The friendship between an author and their audience is one
that is extremely important. Although they may not necessarily know each other,
they have the same makings of a friendship: trust, appreciation, dedication,
and respect. These four things are the foundations of a great relationship and ensure
that both the author and audience can both enjoy what they contribute to the
friendship.
(1) Trust
is arguably one of the more important foundations because all of the best
relationships are built on trust. The audience trusts the author to deliver
what they like, and the author will trust the audience to tell them what they
want to see in any future writing. The author also trusts that their readers
will not only keep reading, but also to recommend their novels to friends and
family, and to continue loving what they read. There are people who are
dedicated fans of George R.R. Martin and in no way shape or form trust that he
is going to keep the Starks safe. What kind of way is that to live?
(2) Appreciation
helps with the moral of both people. When the author feels appreciated by their
audience, they are more likely to write to make their fans happy. When the fans
are given what they like, they feel appreciated by the author and continue a circular
motion that continues for as long as the relationship does.
(3) In
J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel, she had thanked her wonderful fans
profusely and dedicated the book to them. Dedication to the things you love
creates a bond with people you may have never met, just like how Mrs. Rowling
feels increasingly grateful for all of her fans. Because of the dedication they
deliver, the fans are one of the most important people in an author’s life,
because they push them to dedicate their own life into their writing.
(4) Respect
is also another very important aspect to the relationship. People want to be
able to read something without having to feel like they are being treated like
they are dumb, or that they won’t understand anything. Authors don’t want to be
treated that way either, but would rather be treated like they aren’t children.
Do not insult the person who is writing, because low self-esteem can lead to
things being written that shouldn’t be.
“Friendship- my definition- is
built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it
has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have
trust, the friendship will crumble.”
― Stieg Larsson
