The Business of Writing - Writing with the Reader in Mind

Here's what's on my mind today - the business of writing. It is a well-known fact that anything involving the exchange of money from a buyer to a seller is considered a business transaction. And though some authors insist that they only write for the pure passion and joy it brings, the majority (if not all) hope to someday see their words in print - and collect royalties for book sales.There's nothing wrong with this, of course, but it brings home the point that authors cannot just "write to write".

In his 1891 essay "The Soul of Man Under Socialism", Oscar Wilde wrote:

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want. Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to be considered as an artist."

Now, I agree whole-heartedly with Oscar Wilde and find his point of view to be quite poetic - up until sentence number three; that's when he loses me. History has shown us that "art for art's sake" does not a fortune make. Indeed, if Mr. Wilde were alive today, I might do well to hold myself back from asking Dr. Phil's one-size-fits-all question, "How's that working for you, Oscar?"
 
In today's book market (and any industry, for that matter), an artist (author, painter, sculptor, singer, what have you) cannot "create" in his own interest alone. He must take notice of what others want and he must write with his reader in mind.
 
Now, Wilde would insist that, once an author writes to satisfy an audience, he is no longer an artist but an economist and a businessman. I can think of many a current author who would argue vehemently this point of view. In fact, I myself would suggest that the author who can both tell a beautiful and engaging story and satisfy the needs and wants of a particular market in a way no other author currently can - well, that person is more of an artist than the one who merely spills out words on paper and tries to convince a market that it is worthwhile literature.
 
On Tuesday, August 11, 2009, Nathan Bransford, a well-known literary agent, wrote on his blog, "The authors who engage their audience and inspire devoted clans of fans have a leg up over those who sit back and let the publisher take care of that whole promotional thing or who hope lightning will strike on its own. There's no such thing as "just an author" anymore, and I suspect there never was."(http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/08/myth-of-just-author.html)

I must ask for a loud and boisterous "Amen!"

Here's the deal as I see it. Successful companies spend millions of dollars every year to try to understand their target market - their primary customer base. They work hard to deliver "value" in some tangible way. Leading companies measure their success not only by the bottom line, but by the amount of value they are able to create for the consumer and how quickly they are able to improve upon said value. They expect their employees - all of them - to understand the customers' expectations, to develop real and long-term relationships with them and to dazzle them with new ideas.

Though authors (at least most authors) do not have employees, they do have a very specific audience with very distinct needs and wants. It is not nearly enough to simply write a good book and put it out there for the taking. Book readers want to be dazzled. Book readers crave the relationship that every other "business" entity is trying to develop with them - only on a much more personal level.

Banks call customers "Bill" and "Sandy" instead of "Account number 52671." Auto manufacturers send personalized e-mail messages, birthday cards and anniversary wishes. Software companies follow consumer purchases and display their "pop-ups" at the precise time a consumer needs to renew or upgrade service. You get the idea...

With the advent of social media (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blogs...), anyone with a computer and Internet service can connect on a personal level with anyone else in cyberspace. The more deeply an author can connect with his readers - by letting them into his personal life - the more invested those readers will be in that author's work. The author, if he pays attention, can thus "live with" his audience and understand them on a level that will help him fulfill needs in a meaningful, relevant way.

Just as smart businesses make every effort to gain customer feedback (via research and surveys and customer service departments), authors should do the same. What did your readers love about your last book? What confused them? What are they hungry for? Do they want more of a particular character? Are they ready to move on? This kind of feedback is invaluable to the author as well as the reader. And it's the "value" that is created that will keep a reader coming back for more.

Ours, no doubt, is a loud and cluttered environment. Consumers are bombarded with thousands of messages a day. They are overwhelmed, yet everyone - the consumer included - wants to have a voice amongst the chaos. The author who is blessed with the hands of a writer has a unique opportunity to be heard.

What happens when that author becomes the advocate of his readers? He gives his readers a voice as well! Today's authors will do themselves a service to understand the basics of business and marketing and to apply those general principles to their writing. When art meets business - cue sound effects of Wilde turning in his grave - everyone wins. The author has a reader, the agent has a client, the publisher has a book to sell, and the reader has a satiated appetite - at least for now.