The average person picks up a book at the book store, thumbs through it, reads the back cover, and then makes a hasty decision as to whether to purchase the book or not. I know because I’m one those “people” who tends to select novels by authors that I’m familiar with.  Also, I’m often very skeptical when I pick up a book by an author whose work I’ve never read before. As a relatively unknown author, I really shouldn’t be this way, but when I finally discover that I have a little time to relax and read, well I want to know that what I select will be exactly right for me. I like comfortable and familiar, but I know that I may be missing out on something wonderful if I never venture past my cozy, security blanket of best-loved authors.

With this in mind, I must discover how to move others away from their comfy, well-known choices to a state of mind where they are willing to stumble upon someone new. How will I accomplish this mighty, seemingly insurmountable task? It’s daunting to think about given that there are so many excellent authors around the globe that my writing has to compete with.

For me personally, I am most drawn to a new author when I’ve had someone recommend a novel to me. Of course, that doesn’t always mean that I will be as enthralled with the book as the person who suggested it, but it does mean I will peruse its pages and hope to find that magical moment when I first connect to the characters and become immersed in the story.

What can I do as an author to attract readers to my novels?

Unfortunately, writing a novel does not guarantee that anyone will read it. No matter how much you believe your story is the ultimate novel that will win over the world, it probably isn’t going to catch fire right away. This has actually happened to very few novelists throughout history. Nevertheless, it would be fantastic to experience this instant fame. Yet for most novelists, we must rely on conventional methods to capture our audience.

Fortunately, in today’s world we are blessed with many avenues in which to share our work with readers from all over the world. It is an awesome undertaking to know that what you publish in the virtual world may inspire or tire those who read it. What can an author do inspire their readers?

I hope you’ll tag along as I wander down this road of discovery and try to answer this  most intriguing question, “What can I do as an author to attract readers to my novel?”