I have always been someone who loves to read. I can sit down with a good book and just get lost in it. Whether reading a book for pure entertainment or a book geared toward self-growth, I never realized there was a connection I was making with the author. Why I chose that particular author or book was never in the forefront of my mind, I just focused on finding something that resonated with where I was in my life or where I wanted to be. It was not until I became an author that I truly understood the value of the reader and the connection that is built with him or her.
“My readers are the people I write for, the ones who invest in me as an author.”
The relationship between authors and their readers is extremely important and valuable. The relationship is unspoken but intimate. Every word the author chooses in every sentence, sets the foundation that their relationship rests on. Every book that the author publishes and every book the reader reads continues to grow the relationship between them. One word or book can build or slightly set back the growth of their relationship.
Readers rely on authors to invoke emotions, take them to a place of comfort or clarity, or even encourage them in a way no one else is able to at that time. As an author, your reader has to believe in you as a writer and feel that you will provide them with value and content that will shape their lives for the better. Your reader ultimately invests time, money, and energy into you as an author. Time is invested deciding if they want to purchase and read your book. Money is invested in the purchase and in you as an author. Energy is invested in what your reader gets out of the book and the direction it points them in; does it uplift or encourage, bring comfort or joy, arouse or provoke.
No matter the genre you write, if you are a best selling author, or if you are just getting started, always keep in mind your reader. Never underestimate their value and the relationship that you are building with them through your writing.
Stay Encouraged!
Chanelle A. Watson
Author, Chef, & Entrepreneur