Connecting with Readers
When I became a published author I needed to decide my next step. The most important step…connecting with your readers. Your readers are the reason why you write. They are the ones that help you to keep being an author. They help you market by word of mouth or even come to your signings. Without readers who would we be?
How do you connect?
This was something that I myself needed to figure out. I didn’t think I would have sold 10 copies let alone the 250. Yes, 250 copies doesn't seem like much however when your a first-time author and you have self-published, that is an accomplishment in itself. I am extremely proud of that.
So connection, how do you start?
Giveaways: One of the best ways to reward your readers is to have a contest or giveaway. You can set these up in various ways. Since I self-published through Amazon they had options for me to promote a giveaway of some copies of my book. You can also do this through your author's page where you can ask people to tell you their favorite character, give opinions on how the book should have ended, and so on. Now if you are doing this through your author's page, be sure to protect yourself by putting it first and foremost that they can enter for a CHANCE to win. Also, make sure to have the person randomly selected so that no favoritism comes into play.
Blogs: Writing about your author’s experience or how your current projects are moving along allows your readers to stay connected with you. If you provide tips, insight, or interesting information they will definitely keep coming back for more.
Small stories: Something that I did with my book was writing about other characters in my novel's universe. This was neat to see how people reacted to having a little more insight into the characters that I created. It can also provide them with more information as to how your world works or more information about it.
Showing appreciation:
On my Facebook authors page, I always try to post something once in a while about how much I appreciate the support of my readers. Without them, I wouldn’t be the Author I am today (No matter how small). Trying to give them something back like a half-price sale or even a free kindle day when my Amazon promotion is available is key to showing that you care about the support system they provide. Now I know this is not available to everyone, however, there are ways that you can show appreciation.
Hold a special book signing
Post a shoutout to a special reader who always responds or comments on your work
Signed book giveaways