Writer Tip: Build Reader Trust
One of the most important things any writer can do is build trust with their readership! Welcome to this week's Writer Tip.
You could have the prose of a literal doorknob but if your readers trust you to tell a good knobby story, then they will stick beside you 'til the hinges come off. Okay, I'll stop with the door metaphors. But my point remains, if your readers trust you to create a good story to them, they will read nearly anything you put out. How do I know this?
Because if Tracy Deonn wrote a story about Schmeckledorf the hairy gnome on planet Nobukyala, I'd read it. That sounds absurd and like it shouldn't be anywhere near my shelves or kindle and yet, because she wrote it, I would read it. Why? Because I know that prose would be poppin' and the emotional beats would hit every time. If Zoraida Cordova wrote a tale of two fish-up-top-human-on-bottom mermaids falling in love, I trust that she would make me feel for those doofy characters as I care about all of her characters. If Rebekah Weatherspoon, who I trust with my life to write something steamy that will make me blush, wrote the driest office romance to ever be written, I trust that she will at least make it hilarious.
How do you do that with one book? What if you haven't even debuted yet? No worries, trust can be built immediately with socials and via blurbs and testimonials from your homies or peers. For example, before anyone had seen a single word of The Inevitability Of, people knew a lot about me already. I was a giant goof, passionate about reading diversely, massive fantasy addict who delved into the deep, dark hole (pause) of smut in all genres. People knew what I was about, they knew where I stood on social issues, and all of that meant they could at least make a surface level judgment of how I'd treat the content in my book. THAT simple fact is why I did nearly 300 pre-orders as an indie debut, people trusted I wasn't blowing smoke out of my shapely rear. I didn't have a massive platform, didn't invest a single dime in ads, I trusted the community I served and they trusted me enough to spread the word. I've listed some helpful tips to help you build trust before, during, and after release of your book(s) below.
Be involved with your community!
This doesn't even have to be a book-centered community. If you wrote about rally cars and you're in a bunch of rally car fandoms (the author would like it noted that she has no idea what a rally car is, the term just popped into her head while writing), then tell those people because SOMEONE will want that book. Doesn't matter if you're the rally car It Girl or not, if you engage with the community, someone will engage back.
Don't be too cryptic.
I know we want to keep the really juicy details of out unreleased books for everyone to experience while reading, but you have to give the people something. You cannot just give the genre and tropes in the book (you can but, I feel those are bare minimum requirements). Tell us about a couple scenes in a fun way. Release the whole opening chapter the closer release day comes. Talk about your favorite and least favorite characters. There are plenty of ways to talk about your book without spoiling anything important.
Ask for help if you need it.
No one wants to feel like they are annoying people but, as I've learned, a simple question can go a long way. I asked four people for blurbs and three got back to me. Sadly the fourth was super busy writing and researching and in the middle of tour stuff. But the three who gave blurbs, did so with so much glee and I very much cried reading their words. Had I not spent months fretting about asking, I would have had blurbs at the start of my marketing push instead of two weeks before debut day!
Asking also got me an editor who I love and will be going back to as well as another editor for my next series! Asking led me to someone who helped format my books, someone who coached me through how to set up all the self-pub stuff, and how to not freak out. Asking questions should NEVER be what holds you back from getting something done. The worst anyone can tell you is no.
If you enjoyed this writer tip of the week, yay. Please comment below if you any other random tips from me or any of the expert homies.
