Why Reader's Matter, Outside the Review

It’s no secret that authors adore their fans. We would be nothing without you guys. We grow off your reviews. Swell with pride at your praise of our characters. Your reviews help our books shine like nothing else can.

Oh, but honey, you are worth so much more than a review.

There are days, more than you would probably imagine, where a writer sits down, looks at their computer, and asks themselves, “Why am I doing this? I’m no good.” They’ll then sit there for the next 10 minutes, 30 minutes, heck maybe even hours thinking about the pros and cons. That is until they hear that little ding. It could be an incoming message on one of the many social media platforms they try and keep up with on a daily basis. It could be an email. It could be a number of things.

The writer is distracted from their destructive thoughts, where they're tearing themselves down into a pit they may not escape that day. Then they see your message, the one you sent on a whim because you couldn’t get the story the writer wrote out of your head. It could have been a simple I love your books to a full description of how they could relate to the characters. There could have been an attachment with a beautiful hand-drawn portrait of a girl and the moment the writer saw her, she knew it was of the heroine in her book.

Slowly, your letter starts to lift the spirit of the writer. The hole they had dug for themselves starts to fill and they can now crawl out instead of staying stuck in the pit. All because you took five minutes of your life and sent them a small message, showed your true love through art, or commented on a picture they posted. It’s a simple act that lasts for years.

Oh, you thought we read those messages or glance at those pictures and then never give them a second glance or thought? Wrong! We keep it for future reference.
“Every time I receive a heartfelt message from a reader who says they loved my books, I get a little teary. Some have even made fan art. Every time I feel a little down or overwhelmed, I’ll read a message and am reassured that it’s all been worthwhile.”  -C.J. Archer

This very thing happened to me last week. A reader sent me a simple message stating my character Brynn had ended the feud between her twin daughters. They are always in competition. One’s name was featured in Star Trek, but the other girl had never found her name spelled correctly in a book. Not until she read The Shadow World Trilogy. But wait, that’s not all. Brynn’s middle name so happened to be Nacole, spelled just like mine. #Winning. Her mom sent the appreciation and wanted to let me know I had made her daughter so happy. What really happened there; they had made me happy by sharing their story. There was no review. There was just appreciation from both sides. Plus, this message couldn't have come at a better time for me. See, perfect timing even when you don't know it.

You are more than a reviewer, more than a gain to another sale. You bring the characters to life.  You bring joy to a writer’s life and give them a purpose to keep going. You mean so much more than you think.
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#WeSeeYou

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