I've been having such fun with the Spelunking Speculative Fiction series. Meeting and chatting with these authors has been...all sorts of things. Enlightening. Hilarious. Challenging.
Today, I'm introducing you to someone new to me. Jackie Castle, freelance writer, novelist, illustrator, educator. This woman has such imagination.
And here's what she's got to say about engaging your readers.
As an Indie author, I've had to
learn to think out of the box for ways to promote my book series, The White Road Chronicles.
We've heard all the standard book
selling advice and know the drill: Write a compelling story, have it edited,
and find a great cover. The rest will take care of itself. Well, yes and no.
Personally, I want to do more
than just sell books. Don't get me wrong, I want to earn a living, but I also
want to find fun ways to give readers an experience when they read my series.
And I believe, that when readers are engaged in your story world, they will
follow you into other series, as well.
So, today, I'm offering three tips on things any writer can do to draw readers into their story-lands.
#1 - Be available to people
Whenever I’m blessed to receive an email or letter from a reader, I’m
quick to respond, first thanking them for writing, then discussing what they said
or answering any questions as honestly as possible. It’s surprising how shocked
they usually are when they get my response.
Same goes for when someone leaves a question on my Facebook author page, my Amazon page, or even at Goodreads/Wattpad.
Another way to connect with
readers: a monthly newsletter.
Don’t merely include information about your books, but write a
short piece about an observation you’ve had while writing, or a vacation you
took. Feature books you’ve read and loved. People who follow your books love
knowing a bit about the person behind those stories. I’m not saying to open all
the curtains and doors of your life, but sharing (safe) little bits and pieces,
such as what inspired a certain character, or theme, some kind of behind-the-scenes
tidbit helps them connect with you as a fellow human-being.
#2 - Seek Readers' input
Recently, I ran a contest to pick
the model for my next series cover and got a great response. And, readers felt
they had a part to play in the creative process of writing Radiance: Book Four. Those who picked the winning cover were
entered in a drawing for a free print version of that book. (Which is another
thing I enjoy doing—giving away signed copies of my book. It's fun.)
Don’t be afraid to seek your reader’s opinions. Ask for
suggestions on who should play your characters if the book is turned into a
movie. Invite fan art. I’ve seen some writers who have several different series
going ask their readers which series they want a new book from next. If only I
can be in that predicament. Ha!
Keep it simple, yet fun. Each
time you pose a question, it’s
a means of advertisement without shouting from the rooftop, “Hey, buy my book!”
#3 - Expand your story world
Especially if you have a series
going… create a
web/blog site around your story world. Have a character page with a
pronunciation guide for difficult names. Or a sight-seeing tour of places in
your book and what inspired you to invent, or use, those places. Is the place
fictional, or part of a real world setting?
Either way, you can have lots of
fun. Are there people who can cook in your book? What about a recipe page?
Fantasy? A page that describes your creatures and beings.
With my White Road Chronicle site,
I’ve written
inspirational blog posts, provided character pages, and each book has its own
page with a sample chapter, overview of story along with links to buy, and even
a playlist of songs I listened to while writing that story. I’ve also recently
added a map page.
The site is still in development, and I’m constantly changing
and tweaking things. I want there to be something different that will continue
to draw readers back again and again. Because each time I add something, I'm
sure to post a link to my social networking sites.
So, what ideas can you come up with? Please
share in the comments.
Jackie Castle is a freelance
writer, storyteller and elementary educator. She lives in Texas with her
husband, two teenagers and her dog, Ginger. She looks for the extraordinary in
the ordinary in everything she experiences. She has published articles and
short stories in several magazines, but her main passion is writing novels for
children and young adults.
And now, one question from me: Who will I be seeing at Realm Makers this week?
Thanks for swinging by,
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