Interacting with your readers is one of the most important things for an author. Not just because readers are the ones who buy books – and if we don’t sell, well, things could get tough. But also because readers understand your characters. In an ideal scenario, they’d feel exactly how you felt when you wrote the book. They will feel along with your characters while they face danger, heartbreak, and whatever else you want your characters to face.

Readers understand and know your characters. They know how they behave, their personalities. Reader feedback is absolutely necessary, and helpful, for seasoned authors as well as newbie authors. That doesn’t mean you have to listen to every comment your readers make, or follow it to the letter, but you can keep their feedback in mind when writing.

It’s great to interact with readers about the world you created, the characters you conjured up from the depths of your mind, the manuscript you spent so long working on. So don’t lock yourself up in an ivory tower, afraid of any comments on your work. Get out there, get to know your readers, and interact with them. You might learn a thing or two.