Interacting with your readers...

The Black Hole

Something I've struggled with for a few years is getting to talk to some of my readers. I don't mean sending a message out to everyone but I certainly have a group of about 40+ readers who have been extremely kind when responding to my ads and posts. I can of course respond to those, but I'm answering as a page title 'The Micklegate Series.' I'm not interested in promoting my name (mostly because nobody has ever heard of me) but at the same time I don't want to use my personal account to engage with people who I'm in a business relationship with. However, one of the things that is important to me is talking with readers about the characters, content, twists, plots and the period. I can't message them from my series page but I have learned a few tips that may help and I'm going to try them out very soon.

Why Bother Building Direct Connections?

Loyalty: Readers who feel connected to you are more likely to buy your next book.

Feedback: You get real opinions, not just star ratings.

Community: Writing is less lonely when you’ve got a band of supporters.

Marketing: Launches, promos, and even a bit of gentle begging ('please review my book!') are much easier with a direct line.

So, What Can You Do?

1. Create a Readers Club (or Mailing List, if you’re feeling formal)

You don’t need anything fancy — a free Mailchimp or ConvertKit account will do. Offer your readers a reason to join: an exclusive short story, a deleted scene, or even a daft quiz about your main character’s favourite biscuit. Put the signup link everywhere:

At the end of your books ('Want more adventures? Join my Readers Club!')

2. Make Facebook Work For You

Facebook won’t let you message your followers out of the blue (unless they message you first), but you can:

Post updates as your author page or series page

Reply to comments (and start conversations)

Create a Facebook Group for your readers—groups get better notification reach, and you can post as yourself or your page.

3. Host Giveaways or Events

People love free stuff. Run a giveaway ('Win a signed copy!'), host a virtual Q&A, or do a live reading. Use these as opportunities to collect email addresses (with permission, of course) or encourage folks to join your group.

4. Use Your Author Central Page

It’s not a direct line, but encourage readers to “Follow” you on Amazon. When you release a new book, Amazon will email your followers for you.

5. Be Present in Your Books

Don’t be shy—add a friendly note at the end of your book inviting readers to connect. Share a bit about yourself, your next project, or where to find you online.

6. 'Coffee mornings'

As many of you know, ASPA is now healthy and running as it should again. Lee and I are constantly adding more features and resources and we are very excited about future coffee mornings, ('Prose & Cons') and the webinars. I think you'll all agree it is healthy for authors to get together and chat - certainly with the pros and cons. We have no agenda so you can chat about anything around your experiences of writing, publishing and being an author. So I was thinking - if I can eventually find a way communicating with some of my readers that it would be great to do the same for my books. Seriously - if Lee ran a chat about the 'Utopia Series' I would definitely want to be there as I feel I know those characters as well as my own!

Final Thoughts

Building a direct connection with your readers takes a bit of effort, but it’s worth it. Not just for sales, but for the sheer joy of knowing your stories have found real people—people who might just become friends, cheerleaders, or even the inspiration for your next quirky character.

If you’ve got a tip that’s worked for you, or you’re just starting out and feeling a bit lost, drop a comment or send me a message. We’re all in this together.

Some day? Mind you, I think she's being a bit over familiar. Just saying...