Fan Mail?

VydorScope · 07-05-2011, 03:47 PM

Okay so like I am new to this whole ppl are wiating on you to create your next masterpiece world and really not sure how to act.

Like for example I just email from a reader who said extremely complementary things about the book, and mentioned how he was anxiously waiting book 3. He ever threw in the "I have never written a fan mail before" type comment.

I fell like I should email him back and be like 'OMG YOU LIKE ME, YOU REALLY LIKE ME!" Well not quite,

but send a nice thank you or something. So my question for those that have been around the block...

1) How do you respond to POSTIVE fan email
2) How do you respond to NEGATIVE fan email

Just wondering...

apbschmitz · 07-05-2011, 04:22 PM

Man, positive mail — you can't answer it fast enough.

Negative mail — you're always tempted to answer it too quickly. Which is to say, while you're still defensive and angry. Best to sit on that stuff for a couple days and then attempt to kill with kindness. In my opinion.

Nancy Fulda · 07-06-2011, 10:03 AM

Positive fan mail -- After I manage to claw my way down from Cloud 9, I'll respond with honest enthusiasm. If someone's letter totally made my day, I tell them that.

Negative fan mail -- Um. Hm. I haven't gotten any yet. I must not be writing on topics that are inflammatory enough. I suspect that, with angry-and-I-hate-you-now mail, I would reply with a brief message thanking the reader for his or her thoughts. With I'm-so-disappointed-because-I-love-your-stuff-and-this-wasn't-up-to-snuff mail, I'd respond in more detail.

mr ploppy · 07-06-2011, 11:31 AM

I only ever got one, I sent her some more stuff to read. I printed it out and stuck it on my wall for the times when I start thinking I'm just wasting my time writing crap.

DArenson · 07-06-2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

1) How do you respond to POSTIVE fan email
2) How do you respond to NEGATIVE fan email

Just wondering...

1) Email them and say thanks.
2) Isn't that an oxymoron? If it's rude, ignore it. If it's helpful, email them and say thanks.

Xanthe · 07-06-2011, 01:11 PM

A person can have negative things to say about a writer's current book yet still be a fan of the writer. Being a fan of a person's work doesn't necessarily mean that we are looking at it through rose-colored glasses.

Speaking as someone who's emailed authors to tell them I've enjoyed their work, I can say that for as much as you enjoy getting a positive email, we enjoy the fact that you respond back in acknowledgment. We're not looking to become best buds with you or encroach on your lives, but that simple act of acknowledgment humanizes you to a reader and builds up a tremendous amount of good will - good will that might tide you over if one of your next works is less than stellar.

Ransom · 07-06-2011, 08:59 PM

I have my--umm--secretary send them a form letter telling them that I can't possibly respond to all my fan-mail, but that I do try to read as much of it as I can, and how grateful I am to them for their support.

Readers of fiction like authors who have a bit of a mystique about them. It pays to keep your distance. It's like playing hard to get with a girl. Ignore the hell out of them and it just makes them more interested in you.

Joonbug1 · 07-07-2011, 01:55 PM

Negative reactions can be cool and entertaining, man. Enjoy it all for what it is.

DrLaurenceBrown · 07-07-2011, 04:21 PM

I will send thanks for positive reviews. If it's negative for the sake of being negative I'll usually just brush it off and ignore it. If I feel it's constructive criticism I will thank them for their insight if I feel it's necessary to respond.

garygibsonsf · 07-07-2011, 04:51 PM

I can speak about both. Nice fan mail is like a sunny day and ice cream and all your holidays rolled into one. Bad comments can suck, but I'm kind of meh about them. I figure if someone really wants to sit down and write you an email saying they wish they hadn't bought your book, then they're probably someone who's never had that sunny day and ice cream feeling, otherwise they wouldn't be wasting all that negative energy (man).

VydorScope · 07-07-2011, 06:23 PM

Yea, Ive gotten bad reviews, but no bad fan mail yet... just a couple positive ones. Seems like the general advice is reply to positive, and thank them.

Ransom · 07-07-2011, 09:10 PM

Better yet, don't give out your email to anyone but friends.

VydorScope · 07-07-2011, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ransom

Better yet, don't give out your email to anyone but friends.

I have a contact form on my website, no one needs to know my email to email me.

Ransom · 07-08-2011, 08:21 AM

That's not the point. Don't have contact info and you won't have to answer fan mail, and that's better for everybody.

VydorScope · 07-08-2011, 09:05 AM

Im to easy to find on the internet for that to work. I run multiple forums, couple of blogs, have a a couple online businesses, etc. The only way I could hide would to be to write under a pen name which I did not do.

07-05-2011, 03:47 PM	#1
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Fan Mail? Okay so like I am new to this whole ppl are wiating on you to create your next masterpiece world and really not sure how to act. Like for example I just email from a reader who said extremely complementary things about the book, and mentioned how he was anxiously waiting book 3. He ever threw in the "I have never written a fan mail before" type comment. I fell like I should email him back and be like 'OMG YOU LIKE ME, YOU REALLY LIKE ME!" Well not quite, but send a nice thank you or something. So my question for those that have been around the block... 1) How do you respond to POSTIVE fan email 2) How do you respond to NEGATIVE fan email Just wondering...

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07-05-2011, 04:22 PM	#2
apbschmitz Lord of Frogtown Posts: 149 Karma: 1154748 Join Date: May 2011 Location: St. Paul MN Device: Kindle	Man, positive mail — you can't answer it fast enough. Negative mail — you're always tempted to answer it too quickly. Which is to say, while you're still defensive and angry. Best to sit on that stuff for a couple days and then attempt to kill with kindness. In my opinion.

07-06-2011, 10:03 AM	#3
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	Positive fan mail -- After I manage to claw my way down from Cloud 9, I'll respond with honest enthusiasm. If someone's letter totally made my day, I tell them that. Negative fan mail -- Um. Hm. I haven't gotten any yet. I must not be writing on topics that are inflammatory enough. I suspect that, with angry-and-I-hate-you-now mail, I would reply with a brief message thanking the reader for his or her thoughts. With I'm-so-disappointed-because-I-love-your-stuff-and-this-wasn't-up-to-snuff mail, I'd respond in more detail.

07-06-2011, 11:31 AM	#4
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	I only ever got one, I sent her some more stuff to read. I printed it out and stuck it on my wall for the times when I start thinking I'm just wasting my time writing crap.

07-06-2011, 01:11 PM	#6
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	A person can have negative things to say about a writer's current book yet still be a fan of the writer. Being a fan of a person's work doesn't necessarily mean that we are looking at it through rose-colored glasses. Speaking as someone who's emailed authors to tell them I've enjoyed their work, I can say that for as much as you enjoy getting a positive email, we enjoy the fact that you respond back in acknowledgment. We're not looking to become best buds with you or encroach on your lives, but that simple act of acknowledgment humanizes you to a reader and builds up a tremendous amount of good will - good will that might tide you over if one of your next works is less than stellar.

07-06-2011, 08:59 PM	#7
Ransom Banned Posts: 242 Karma: 51054 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Belleville, IL Device: Kindle-3	I have my--umm--secretary send them a form letter telling them that I can't possibly respond to all my fan-mail, but that I do try to read as much of it as I can, and how grateful I am to them for their support. Readers of fiction like authors who have a bit of a mystique about them. It pays to keep your distance. It's like playing hard to get with a girl. Ignore the hell out of them and it just makes them more interested in you.

07-07-2011, 01:55 PM	#8
Joonbug1 Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 409000 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: none	Negative reactions can be cool and entertaining, man. Enjoy it all for what it is.

07-07-2011, 04:21 PM	#9
DrLaurenceBrown Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: none	I will send thanks for positive reviews. If it's negative for the sake of being negative I'll usually just brush it off and ignore it. If I feel it's constructive criticism I will thank them for their insight if I feel it's necessary to respond.

07-07-2011, 04:51 PM	#10
garygibsonsf Addict Posts: 321 Karma: 432192 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite	I can speak about both. Nice fan mail is like a sunny day and ice cream and all your holidays rolled into one. Bad comments can suck, but I'm kind of meh about them. I figure if someone really wants to sit down and write you an email saying they wish they hadn't bought your book, then they're probably someone who's never had that sunny day and ice cream feeling, otherwise they wouldn't be wasting all that negative energy (man).

07-07-2011, 06:23 PM	#11
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Yea, Ive gotten bad reviews, but no bad fan mail yet... just a couple positive ones. Seems like the general advice is reply to positive, and thank them.

07-07-2011, 09:10 PM	#12
Ransom Banned Posts: 242 Karma: 51054 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Belleville, IL Device: Kindle-3	Better yet, don't give out your email to anyone but friends.

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07-08-2011, 08:21 AM	#14
Ransom Banned Posts: 242 Karma: 51054 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Belleville, IL Device: Kindle-3	That's not the point. Don't have contact info and you won't have to answer fan mail, and that's better for everybody.

07-08-2011, 09:05 AM	#15
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Im to easy to find on the internet for that to work. I run multiple forums, couple of blogs, have a a couple online businesses, etc. The only way I could hide would to be to write under a pen name which I did not do.