The Writer-Reader Connection
Dear Maggie,
I’ve heard writers can be a bit reclusive. Do you like attending book events or do they make you nervous?
Sincerely,
Antisocial in Anchorage
Dear Antisocial,
These days, most authors can’t get away with hiding out in their study to write for months at a time, then shipping the resulting manuscript off to the editor and calling it a day. We are largely responsible for building our own author platform, and we are expected to help market our work. Of course, if we have Stephen King level of fame, that’s a different story, but many of us won’t see that kind of uber-success in the course of our career.
My work involves a combination of writing, editing, networking, building a social media presence, blogging, attending events and signings, and then back to more writing. Fortunately for me, I really love all parts of the process, including the book events. Meeting readers is a joyful experience for me. I love when a fan finds me at an event to tell me they’ve been waiting for the next book in my series, or when someone says they can’t stop thinking about a character I’ve written.
People write for different reasons. They might need to process a particular event or reflect on their own feelings. They might have a story they want to tell, but it’s too personal to share beyond a small circle. These are all valid reasons to put pen to paper, of course, but I’ve always written with the intent of offering my stories to the world. Without readers, I’m not sure I’d write. I want others to connect with my stories, lose themselves in another world, fall in love with the characters. It’s gratifying to hear that someone enjoyed my work, but the interactions with readers mean more to me than that. I thrive on the connections I make with people who love storytelling. We’re sharing an experience.
Do you have a question for me? Send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog.
In other news…
I am available for book club events, virtually or in person, so please reach out!
Amazon just launched a new platform called Kindle Vella. Instead of purchasing an entire e-book, readers purchase tokens to unlock story ‘episodes’. The first three episodes are free, and readers can decide if they’d like to continue. I’m currently working on a sexy tale for Vella titled Betrayal, and I post a few new episodes each week. You can check it out here: Betrayal by Maggie Clare.
Ray and I are enjoying our final day of vacation in Sarasota and Long Boat Key. I’m currently sitting on the hotel balcony writing and watching the dolphins. Perk of this writer’s life - I can do it from anywhere! Here’s a little photo gallery from Tampa Bay Comic Con, my first in person book event in almost two years, and from our happy little getaway.
