Blogger: Wendy Lawton
A few times lately I’ve talked about maintaining your database. I touched on it it as part of my blog post on collecting people, when I talked about the trouble with tribes and last week when I addressed cross-promotion. Let me drill down onto one aspect of all this talk about databases. I am going to talk about your reader list.
As writers we are creating something wonderful for our customers, for our readers. These are the most important people in our career universe. Not agents, not editors, not reviewers, not fellow writers– our audience is the reader. Our customer is the reader. I’ll go one step further and say it’s like a pastor and his congergation or a shepherd and his flock. Our readers are entrusted to us.
What data do we want to collect? In the best of all worlds, get your reader’s name, physical address, phone number, email address and website plus any data that will help you serve them. Normally you will only get a portion of this information.
You’ll probably end up with more people on your e-list than on your mail-list. With the cost of postage, you might wonder, why collect physical addresses? For several reasons. . . if you you are going to be doing a signing in a certain city you can pull up all the zipcodes in a certain-mile radius and send a postcard, telling of your event. Or if you want to set a series in the geographic region where you have the biggest readership, you have that data at your fingertips. Maybe you need to do some research on street names in Poughkeepsie. Don’t you think one of your readers would be delighted to be asked for help and then acknowledged in your book?
Pre-pub: From the time you first begin the journey toward becoming a published author, you need to be building your database of potential readers. How do you find readers if you’ve not yet written a book? If you write a blog, you have followers. If you speak at MOPs groups you have listeners. If you teach a Sunday School class you have those who come to hear you. They are all part of your flock. Make sure you don’t fill your database only with other writers’ names. Yes, you may want them there but they are not your primary reader.
Published Author: From the time your book first comes out, you’ll begin collecting names of readers. If they write you a letter, collect the info. If you spend time with a research librarian, add her to the list. If someone sends you an email, thank them and ask if you can keep their email address to let them know when the next book comes out. When you speak or do signings, have a wonderful 2-part card designed. The top half has a picture of your book or books and a note promising you’ll let them know when you are next in the area or when the next book comes out. You also want to reassure them on this top half that you will keep their information private, only using it to let them know what’s happening in your world. The tear-off part is what they put in the hopper for a chance at the amazing door prize you’ve brought. Or they hand it to your helper. It asks for all the information you’d love to have for your database.
Let’s make a list of who you’ll add and how you might get their information:
Blog Readers |
Create a giveaway to collect names/email addresses |
Speaking Event Attendees |
Have a sign-up sheet at the back of the room |
Speaking Event Attendees |
Door Prize—collect physical addresses and email |
Speaker Event Attendees |
Have a two-part postcard to pass out—one for them, one for you |
Book Store Signings |
Have a sign-up sheet on your table |
Book Store Signings |
Great Door Prize—collect physical addresses and email |
Book Store Signings |
Have a two-part postcard to pass out—one for them, one for you |
|
|
Host an approved giveaway or promotion |
Book clubs |
Bring a basket of friends’ books as a doorprize—collect names |
Reader Letters |
Collect the return address, etc. |
Your Website Visitors |
Set-up a guestbook that automatically collects the data |
Once you have a list here’s how you will use it:
- First off, you will never, ever share this database with anyone. These people contacted you and they deserve to be cared for. They are your unique flock, not a flock for rent. You will not even share this list with your publisher anymore than they would share their database with you. If you let your publisher have these names they’d naturally add them to their master list and your flock would soon run toward the hills, bleating piteously as they hear the confusing voices of hundreds of other potential shepherds.
- These readers were interested enough to contact you, to participate in your giveaway, or to come to see you. They, at the very least, deserve to know when a book is coming out. Contact them by email, by mail– whatever works best. Take care of this flock. Be personable. Share bits of your life with them. Be strategic. If your list is big enough and all these readers flock to the store the first week your book is out, you WILL make the bestseller list.
- Remember– if you you are going to be doing a signing in a certain city pull up all the zip codes in a 200-mile radius and send a colorful book postcard, telling of your event and allowing them to use the postcard to get a free gift or enter the drawing twice or something equally special. That way you’ll collect the postcards bearing the names of your uber-readers– the ones who will get in a car and drive to come see you. If you someday need to assemble a group of marketing mavens/meisters, these are the readers most likely to be on it.
That’s just a start. Now it’s your turn. Put on your thinking caps and come up with other ways to find your flock. What are some fun ways to connect with them once you have them gathered? Can you see how this will be the most important non-writing thing you do?
TWEETABLES:
So how do I find my readers? I feel like a shepherd without a flock. Click to Tweet
Your reader database is the single most important non-writing task you will undertake. Click to Tweet
Literary Agent @wendylawton says “Never, ever share your reader database.” Click to Tweet
This is one of the most informative posts I’ve ever read on the nuts and bolts of ‘being an author’ that I have ever read.
Two suggestions I would make – first, maintain contact email with your readers on a regular basis…not more than once a week, and not less than once a month. This should be in the form of a newsletter with material specific and exclusive to the flock, and it should be about THEM – ministry stuff that can make their life better, or a short story written ‘just for them’.
Second, prepare a ‘welcome package’ for new readers, with background information about your book. My WIP is a romance set during the fall of Saigon in 1975, and the background information will include maps, a capsule history, and – most important – photos, so that readers can put pictures to the story. A bit like Pinterest, but they’ll get all of the material in their inbox, rather than being directed to a website,
Authorship is ministry, and a book can change the course of a life.
What great ideas, Andrew. Thanks for sharing! I’m taking notes.
Perfect, Andrew! I love your idea of a welcome package. We can be creative once we know our readers. If Miss Augusta in our story serves a persimmon pudding, we can offer the recipe to our readers.
I love the way you think.
Fabulous ideas Andrew…thanks for sharing. And I love the setting for your romance…how intriguing! Do you have a Pinterest board for your manuscript?
Hmmm, great ideas. Now I need a secretary–or better yet, a housekeeper. 🙂 I agree with Andrew, this is very informative. I’ve been wondering how to gather the elusive flock. I have a start, but it’s better to know this info early on and begin creating the database now than to comb back through mountains of old contact interactions.
It is work, that’s for sure but an important part of our ministry. Much like your pastor. If all he did was prepare and deliver his sermons he’d be viewed as a failure. Relationship and interaction is as important for an author as it is for him.
Some people do hire a virtual assistant or a college intern to maintain or build their list, especially if they have a lot of catch-up to do.
Great advice in this post Wendy. I would say, connecting with your audience requires just as much work as writing or preparing your manuscripts. It’s human nature when you show someone you care for him and they return the same to you. Unfortunately we live in a society where caring for others (some) doesn’t always mean the care is returned. As christians, its different for us. We are to care and love those who could care less. I love the part of your post where it says collect the readers information to SERVE THEM. The whole point to having fun connecting and remaining connected to readers is to drop the (Me, Me) approach and serve them. Thanks Wendy. Again, you have posted some more helpful tips for newbie writers like myself. You guys make learning fun. Bless You.
Yes! That’s what keeps us from being me-focused. That’s why I love specializing in the Christian market. Our model is the greatest Servant who ever lived.
Great post Wendy! Gathering a flock is intimidating, but you included some great ideas. Which of these ideas would you recomend for a pre-published writer?
Most of our pre-published nonfiction writers are already platform building on their subject– speaking, teaching and connecting online. These writers are expected to have a significant platform before they are published.
With fiction start collecting everyone who is excited about your story off- and online. Get the info for all who help with research, from librarians to the guy who helped you with horse tack questions. Plus all the people in your life who are excited about what you do.
Wendy, any suggestions for those of us who maintain our lists via MailChimp or similar companies, all of whom (quite correctly) require a double opt-in? In such a situation, the person must click the link, then respond to an email to confirm. How do you handle this if someone just gives you their email address?
I don’t know enough about Mail Chimp or another company like that. But I have to say that I wouldn’t be comfortable maintaining my list through a third party alone. (Am I high control? Yes.)
I think I would use an opt-in service for my newsletter but I’d maintain my list on my own custom built database.
In MailChimp you can export an email in using Excel or manually. You must confirm you have permission to do so. And you can also export the email list to your computer for an extra back up as well. I use MailChimp and am extremely happy with all it offers.
Richard, I’m with GetResponse. I have the option of adding email addresses gained at events. GR then sends the opt-in form as though the reader had entered their address themselves, though I did the initial entry instead of the reader.
In either case, they have to click the opt-in to actually be added to my newsletter list.
Richard – I use MailChimp to collect info and to send communications to readers. On a regular basis, I download the MC data to an excel spreadsheet on my Mac and take care to back-up with the rest of my computer data. When I do a mailing, I can select names from my Excel master (depending on the group I want to communicate with) and upload into MailChimp to send (they allow naming each mail list). My Excel list will always have far more names/info on it than the one maintained by MC, including the data I collect at events.
SO excited to build my lists. I have a vague start, but you’ve inspired me to get after it in earnest. I think, like most everything else in life, being a successful writer comes down to building relationships. And the best way to build relationships with people is to communicate with them. Thanks for a great flock gathering tutorial!
And since you are just preparing for your debut novel, you’ll make this a part of your whole career. Some of my clients even set goals for themselves as to how many new readers they’ll add to their flock in the coming year.
Ooh, I’m bookmarking this one! Thanks!
Bookmarking and starting your list, I hope.
Wendy, your chart makes my organizing and list-making heart go pitter-pat. Thank you so much for your time spent here educating us! And your statement that readers are the most important people in our career universe? Amen, sister! 🙂
We are kindred spirits, Meghan. And no matter that so many of us are introverts, it always comes down to people, doesn’t it?
I was kind of thinking this is stuff I can only dream about, because I’m still writing my manuscript. I’m glad you included not yet published writers.
I’ve got an email newsletter with subscribers and blog subscribers. Now I need to start saving all the emails from readers that email me personal questions. I’m excited! I am an introvert but I love connecting with people.
And connecting by mail is so comfortable for introverts. And so effective for authors. The best of all possibilities.
I guess I never thought about building my list now, before I’m published. It might be awkward to ask for mailing addresses at this point, since a lot of people seem to protect that information..but I could definitely create an email list!
But if you have a response-type card you can so easily just hand it to them and say, I want to make sure to keep you in the loop, letting you know when my book comes out. Of course, if all you have are email addresses, at some point you can send out an e-mailing asking for a more complete contact. Maybe with a contest or prize attached.
Another reason you want physical addresses is that people change those far less often than e-addresses. And, if they do, the post office offers a forwarding address. (And that’s when we need to be diligent about maintaining our database.
I’m hoping to go TO my flock next month. There’s a plan ‘afoot to visit people deep in the Navajo Nation who live without internet, let’s face it, most live without electricity.
IF this works out and so far God has done His usual and stunned me with the particulars, I’ll be meeting people so far off the grid, yet so much a part of the story within my story, that only snail mail will reach them.
To sit and visit with and build friendships with the descendants of those upon whom my writing is based? WOW.
I need their blessing to tell their story in my words. And the funny thing is? They all keep sheep.
Which roam in…you guessed it…flocks.
Will you be in AZ at all? If so, got time for another Starbucks date? 😀
Oh! I’d LOVE to!! But if I do go, it’s straight to ABQ, then Gallup. Maybe Santa Fe, we’ll see.
But if I can only fly through Phoenix, I might take you up on that Starbucks offer.
Nice, Jennifer, although you know that is only one part of your flock. You also need to keep gathering those who will want to read about your favorite flock.
You’re entirely right, Wendy. What use is going to all that work if I don’t put the same effort into expanding my ability and reach, to share the story with as many people as possible?
This is excellent info. “Our customer is our reader.” Using this info, I’m going to create a plan to collect reader contact information. (And I’ll implement the plan!)
I love that attitude!
Great post! Thank you, Wendy. I am in the process of gathering all my lists together into one and actively building it. This post is very timely!
It’s hard work but I can tell you that there is a correlation between the size of the career after twenty years and the size of the reader list. I’m thinking of three authors who’ve been writing for more than twenty years. Author A started collecting names when she first began. She has a huge reader list and a huge career. Author B started her list halfway into her career but has worked hard and has an impressive list. She also has an impressive career. Agent C never really had a system to build her reader list. She did promotions hit and miss– sometimes to her friends and lately to online followers. Her numbers are stagnant and the possibility of future contracts is precarious at best.
These real life examples are fantastic.
Thanks for the great ideas! I’m working on building a platform right now, and this post is helpful.
Great. This is the cornerstone of your platform.
I’m concerned about this advice in the light of Can-Spam laws. People who sign up for a newsletter must know that’s what they’re doing. It’s illegal to take their names for a draw basket, for example, then add them to an email database for your newsletter unless they KNOW that’s what it’s being used for. Can-Spam laws say it is illegal to put people on your bulk mailing list if they send you an email and you harvest their email address from it.
It’s also by far the best to use a newsletter program like GetResponse as they require a double-opt-in so people have the option of confirming they want to be on your list. It is NOT best to manage this list yourself from your own email address. You may easily get tagged for spam, and it’s hard to get back out of that trap.
I totally agree that email addresses (and other reader info) are GOLD, but they must be harvested and used in accordance with the laws.
http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
(Now getting off soap box.)
Valerie,
Excellent point. When I gather emails at speaking evens I have in print at the bottom of their card you give me permission to add me to my newsletter and are signing up for it by putting down your email. I also mention this during my presentation.
Most reputable newsletter companies, including MailChimp, will only use double opt-in as a form of protection in case anyone takes you to court.
Absolutely but that info is at the bottom of every collection device you use. Besides that, as Dr. Mabry said above, you use an opt-in system.
I wanted to be sure your readers absorbed that information, as you didn’t specify.
I have collected the city and state for determining locations of contacts, but have not gone to the detail of full mailing address, figuring people would get overwhelmed.
This post has convinced me to change my forms to at least request the information, even if not required.
It will also save time for when There are giveaways to already have the address, though I expect it would be wise to confirm before sending anything of value.
Many people are leery of giving too much information but as you become a much-respected part of their lives (as a favorite author) they trust you and would welcome information from you. I have a letter I once received from the hand of Madeleine L’Engle. I was glad I put my return address on that letter I wrote her.
The Madeleine L’Engle? Very cool.
Grateful for ALL this info! And the chart is perfect. Printing this post for the “To Do” notebook. (It’s getting fat!)
What a great idea– a to-do binder.
Terrific post, Wendy! this is exactly what I need with my debut novel releasing in June. I was feeling overwhelmed with what I know I need to accomplish by then, but you’ve given me concrete actions I can start now! Thank you!
And by starting out immediately you’ll never have to play catch-up.
What fantastic information! Thank you for sharing this treasure, Wendy. 🙂
You are so welcome, Christine.
Another post I’ll save and refer to often! I live in a small community (where my mom is the mayor) and it seems everywhere I go people are asking me if my book is published, yet. My reply is always: “When it gets published, you’ll know!” And by that, I mean: “I’ll let you know!” At the dentist, in the clinic, at the grocery store check-out lane, in church, when I’m standing in line to pick up my children from school–everywhere, people are asking. These people are all part of my flock. I try to hand out business cards whenever I can, inviting people to find me on Facebook, to keep informed, but I haven’t started taking down their information. That is my next step. I have a few addresses, but not as many as I’d like. Thank you for the reminder to be proactive, instead of reactive about this. I know part of my flock will also be people who live outside my physical community, so I’m trying to gather them online, as well.
One idea I’ve seen to gather a flock is to start a private Facebook group. I’m involved in a couple of these and I love the one-on-one interaction I have with the authors. They make me feel valuable and important. These groups are good about promoting the authors with tweets, Facebook sharing, and word of mouth marketing.
And I love your town, Gabrielle. Great flock to have.
I’m not so sure about making a private FB group for readers. Doesn’t that keep new readers from discovering you?
A private group would make a great launch team or street team of course.
Thank you for the book basket suggestion for a door prize. I’m speaking for the first time at a local book club soon, and will use this idea. Although they’ve invited me to share, I see this as an opportunity to listen. Discovering their likes and dislikes in regards to what they read will be so valuable.
Perfect! Be sure to ask some of your friends to donate books. It’s a great way for them to get their books in front of a book club.
Hi Wendy, great post – great topic. I know you have addressed the mailing list for readers. I have a mailing list of churches that have read or requested my books. I would love to know your opinion of keeping a mailing list of churches for snail mail notification of new “Christian Fiction” for interested readers. Is it okay to send info to a rectory or church secretary? My fiction is “clean.”
Thanks – hope you are having a GREAT TIME!!
We are having a great time on this little retreat, although probably spending way too much time online these first few days.
I think a church list is an excellent specialty list, especially if you can send to the church librarian or bookstore manager. Other auxiliary lists you’ll keep will be influencers, any media with whom you’ve done interviews, local media, etc.
Thanks so much – enjoy!
Thank you for this detailed list, Wendy! There is much here to add to my growing efforts to increase my reader list beyond its present status. Lately I’ve been adding out of state book clubs and home school high school students that are going to be college English majors. New territory for me.
One thing I always do is send my readers handwritten cards this time of year. Some at Thanksgiving and some at Christmas. Different readers have different favorite holidays.
I’ll be up tonight adjusting some of my notations on the computer and on my index cards.
I am so grateful for your help in this specific area.
I set up my author newsletter today. I’m thinking of offering book excerpts or short stories for an incentive to sign up. I’m still learning, so posts like this are a lifeline! Thanks for sharing!