Esmeralda Stone

Public engagement is tricky. Too much is annoying. Too little and you fall off the edge of the planet. Being on the wrong platform becomes the equivalent of screaming at the sky.

I don’t mind posting on a website or social media if I have something to say. But, as a person, I’m not all that interesting. I do a lot of research. I write. And I do normal day-to-day things with my family and on our farm. Not exactly a treasure-trove of material for a writing blog or author social media page.

The writing process is also pretty boring. I know I certainly don’t care that an author has ten pages of notes on the distinct differences between whiskey and bourbon, all so their main character can make a joke about it in passing—a joke maybe two percent of readers will catch. But, as writers, we find those little things that round out our characters, or at least amuse us, and we’re happy to put that work in. I just don’t know if anyone cares to hear about the ten pages of notes.

It may not help that I’m not the type of reader who constantly visits other authors’ pages to see what they’re up to. I’ll occasionally check a page to see when a book will be out, and if a search takes me to an author’s page because they blogged about the subject I’m researching, I might look around after reading their post. But past that, I’m not invested.

But it does make me curious… Do readers spend time on author sites? Do people subscribe to, and then actually read, author newsletters? What’s the best way to engage with readers? Or is the engagement not really wanted?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

E.S.

(photo curtesy of Vecteezy)