When Fatal Shadows was published in 2000, the total extent of contact I had with readers — fans — was 
membership on a mystery listserv (remember listservs?) and the occasional letter forwarded by my publisher. Reviews came from paid professionals. I never anticipated or intended to interact personally with my reading public. I couldn’t imagine such a thing.
Fast forward thirteen years. Readers moderate my Facebook Fan Page and my Goodreads group. They beta my books, they create art for my books, they help launch my books, and they review my books. They patiently permit me to bounce ideas off them for upcoming projects, offering feedback, encouragement, and support. Not a day goes by that I don’t receive several messages or emails from readers. My readers — the Fanyons — have become a critical part of my writing career. Many of them are now personal friends. All of them, in a strange and unforeseen way, are my publishing partners.
When I write I am conscious of readers in a way I never was before. I don’t think it has so far affected any large decisions in my writing. I tried to prioritize this year’s writing schedule based on what I believed readers wanted, but that didn’t work. Despite pleas to resume the Adrien English series, I know there is nothing important I can add to Adrien’s and Jake’s story at this time; I won’t be lured into writing about them until I can. I haven’t so far spared a character or ended a relationship based on what I know readers want. But just the fact that I am now aware of what readers want is a big, big change from the past.
If that awareness helps me to be a better writer, that’s certainly a positive for me and for my readers.
My experience is not unique in the world of modern publishing. Writers and readers are now inextricably linked. Both reading and writing are now interactive sports. If you are reading this blog, you’re part of the circle.
How did this happen? The Internet, obviously. Websites and email make it easy to make contact. But another key component was Amazon and its Citizen Review program. Originally a novelty, Amazon’s citizen or amateur reviews are now the single largest source of reviews anywhere. They are often the only reviews a book receives. From the review program sprang the discussion forums, also very popular and influential on Amazon. Social media provided the tools to regularly communicate and interact. Blogs have become the equivalent of global book clubs .
And let us not forget ebooks — or the reader communities that sprang up from publisher lists.
Online Fandom, too, has probably played its role. There is nothing more interactive than fandom.
In the end, it probably doesn’t matter how or why, because the fact is, there’s no going back. The real question is, does this new interactive relationship make for better books? Does it make for a better reading experience? And if not, is there a way to improve the situation?
From a writer’s standpoint, the new dynamic provides a near embarrassment of riches. Once upon a time writing was a notoriously solitary business. Getting anyone to notice your work, let alone spread the word, was difficult, sometimes impossible. Now the amount of feedback can be overwhelming. As can the pressure to be accessible — and pleasant — twenty-four seven. Reviews are frequently as much about the book readers wish you had written as the one you did. Passionate and invested readers send in their questions about past stories, requests for future stories, and complaints about late stories. Writers who make unpopular decisions regarding the fates and personal lives of their characters can face backlash from irate fans, as in the case of Charlaine Harris.
On the other side of the coin, readers sign up for our newsletters and send their letters telling us how our stories changed their lives; they send presents; they send money. They write glowing reviews and vote down the negative reviews. They listen to us whine and bitch and moan and promo the same books endlessly. They humor us and reassure us. They give advice when asked, and join in the contests and the games and the general goofiness that is the contemporary literary life. But most of all, they buy our books — sometimes the same books over and over, simply because they’re in different formats or with different covers — and they read and then they tell their friends and anyone else who will listen.
It’s easy to see what writers get out of the deal. And it’s easy to see what readers get out of the deal. Books, right? But they always got books. So where is the value added for readers in this brave new world?
On the surface what they’re getting is greater access to their favorite writers. But that’s probably a two-edged sword. For all concerned. There has been a lot of conversation lately about the Gangs of New Media and anti-author sentiment in certain quarters at both Goodreads and Amazon.
In fairness, authors have done their bit to bring this hostility on themselves. You can’t interject yourself into the review process or blast your advertising at top volume day in and day out and not expect to seriously annoy people. But some of that annoyance doesn’t seem to have much to do with anything other than a general and diffused hostility against people who write books.
Setting aside for a moment the puzzling and growing antipathy between two organisms that share a symbiotic relationship, what I really wonder is whether so much interaction with authors doesn’t spoil the magic of storytelling?
Are we spoiling books for readers?
Maybe there was something to be said for those decade-old author photographs on dust jackets, the formal B&W portraits that used to pass for author interaction. For all my curiosity about the authors of books I’ve enjoyed, the more I learn about those authors, the more it tends to get in the way of building that suspension of disbelief when I read their work. I don’t mean that I learn anything negative (although sometimes I do, and of course that doesn’t help). I only mean once I hear about their publishing woes and their struggles to diet, read their blogs on everything from breakfast cereal to DOMA, they become so…human. Once I know the author as a person, once I have interacted with her or him, it’s perhaps inevitable that I start to see her or him in the work.
Is the line between fact and fiction blurring? Because I kind of like that line.
Maybe it’s just me. But then again, maybe some of this reader hostility is the natural disappointment of realizing that authors are simply geeky boys and girls who spend way too much time alone at their desks making shit up. Not special at all. Not these days, when it seems every other reader is trying her hand at writing her own book. Once upon a time readers were kind of impressed by authors. Not so much these days. And partly we’ve done that to ourselves.
Not that we had a choice. Authors can’t change the social dynamic of contemporary publishing anymore than we can (or would wish to) return to pre-ebook economic models. This new relationship with readers is exactly that: new. We’re all still figuring out the parameters and trying to work out what we want and need from each other beyond the most basic equation of supply and demand.
So what do you think, Readers? Authors? Is all this interaction too much of a good thing? Is it creating better books? Or is it possible too much attention is making it harder for authors to write the best possible stories?
I’m not sure I think it’s a good thing, or a bad thing. It just is. I have some favorite authors that have very little online presence. I still love their books. The best thing, and I’ve said this before, is your online presence has introduced me not only to you, but to people I have a lot in common with, that will be friends until the day I die. That, to me, is right up there with the books you produce. It must be a strain to have to be “on” every moment that you’re online. Let’s face it, there are some weirdo’s out there. But never think, for a moment, that we readers don’t appreciate the time that the authors spend talking to us. So if I had to vote right now, I’d say it’s a good thing.
Considering my fan base (which is, and this is worth pointing out because it’s true for all of us, quite a bit smaller than my reader base) I have dealt with surprisingly few weirdoes. I can still count them on one hand, so that’s good.
And, and unexpected boon of a loyal fan base, is sometimes the fans deal with the problems before I ever see them. Which is an interesting development too.
But I think you’ve really hit on something here, M. And that is authors and books acting as catalysts for real life friendships and social activities between readers. These groups grow and evolve beyond the original reason for bonding — love of a particular author’s work — and turn into real friendships. I’ve seen everything from knitting groups to cancer survivor networks spring up from love of a particular author’s work. That’s kind of amazing.
What M said – it still amazes me that you, and the other authors who do so, take time from your days to say hello to us and answer our questions. I know how much time social media takes! But Pandora has opened the box and there’s no going back. I appreciate the opportunity it’s given me to learn more about writing from those who are so good at it. 🙂 And I appreciate being able to participate in your – quest? ongoing struggle? Whatever it is – to actually make a living at writing. It makes me feel like I’m contributing to the literary world, somehow.
Well, you know that was one of the initial and startling comments I remember hearing from readers. Their amazement that I answered their letters. That it really was me, answering.
In all honesty, it would not have occurred to me to not respond. I think every writer is touched by reader letters and comments. How amazing that people take the time to write! To acknowledge the work!
But now it is much harder to answer every letter, every comment. In fact, it’s impossible. I don’t want to hand it off because those reader letters are precious, but…yeesh! Is it fair to expect readers to wait six weeks to hear from me?
You’re right though, there’s no going back. Whatever social media evolves into…the clock will not turn back.
Every time a reader says how happy and surprised they are that I responded to a fan letter, I just start giggling.
Because, oh my god, somebody wrote me a fan letter!
Believe me, I’m happy and surprised too 😀
Exactly! There is no greater pleasure than receiving an enthusiastic letter from a reader.
In fact, one of the funniest things to me is how often readers will apologize for “gushing.”
Whaaa–?! Seriously? You think I object to you telling me you loved my story? 😕
I think good or bad depends very much on the author and how they interact. Those with the maturity to ignore the naysayers and poor reviews (no one is ever going to please every one) will get positives out of it. Those who whine about their exes, their on going gastric disturbances and the fans who ‘don’t get’ what ever are going to lose out.
With regard to the fans influencing the stories again I think it will vary, YOU are the author and the book will be a better written one if you tell the story that the characters dictate, not what the loudest fans want you to write.
As M said, the friendships that your fans have formed have been gifts above and beyond the books themselves. One thing I have found through the author interactions both online and in person is just how much I love books by people I like. You Harper Marie Sexton….. And how good the recommendations are from th groups of like minded people that the internet allows us to form.
Yes. Two great points out of this.
One, the author temperament is not necessarily that of the extrovert. Or even the socially competent. And so we see a LOT of really ugly social media encounters between writers and readers. I do think that there is something to be said for the reclusive author mystique.
And as far as readers influencing stories…well, in fairness, authors bring this on themselves in a lot of cases. How many authors have appropriated the fannish notion of “challenges”? A lot. I see myself doing it — asking readers questions about what particular elements or subplots they want to see addressed?
It’s a delicate balance. I’m not going to go against my own instinct, but at the same time, I think it would be stupid not to pay attention to readers. Readers are smart. And very often they have a better memory of my work than I do!
The “magic” of the books doesn’t really matter who the writers are. There are some i don’t know and some i do. But that to me doesn’t take away the knowledge that they are mighty fine writers! Even if my best friend at work wrote a book and it got published and started writing, it wouldn’t change the fact that i would or wouldnt love her writing any more than any other author i know out there. If there is one thing I’ve learned its that EVERYONE is human, makes mistakes and some are out there just trying to make a buck like the rest of us. It just so happens their talents lie in acting or writing or in other ways than the working class man. I wish i had a talent to write but i dont. I write fanfiction but that’s it. Nothing spectacular. I commend those who do. We who don’t, so enjoy the works of those who can write. It takes us away from our everyday lives, and whether we know them or not shouldnt matter. The only thing i look at when i read a book is if its something i would enjoy reading in a genre i like, or the fact that i dont have to “work” to read it. Sometimes an author can massacre a novel by displaced times where the time and place are out of sync or punctuations. Whether i know the author or not is not my concern, they just all need to know they need to live up to their potential. Which most do i’m happy to say. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Tammy.
It’s perfectly possible that I may be a more…finicky reader? That my suspension of disbelief is fragile enough in the first place, that added personal knowledge of the writer is enough to bust the whole contraption. That’s very possible, given that from the moment you aspire to write, you begin to read in a different way.
It’s hard for me to simply relax and enjoy reading fiction. One part of my brain seems to be always busy editing and rewriting. It’s distracting and disappointing, given that reading used to be my primary source of entertainment and relaxation. But that could simply be my personality type and nothing to do with my career choice.
Josh, I have to actively WORK to turn off my writer’s brain when I read for pleasure. I’ve been in the publishing field in the past (small newspapers and local magazines), and a large part of my job was proofreading. I am that annoying person who will find a typo or grammar error or spelling/usage error in the middle of War and Peace. It drove my ex-husband completely bonkers. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for someone who actively makes a living by their writing to actually turn off the internal editor.
Heather, I’m actually trying to retrain my brain to read for pleasure again. I miss the delight of losing myself in stories, and so I’m trying to read more and trying to read…I don’t want to say non-critically, but just focus on story and character and not be too demanding about plot and style. And I think I’m having some success. I’ve read and enjoyed more books in the past month.
One thing I don’t like is authors who over-share their personal life and opinions on social media. I like to follow authors for news about their upcoming books and release dates. I hate it when I find out that an author who’s books and characters I really love are people I would probably avoid in real life. In that case I either stop following them or check their posts occasionally with a hand over my eyes peeking through my fingers like I would at a scary movie.
Ah yes. There’s an ongoing quandary. How much do we share?
We have to share enough to be real, to be human, to be interesting and engaging and unique. At the same time, sharing too much is liable to get you fired. Or lynched. Or simply unfollowed.
How much is too much in today’s social media?
I know that I am more interested in hearing about the books and creative process and writing and publishing. So that’s what I share.
Hi Josh,
I’ve often thought about many of the concerns that you voice here. I would never want to influence what an author writes about even by praising a well crafted book, but I guess there’s no way of controlling how we effect the people that we meet or interact with online. Just by writing reviews, contacting an author or joining in an online conversation, we’ve had some influence on each other.
Personally I limit my interaction with my favorite authors as I don’t want to take time from their writing. (I know – commenting here contradicts that.) I will occasionally send a note so they realize the impact that their work has on readers like me.
Were things better in the pre-internet days? Well yes and no. Nothing is black and white. Like you, I kind of liked the arm’s distance that authors and readers enjoyed. I used to read books from a few authors who, now with the dawn of blogs, I have learned are not, shall we say “nice” people and have stopped buying their books. I generally try not to give my heard earned money to anyone who doesn’t treat others with respect – be it a store, a company or a person. So in that case the internet has had a detrimental effect on those authors book sales.
But as you say there’s no going back, so we need to find a way through this new world. Good post Josh.
Thanks, TJ.
There isn’t any going back. That’s certain.
I do think one of the most fascinating aspects of this new close reader/author interaction is the push to influence the work itself. Believe it or not, I think it’s understandable. I think it is a natural development — I’ve had to fight the impulse myself with certain writers I love. It’s kind of like an addict pushing for a bigger dose of the drug they crave. I want a bigger boost of certain stories or characters. 😀 I want that rush!
So I do understand. Which isn’t to say that the first time I received a complete story outline from a reader I wasn’t surprised! 😮
I also am very grateful for the genuine friendships I’ve formed along the way. These are relationships that enrich my life — relationships that exist beyond the books beyond the work. And yet I wouldn’t have known these people if I had not written certain books.
The idea of “nice” artists is a modern concept, and one I find fascinating. History — even a quick glance at just Art History — teaches us that some of the greatest works of all time were created by not so nice people.
By all accounts neither Michelangelo or Da Vinci were particularly nice people. I don’t think they’d have a lot of Twitter followers. In fact, I think they’d piss off a hell of a lot of people. 😀 So the idea of linking niceness to good art is really very modern. I wonder where that will lead.
Sorry Josh, I didn’t mean to imply that good art and the artist’s personality are linked in any way, only that I won’t buy their books if they can’t act like adults. I have no illusions that my dollars will make any difference in their lives – I’m not their sole support.
No, I know you weren’t saying that. 🙂 I don’t think the readers creating those Goodreads HATE-THIS-AUTHOR shelves claim to be judging the work. They are judging the person. Which I find so very interesting. Trying to drum up support to boycott someone, for example, based on a personality.
Now maybe that did always happen, but now with social media we have tools that make those kinds of boycotts more powerful.
At least, I guess they’re potentially powerful?
And I do think that being “nice” on social media has helped some authors who are maybe not strong writers, but have built great warmth and goodwill through their interactions with readers?
Very thoughtful post, Josh.
When I first started out, I was very interested in getting to know authors. I read a lot of author blogs, engaged with authors online and by email. I loved knowing about the author, what makes them write what they write and I was thrilled that they wanted to engage with me, a lowly reader. I made some darned good friends during that time, some of whom I still regularly email and even meet up with.
In the last couple of years though, I’ve found myself drawing away from authors. Not because they’ve been badly behaved towards me, but rather because of a genuine worry about reviewer/author relationships (a topic thrashed out many, many times). I began to distance myself a little, stopped leaving comments on author blogs or emailing authors because that felt safer. I think I’ve reached a better place now in that I have maybe 4 or 5 good author friends. I still follow author blogs but I don’t comment and now, instead of feeling thrilled, I feel slightly uncomfortable if an author leaves a comment on one of my reviews of their books, even if it’s a ‘thank you for the nice review’. In the end this saves on hurt feelings for everyone.
Having said that I was completely fangirlish when I met Ginn Hale and gushed about how much I love her books :).
I would also never expect an author to write a particular book just because I wished for it. In fact, I agree with you. You should write what is best for you as an author, not what you think your readers may want. That way lies madness if you are constantly trying to second-guess your readership. I’m pleased that you have found some readers who support you, Josh. I think all authors need people who love their work unconditionally and will bolster self-esteem when an author is feeling down.
I remember, Jenre. What an adorable little fan girl you were! 😉
But your situation is somewhat different in that you moved into professional reviewing. I think there is a difference between reviewers, average readers, and unabashed fans. The fan who blogs about books she loves or posts an Amazon or Goodreads review has different motivations from the average reader, and certainly from the professional reviewer.
This is not to say that the professional reviewer isn’t moved and enthused by various works, but their mission is not to Spread the Word on behalf of a particular author. From the point you have a blog dedicated to reviewing, the dynamic changes a bit. And that dynamic is not really what I’m addressing here — although of course there is an evolution for many readers from casual commenter to professional reviewer.
Or maybe the tensions have more to do with overcrowded conditions? Like those experiments with dumping too many rats in a cage? We don’t have any elbow room! 😀
And maybe, because of the overcrowding, authors have made themselves so in-your-face visible on a daily basis, they’re increasingly seen as arrogant and self-important. :cooler:
Well…yes. There are so many people online ALL THE TIME. It’s inevitable we aren’t going to like everyone we run into. Anymore than we would love everyone we met at an amusement park. Especially given the nature of social media, which often is conducive to a more superficial type of interaction.
A lot of authors interact with readers mostly through promo and marketing. That’s not heartwarming.
I think curiosity and interest in any writer whose work moves us is natural. I think humans are naturally curious. When I stumbled across Poppy Z. Brite’s blog, I read every single post! I was fascinated. But the ultimate result was it became hard for me to read the stories I loved without seeing Poppy (now Billy) in the work. There was nothing wrong with Poppy OR Billy, it’s just that it complicated my pleasure in reading. I don’t want to think about the author, I don’t want to know about the author.
Now this could be unique to me. I could well be more anti-social than the normal reader. 🙂
And of course the main takeaway was that she wasn’t writing anymore in the New Orleans series, and for that I could not forgive her. 😀
Perfect example. (In fact, I believe you and I have discussed it before.)
For a piece of fiction to work its magic and be thoroughly engaging, I can’t know that a.) the author identifies strongly with a particular character, like Poppy/Billy does with Rickey, or b.) the author has a drama-filled life s/he routinely shares on the Internet. To be a happy reader, I require some kind of veil, whether semitransparent or opaque, between creator and creation. Combined with superb writing, that’s what makes suspension of disbelief possible for me.
Therefore, I can’t read books by writers whose online presence I’ve found overpowering and/or abrasive. They’ve shredded the veil.
Yes! Knowing a character is an author’s alter ego definitely snaps that delicate construction of disbelief for me. Even if I like the author. It’s just too much.
And maybe this is because in a way we readers appropriate characters we love. We continue to think about them, imagine futures for them, imagine their story running on after the last page is turned.
In that sense, the author loses a portion of “ownership” once the character is released into the nether. But if the character is actually kind of the author…that kind of messes with everything.
I find interacting with the authors whose work I admire very enjoyable. It enriches, rather than detracts from, my reading experience. I love it when I come to a part in one of your books and can say, “Oh, this is what he posted/blogged/asked our opinion about.” I like knowing a little bit about the real person behind the words, and am very grateful that you and other authors share a part of your life with me. I also have to agree with Marilyn in that I have unexpectedly gained a group of wonderful friends whom I would otherwise never have met. So, thank you, Josh, for being so generous with your time and your talent.
Yes! And I do frequently “crowd source” elements of my stories. In a way that was unthinkable (for me, anyway) a decade ago. And I honestly think it has made the writing process more enjoyable AND the books are richer because of that interaction.
Maybe there’s an author out there who resents the idea of invested and engaged readers, but it wouldn’t be me. Of course I love and am touched by the fact that readers care so much.
As M and Denise and others here have said and i agree – it’s a good thing. Friendship are made. Cheering goes on. Smiling and laughter. Learning new things about writing and what it takes. For me, the magic of words and the writer as person remain sort of separate. It’s incredibly nice to be able to interact with a writer you admire, i don’t think there will ever be a time when i could just stop appreciating that, but ultimately it is the writing that matters as far as wanting a book goes. The mystery is/should still be the book.
I love the posts where you ask us to brainstorm about things (like scary things, that was really fun) or to vote on a best narrator, or what we’d like to read about. There’s this amazing positive energy and just that is a wonderful thing, i think. It’s fun, and it’s great when a little something that was mentioned on one of these discussions appears in some form in your writing, but it’s a surprise gift. It’s a bit like if you expect or demand that gift, it’s not a gift anymore. The magic is in being continuously surprised by all the big and small lovely things that this interaction brings. And not get overwhelmed by it. Besides, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing if properly maintained for creativity to be at its best, i think the saying goes… 😉
For me, the magic of words and the writer as person remain sort of separate.
I do think the stronger the writer, maybe the easier it is to separate the two? And also, maybe the longer the story? The longer the author has to weave the spell, the deeper the reader can sink into the story?
I don’t think it has to do with the length of the story, for me at least. Your shortest story can weave that spell within the first few lines and never let go. A longer story holds a different kind of magic, just by allowing the reader more time in the world of and with those characters.
The relative strength of the writer can sometimes create awkward situations. If let’s say there’s a writer who is a nice person to interact with, but after writing a couple of enjoyable books, there’s a abrupt decline in quality. There are also very strong writers that one wants to interact with and others that one avoids so as not to let a less nice personality influence the reading pleasure. So what i meant was that i try to keep these things, if not separate, at least at a bit of a distance. It would upset me if i were to become disappointed with the person writer and that would somehow affect how i feel about the books. The “relationship” with the writing itself is instantaneous, and ideally, it will only improve as the writer gets better. The “relationship” with the writer as person is trickier. Ideally, the writer is a nice, kind person. But one cannot expect a perfect person. And one has to keep in mind that the writing itself is the priority. So maybe the stronger the writer, the more protective the reader gets of the writing they enjoy?
Yes, reading the comments here (and at Goodreads and Facebook) I suspect some people are better at creating this necessary distance, this separation. Mary G below mentions the latitude we give actors who behave badly. That is an interesting point. I will say that there are actors I detest for their conservative politics (or general idiocy) but can still stand to watch in films. But then a film is not a one person operation, and so there is usually some other reason to see the movie. Whereas a book is pretty much the author. There are no real mitigating performances.
I love the posts where you ask us to brainstorm about things (like scary things, that was really fun) or to vote on a best narrator, or what we’d like to read about. There’s this amazing positive energy and just that is a wonderful thing, i think.
And this is part of what makes this interaction so fun for writers. It turns work into play. And the enthusiasm and energy readers bring is exciting. How could it not be? The biggest fear for authors — authors who choose to publish, at least — is dead silence.
I too am one who almost fell off my chair the first time an author responded to my email. It made me feel that she appreciated her readers and her books became autobuys for me from that one little contact. Now with all the online platforms I very much enjoyed the burgeoning author contact…the background, pictures, and snippets that made the members feel special.
But the contact can be a double edged sword. I’m sure it’s nice to get the support, but sometimes it seems the author starts believing all the hype. It can feel like that if you want to be a fan you must not just like, but love every word the author puts out whether that be the books or the extras sent out over social media. As the author and fans keep engaging, the fans can become more obsessive. They feel like the author is theirs, that they are friends, and feel personally slighted, and think it’s an attack on the author, if someone doesn’t believe every word the author writes is gospel. And that’s not healthy for anyone.
You can also get saturated by too much author contact to the point where the books don’t seem interesting anymore because you’ve learned too much about them. I admit that I tend to lose my enthusiasm for the books where I learn there were writing problems or editing problems or personal issues. I like to think of my books as golden eggs and that human stuff can rub off some of the glow which goes back to the mystique aspect mentioned.
Some of the best groups discussing books that I’ve seen are where the author is not there. People aren’t afraid to offend the author and people are less likely to be upset by other viewpoints. Author involvement can really stifle book discussions.
While it may sound like I’m against author contact, I’m really not. But I think authors set the tone of their fandoms so be sure you putting into it something you don’t mind spit back at you. And I really think authors need to be very careful about not just what they put out but how they do it. I’m constantly stunned by the amount of personal information I see. Readers may ask for it, but it is okay to say no.
Very true on all points.
You can also get saturated by too much author contact to the point where the books don’t seem interesting anymore because you’ve learned too much about them.
I completely agree on this point. I’ve been seeing more and more of my favorite authors’ blogs, or separate websites, or what have you, in recent months. While I will squee like a teenager and read tons of stuff in one sitting on the day I make the discovery, I don’t always click the “follow” button or start trying to initiate a conversation with the author. There are times I just don’t want to cross that line, you know? After that first day I may jump over to an author’s website to see if there’s an update on a book I’m waiting for, but that’s the extent of it. I don’t want to be “that girl.” 🙂
Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being “that girl,” really. So long as everybody is comfortable with what “that girl” means. 😉 Some authors are certainly more social than I — and their readers love them for it and support everything they do. I aim for quality over quantity of interaction, and hopefully my readers feel like they get that.
I think you’re right, though, I think readers have to protect their enjoyment of the work. If you’re a reader like me, you don’t want to know a lot about the author. For other readers, author interaction is icing on the cake. So it really depends on the reader — and of course the social skills of the author.
Also in our genre we have a surprising number (although, again, this may simply be how it is moving forward) of reviewers, readers, fans, turning their own hand to writing. A good percentage of our online interaction starts out relating to someone in one role and then the roles change. Ambition and aspiration factor in ways that I think are new. We have authors mentoring readers into their own writing careers. We have reviewers who use writing as a springboard for a writing career. There are a lot of crossover relationships that I think are a relatively new development.
Or maybe the crossover element was always there, but it’s happening large scale now because of technology?
My comments are strictly those of a reader, not as a reviewer or site owner.
I prefer the mystique of not knowing anything personal about the people who write the books I enjoy. I have no desire to find out every detail of the lives of my favourite authors. All I care about is that they release quality stories. I can’t count the number of authors who are now on my “do not buy list” rather than my “auto buy” list and this is mainly because the quality of the product they release has deteriorated to the point where I no longer have any desire to read what they write. I wish M/M authors spent the majority of their time improving their craft rather than being on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr 24/7. I realize that a lot of readers love the interaction with their favourite authors but I’m not one of them.
As for not buying an author’s books because of their on-line behaviour, if an author is rude, disrespectful, insulting or vicious online, not just impolite, I don’t buy their books.. We’re all human and have bad days – that’s not what I’m talking about. If they are mean spirited I find that difficult to overlook and would not put my money in their pockets..
Coming back to the symbiotic relationship between authors and their readers, I think the author has to steer that relationship and set the boundaries.
I understand that this sub genre is a lot more competitive than when I first started reading these books in 2003, but what I find amusing is that the lesser talents are the ones who spend their time on Tumblr, FB, Twitter etc. 24/7, promoting! promoting! promoting! It’s as if they’re afraid that if they let up for a second their few fans will forget them, and they’re probably right, because their books suck.
There are a few authors who don’t have to “sell” me on their books because they have never lost sight of the importance of the quality of the product they release and you’re one of that select group Josh. I’m not just saying that – you know I don’t bullshit. I will never dare to tell you what to write because you’re doing fine on your own. 😎 The only information I need from you is the date of your next release babydoll 😀
Great post Josh.
I agree with the part where there are some aspects of author’s lives which I would rather not know about. Also. one thing we haven’t said much about here is the impact that conferences such as GRL have on reader perceptions of authors. Some readers love the idea of meeting their favourite authors face to face – I really liked that part of the UK Meet for example. It can be exciting to meet an author and have the opportunity to enthuse about a well loved book. However, depending on how the author behaves, it can also have a negative effect. I remember being quite disturbed at some of the blog posts and photos that came out of the New Orleans GRL and thought at the time that I really wished I hadn’t seen certain pictures of drunken authors or known about the risque things they were doing at the conference. I know that all authors are human, and that people like to get drunk and have a good time, but it coloured my perception of some authors and that then affects how I view their books. Perhaps it shouldn’t, but it did for me. Maybe I’m just a prude and a fuddy-duddy :)!
Hi Jen
I went to GRL 2012 (didn’t go to New Orleans as I had been there before) and found it quite enjoyable. Part of the reason I loved it was meeting other readers as well as writers whose books I loved. The drinking only happened in the evening after or during the entertainment, but no one was falling down drunk (that I saw). Another reason I enjoyed GRL 2012 was the opportunity to visit New Mexico, a state that I had never visited before where one of my favourite authors (Georgia O’Keefe) lived, and I actually toured her museum in Santa Fe. Wish I could go to this year’s GRL as I have never visited Atlanta. 🙂
As you know, sometimes the benefits of these conferences far outweigh the actual events and the positives are the reason people keep going .
I’m not saying that events such as GRL aren’t a good thing, they are and I have great admiration for those who organise events like that, or the UK Meet. It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to meet with people who love the genre, both authors and other readers, and I know you had a great time in New Mexico. It’s just at these events an author has very little control over how people will interpret their behaviour unless they are willing to stay on their guard and be aware. Blog posts appear within hours of these events and if an author has been drunk and done some silly things – which did happen in New Orleans – then that’s going to be reported on the blogs or gossiped about in emails between readers and may affect how their readers view them and their books. I know people want to have fun and let their hair down, which is great, but it’s a fine line between being seen as a ‘fun guy or girl’ or taking it a step too far.
That’s right, Wave. We’re all looking at YOU. 😀
I was on my best behaviour and never had a drink (until 1.00 A.M. when only the most ardent party goers were still awake). 😆 :blush: But we all behaved impeccably, I swear.
Uh huh.
A rather timely comment, with GRL right around the corner.
The rules for behavior at a writer conferences are — at least for authors, editors, publishers (and, yes, reviewers) — the same for any of us at any professional conference. You’re on the job. So no, there is no free pass that allows any professional in a professional environment to act like a frat boy on summer break. It’s not okay to get drunk on the job. Not even in creative professions.
Not okay to get into fights or start sobbing at the table. Not cool to stick readers with bar tabs or dinner bills. (Do not assume that your editor or publisher will always pick up the bill, either.) Not cool to get thrown out of bars. Not cool to gossip like a teenage girl. Not okay to reveal sensitive, personal information about friends, colleagues, or anyone else. Not okay to dress like a whore or moon readers or grope anyone — sorry, even the wait staff is off the menu. Not okay to commit adultery, theft or murder.
The rules of professional conduct are not anymore suspended at a writing conference than they are at an annual gathering of lapidaries.
Not okay to get into fights or start sobbing at the table. Not cool to stick readers with bar tabs or dinner bills. (Do not assume that your editor or publisher will always pick up the bill, either.) Not cool to get thrown out of bars. Not cool to gossip like a teenage girl. Not okay to reveal sensitive, personal information about friends, colleagues, or anyone else. Not okay to dress like a whore or moon readers or grope anyone — sorry, even the wait staff is off the menu. Not okay to commit adultery, theft or murder.
I hope none of this happened at GRL 2012. 😯 I was too busy talking about books to anyone who would listen, I guess, and missed it if some of the above actually took place there. I met some wonderful authors and readers and we couldn’t stop talking about books. Some of them still write me today if they come across a book they think I would like. 🙂
It’s possible I exaggerated slightly. 🙂
I don’t think there was an actual murder.
I don’t think there was an actual murder.
😯 I hope I would have noticed a body in the next chair. 😮
Coming back to the symbiotic relationship between authors and their readers, I think the author has to steer that relationship and set the boundaries.
I think this is true. I also think it’s not something most of us know instinctively how to do. I know I have learned a thing or two the hard way. And I am still learning. It is a delicate balance — and in such a competitive publishing environment, there is a tendency to overlook commonsense and good manners and just PUSH HARDER to try and break through what must appear to be a wall of indifference.
I have to agree with you about the mistake of authors spending SO much time online in social media. Certainly promotion is necessary, but it can’t be a good sign when someone is online all the time. That’s clearly not time spent writing, editing, polishing. And for readers it is first and foremost the work that they want from us. 🙂
The thing is to know the difference between giving fans and the reading public a few fun facts or information about your pets, or deluging us with info. about every aspect of your life or posting everyday about your book. A horrible example is Dan Skinner whose art I love but he blasts everyone who follows him with post after post every day about his book “Memorizing You,” that I was going to review, but now I don’t think so!!
Readers like to think of writers as human beings but it’s sometimes preferable to maintain a healthy distance. I love talking about the characters in books because I absolutely love reading and I have an innate curiosity about the wonderful characters who live there, but I have the good sense to want to leave it there (I hope). 😀
As you said, this is a strange world for authors, and I know it’s difficult for them to know the “rules” of author/reader interaction, and many of them will make mistakes and over share. However, the key is to use that common sense you mentioned and not over expose us to all the details of their lives.
Although Miley Cyrus is doing a “great” job of marketing herself and getting all the buzz, most of what she’s doing is cringe worthy, but at least she has the advantage of being very young and people may forget in time and just focus on her talent (although we still remember Janet Jackson’s “nipple gate” as she should have had more sense because she was older). 😮 😯
The days of authors working in a garret are over (sometimes I wish they weren’t) and marketing is an essential component now to selling books and building a reader base. However it’s always important to remember that “less is more”. Social media has been here for a few years and is no longer the “wow” tool it was at first, but many writers don’t seem to get that it should be used as a strategic tool as a lot of them spill their entire life story and bore us to death about what little Debbie had for breakfast, or about her dancing class, or they have spats online with readers who may not like their books. Actually you’re one of the few writers who seems to know instinctively how to use social media as a promotional tool without over sharing – you stick to books, writing or something related to those topics. Do you own a cat and is it true that you like Irish whisky? 🙂
Some days I look forward to silence which is a much better promotional tool occasionally than being bombarded by the “noise” of people like Dan Skinner. Overuse is never a good thing. 🙁
Now I’ll just shut up. 😆
Do you own a cat and is it true that you like Irish whisky?
I like cats, but I am, in fact, highly allergic to them. What I really love are dogs. BIG dogs. And yes, I do like a little Irish in my morning coffee. 🙂
Such a smart post Josh. My first interaction with an author coincided with my high school reunion. A neighbor had become a writer. I told him I got a return email from an author and was shocked. He said that writing is a solitary business and he welcomes the interaction. That said, the pendulum has swung the other way. There are some things I wish I didn’t know about some authors. However, I can separate that from their work. I don’t see it as any different than an actor or musician. They are always in the news and I can still watch their movie or buy their CD. Why can’t authors be afforded the same… forgiveness is the wrong word. I think because it’s relatively new in book publishing and no one wrote the handbook, there’s a lot of criticism. As a book geek who gets to review books I love and has met the most amazing people at book cons through the love of a mutual author, I can say it’s been a winning experience for me. That wouldn’t have happened before the internet. I hope the pendulum will settle somewhere balanced..Thank you Josh, for presenting all sides, the good, the bad and the ugly. Authors are my rock stars and you are one.
Your point about hearing back from the author is such an interesting one. I’m thinking in another five years this will no longer be grounds for amazement because readers and writers are interacting constantly now. I do still hear this on a fairly regular basis — but I still get a lot of email from readers who are older and who are not active in social media. I frequently hear that I am their first “fan” letter. I don’t think this is the norm in our genre — and it certainly won’t be the norm within a couple of years.
BUT what I do find fascinating about those particular “first time” emails, is the reminder of how much of our book buying public is NOT active on social media (in fact, the majority of the book buying world is not participating in social media, though that’s easy to forget for those of us who live online). Not only are they not active online, they are relatively new to ebooks and digital media.
It’s very easy to lose sight of the big picture when you’re so busy interacting on the social media stage. Our genre sprang out of online slash fandoms, and so we have a slightly skewed perception of how the general publishing world works.
There is an unbalance, in that the reader is on her leisure time, having fun and interacting as she pleases, while the writer is doing some of that, but at the same time the writer is still at work. That’s got to be tough. Have fun at conferences, but don’t get drunk. Share your feelings about writing, but not your feelings about reviews.
Yep! Readers are on vacation. Anything goes. (Anything they can live with, if it shows up on the ‘Net.) Authors are generally planning to take the trip off their taxes. That doesn’t mean writers can’t have fun! Just remember your accountant is watching. That thought alone ought to provide the sanity check. 🙂
As a reader, I really don’t care what authors are doing other than their writing. Sounds hard but it irritates me when I follow my favorites online to find out about new releases and all I learn is what they ate for breakfast and their daily trips with their kids. What really irritates me is when I find out they have a new book out but I didn’t find out from their social media. I understand that they, like everyone else, have personal lives but I’m not particularly interested in it unless it effects their books.
As far as criticizing an author, if they are taking the time to write a book, if I don’t like it, then I don’t buy more of their work. However, what I dislike intensely is the tendency of authors to rush out pieces of books, one after the other and call them “novelettes”. Of course, you have to buy the next and next, etc. to finally get what amounts to something that should have been published as one novel in the first place. Some of my favorite authors are doing this now and I hate to pass up their work but I won’t be scammed and that’s what it feels like. That and cliffhangers will put an author on my “do not buy” list faster than anything.
Off my soapbox now. Oh, one more thing and my favorite publisher is guilty of this one. All of a sudden, 90% of novels are 200 pages. It’s hard to believe that all of sudden, an author’s creative muse comes to a screeching halt at page 200.
Serials seem to be very popular — or very unpopular — depending who you ask. I think the key there might be pricing? Or maybe not.
The 200 page thing is probably more about word length requirements from a given publisher. If a publisher is seeking 80K novels, the stories are all going to be about the same page length. Most print romance lines all fall within a certain page length so that doesn’t seem so surprising to me. Are you hoping for shorter or longer works? Or just variety?
Personally, I love longer novels but the main thing is that I think an author should be free to write the book as they think it should be, not to meet a page or word criteria.
That’s one of the nice things about ebooks. In mainstream publishing the short story and the novella were essentially dead. And then ebooks came along and all that changed. It’s wonderful from a creative standpoint.
I have to out me as an old reader. I am not active in social media. My “fan”letter to you was the first and only one I have ever written to an author. And yes, I was surprised that you answered it yourself (I stood and bowed to the computer). I am very bad at working with the computer – I hope you have forgotten my performance when I won a book.
What I fear in the interaction between writer and reader is, that an author more or less writes what readers want. When I read a book it has to be the work of the author. Then I have the right to like or dislike it.
I suppose there would be a danger of writing by committee for some, yes. I’m pretty locked into my own vision of what should happen for my characters. I use readers more as a touchstone and a reminder of odds and ends that might slip past me. I’ve started trying to spend a little more time wrapping up stories and giving more emotional payoff. Not because I think my stories needed it, but because I heard this so often from readers that I had to conclude that in this genre there was an expectation that I was failing to deliver on. It would be pigheaded to ignore a consistent message from readers.
I’m not your demographic – I followed a link provided on a GoodReads discussion board, but I wholeheartedly agree with your blog article.
I enjoy feedback from readers and, if readers come to Amsterdam, I make an effort to meet them personally over coffee, but I’m still building my audience. I can understand getting wary when fans stop distinguishing the author from the work. I’m neither the female freelance assassin in my books, nor her blind musician boyfriend, but both characters have some things with me in common that allow me to write about them convincingly. Do I want readers to know which commonalities I share with my characters? Well, no. My characters are ‘their own person’ and their opinions in the books are not my opinions.
A beta-reader wrote me that they were worried that a sentence from my book could rile up readers about perceived misogynism. Since I’m a philogynist, I wondered what he meant, but it involved a thug character slapping a coward ‘the way you slapped a woman’. However, the scene is from this misogynistic character’s perspective and no reader has taken affront to his misogynism or accused me of misogynism. You have to keep the perspective true to that of the character and follow through. In cases like these, it’s important for the reader not to confuse the author with his/her characters.
it’s important for the reader not to confuse the author with his/her characters.
A good point. But also a difficult one for some readers given the emphasis in modern publishing on “platform.” It’s fascinating to see how readers have latched onto this idea of platform, which is after all, just a marketing concept made popular by the success of reality TV. This idea that a book will be intrinsically better if it is written by someone who has actually “been there and done that,” is nonsensical — really the antithesis of what great fiction is about.
And it’s especially ludicrous given that “reality TV” is total bullshit. Similar to the “professional wrestling” my grandpa used to watch on TV. 😀
Thanks for your insight, Martyn.
Interesting topic. The comments from Wave made me blush a bit, mainly because I’ve drastically increased “promotional” efforts on Facebook lately. I’ve also noticed very recently that other authors on social media have mentioned their struggle with finding a comfortable balance when it comes to promotion. At what point does it become bragging? How much is too much? And does it all just sound like self-aggrandizement?
For me, much of it is a result of technological retardation. I was reluctant to even create a Facebook page, late to join Good Reads, still very new to Twitter, and not much of a blogger. After nearly four years, I’ve become quite comfortable with Facebook and Good Reads, but I did nothing to establish separate “personal” and “professional” accounts. So my contacts, especially on FB are a mixture of readers, fans, fellow writers, reviewers, friends who don’t even read, family members, etc. And as Josh stated in one comment above, my “fans” are not necessarily the same group of people who are my readers. The number of ratings and reviews I receive on Good Reads and the number of followers I have on FB are only a percentage of the number of people who have bought my books.
So at times I’m at a loss about what to do, wondering what’s appropriate. I know there are a number of readers who do follow me on social media, and when I make an effort to promote a particular title, I do see some results. However, I don’t think there is anything I can do that’s as important as the distribution efforts of my publisher. And the last thing I want to do is offend readers or even other authors by being obnoxious with too many postings. I ultimately decided that since Facebook does give users some control over which posts they prefer to see, “friends” who aren’t interested in my promotional posts will simply bypass or ignore them.
Concerning the issue of personal information, maybe I’m guilty of sharing too much. Yet I firmly believe that being pretentious is a far more egregious offense than being too transparent. I just hope I don’t fall into the category Wave described, as being one of those authors whose work has deteriorated so badly I have to constantly self promote or readers will forget me.
Hmm. I’m thinking the words “drastic” and “promotion” should never be used in the same sentence. 😀
You make good points, Jeff.
It’s very easy to forget that the majority of our books are not bought by the people we interact with online (if that IS the case, you’ve got a problem, because those sales are not enough to support a living wage).
When we talk about “targeting” our marketing and promotion, we all tend to think in terms of the readers who will like and enjoy our books — and this is partly correct. But also we should be targeting readerswhowilllikeourbooks who do not already know about us, would not be aware of the new book, would not, in the ordinary case of their online or offline interactions, come across us.
Too often we’re busy promoting and marketing to the people who already know about us and probably already know about our new book. That’s a waste of promo money and effort. And this is also where it’s easy to saturate — and then annoy — the audience.
The goal needs to be to expand your reach — while still reaching toward those most likely to enjoy your work.
And of course there is the ongoing problem of authors spending too much time talking to other authors. Classic example: the blog post on writing from a newbie writer. This post will only be of interest to other newbie writers. I see this over and over and over. And readers complain about authors who talk to other authors instead of readers.
What is so difficult about this concept? TALK TO READERS. WRITE ABOUT THE THINGS OF INTEREST TO READERS.
Just like with our fiction, it’s not quantity that matters. It’s quality. We want quality interaction with readers. If the only thing we have to say to readers is, “Buy my book!!!” no wonder they tune out.
I am curious about the mention of endings in the post. In light of present days writer/reader climate, do you think there will be strong backlash as to how you end ‘The Hell You Say’ and the two years gap before ‘Death of The Pirate King’ was release?
Also, there was another facet of this, was how the fans interacts with each others that eventually hurt to the writer. I am quite a fan of the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux and see first hands how people can be such idiots and childish. Ms. Roux ended up decided to remove herself from some of the online activities that she did to reduce the tension caused by a few. This deprived the majority of her fandom who enjoyed her online presence, me included. The majority take this pretty well but in mourning because we wish to participate but the option had been closed :(.
It is true that you cannot please everybody, so might as well trust your instinct (provided that that had guide you far already) and went with the direction that you think is best.
I am curious about the mention of endings in the post. In light of present days writer/reader climate, do you think there will be strong backlash as to how you end ‘The Hell You Say’ and the two years gap before ‘Death of The Pirate King’ was release?
No. Because that particular ending does not shortchange the reader on romance — it is not a romantic ending, period. 🙂 And that’s a very good example of where the author must know when to overrule the reader. I knew readers would not be happy with that ending, but I could not have written a different ending.
Also, there was another facet of this, was how the fans interacts with each others that eventually hurt to the writer. I am quite a fan of the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux and see first hands how people can be such idiots and childish. Ms. Roux ended up decided to remove herself from some of the online activities that she did to reduce the tension caused by a few. This deprived the majority of her fandom who enjoyed her online presence, me included. The majority take this pretty well but in mourning because we wish to participate but the option had been closed 🙁 .
That’s a shame! How disappointing for everyone. Particularly Abi, who I’m sure misses the interaction with her readers. I know I would.
You’re right too, the actions of fans do reflect on the author, even if the author is absolutely blameless. When our fans are smart and civilized and articulate that makes it look to the rest of the world like that’s the kind of person our work attracts. When our fans turn into a mob and insult reviewers or other authors…not so much. 🙁
It’s tough too, because we authors are always grateful when people love our work and want to demonstrate that love. The last thing we want to do is squash the fun.
I agreed that with the way ‘The Hell You Say’ progress, any other endings would be the shortchanged you mentioned. I felt sorry for any fans of yours who were nails biter. The ain’t of waiting must be hell on their nails :eek:.
I do recall an author who blog regularly though, the venerable Amy Lane. She blogged often, about personal stuff mostly like her children, husband, works woes and getting sick (one of her recent blog post was aptly named ‘tossing cookies’). I supposed that didn’t effects her because her writings were very solid. That and probably the fact that her readers were too busy weeping uncontrollably reading her books :-P.
LOL. Very likely! 😀