One of the blogs I read from time to time–I subscribe to a tag(Science Fiction), and this is one that keeps coming up–is an author who uses blog posts to “Thank” the recent readers of his book. You know, thanks to the two people who bought (Title) yesterday, or I’m really grateful to whoever’s reading (Title) on Kindle Unlimited. There’s a picture of the book, and a link, and that’s more or less the entire post.
The choice to do that interests me, partly because you can sorta guess how many copies he’s selling, and if there’s any increase in sales from what he posts, and partly because I can’t remember seeing any other content from him, at all. Just a series of thank you notes that all blend together after a while.
I don’t think it’s a good way of attracting new readers to the blog (or to whatever else he has going), and honestly, I don’t think most of the people who are reading his book ever see it. I read a lot more authors in book-form than I ever track down on their own websites.
But it does make me wonder how to thank customers without turning it into a meaningless programmed response, and how to actually connect with them
The truth is, this blogger, and a lot of other thank yous I’ve heard remind me of those big-box stores that hire people to stand by the door and greet people coming and going. Thank you for shopping at____ And you roll your eyes a little, slightly annoyed at the interruption, and fully aware that what they mean is, Thank you for not shoplifting at________ After a while, it just doesn’t seem sincere.
The kids at one of the restaurants I go to thank me whenever I go to the bathroom. It happens to be located close to the exit, but in all honesty, it’s a little disconcerting. They’re lucky the ice cream’s good.
I like the idea of a link in the back of an e-book. Something that leads to something of substance, and not a thank you note. I like the idea of rewards–thank you rewards–on Patreon, and to a certain extent, for donor recognition in other arenas.
But it seems like it’s easy to over do it, and when someone thanks you a little too often, or a little too enthusiastically, it becomes awkward. Needy. Something….
So, here’s the question? How do you thank your readers, and when is it really too much? Where do you draw the line?
And have you ever had someone thank you for something and had it make you feel really uncomfortable?
A.S. Akkalon
The Urban Spaceman