You know who I mean? You send them an email to congratulate them on their book you just read. It moved you, made you laugh or cry or both, and you want to tell them, hey, good book. They don’t respond. Now if it’s a multi-bestselling author your chance of them getting your email directly might be slim, but if it’s a debut author or a mid-list author, the odds of you reaching them increase.
Who knows why authors don’t respond—other than those who receive hundreds of fan letters a day in their inboxes. It’s a choice made by each individual how they handle attention from those who want to talk about, rave about, or complain about their work.
Marketing is a hit and miss endeavor. What works in spades for one author does nothing to promote another. Most pre-published authors vow to answer every fan note—should they ever have even one! If an author manages to have major success, the odds of being able to respond to every fan reaches an impossibility. The author must resort to newsletters to blanket all fan addresses. Those authors tour and draw crowds at book signings, contrary to most such events for authors. They’re “livin’ the dream” of publishing success.
Responding to “fans” is something to consider when you actually garner some. There are some wonderfully appreciative authors out there. Generous. Kind. Real. They love sharing their work with you and need your affirmations. Others not so much.
The funny world of celebrity . . .
Lord, we’re all just human. Some redeemed. Some not. This one is desperate for you. Jesus, you’re all I’m livin’ for . . .
Into the Fire 
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