This is the link to the website the blog was originally posted: http://nblo.gs/11sbwI
Anyway, here it is:
Fan letter to my readers.
Not since Romeo and Juliette has there been a romance so
great as that between a writer and a reader.
*coughs* ehm… okay, that’s utter nonsense, sorry about that.
I went for a nice dramatic opening… artistic license and all that.
First of all, I don’t think Romeo and Juliette are all that
romantic. They were very young, barely knew each other, and if my memory serves
me correct, Romeo was trying to get it on with some other bird first. Also… it
resulted in unnecessary death, which sounds rather foolish to me.
But I digress. What I’m trying to say, in my own rather
clumsy manner, is that readers are very important to the author. We’re always
telling each other that we need to write for ourselves, but we don’t really… we
write for an imaginative audience.
 |
| shameless promotional pic |
I have recently released my first full length novel. A
horror book called Angel Manor, through Horrific Tales Publishing. This meant I
had to do that which I dread most: get my book noticed. It really got me to
think about readers, and how absolutely vital they are to writers; we can’t
live without them. The same way that readers can’t be readers without writers,
writers are really not worth much without readers.
Finding an audience is a challenge for us. Unless we’ve
broken through and
have made our claim to fame, the writers have an ongoing
quest to search for the holy grail: their readers.
We’re a funny lot, authors, most of us (not me) are
introverts who prefer to stay well away from the public eye. Yet at the same
time, we want our books to be read by millions. Not just for the money, mind
you. Though getting paid for… you know… work… is quite pleasant. We really want
readers because they breathe life into our stories and our worlds. A story is a
flat entity until it gets an audience. Look at what the readers of Harry Potter
have done. Without his public, he wouldn’t be what he is today. There would be
no theme parks, no movies, no merchandise, nothing. Just words on a page that
no one has read.
That wasn’t JK Rowling who created the hype. If we writers
had that power, all our books would have their own theme parks *sits back and
fantasizes about Coyote world* and movies. It’s the fans that make all this
magic happen. Their combined love for a book can move mountains.
We writers dream about readers. We talk to them in our work,
hope to seduce them, lure them into our realities, and we want them to love us.
We have a bit of an exhibitionistic streak in us. Not that we’ll end up
flashing people our naughty parts (some might, but most of us prefer to stay
fully dressed), but we like to ‘flash’ our minds. One could argue that that’s a
naughty part too *cheeky grin*.
Unfortunately not all readers are kind to us. There are a
good many Trolls out there who would quite happily destroy the career of a
budding author, for whatever reason. We fear those readers. Writers whisper
about them, the way children will talk about the monster under the bed. All of
us know that not every reader can like your work, and we’re prepared for the
one and two star reviews, they are a 
part of life. But on occasion you get that
one star review that makes no sense, or that is just spiteful.
One of my author
friends has been openly attacked for having a racist character in his horror
book.
Just because we write bad characters, doesn’t mean we’re bad
people. It’s painful to be called names by strangers. Most of us take it to
heart; we’re often extremely sensitive souls, we creative
Authors thrive on reviews, they get us through the darker
parts of the creative process. Writing can be a lonely process, and a review
can make you feel very loved, or at the very least noticed. Plus they are
vital, they actually help us make more sales. The best way to help us build our
careers is to talk about us, recommend our work. This is what keeps us sold and
keeps us sane. Luckily most readers understand this. It’s difficult to get
people to write reviews, so when they do, we tend to be very grateful. I have
to admit, there have been a few reviews that have made me cry happy tears. In
fact, whenever I’m feeling a bit blue, I read those again. It’s like reading a
love letter. They are a testimony of my words touching another human soul out
there, and it’s magical.
So, in light of all these wonderful readers, I want to write
a little fan letter. I know it’s usually the reader who writes to the writer,
but I thought I would mix it up a little.
Dear reader,
I’ve been a fan of yours ever since I started writing.
Though we’ve never met, I actually feel very close to you. We share something,
an understanding of the world I created in my books. That’s pretty special to
me.
Your kind / honest review has really made an impact on me,
and I was thrilled to read it. I love that you made the time to give me your
opinion on my work. That was pretty awesome.
I have to admit, I think about you a lot. Know that whatever
I write, it’s all for you. I long for your approval. Nothing makes me happier
than you smiling, crying, or gasping with horror when you read my work. If my
words can reach you, can make you think or just provide you with some pleasant
entertainment… I feel more fulfilled.
Thank you for existing, dear reader. You are so very special
to me, and I feel a deep admiration for you.
With love,
Chanti.
