Saying “Thank You” Opens Doors

Etiquette and good manners have become largely disregarded in the twenty-first century. However, using good manners is still a sure way for authors to make themselves and their books stand out from the crowd and get attention. Showing appreciation simply by saying, “Thank you” when someone compliments you on your book or helps you to promote it will go a long way toward making people like you as an author, and being liked will sell books.

Life is largely a popularity contest, and it’s long been known that people do business with people they like. Those facts apply to authors just like anyone else. But as an author, you don’t have to be the best looking, the smartest, or the snappiest dresser to be liked—you don’t even have to be the world’s best writer. Most of the time, it is sufficient to be yourself, and hopefully, being yourself includes being a nice person. A sure way to be liked as an author is simply to appreciate the people who take the time to help you promote your book and to respond to readers who tell you they’ve enjoyed it. A simple “Thank you” will solidify readership and business relationships.

“Thank you” may be the two most important words an author can know. That simple phrase will encourage people to keep coming back for more, or marketing people will hold the door open when you want to come back to do future business with them. Whether you are the customer to a printer, editor, book reviewer, or book promotion company, it is imperative that you remember to say, “Thank you.” The same is true when your readers express appreciation for your book. A simple “Thank you” allows them to know that you heard them and your response will encourage them to read future books. Here are a few examples of when it’s important to say “Thank you” and ways to do so that don’t take much time but make the difference.

We must remember that books are business, as much as we like to think of them as “literature” or “art.” Books are products that must be marketed, sold, and bought. Consequently, the author has customers (readers) and is himself a customer to those he hires to produce and promote his book, including editors, proofreaders, book reviewers, website designers, cover designers, and marketers, and he also has customers who include not only his readers but those who hire him to entertain or inform others, such as organizations that ask him to come speak, or people in the media who interview him or write articles about his book. In this latter category, he may be both customer and have customers, but the give-and-take really exists in all good business relationships. Let’s look at how “Thank you” makes a difference in a few of these situations.

Working with the Production People. The author will have a substantial working relationship with the people involved in producing his book (layout person, cover designer, printer) and also those who help him create his marketing platform (website, marketing pieces). Chances are the relationship will result in constant contact over a period of several weeks or months until the final product(s) go on the market. Hopefully, the author develops a good enough relationship with these people that they will want to work with him in the future. The book would not be produced or made accessible to the public without these people so they are the first and foremost an author should remember to thank.

Sadly, some authors fail even to thank these people, or they make extensive demands for changes and take up the editor or website designer’s time without realizing how much effort that person is putting into the project. In the end, failure to be appreciative may result in the person not wanting to work with you again. Unfortunately, I know many people, such as proofreaders or website designers, who complete the work and notify the author, only never to hear from the author again. They might get a check in the mail, but no “Thank you” or better yet, “Thank you. It looks great!” or “I so appreciate everything you did. I couldn’t have produced this book without you.” A few simple words like that make a huge difference to people. We all want to feel we’re good at what we do.

Working with Marketing People. Marketing people consist of anyone who helps to promote your book. It may be a book reviewer, a newspaper reporter, a television host, or the company who distributes your press releases. Using your best manners is important when working with these people, and at the very least, it’s vital to say, “Thank you.” It may just be a verbal word of thanks, or it may be an email or a handwritten note. In any case, “Thank you” makes the difference.

As the owner of a book review firm that offers free reviews and publicity packages, I can’t tell you how many times my company has reviewed books for free and never received a thank you for the review. A book review not only includes the reviewer having to spend hours reading the book, but also taking the time to write the review, and then we have to post it to our website and send the author a copy. It’s a time-consuming process, and we often do it for free. For all those hours of work, a simple, “Thank you” is appreciated.

When people don’t receive a “Thank you,” they often don’t want to do business with you again. The author who is smart, and polite, will send a handwritten “Thank you” note to the television show host or book reviewer, or the president of the organization that invited you to speak. A “Thank you” tells the person that this author enjoyed talking to the group, or appreciated the work done. It opens up the door to be remembered and invited back to speak again, or in the case of reviewers, to have your next book reviewed.

Showing Appreciation beyond “Thank You”
Saying “Thank You” is a way of saying, “I appreciate what you did for me” and “I value you and your work.” The word “value” here is key. In business, and that includes book publishing, time and money are priorities. People want value for their money, and in this hectic world we live in, they also value their time. Muttering “Thank you” doesn’t show appreciation or that you value someone else, but being polite does. Here are a few other ways to be polite and show appreciation when you’re an author.

  1. Reply to Emails in a Timely Manner. When your editor sends back your manuscript, write back to acknowledge you received it. When a TV host schedules you to be on the show, reply to confirm you’ll be there.
  2. Be on Time. If you’re invited to speak at an event, get there early and be prepared. Find out ahead of time what is expected of you. If you’re invited to speak out of town at an event, call the conference planner when you arrive so she doesn’t have to worry about whether you are showing up.
  3. Be Concise and Organized. Don’t send twenty emails, one for each chapter of your book, to an editor. Combine them all together. If the TV producer wants an author bio, write one up and send it, not six different press releases that all have different information about you for him to pick and choose from. If a book review company asks you to fill out a form on its website, fill it out completely so the managing editor doesn’t have to chase you down for information later.
  4. Appease Your Fans. If one of your readers takes the time to write you an email or letter or share something with you, take the time to write back to show your appreciation. Doing so may win you a reader for life. In business, it’s often said it’s easier to retain a current customer than to find a new one; that advice also applies to authors: people who read your first book are the ones most likely to read your second book. Show them you appreciate them for taking the time to read your book and writing to you by replying with gratitude.
  5. Graciously Receive a Compliment. If a reader tells you he enjoyed your book, don’t put yourself down by saying, “Well, there’s some typos I found in it,” or “Thanks. It’s not ‘Gone with the Wind,’ but it’s okay, I guess.” Disparaging yourself makes the person giving the compliment feel stupid and unappreciated. A simple, “Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it” is sufficient, or responding by engaging the reader in conversation with questions like, “Who was your favorite character?” or “What was your favorite part in the book?” will make the person feel you appreciate him. A compliment is a gift, so when we receive a compliment, we make the giver feel good, about himself and about us.
Authors who say “Thank you” and appreciate those who help them or those who appreciate their books will find themselves sought after as guests on TV shows, as people whose books are asked for in bookstores, and in general, feeling good about the positive relationships they have with others in the publishing world and with their growing number of fans.

 

Irene Watson

Picture of Irene Watson, our editorIrene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

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