The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show fell on the same bookish weekend as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and Independent Bookstore Day. I still got to do what all authors did, give talks and sell books, but I had the added bonus of playing with technology from my youth. Here’s my novel Amiga next to the computer that inspired it.
But the most valuable thing I got from this event was the chance to talk to my readers.
Robert, who organized the event, asked me what I was working on. I told him about my idea for Trevor and the Eight of Swords. He cringed and said, “Why don’t you write more about our vintage computers?”
I thought to myself, “That’s a good point.”
As authors, we want to write what we believe. The danger is when we get stuck in our heads what we think our audience needs and ignore what they actually want. It’s the same problem Katy Perry is having with her Lifetimes tour. Social media has been tearing her to shreds about her stiff, awkward performance and bizarre staging. (Singing “California Girls,” one of your biggest hits, to a dancing turd in a toilet? Really, Katy?) It seems like nobody looked at this show and Katy’s performance and gave any feedback on it. The other problem is she’s trying to compete with recent massive tours by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Sabrina Carpenter, and she’s coming up short. Add to it her out-of-touch behavior on an 11-minute joyride to the edge of space, and Katy is looking, as she described it in one of her songs, like “such an epic fail.”
By listening to your readers, you can find out what they like about your writing, what story ideas resonate with them, and how your writing can be better. That’s why I consider beta readers so important. You can discover your strengths, find ways to connect with your readers, and express yourself and your ideas in a way that resonates with them. Instead of chasing trends or writing to market, your readers can guide you to the core of who you are as a writer. You can become more authentic by listening to your readers.
So, I’m following Robert’s advice and started working on a new novel idea. Trevor and the Eight of Swords will be heading to the boneyard, but I’m already finding pieces I can use. Ultimately, we write for our readers. Getting feedback from them helps us write better. And we can avoid looking like a dancing turd.
