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Things Writers Should Keep Track Of: Part 3

Blogger: Rachel Kent

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Databases and Fans

It’s exciting to receive fan letters though it’s often impossible to respond to each one individually. An author should acknowledge and thank the fans, even if it can’t be done personally, and to invite them to join the author’s database. When an author receives a fan letter via snail mail, he or she should keep the address in a document and send postcards or short replies inviting readers to join the email database, blog or Facebook page.

It’s not okay to just add fans to an email database without permission, but an author should take advantage of having direct communication with a reader to invite him or her into that author’s inner circle. Authors can also use the mailing addresses to send postcards to readers if the author schedules a book signing near where fans live.

These days authors are more likely to get emails  from fans rather than snail mail letters. An author should be sure to set up an auto-response for fan mail that lets the fans know where to join the email database and where they can find that author (Facebook, website, blog, etc.). If readers do join thee- newsletter list, that author should backup the database of the collected emails–these are invaluable!

If you’ve started to receive fan messages, you need to work the fan-system to build your databases. Don’t lose the opportunity to bring more readers into your inner circle. If you’ve been receiving fan messages and haven’t actively worked to build your network, it’s time to make a change. Keep track of your fans and database today. 🙂 I’m sure you’ll quickly see the benefits of building your databases.



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  4. Keep in mind if your ‘database’ of emails is just a spreadsheet or contacts in your email program, it might be just as intimidating as searching for bits of paper.

    Consider an e-marketing program of some kind (there are numerous available, I use a local one, Constant Contacts is probably best known) – your database will be available even when traveling and you can easily search for a given location if you’ll be there.

    It has the (BIG) advantage where people can sign up themselves AND change their preferences (subscriptions, new email, address, phone…).

    Also, since every email from you will have an opt out link that you can’t override, it addresses SPAM issues as well.

    I signed up 2 years ago for a monthly mens’ e-newsletter. Once you have it you’ll find other great uses for it. I ended up in charge of the Promise Keepers event here in town that year and had various lists for that, we’ve started a Christian movie ministry and have numerous options so people can get just the emails and level of detail they want.

    Rich Gerberding

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  6. Thank you for that information, Rich! I’ll add to what you’ve written by reminding everyone to back up contacts even if they are hosted online. You never know what can happen and it would be awful to lose years of database building because of a host crashing or suddenly shutting down service.

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