Let me get this out of the way first: I have a problem with referring to my readers as “fans.” Maybe this is a confidence problem, and I need to get over it and learn to embrace the word. After all, I don’t have any problem whatsoever with proudly referring to myself as a fan of the things that I love, and that’s exactly what I need to cultivate: a community of people who love and are enthusiastic about my fiction. Still, though, calling devotees of my own work “fans” makes me break out in mental hives. It just feels so egotistical and, well, unearned.
But here’s the thing: I’m willing to earn it. And with all of that said, let’s get to the actual point of this post:
Do you consider yourself a devotee, or even a fan, of my fiction? Are you enthusiastic enough about my writing to help spread the word? Are you impatient for me to write more books, and willing to do what you can to help make it possible for me to write more?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then this post is for you.
I’ve finally figured out what to do with my mailing list. I’ve decided to turn it into a sort of “reader appreciation club” whose members will receive the following:
- Be the first to read my latest short story, Shiny: A Clockwork Fairytale, which you can preview right here
- Exclusive sneak peeks and previews
- Opportunities to beta-read new manuscripts and provide feedback
- Opportunities to receive advance review copies of completed books
- Be the first to know about release dates, cover reveals and other big news
- Discounts on new releases
- Have a chance to weigh in on decisions like which book I should write next
- One-on-one communication with the author (that’s me)
- And eventually, I hope to do exclusive giveaways and free swag, although that’s not in the budget currently
In return, I’ll occasionally ask you to do what fans do — be enthusiastic and tell people about my work.
So how does this help make 2014 awesome? Well, in theory, this will help generate some good word-of-mouth, which will help sell more books, which will in turn allow me to spend less time on paid freelance projects and more time on writing new books, and then we all win. Also, hopefully, organizing my reader base like this will help me keep tabs on how large my audience is and will also provide me with a muchly needed source for feedback so I’m not just shooting in the dark guessing about what my readers want.
Sound good? Well then, just enter your e-mail below to join the club!
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