Writing a book is not the most difficult phase in your life as a writer. Neither is publishing and selling your first book unless you just want to be a one hit wonder. The most difficult part is how to engage your readers so that they will buy more books. This question did not matter to Ernest Hemingway or to Harper Lee but it matters to you as a 21st century writer because audiences today want to interact with the person who gave life to their favourite characters and to learn about the author. Learning how to engage with your readers so that they buy more books is an art and it is an easy process. Here are a few things you might need to know.

The first step in engaging with your readers is to take advantage of social media platforms. Because these platforms are where people across diverse geographical locations meet and exchange ideas, it is a good place to interact with your readers.

Since the process of setting up social media platforms is easy, you can easily reach out and interact with your readers. The most popular sites would be Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram. Readers can comment and give reviews about your book. They will ask if there is another book being published. It is their venue to express their opinions about the book. As an author, you should not deprive them of that—that is the best way to engage with your readers.

Second step in learning how to engage with your readers is to conduct book signing sessions and even reading sessions. While most communications are done electronically, physical interaction is still the best. This is very important because readers want to interact personally aside from online interactions.

In doing so, you must know your audience. Where do they usually hang out? This is a crucial thing to consider because you don’t want to host an event where nobody will attend. Cafés, book shops, or libraries are the most typical places to host a book signing or reading event.

Third, your own blog is one of the best ways to interact with readers. You can posts teasers as to an upcoming novel. You can share your experience as to a book event you hosted. You can share your thoughts about your characters or any other matter which might spark interest in your readers. Also, you can share writing tips with readers who might want to follow your path. Readers can provide feedback regarding your book. They can send requests for another book. They can also ask questions about your life, writing style, and the life of your characters not in the book. It can also be their guide as to when and where your next book signing will be.