Chatting with Hemingway in your study..?

March 20, 2010 in General, Marketing, Publishing, Raves, Reads, Social Networking, Twitter with 12 Comments

Something has changed profoundly in my reading habits.  I am beginning to choose books and the authors that write them, for a whole new reason. I look for authors who engaged in conversation with their readers.  A few years ago authors never would have dreamed of interacting with readers outside of book tours, signings and readings.  Now authors and readers are communicating via many formats.  Personally, when I choose my next read I look online to see if the author is connected.  Are they engaged in conversation already?

So would Hemingway have been willing to communicate with his readers?  I hope so.  With the way publishing is going today, authors need to engage and build communities involving their readers.  (For more information on getting published today see my friend Jon’s blog post)  They win both financially and relationally.

Here is a short list of authors and organizations that are doing this well and willing to risk engagement.  Their risk is paying off.

Mary Russell (The Bee Keepers Apprentice), Tony Hsieh, Seth Godin, Steve Garfield, Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, Andy Andrews, Dr. Tim Erwin, Ransomed Heart, Dr. Emerson Eggerich, Jane Kirkpatrick, Rick Warren

To find your own authors, search Facebook for their name or title. On twitter search for the book name or author. Many readers create a search term if the author has not (you can do this by simply posting on twitter about your book with a #hashtag in front of the term).

 

Please add any you have found engaging.

About Johnflurry: Director of Communications for Soma Games & Code-Monkeys. Huffington Post blogger. I'm also an expert advisor for the George Fox Seminary Semiotics & Future Studies program.

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  • jondale

    Hey John, thanks for the link love! Great post, I completely agree that its much more fun to read an author who is open to conversing around their topic.

  • jondale

    Hey John, thanks for the link love! Great post, I completely agree that its much more fun to read an author who is open to conversing around their topic.

  • http://ajleon.me/ ajleon

    Love this. Funny how the world has changed. I bet all the money in my pocket that the great writers would have taken advantage of the new economy of engagement. Great post!

    • http://www.flurrycreations.com/theblog John Bergquist

      Thanks AJ, Speaking of the money in your pocket, I think it greatly increases the value for purchase, when reading experiences take on a whole new life with author and other reader connections. It even amps up more with great tools like Vook.

  • janekirkpatrick

    Hi John, I engage with my readers because I know once the book leaves my hands, a reader will create with the story; I like to see what they do with it, to know if/how it affected them. I learn something for my next book. Facebook (a reader page and a fan page) newsletters, accessible via website, Twitter and I “attend” book group discussions by speaker phone. Madeliene L'Engle says when we create we co-create: we create with spirit and with our audience. I like that.

    • http://www.flurrycreations.com/theblog John Bergquist

      Jane, Beautifully put. Thanks so much for taking my invitation to speak on this subject. What a great tool to ward off writers block, having your readers co-create with you. You are way ahead of the game. It is an honor to have you here.
      Check out Jane's great books here: http://www.jkbooks.com/ and on twitter here: @JaneKirkpatrick

  • andybunch

    Good stuff John, I've found that Laurie R. King is highly interactive with her readers as well. I need to learn that trick with the #hastag thing…There is much I need to learn from you Obi-john. I'll be in touch.

  • http://www.relevantblog.blogspot.com Mary DeMuth

    I wonder if this is a new trend, or simply the desire of the reader to be included in community with an author. Definitely something to ponder and consider. I make it a point to deeply connect with my readers. I try to be very accessible. It's not a quick way to garner sales, but it is satisfying.

  • LanaVaughan

    I’m mentoring a new style of collaborative writing. 37 middle school students are co-authoring a novel for NaNoWriMo. We are publishing via Fastpencil the first of December and will have actual books in hand December 15th. Since all of the authors are between the age of 11 and 14 their social networking is restricted to parental controls but there is a growing buzz about the book. Believe me, this is a tech savvy generation of authors coming up.

  • http://www.flurrycreations.com/theblog John Bergquist

    Mary, I believe it will pay off for you in the long run.

  • http://www.flurrycreations.com/theblog John Bergquist

    Lana, what a great way though to teach them the concepts of community based promotion. Even texting can be a powerful way to connect.