--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're writing for the Internet, you…" description: "\"When you're writing for the Internet, you have the analytics, and you know that people are bailing every second. But various people kept reminding me t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/robin-sloan-1513_book_when-you-re-writing-for-the-internet-you_1418654.png" --- # When you're writing for the Internet, you have the… ![“When you're writing for the Internet, you have the analytics, and you know that people are bailing every second. But various people kept reminding me that once people have bought a book, they're in. You don't have to be selling them on every page.” quote by Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/robin-sloan-1513_book_when-you-re-writing-for-the-internet-you_1418654.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/robin-sloan-1513_book_when-you-re-writing-for-the-internet-you_1418654.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/robin-sloan-1513_book_when-you-re-writing-for-the-internet-you_1418654.png) > “When you're writing for the Internet, you have the analytics, and you know that people are bailing every second. But various people kept reminding me that once people have bought a book, they're in. You don't have to be selling them on every page.” [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Online writers must balance data‑driven tactics with genuine storytelling, trusting that a purchased reader will stay engaged without constant sales pitches. **In simple terms:** Focus on content, not relentless selling. Key Takeaway Provide value, then let the sale follow. Themes writing marketing reader engagement Mood thoughtful strategic Type advice instructional When to use this quote - launching a new ebook - building a newsletter - selling a physical book - maintaining a blog Key Concepts conversion metrics trust building content strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure when to shift from analytics to narrative? - What signals indicate a reader is truly invested? A Different Perspective Readers may still abandon if content feels too promotional. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Bought Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bought-book-2304916/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Every second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-second/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Analytics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-analytics-5018742/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-page-5018741/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-internet-302944/) ## Related quotes > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I have to use all these programs that cut off the internet, force me to be bored, because being bored is an essential part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-linehan/i-have-to-use-all-these-programs-that-cut-off-the-internet-force-me/) [Graham Linehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-linehan/) > [“Writing? Why should I be writing?! I have Internet for Pete's sake!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-shannon/writing-why-should-i-be-writing-i-have-internet-for-pete-s-sake/) [Emma Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-shannon/) > [Information is floating around really fast. I write something, or a piece of my music comes out and I see people writing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/information-is-floating-around-really-fast-i-write-something-or-a/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [The only reason anybody bought your book in the first place is because they were hoping you would DIE at the end of it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/the-only-reason-anybody-bought-your-book-in-the-first-place-is/) [Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/) > [ I walked out of the movie "Lincoln" and bought the book \[of Doris Kearns Goodwin\] at the bookstore next door. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-walked-out-of-the-movie-lincoln-and-bought-the-book-of-doris-kearns/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I immediately went out and bought a book on anger management. And now I have that book, and I don't know if I'll get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/i-immediately-went-out-and-bought-a-book-on-anger-management-and-now/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [“I bought a book on willpower, but I only got halfway through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-lee-beck/i-bought-a-book-on-willpower-but-i-only-got-halfway-through/) [Stewart Lee Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-lee-beck/) > [I did some writing and bought a book, and have been working on that as a film to act and direct in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-did-some-writing-and-bought-a-book-and-have-been-working-on-that-as/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Yo' Mama is so stupid, she bought a book on how to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/yo-mama-is-so-stupid-she-bought-a-book-on-how-to-read/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [I recently bought a book of free verse. For twelve dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-recently-bought-a-book-of-free-verse-for-twelve-dollars/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [In the summer of '80, Silhouette bought my first book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/in-the-summer-of-80-silhouette-bought-my-first-book/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I was 8 years old when I went across the street from my house to a fair, and they always had a used book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/i-was-8-years-old-when-i-went-across-the-street-from-my-house-to-a/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) > [I bought a book of Mark Twain quotes. That's about my speed. I'll read a couple quotes and put it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-bought-a-book-of-mark-twain-quotes-that-s-about-my-speed-i-ll-read/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [I bought the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I paid to have it made into a play and I played in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-bought-the-book-one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest-i-paid-to-have-it/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) ## More by Robin Sloan > [“But it will make mistakes," she says. "Hadoop will probably get us from a hundred thousand buildings down to, like, five thousand." "So we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/but-it-will-make-mistakes-she-says-hadoop-will-probably-get-us-from-a/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [You can go as far back as fifth grade, and you will find me tinkering with media and computers, making things that are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/you-can-go-as-far-back-as-fifth-grade-and-you-will-find-me-tinkering/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [He has the strangest expression on his face- the emotional equivalent of 404 PAGE NOT FOUND.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/he-has-the-strangest-expression-on-his-face-the-emotional-equivalent/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“Baking, by contrast, was solving the same problem over and over again, because every time, the solution was consumed. I mean, really: chewed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/baking-by-contrast-was-solving-the-same-problem-over-and-over-again/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“I tell him, and I write it down as I go. It makes me feel better, as if the weirdness is flowing out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/i-tell-him-and-i-write-it-down-as-i-go-it-makes-me-feel-better-as-if/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [There's just no escaping it: The half-life of media on the Internet is super short. Tweets flow and fade; pages that look great today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/there-s-just-no-escaping-it-the-half-life-of-media-on-the-internet-is/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, right? We probably just imagine things based on what we already know, and we run out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/imagination-runs-out-but-it-makes-sense-right-we-probably-just/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“My limbic system has grown accustomed to a certain (very low) level of human (female) contact. With her standing right next to me, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/my-limbic-system-has-grown-accustomed-to-a-certain-very-low-level-of/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“The shelves were packed close together, and it felt like I was standing at the border of a forest--not a friendly Californian forest, either,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/the-shelves-were-packed-close-together-and-it-felt-like-i-was/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“How was New York?' Ashley asks politely. I'm not sure how to respond. 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I set my chin into my palm and count my friends and wonder what else is hiding in plain sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/it-is-very-quiet-i-set-my-chin-into-my-palm-and-count-my-friends-and/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) [Explore all 227 Robin Sloan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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