by Cara Putman
So you want to be a reader ...
I’m delighted to be back at Novel Journey, though it still feels a tad odd sharing thoughts about writing. Not that I’m not opinionated. My husband would roar if he saw that sentence. I think there are many days he’d beg me to quit slinging my opinions around for all to see and hear.
But because I honestly feel so new to this amazing, complex, crazy business.
There’s so much I am learning, and I love that about this industry. As long as my heart and mind remain eager to learn, I will have no reason at all to grow bored. How can I when the industry constantly changes and fluxes.
But to be different, I thought I’d write a post about how to be a reader.
But because I honestly feel so new to this amazing, complex, crazy business.
There’s so much I am learning, and I love that about this industry. As long as my heart and mind remain eager to learn, I will have no reason at all to grow bored. How can I when the industry constantly changes and fluxes.
But to be different, I thought I’d write a post about how to be a reader.
“Reader?” You ask. “I’ve known how to do that since I had to read Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss gems.”
I know. I know. But wouldn’t you like to be a reader who moves beyond just reading and let’s authors and others know what you think and like? How about starting a bookclub? Or finding authors that write with a similar style or in the same genre as a favorite author?
As a life-long inhaler of books and influencer for many books over the last two years, here are some thoughts on how to not just read but encourage the offering of more books that you like.
1) When you find an author that you like, let someone else know. One rule of thumb seems to hold true for most fiction readers. We inhale books. Voraciously. With an appetite that doesn’t end. Therefore, we’re always looking for new authors. But the fact remains, few of us are willing to risk our money on an author we haven’t heard about. So talk up your favorites. Let others know about books and authors you’re enjoying.
2) Post short reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Books, etc. Tell people in a few sentences what you honestly liked about a book. You can also mention if there was something that didn’t resonate with you. But these short little posts will help people make purchasing decisions about books their considering. I have several books sitting in my to-be-read pile because of other people’s recommendations.
3) Join or start a bookclub. Now this is one that I’ve talked about doing for awhile, but let me say the book manager at my local Christian bookstore loves the idea. We just have to find time to sit down and figure out how to make it work. Bookclubs are a great way to get exposed to new books. The club can be genre specific. My aunt has belonged to a mystery/suspense club at a bookstore in Lincoln, NE, for years. These folks love to read. And she’s directed me to several new authors as a result of her exposure in the bookclub.
4) Give books as gifts. I do this all the time. If I know someone’s a reader, or really think they’d like an author, then that’s the gift they’re going to get. One time I loaned a friend Trish Perry’s first book The Guy I’m Not Dating. She loved it so much she bought at least 4 copies to give as gifts and another to keep. And now she’s a fan of Christian chick lit. All from loaning/giving that first book.
It can be really easy to help spread the word about Christian fiction. And I can tell you from experience, the authors love hearing from you.
SANDHILL DREAMSWith her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined?
Lainie has no dreams left
Lainie Gardner dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home, Lainie is determined to find a job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska’s sandhills.
Tom Hamilton had dreams, too. Dreams of preparing the horses at Fort Robinson for duty on the warfront. Instead, he is assigned to train war dogs and their handlers, meaning that each day he must face the fear he’s had of dogs since he was bitten as a child.
Lainie and Tom wonder why God seems to have denied them their dreams. But is it possible new dreams will bring them more joy than they ever imagined?
DEADLY EXPOSUREA murder at intermissionHow could a killer have struck in a crowded theater? That was the question plaguing TV news reporter Dani Richards. She'd been in the box next to the victim -- and hadn't heard or seen a thing. Now the very man who broke Dani's heart years ago is investigating the murder. And when her coverage of the story led the killer to stalk her, police officer and former flame Caleb Jamison insisted on protecting her. Dani was afraid to let Caleb close again. Yet she had no choice. The killer's sinister phone calls left no doubt that he'd come for Dani next.
With a stalker closing in, will television journalist Dani Richards trust her former love and police investigator Caleb Jamison to help her and God to rescue her?
You made some great points, Cara. May I add to put away what the industry has said about the rules of writing and just read again? Let the voice and style of an author speak its own language and quit reading with a critical eye.
ReplyDeleteI love "talking up" new authors or "old" authors I've found. We need to do that for those we've enjoyed and/or loved. If someone likes my novel, would I want them to keep it to themselves? No way. And I think if we don't like a book or the way an author writes, use a qualifier or disclaimer before you offer why you don't like it. Ripping someone's novel to shreds serves no purpose and often shows our ignorance, especially if they're published and we're not.
Good post, Cara.