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Presence"},{"term":"Getting Feedback"},{"term":"Growing in Writing Skill"},{"term":"Critique Services"},{"term":"Self-Publishing"},{"term":"Writing Contests"},{"term":"Accountability"},{"term":"Conferences"},{"term":"Family Life"},{"term":"Query Letters"},{"term":"Reading"},{"term":"Self-Editing"},{"term":"About Me"},{"term":"Book Release"},{"term":"Critique Partners\/Groups"},{"term":"Encouragement"},{"term":"Mama Writer"},{"term":"Marketing Books"},{"term":"What I Learned Series"},{"term":"Book Reviewers"},{"term":"Twitter"},{"term":"Book Covers"},{"term":"Character Development"},{"term":"Facebook"},{"term":"Perseverance"},{"term":"Book Signings\/Parties"},{"term":"Helpful Writing Books"},{"term":"Websites"},{"term":"E-Publishing"},{"term":"Life With An Agent"},{"term":"Pinterest"},{"term":"Uniquenesses of Writers"},{"term":"Contracts"},{"term":"Perfection"},{"term":"Research"},{"term":"Romance"},{"term":"Supporting Authors"},{"term":"Blogging Blunders"},{"term":"Book Proposals"},{"term":"Branding"},{"term":"Ebooks"},{"term":"Friendships"},{"term":"Giveaway"},{"term":"How I Do It"},{"term":"Interacting With Readers"},{"term":"Interviews"},{"term":"Rejection"},{"term":"Discouragement"},{"term":"Finding Ideas"},{"term":"First Drafts"},{"term":"Free books"},{"term":"Multi-Published"},{"term":"My Writing Journey"},{"term":"Negative Reviews"},{"term":"Publication Process"},{"term":"Traditional Publishing"},{"term":"Trailers"},{"term":"Waiting"},{"term":"Writing Output"},{"term":"Allegiant"},{"term":"Audio Books"},{"term":"Best Seller List"},{"term":"Blog Tours"},{"term":"Book Series"},{"term":"Book Titles"},{"term":"Books Into Movies"},{"term":"Bookstores"},{"term":"Courtship and Dating"},{"term":"Debut Authors"},{"term":"Failure"},{"term":"Genre Differences"},{"term":"Historical Romance"},{"term":"Historicals"},{"term":"Influencers"},{"term":"Insider Insights"},{"term":"JK Rowling"},{"term":"John and Abigail Adams"},{"term":"Launch Team"},{"term":"Lessons Learned"},{"term":"NaNoWriMo"},{"term":"Novellas"},{"term":"Plot"},{"term":"Scavenger Hunt"},{"term":"Self-Discipline"},{"term":"Slush Pile"},{"term":"Social Network Sharing Contests"},{"term":"Thankfulness"},{"term":"The Cuckoo's Calling"},{"term":"Virtual Assistants"},{"term":"Voice"},{"term":"Writer's Block"},{"term":"Writing Blunders"},{"term":"Young Adult"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Author, Jody Hedlund"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/-\/Readers?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=3"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Readers"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/-\/Readers\/-\/Readers?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=4\u0026max-results=3"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"29"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"3"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-2624497341094192336"},"published":{"$t":"2015-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-10-06T07:15:13.767-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Readers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Websites"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Why You Need a Reader-Friendly Website (And How to Get It That Way)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-HA0H10bzP_w\/VhG3KP9rNMI\/AAAAAAAAE8I\/fsjCsRXCbpY\/s1600\/Reader%2BFriendly%2BWebsite.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-HA0H10bzP_w\/VhG3KP9rNMI\/AAAAAAAAE8I\/fsjCsRXCbpY\/s400\/Reader%2BFriendly%2BWebsite.jpg\" width=\"347\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Jody Hedlund,\u0026nbsp;@JodyHedlund\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday is the release of my 10th full length novel! Whoo-hoo! Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.com\/books\/the-preachers-bride\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emy debut book\u003C\/a\u003E was releasing and now book number 10 is hitting shelves!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm super excited about this particular book, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELuther and Katharina.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E I wrote the book about seven years ago (around the same time I wrote my debut book). But for many different reasons, this book languished in la-la land. All the waiting has made this release day even more special.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-R34r2030-Ng\/VhG4PyyY0WI\/AAAAAAAAE8Q\/IwUQwnL_i_8\/s1600\/IMG_5051.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-R34r2030-Ng\/VhG4PyyY0WI\/AAAAAAAAE8Q\/IwUQwnL_i_8\/s320\/IMG_5051.JPG\" width=\"240\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMy author copies!\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E(Sidenote: A word of hope for those who are seeking tradition publication for a specific book–don't give up hope if that's your dream! It \u003Ci\u003Ecan\u003C\/i\u003E happen, perhaps just not the way you expect or as quickly.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEvery time a book birthday draws near, I begin to strategize my marketing plan, not only with my publisher, but I also come up with a brainstormed list of things I can do as well. I try to vary what I do from book to book. Sometimes I do blog tours. Other times I do social media sharing contests. This time I'm doing daily trivia questions and giveaways over on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorJodyHedlund\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Hpy0cJrMv54\/VhOsyRqBteI\/AAAAAAAAE8g\/EMqxF4g3Pgc\/s1600\/Celebrate%2Bthe%2BRelease.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Hpy0cJrMv54\/VhOsyRqBteI\/AAAAAAAAE8g\/EMqxF4g3Pgc\/s400\/Celebrate%2Bthe%2BRelease.jpg\" width=\"285\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile marketing plans change from book to book, there's one thing I do with \u003Ci\u003Eevery single\u003C\/i\u003E new book–\u003Cb\u003EI update my website and make sure the new book page is ready for readers\u003C\/b\u003E. And no I don't just add the book, the blurb, a few reviews, and the \"buy now\" tabs and call it good. I go beyond that to make sure the page is reader-friendly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhy is it important for authors to have an up-to-date, reader-friendly website?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are lots of reasons, especially in today's current competitive market. One of the main reasons is that a website is an author's \"home.\" When we have visitors into our physical home, first impressions often stick. Visitors get a glimpse of our personality and tastes by what they see. And if it's unwelcoming, our visitors will sense that too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELikewise our online homes reflect us as authors. If our sites are disorganized, hard to navigate, and out-of-date, that will speak volumes. If our site is all about the \"hard sell\" with only the \"buy now\" buttons, chances are readers aren't going to feel all that welcome. When they leave our site, they'll have no motivation to return.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately we DO want readers to return, over and over. We want to have a welcoming atmosphere that fosters an ongoing relationship. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn other words, \u003Cb\u003Eour website is much more than a showcase for us as authors\u003C\/b\u003E. Yes, it's important to have our bios, pictures, etc. But it can't stop there. \u003Cb\u003EOur website needs to meet the needs of our readers. \u003C\/b\u003EWhat can we give to them? How can we enhance their reading experience? What will help them connect more deeply with our stories?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I prepared for the release of\u003Ci\u003E Luther and Katharina\u003C\/i\u003E, here are a few simple ways I made sure the book page was ready for readers. The page includes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EBook Club Collection package.\u003C\/b\u003E All of the items are free and easy to download: introduction letter, discussion questions, famous Luther quotes, a fun quiz to do before or after the meeting, and background information on the characters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EPlaylist of songs and hymns.\u003C\/b\u003E This particular playlist consists of hymns written by Martin Luther. I chose more contemporary renditions to reflect my tastes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EFamous Quotes download. \u003C\/b\u003EI put together a list of famous Martin Luther quotes and also highlight some of the ones I use in the book.\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EMartin Luther quiz \u003C\/b\u003E. I used Quibblo.com for an easy format.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EPinterest Gallery.\u003C\/b\u003E The board is full of various pictures that relate to the book.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EReader Photos slideshow\u003C\/b\u003E. Whenever a reader takes a picture of herself or her pet with the book, I add it to the slideshow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EReader Creation slideshow. \u003C\/b\u003EI love when readers make graphics of quotes from my books or even just to showcase the book itself. I put those graphics into a slideshow as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• \u003Cb\u003EAuthorgraph widget\u003C\/b\u003E. I make it easy for readers to have their e-books signed by including an authorgraph widget at the bottom of the page.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI invite you to stop by my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.com\/books\/luther-katharina-a-novel-of-love-and-rebellion\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELuther and Katharina page\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to browse around to get a better idea of all of the above. My website is always a work in progress and I welcome additional ideas of how I can make it more engaging.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat about YOU? How reader-friendly is your website? What are some other ways authors might make their websites more engaging for readers? \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2624497341094192336\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/why-you-need-reader-friendly-website.html#comment-form","title":"16 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/2624497341094192336"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/2624497341094192336"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/why-you-need-reader-friendly-website.html","title":"Why You Need a Reader-Friendly Website (And How to Get It That Way)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-HA0H10bzP_w\/VhG3KP9rNMI\/AAAAAAAAE8I\/fsjCsRXCbpY\/s72-c\/Reader%2BFriendly%2BWebsite.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"16"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-7752670133902044807"},"published":{"$t":"2014-08-05T06:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-08-07T09:48:37.015-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Craft of Writing"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Readers"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Reader Pet Peeves"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UacoEmZFyL4\/U945Wqz1AxI\/AAAAAAAAEVA\/i-pEwvHunLA\/s1600\/MP900448575.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UacoEmZFyL4\/U945Wqz1AxI\/AAAAAAAAEVA\/i-pEwvHunLA\/s1600\/MP900448575.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"332\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Jody Hedlund,\u0026nbsp;@JodyHedlund \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDid you know readers have pet peeves?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs a reader, there are definitely things that drive me batty.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor example, one of my pet peeves is when authors use dialogue to drop in story information, like this instance when a mother is speaking to her daughter to convey a description, \"Don't forget to brush your long, waist-length blond hair, dear.\" Um, okay. What mother would really drop a description like that into everyday conversation?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother of my pet peeves is when authors introduce too many characters too soon, requiring me to open up a notes page on my iphone and keep a running tally of the characters' names just so that I can keep them all straight.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOften it's all too easy for authors to write in our own little kingdom of oblivion without chatting with readers to find out what they may or may not like.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo in a recent Facebook chat with my readers, I threw out this question: \"\u003Ci\u003EWhen you're reading a book, what's your biggest pet peeve? We authors are always curious what drives our readers crazy!\u003C\/i\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere were over 80 responses!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI thought I'd share some of those reader pet peeves so that all of us can become more aware of what readers don't like. While these little nuggets might not contain any hard, fast writing rules, these readers do offer some excellent advice.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EReader Pet Peeves:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegarding Plot:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Taking forever to get to the plot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Misunderstandings between the two main characters that go on and on and on. After a while, I just want to shake them and say, \"Okay will you two just be honest with each other!\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• When a sub plot is started and then dropped - I get frustrated not knowing how it turned out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• When I can predict the ending way too early.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• When characters flip flop too much. When they move from one act or scene to another without really finishing up the previous one.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Loose ends! Unless the book is part of a series, I like all of the loose ends to be tied up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Epilogues that are too short and just added so everything is wrapped up quickly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegarding the Writing:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Bad grammar and repeating phrases. Also a lot of adjectives, adverbs, and other stuff added to make the story longer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• The awkward sentence that sometimes creeps in and you have to read it two or three times to understand what they are \"getting at.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Too much description and too many details bog the story down for me and it becomes boring. It's a balancing act here--some is needed, too much becomes painful.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• I hate when authors insult my intelligence by highlighting what should be subtle clues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Lack of research for details. If they get details wrong for lack of checking things out, it really bugs me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERegarding Characters:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Making the main characters too unlikable in the beginning if they are a \"work in progress.\" Sometimes it's hard to bounce that image out of my head. Some authors take it a bit too far.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• The frequent repetition of what a particular character feels or believes. I don't mind being reminded once or twice, but once I've been told I don't like having the info repeatedly dished out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• When the main characters angst over the same thing throughout the majority of the book without progressing. It gets repetitive and boring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• When the dialogue does not represent the person who is speaking.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Repetition of an action that is a habit for a person. If the heroine bites her lips when nervous I get it after the third time it's pointed out. When it gets to a dozen times I am irritated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• Character names (especially main) that I am unsure how to pronounce or how the author intended it to be pronounced.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEnlightening pet peeves, aren't they? Thank you, dear readers, for sharing them!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAre there any other pet peeves that you would add? What bothers you the most in the books that you read?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7752670133902044807\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2014\/08\/reader-pet-peeves.html#comment-form","title":"16 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/7752670133902044807"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/7752670133902044807"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2014\/08\/reader-pet-peeves.html","title":"Reader Pet Peeves"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UacoEmZFyL4\/U945Wqz1AxI\/AAAAAAAAEVA\/i-pEwvHunLA\/s72-c\/MP900448575.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"16"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-3537100782198451990"},"published":{"$t":"2013-07-25T06:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-07-25T06:00:09.454-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Readers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reading"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Reasons Why Favorite Authors Disappoint Their Readers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7aQWzWpckfc\/UeKxfAaAMJI\/AAAAAAAADhw\/rjVgavVBgbw\/s1600\/MP900430569.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"213\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7aQWzWpckfc\/UeKxfAaAMJI\/AAAAAAAADhw\/rjVgavVBgbw\/s320\/MP900430569.JPG\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Jody Hedlund,\u0026nbsp;@JodyHedlund \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn about a month another one of my books, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.com\/books\/rebellious-heart\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ERebellious Heart\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, will start making its way into reader hands. Sometimes it's hard to believe that I'll have FIVE books out there. It's exciting, but also a little scary.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's \u003Ci\u003Eexciting\u003C\/i\u003E to be reaching a point in my career where I'm not debut anymore, where I'm more seasoned and growing accustomed to the published author life.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the same time, it's also \u003Ci\u003Escary\u003C\/i\u003E to have another book going live. It's always unnerving around release time waiting for reader reactions, praying fans will enjoy the new story, and hoping that those who don't like it won't be too harsh!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI know that not every book I write will resonate with \u003Ci\u003Eall\u003C\/i\u003E my readers. In fact, the bigger my readership gets, the greater the chances that I'll disappoint more people. It's inevitable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven if we do our best to craft a page-turning, heart-wrenching, riveting story, \u003Cb\u003Eauthors can't hit a home-run with every book\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI know this because my favorite authors don't always \u003Ci\u003Ewow\u003C\/i\u003E me with every single one of their books. In fact, occasionally after reading a book by one of my tried-and-true's, I come away disappointed. Not often. But it does happen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUsually, when I come away from a book like that I just shrug my shoulders and say, \"Oh well. I'll probably like the next one better.\" \u003Cb\u003EI don't give up on an author just because \u003Ci\u003Eone\u003C\/i\u003E book didn't resonate.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor example, I recently read \u003Ci\u003EThe Goose Girl\u003C\/i\u003E by Shannon Hale and I loved it. For a young adult historical fiction, it was a beautifully written and enthralling story. I tried another by Shannon Hale, \u003Ci\u003EBook of a Thousand Days\u003C\/i\u003E, and it just didn't grip me the way the first story did. I'm not giving up on Hale's books just yet. I'm still going to try at least one more.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut that begs the question: How many books do you read of a favorite author before you give up on them, before you move on to someone else? \u003Cb\u003EWhat are some of the reasons why a reader might be tempted to stray from an author they love?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1.  The subject matter of their stories no longer resonate.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is probably one of the top reasons I stray from a favorite author. For whatever reason, the stories don't grip me anymore. It could be because I've changed in my tastes, my needs, or my priorities. Or it could be that the author is writing about topics that just don't interest me the way previous stories did.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E2. The author changes their writing style.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether they get bored or simply want to keep things fresh, writers may incorporate new writing techniques or styles into their books. Sometimes those changes grate on readers who are already comfortable and familiar with the writing style of the author.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. The author switches to a different genre.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe old rules about authors having to stick to one genre for branding purposes are changing. Numerous authors are dabbling in more than one genre and having success in each. However, if a favorite author completely switches genres, especially to a genre I don't like, I probably won't follow them to that new genre.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E4. After multiple books, an author looses originality and their stories all begin to sound alike.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis has happened to me for a number of authors I like. Usually I take a break from the author. And after time away, I can go back to that author and enjoy him or her again. Even so, I appreciate when authors take the time to come up with fresh stories, new twists, and original characters time and time again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E5. The quality of editing goes noticeably down.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESometimes best-selling authors are given more freedom with their stories. Editors may ease up (especially with content edits) thinking those authors have won a permanent place in reader's hearts and thus no longer need as much input. But with the plethora of books out there, it's all too easy for even die-hard fans to put aside their favorite authors because the stories haven't had the help needed to take them from mediocre to great.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E6. Trends change.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGenres tend to have cycles of popularity. For example Vampire books became very popular after the Twilight books came out. New authors sprang up following on the heels of Stephanie Myers. But eventually after gorging themselves on that genre, readers are ready to move on to the next popular genre, finding new favorite authors and leaving old ones behind.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat about YOU? How many books do YOU give an author before giving up on them? What are some of the reasons why you stop reading a favorite author?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3537100782198451990\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2013\/07\/reasons-why-favorite-authors-disappoint.html#comment-form","title":"269 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/3537100782198451990"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/3537100782198451990"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2013\/07\/reasons-why-favorite-authors-disappoint.html","title":"Reasons Why Favorite Authors Disappoint Their Readers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-7aQWzWpckfc\/UeKxfAaAMJI\/AAAAAAAADhw\/rjVgavVBgbw\/s72-c\/MP900430569.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"269"}}]}});