Creatives put themselves on the line in their stories, an act of trust in the reader.  Yet audiences can be careless with a writer’s heart. When storyteller and reader come together in a place of understanding, it’s bliss, but when expectations aren’t met, things can get ugly. We’ve talked about what the reading audience expects from the writer (and other content producers). What do writers expect from the reader?

The Writer’s Expectations

Reasonable Expectations (According to Me)

Some of the things I feel are fair for writers to expect from readers, be they critique partners, teachers, fans, or reviewers:

Read a Legal Copy

Readers should obtain a legitimate copy of the book: Purchase it new or used from a shop or honest on-line source, check it out of the library, borrow it from a friend, etc. You know what legal sources are. Don’t be a pirate. Did you find a great deal on paperbacks, the only flaw being that their cover has been torn off? Those are “stripped” and are basically stolen. A corollary: Respect other people’s intellectual property. Keep that fan fiction for your own amusement, not for paid publication. (Fair Use and copyright expiration is another topic entirely.)

Read the Story as Written

Some readers, especially if they are also writers, critique books based on their own vision of the topic. The general reading public does this as well, especially with a story series. Continuing characters inspire intense loyalty, love-life fantasies, and howls of outrage at their deaths. Readers need to bear in mind that the writer is telling the story as shaped by their own imagination. The story creator expects you to honor that, not project onto the book what you would have done with the material in the author’s place.

Reader, Tell the World

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that when a reader enjoys a story, they will share the experience through word-of-mouth recommendation or product rating. We all talk and post about cool TV and movies, sport events, and other entertainments and hobbies. Why not books?

Writer’s Value the Reader’s Input

Of course, writers aren’t entitled to any feedback or reaction at all from the reader. But if the reader wants to share thoughts, they should be helpful remarks. What is helpful? Reviewers should center their remarks on the story and the reader’s experience. And be specific. “I felt confused about why the main character did x, y, z in the middle section of the book” will not only help other readers but also the writer with future stories. However, the book is already published. No one is going to rewrite a book based on a reader’s Amazon review. Also, Amazon and Goodreads (or, for film makers, Rotten Tomatoes) is not the place to grind political or personal axes.

Readers, be Kind to Each Other

And, it should go without saying, don’t spoil the story for other readers!

Unreasonable Expectations

Just like readers, writers can be a bit demanding. Our readers are so important to us; they are the reason we work for months, even years, for a few cents an hour to produce a living, breathing story. And when that story and its reader find each other in an unlikely convergence of blood, sweat, tears, luck, and kismet, all we want is more, more, more! Thus, writers sometimes expect unreasonable things.

REVIEWS!!

An economic transaction occurred; a book was purchased. The reader read it; that’s what they do (hence the name). But writers are always desperately seeking reviews. “If only every reader rated and reviewed the book!” we moan to each other. But reviews are not owed; they are a favor.

Five Stars from the Reader

Sometimes writers get bent out of shape if the star rating is below four, or if the review is negative. Putting aside the fact that any rating/review activity on Amazon is helpful, the writer must remember that a reader took the time to provide some feedback. Writers put their work out there, but then must let it go so that the story can find its own relationships with the public. Readers are under no ego-stroking obligation.

Adaptation

A special sort of reader is a producer who has purchased the rights to adapt a story into some other medium. If a writer has reservations or stipulations about how that new form of the story will turn out, they need to put them in the contract, get themselves hired on in a powerful role, or don’t sell the rights. A novelist, for example, cannot expect a film producer to put every scene of the novel in the movie. Or to even agree with them on the theme of the book. A movie is its own thing, inspired, at best, by the original novel.

Events for Readers

Authors are urged to hold in-person events; it’s considered best practice to meet-and-greet the public. But it isn’t reasonable for writers to develop expectations of how these events are going to go. Just because a reader likes our book, us, the genre, the bookstore, etc., doesn’t mean they will invest time and effort in our marketing ploy.  Similarly, taking our newsletters, following us on social media, and subscribing to our blog is all gravy—an extra, delicious treat, not things we should plan on.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read about what readers can fairly expect from writers.

If you’re a creative, what do you expect from your audience? What do you hope for? Tell me about it. Comment on the blog by going to the website, clicking the name of the blog, then scrolling down for the dialogue box. I’d love to chat.

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Click here to order The Big Cinch, an award-winning supernatural noir novel from Kathy L. Brown. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions. . .

Like the blog? Subscribe (form at the bottom of my website) to never miss an issue. Want more? Subscribe to the occasional newsletter for exclusive content. And, of course, I’m selling books. St. Louis Writers Guild recently published Love Letters to St. Louis. This adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations included my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.” Profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program.

Check out all my stories at Amazon.com. Order my new novella, Wolfhearted, or from Barnes and Noble if you prefer, here. It is also available as an audiobook, here. If you’ve enjoyed one of my books, tell the world! Consider leaving a short review at Audible, Amazon, or Goodreads. The direct link to review Wolfhearted on Amazon is here, The Resurrectionist, here and Water of Life, here. Thanks in advance. Twenty-five reviews will put the book in a more prominent position on Amazon.