Today’s topic comes from QSFer Angel Martinez:
Connecting with a physical readership – where and how do you do it? (And readers, where do you go looking for your writers?)
It’s a great question. As writers, we spend a huge amount of time at the keyboard (or for the old school folks among us, at the typewriter or writing pad) putting together our works to share with the world.
But at some point, we have to emerge from our writer caves to engage with the fans. Or sometimes even to find some.
So how do you do it? Are you a con goer? Do you advertise? Do trailers for your books? Are you on social media? Do you do blog tours or actual physical book tours? How do you connect with your public?
And readers – how do you find your favorite authors?
Come join the discussion.
I tend to rely on social media and blog tours to get the word out about my stories. I don’t get to travel often, but I found going to conventions an *awesome* way to connect with other authors–to put faces to names and have fantastic conversations at all hours of the day and night. I come home recharged and excited about the things I’ve learned and the stories I have as yet to write.
Do I think conventions sell books for me? No, but they recharge and energize me, which is a good thing.
I suspect I’m not doing enough but I’m not sure what ‘enough’ is. I’m taking a marketing course online right now but so far, much of what I’m being taught doesn’t seem to apply to a niche writer such as myself. I’m having some problems with some of the teachings of the course as well; some of them rub me the wrong way. I can’t tell if it’s because the teachings just aren’t for me or if I’m not being aggressive enough in my own marketing efforts…
I can tell you what I learned from my time in fandom, however. I never advertised at all. I simply wrote like a mofo and put it out there. Like stray cats, readers showed up, told other readers, and more showed up. And as soon as I stopped ‘feeding’ the readers, they disappeared. Now I suspect it’s easier to build a following in fandom because you have a captive audience, but I also suspect ‘write like a mofo’ is your best advertisement.