OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
Writing can be a solitary life. When you finally finish that book and put it out into the world, you don't know how it is received. Part of you goes with that book, and it will always be a representation of your mind at the time of writing.
How the reader perceives it is not your business as an author – or is it?
I have found that feedback from readers influences me greatly, especially if I don't know the person at all. If they are touched by my words, that is incredibly important in my world.
So if you find a book inspiring, or touching, or exciting (or anything positive!) tell the author.
Authors can now be found on publishers websites, on blogs, on social networking sites, or by letter. You can usually reach them, and they will be grateful for the contact.
You can also write a review online – on Amazon.com at their book site; or on a blog like this one; or on your own website. Anything online is valuable to the author as well as it helps publicity.
If you are an author, you will want this for your own work – sostart by reviewing others. I am trying to post Amazon.com reviews (text or video) as my preferred method of feedback. Give, before you receive!
Here is a video review of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch that I posted on Amazon.com and YouTube.com