be sure to note on the Rafflecopter below to get your entry counted, plus more entry options!

ABOUT CHRISTMAS WITH THE COWBOY

Title: Christmas with the Cowboy

Series: Big Heart Ranch, Book 3

Author: Tina Radcliffe

Publisher: Love Inspired

Release Date: September 18, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Western

Link: Goodreads l Book Bub 

Home for the holidays

A second chance at love on Big Heart Ranch

Former Navy SEAL Zach Norman has been avoiding his ranching roots—and the woman he couldn’t have. Back to visit his brother’s widow, Emma Maxwell Norman, and her adorable toddler twins, the bah-humbug cowboy is roped into helping prepare the ranch for the holidays. Working side by side, can Emma and Zach overcome their troubled past…and receive the greatest Christmas gift of all—love?

Preview Christmas with the Cowboy HERE.

TO PURCHASE A COPY*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A freelance writer for over twenty years, Tina Radcliffe is an RWA Honor Roll member, a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist, and three-time ACFW Carol Award nominee.  She is a 2018 ACFW Mentor of the Year recipient and a 2018 Carol Award finalist. Her 10th book for Harlequin released in October 2018.  In addition to novel-length fiction, Tina has sold over two dozen short stories to Woman’s World Magazine. A former library cataloger, Tina is a frequent presenter on writing topics and an online instructor. She currently resides in Arizona, where she writes fun, heartwarming romance. Visit her on the web at https://www.tinaradcliffe.com/

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GIVEAWAY

(1) Winner will get $20 Amazon Gift Card + Print (US) or Ebook (INT) of Christmas with the Cowboya Rafflecopter giveaway

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