Create More Readers - Cole Smith Writes

Hey, there, long time no blog.

(I’m focusing most of my attention on my beloved subscribers. If you’re not seeing emails from me, make sure you signed up for the free resource library using an of the buttons on this page or click HERE.)

Click here to get free access to the writer's resource library!

I’m endlessly fascinated about the changing trends in storytelling. Are you? It seems to me that there are only a few people talking about it, but maybe I’m in a bubble over here.

When you think about it, the book is an ancient technology.

Do we still listen to radios or victrolas? If you’ve got a record player, you know that physical vinyl albums are a niche collectors’ item. They never went away, but they’re not the point of entry any longer.

Is that how it will go with books?

I don’t know, but here are some of the trends that I see in my work with teens:

Less than 5% of my teen students have voluntarily read a book in the last year.
They love stories.
They don’t know the old stories.
Online games and short form videos are the entry points. Low effort, huge presence.

In my opinion, this moment in time and culture is ripe with opportunities, but it will require authors to be strategic.

I’ll talk more about this in the coming days but for now, let’s focus on another trend and how you and I can merge these two separate stats into one big wave of energy.

I use Pinterest Predicts a lot in my marketing research. (If you have a trendy relative, you may be able to skip this middle step and just go right to the source 😉 ) One major trend that is making a big notable comeback on Pinterest is penpals. According to Pinterest, snail mail is back in a big way.

The reason this is so interesting is because of the amount of effort letter-writing takes. Any time you see something that requires users to take a series of actions across time–and they follow through, without losing interest or getting distracted–you ought to take note. We live during cripplingly convenient times, so a trend that is LESS convenient is certainly worthy of your attention.

What do penpals have to do with the title of this post: Create More Readers?

Mail a young reader a book, along with a note about why you love it. Include a return envelope with a stamp and your address already filled in. (You won’t believe it but a lot of students don’t know how to address an envelope even if they’ve been taught; it’s not a regular habit yet.)

I believe that there will be a counter movement to AI-generated content, and that we’re already seeing it.

People are longing for human-generated stories, points of contact, and real, tangible communication like paper letters.

We talk all the time about sharing yourself online via social media, your author website, and emails. But when was the last time you shared a real book in such a personal way?

This is not some cynical marketing scheme; all of us as writers ought to at least consider advocating for literacy, in general. Don’t forget about that old philosophical debate about whether altruism can truly exist, since the giver will also benefit from making the world around them better.

Reach out to a young potential reader.

If we all do this, books will always have an audience.

(Just don’t use cursive.)

If you do this outreach, tag me on social media @ColeSmithWrites or, heck, send me a postcard at PO Box 605 Washington, WV, 26181. I want to hear good stories!