What You’re More Than Welcome to Say To This Author

I saw a link come across my twitter feed the other day that caught my attention. Normally I don’t pay attention to the “authors behaving badly” threads of the universe. I’m a big believer that we all have bad days and digital communication is rarely received exactly as intended (no matter how carefully worded or how many smiley faces you include.) But for some reason I clicked on this one. I won’t actually link to it because I don’t see the good in spreading more fire.

To sum it up: a reader sent an author an email. The reader explains that she’d purchased the author’s book, enjoyed it so much that she bought the author’s backlist. She’s disappointed with the wait time for the upcoming books in the series. She then requested, with respect, that the author write faster.

Despite the sweet tone of the email (at least to this author) the author didn’t read the email that way and took exception to the reader’s wording. She went as far as to rewrite the reader’s email in what she thinks is a more tactful manner. She then goes on to list a variety of other questions “one should not as an author.”

Dearest readers, please don’t think this author speaks for all authors. Yes, her blog post is entitled: What Not To Ask Your Favorite Author. But her post certainly does not express MY feelings.

I’m an author, but I am also a reader. And as a reader, I get invested in series. I wait for them. I am impatient for them. I want to prod authors along and see where the story goes. This is nothing new. But this feeling lets me know exactly what it feels like to my readers when my books aren’t released fast enough. I imagine that most authors have favorite series and know this feeling of “oh my gosh, gimme the next one already.”

I also know that sometimes I do feel guilty when I watch TV instead of writing. I feel guilty when I sleep in and readers are waiting for the next book in the series. I feel guilty about lots of things. But I use it to make me work harder. Faster. To make my readers happy. Because I understand how they feel, I sympathize with them. And I never want them to wait. It doesn’t matter if they’re waiting because the publisher has stretched out the release dates or if I simply haven’t been able to pull the book together fast enough. Whatever the reason for the delay, I understand wanting to be absorbed in the story, to reunite with those characters I love so much. I could never feel an irritation with a reader for feeling that way.

So with respect to the author, whom I do not know personally, readers should not ask HER those questions. They should not prod HER to write faster.

What hurts me about this whole issue is that many authors (this one included) would love, absolutely love, to get the email this reader sent to this author. That’s the kind of email that would make my smile like crazy, bounce around in my chair and reply that the reader had made my month.

Just this last week I have had six different readers encourage me to WRITE FASTER. Those were the exact words they used. While some might say the phrasing lacks tact, I don’t care. When I see that message I read it for what it is. They enjoyed my book so much that they can barely contain themselves waiting for the next one. And to me, that is the very highest praise a reader can give. And yes, it does make me write faster.

So, to sum up dear readers, please know that you are most welcome to, at any time of day or night, tell me to write faster.

Now, I’m off. To write faster.