You bloggers often publish book reviews on your blogs, right? Sometimes it's part of a book blog tour, and sometimes it's because you read a book and felt moved to share your thoughts. Either way, how do you feel when there are no comments? You probably feel the same way I do when I hold the door for someone at the grocery store and they can't even get off their smartphone long enough to say those two little words...grrrr....
What about life as a writer? Do you take the time to thank those who write reviews or help spread the word about your work? Whether it be a blog post or a novel, without the help of word of mouth, your marketing plan is going to fall short. Do you use google alerts to make sure you don't miss what is being said about you online? How do you get in touch and say those two little words? When you send someone a copy of your book, do you include a hand-written thank you card asking the person to leave a review? What sorts of things have you implemented or should you implement so you don't forget those two little words?
Feedback is so important. The best way to say thank you to an author is to leave a review. As authors we can encourage this behavior by in-turn thanking the reviewer. I often receive a thank you or a 'like' on Amazon after reviewing a book or product. Do you make this a common practice in your writing life?
Gratitude isn't always a natural thing in today's society. There's often a feeling of entitlement. How do you become more thankful in your life? If you are thankful already, what suggestions or tips do you have for others?
Here's something I like to remember each day:
I choose my attitude each day; I can be thankful for what I have or I can choose to be sad about what I don't have. I CHOOSE GRATITUDE!
You can find Crystal riding unicorns, taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff here, and at her personal blog.
I love this! For a while, I kept a gratitude journal which is another way to keep this attitude in our writing life, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreat suggestion!
Hugs for you & your mama!
Crystal--Yes, "thank you" is always appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI think people are sometimes either too busy to see the things they should be grateful for--they're rushing through life at too quick a pace--or they have the attitude that they are "owed" reviews and shout-outs.
Hopefully your post will serve as a gentle nudge.
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I have been feeling more and more that I have so much to be grateful for and am trying to figure out a way to give back, even in the little ways. One thing I love about my son--he randomly thanks me for all those little things and it always makes my day. If I take the time to buy he and his sister an ice cream cone, he says, "Mom, THANK YOU!" before they start eating. Or if I take them somewhere fun even if it's somewhere I may not necessarily choose to go), he thanks me. I hope he always keeps that sense of gratitude.
It's good to hear that someone else has noticed the relationship between gratitude and participation, Crystal. It's easy to click a "like" button, but real gratitude for someone's hard work expresses itself in feedback: even if that is polite disagreement.
ReplyDeleteI've recently complained on my own blog about the strange motives readers apply to their commenting... a post, which, ironically, evoked more comments than any other to date! Of course, that doesn't mean that every reader should comment on every blog they ever read, but the advantages of doing so when moved reveal themselves in community and in karma. This is certainly most important in the case you raise of authors acknowledging their own supporters.
This is a great reminder to be mindful of everything we have including the people in our lives. Taking a moment to stop and say thank you is always appreciated.
ReplyDelete