173 - How to Establish Healthy Relationships with Your Readers

08/30/19 • 28 min

I'm tackling a question that I think more authors (blogger, creatives, and influencers) should ask before they establish their online platform. If they don't ask before, they for SURE should ask soon after. The question is: how close should authors be to their audience?

You might be wondering what this question even means. Stick with me. I think you'll understand why I feel like this is so important.

FROM THE IVORY TOWER TO INSTAGRAM

We are living in a glorious digital age, where more than ever, authors and readers can connect. My 12-year-old self would have DIED to be able to tweet at or email or DM my favorite author online. I remember LOOKING in the backs of my paperbacks to see if there was an address so I could write fan mail. Usually? There wasn't.

Authors were in ivory towers, out of reach, out of sight, and far from readers.

Now? You might be able to find out what your favorite author ate for lunch, because they've posted it on Instagram.

You could know their kids' names.

What shoes they bought yesterday.

What they're struggling with personally.

The switch has completely flipped. Honestly, this all started with reality TV, as far as I'm concerned. We all got nosy (okay, humans have probably always been nosy) and enjoyed getting a front-row seat to all the inane (and dramatic) details of other people's lives.

Then: enter the internet and social media.

We have ACCESS now. You can choose not just to post your lunch, but to do a live video or create an Instagram story about your lunch. And your readers get INSTANT access to your life, lived up to the minute.

This is, on the one hand, really amazing! I love this ... in some ways. And as with social media as a WHOLE for people, this access can also be very, very unhealthy.

UNHEALTHY ACCESS TO AUTHORS

Here are a few things I've seen recently (a few details changed to protect those involved):

authors getting mad at their own Facebook group, make an offhand comment about killing a character to "show" readers, and a massive fallout off the hundreds and thousands of group members
readers DEMANDING that authors finish their favorite series faster and sending angry emails or posting public rants when books in a series take more than a few weeks to release
authors promising in their emails and Facebook groups that books are coming out, then readers getting angry because the author breaks those promises, then disappears from public view
readers bullying authors and personal assistants to authors
authors rallying their reader groups up to attack other authors or people on twitter or through low ratings on platforms like Amazon
readers in an author group getting nasty and mean with each other and the author not stepping in to stop it or moderate
authors receiving nasty personal emails about their families and personal lives because readers didn't like books
readers giving up on authors (and announcing it publicly) because the authors didn't do what the readers wanted OR what the author told readers they would do
authors apologizing profusely because they aren't doing exactly what the readers demand

These are all pretty general examples. I don't want to get more specific and share someone else's story. You get the idea.

All this access has allowed for some unhealthy relationships to form! It may sound GREAT to share pics of your new baby in a group ... until an angry reader makes a threat and names your child. (I know it's weird, but stuff like this happens, y'all.)

HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

Look. There isn't one way to do this. It will be different for different authors. And you could do the best job ever, feel great about it, and still have someone lash out. (I've had readers freak out at me for things I 100% never did. Once I responded to an angry email and it turned out they sent it to the wrong person altogether! Still, though: yikes.)

We won't all agree, but here are some things to consider and best practices for keeping and maintaining healthy relationships.

Decide how many and what kinds of personal things you want to share. Reevaluate, as this may change. Will you share the actual names of your family members? Are you going to share pictures of yourself and your family and friends? How much of your real life will your readers see?

Choose the platform that feels the best and healthiest for YOU. Where are you happy? What feels like a space that has a good vibe for YOU as a platform? If you choose too many places, you'll be stretched thin, and that may impact how you feel and interact with your readers.

Consider establishing a space that can offer you control. If you find yourself on the receiving end of an attack, what can you do about it? (Ex: On Twitter, the gloves are off. In your personal, closed Facebook group, you can ...

You might be wondering what this question even means. Stick with me. I think you'll understand why I feel like this is so important.

FROM THE IVORY TOWER TO INSTAGRAM

Authors were in ivory towers, out of reach, out of sight, and far from readers.

Now? You might be able to find out what your favorite author ate for lunch, because they've posted it on Instagram.

You could know their kids' names.

What shoes they bought yesterday.

What they're struggling with personally.

Then: enter the internet and social media.

This is, on the one hand, really amazing! I love this ... in some ways. And as with social media as a WHOLE for people, this access can also be very, very unhealthy.

UNHEALTHY ACCESS TO AUTHORS

Here are a few things I've seen recently (a few details changed to protect those involved):

authors getting mad at their own Facebook group, make an offhand comment about killing a character to "show" readers, and a massive fallout off the hundreds and thousands of group members
readers DEMANDING that authors finish their favorite series faster and sending angry emails or posting public rants when books in a series take more than a few weeks to release
authors promising in their emails and Facebook groups that books are coming out, then readers getting angry because the author breaks those promises, then disappears from public view
readers bullying authors and personal assistants to authors
authors rallying their reader groups up to attack other authors or people on twitter or through low ratings on platforms like Amazon
readers in an author group getting nasty and mean with each other and the author not stepping in to stop it or moderate
authors receiving nasty personal emails about their families and personal lives because readers didn't like books
readers giving up on authors (and announcing it publicly) because the authors didn't do what the readers wanted OR what the author told readers they would do
authors apologizing profusely because they aren't doing exactly what the readers demand

These are all pretty general examples. I don't want to get more specific and share someone else's story. You get the idea.

HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

We won't all agree, but here are some things to consider and best practices for keeping and maintaining healthy relationships.

Previous Episode

172 - Marketing for Authors Who Hate Marketing

It's a well-known fact that many authors hate marketing. But more and more, marketing is something authors must understand and take part in, EVEN if you're doing the traditional route. My goal? Is to help teach marketing for authors who hate marketing.

First of all, we need to reframe the conversation about marketing.

What comes to mind when you think of marketing? A sleazy car salesman? That person who is constantly shouting BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! on Facebook and Twitter? Maybe the direct sales rep who keep sending you private messages?

Put those ideas out of your mind. Let's shift how you see marketing.

For authors, marketing is about connecting with the ideal readers for your books. You are serving up your books to readers who WANT them. The end.

Sounds much better, right?

Whenever you're feeling frustrated about marketing and promotion, take a moment to shift your mindset back to this. You are writing books for readers, then helping those readers find them.

FOUR PILLARS OF MARKETING

While there are lots of ways to market, I'm going to break down four main ways that you can market your books:

Direct: email
Public: social media
Paid: ads
Networking: cross-promotion with other authors

Again, there are many other things you can do to market. But this is a simple overview of the largest avenues for marketing right now. Let's break them down a little!

Email is my favorite thing. You know this if you've been around for a while. Why do I love email so much? Email is a classic. It doesn't go out of style, though for some, it goes out of favor. It hasn't changed much in twenty years. It has no algorithm.

Email is the best way to connect with your readers directly.

If you are just starting out or trying to build your sales, start with building an email list. Here are some other resources on that right here on the site:

How to Grow Your Email List

Email Resources

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is not the best sales tool. It's great for engagement and brand awareness, getting your book out there in front of people.

ADS

More than ever, ads matter. But ads also have a learning curve. (Check out my longer post on paid promotions for more.) The main ad platforms that authors use are Amazon ads (formerly AMS ads) and Facebook ads.

NETWORKING

Other than email, this is my favorite tool for promotion and can have massive impact. Oh, and it's free. When you work with other authors, you'll not only learn what's working for them and find support, but also discover great cross-promotional opportunities, whether through newsletter swaps, Facebook group takeovers, or other events.

Look to connect with other authors of all kinds of genres. You won't share cross-promotion as much outside of your genre, but might learn what's working for other authors or get ideas there. Or just find moral support.

BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT MARKETING...

If your book cover doesn't match your genre or look professional, you'll struggle with marketing. If your blurb isn't enticing, you'll struggle with marketing. Period.

Writing to market isn't about selling out. It's about researching where your book fits, or even better, researching a market that feels like a good fit FOR YOU, then writing books that meet reader expectations.

Next Episode

174 - Writing to Market and Writing to Trend

I hear a lot of confusion about writing to market and writing to trend. In this post, I'm going to explain MY personal view and my experience with both writing to market and writing to trend: how they're different, how they're related, and help you figure out what's right for YOU.

WHAT WRITING TO MARKET IS

Chris Fox coined the term "write to market" and talks about it in his book called ... (wait for it) ... Write to Market. In the Introduction, Fox states that the book will teach you "how to analyze the market, and to use that information to write a book that readers want." (Check out the book HERE.)

Often, writers start out by writing that story that's in their head. They have that one idea that they just can't shake, or the story they HAVE to tell. That's writing for love and it's author-centric.

Writing to market shifts the focus from the author to the reader. What does the READER want?

I mean, we all WANT them to want that story that's been on our heart to write, but that isn't always the case. (There are, of course, happy accidents where this happens, sometimes in a big way.) We learn what the readers want when we study the trends of what's selling on Amazon.

Indie authors can do this better, because we don't need two years to publish a book once it's done. I've decided to write a book to market and had it published in six weeks. It's a little harder if you're hoping to secure an agent, because if you study what's hot NOW, realize that in a few years when your book has been through the whole process, it won't be hot anymore.

So, we clear on the idea of writing to market? Study what readers are buying. Find a space that's selling and that you also love. Write that.

More resources:

WHAT WRITING TO MARKET ISN'T

I want to be CLEAR about this before we continue. Writing to market is not selling out. Most people who write to market find a market selling well that they LIKE. But even if not, even if you're an author who needs to write in a market they don't LOVE because you have a mortgage to pay, THAT'S OKAY.

Some people write for the love. Some for money. And some for both.

I'm okay with all three of those choices. As long as you're okay with YOUR choices, then go on with your bad self.

But I want to be VERY clear that if you think "writing to market" is a dirty term, this probably isn't the space for you. Or, maybe you should reframe the conversation. Remember that writers are writing for themselves, but also for readers. Writing to market is serving readers what they want to read.

If that's wrong, maybe I don't want to be right.

WHAT WRITING TO TREND IS

Writing to trend is something that I hear people talking around a lot, but it's not always called the same thing by different people. To me, writing to trend is taking the principles of writing to market, but applying them to a particular niche, genre, or trend that is HOT now ... and may or may not stay hot for long periods of time.

As I'm writing this, there is a hot trend for bully romance. Essentially, that's just what it sounds like. A guy (or group of guys) bullies a girl and she falls in love with him/them anyway. Not my fave trend (kind of an extreme example of the enemies to lovers trope) but one that went WILD this year and has made some authors serious bank.

Will this be around next year? Gosh, I hope not. But who knows. Another trend in romance (reverse harem-- one main girl with a bunch of male lovers) was thought to be a hot trend and is still going strong years later. There is a big tie between reverse harem and bully romance.

You don't always know how long a trend will last or when it will fizzle out. But trends tend to show up more suddenly, become THE thing, and might gain ground or lose steam. For a little while, at least, their star burns brighter and hotter than the others.

And they can make a LOT of money if you can hop on while they're hot.

Other resources:

Writing Gals Video on Finding Hot Markets

AN EXAMPLE OF WRITING TO MARKET vs WRITING TO TREND

When I launched my Emma St. Clair pen name, my goal was to write to market. I made some mistakes (notably in covers and some tropes early on) but quickly figured out that romance needs a happy ending (ha!) and that adult clean romance readers like faces on covers, while photos without faces tend to be either more women's fiction or YA fiction.

My first few books eventually had the right covers, the right trop...