I’m a book reviewer and often feature author interviews on my blog, so you’d think my answer to this would be yes.
But it’s not that easy. I’ve never proactively contacted an author I admire, as in I’ve never written a fan letter (or fan email).
But I have come into contact with many authors I admire—and have found them to be as wonderful in real life as in their fiction. Most of this has come through my reviewing, at least at first, when authors have contacted me.
One of the first books I reviewed online was Picking up the Pieces by Australian author Paula Vince. I then pestered my local Christian bookseller to get her other books for me to read. Not long after I started my original book review blog, Iola’s Christian Reads, I received an email from Paula asking if I was the same Iola who had reviewed some of her books on Amazon (I guess it was a safe bet!).
Anyway, that email started a conversation.
It led to me getting involved in the Christian Writers Downunder and Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Groups, and the opportunity to meet other Australian and Kiwi authors I knew of. One of these was Mary Hawkins, the author of one of the first Christian romance novels I ever read, Search for Tomorrow. I still own that original paperback.
Since then I’ve attended what has become the Omega Writers Conference in Australia five times, and the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference three times, and met authors such as James Scott Bell, Marie Force, Kristen Lamb and others, and met and formed relationships with many other authors, including Ian Acheson, Carolyn Miller, Narelle Atkins, Andrea Grigg, Dorothy Adamek, and Rose Dee.
I’ve also met dozens more authors online, through Facebook groups and through my membership of American Christian Fiction Writers. But I’m still reluctant to contact authors I don’t know!
Don’t let my hesitation stop you contacting an author you admire. Almost without exception, the authors I’ve come into contact with have been wonderful people, and they all love to hear from readers.
