by Melissa Tagg, @Melissa_Tagg

A couple of weeks ago, I had the fun of attending a retreat in Maryland—the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat. Out of the many to love about this event, my very favorite part was hanging out with readers…and more specifically, some of the conversations I had with readers on a one-on-one basis.

I’m telling you, I walked away from that book-signing just feeling so grateful for so many genuine connections. One reader brought me such a personal, thoughtful gift—a goat-patterned potholder and a goat-shaped cookie cutter—because she knows how much I love goats!

Another reader spoke to me about getting married at the age of 40. Through my Facebook page and e-newsletters, she’d picked up on the fact that I’m single in my 30s and she wanted to encourage me.

Yet another reader asked me about a personal struggle I shared with her at this same event more than a year ago. All this time, she’s remembered and prayed for me.

It’s these conversations that make me realize writing fiction is not just about having a fun time with fictional people…it can be about true two-way connections with readers, too. For each conversation that encouraged me so much, I hope I was able to be an encouragement, too.

Since more often than not these connections start out online, today I want to share some tips for connecting with readers through our online presence. Not marketing. Not growing our audience. But sincerely and authentically forming heart connections with people who love reading stories as much as we love writing them.

• Be more than an author

A reader who clicks “like” on your Facebook page or subscribes to your newsletter already knows you’re an author, right? But what don’t they know? What makes you unique? What silly little quirks make you fun? What personal challenges or painful moments in your past (or even present) might help your readers relate to you? How vulnerable are you willing to get? What slices of everyday life could you share?

Being your full, well-rounded self on social media, your website, in your newsletter and in any other place where you interact with readers can’t help but lead to authentic connections that go beyond marketing. Let readers get to know you beyond your job title or your backlist or your latest release.

• Be specific

Okay, we’ve all had those times when we’ve thought, “Yikes, I haven’t posted on my author Facebook page in days. I need some engagement.” So we end up with a super generic “question post” that says something like, “My favorite season is fall. What’s yours?”

You might get 75 comments on that post. But you know what you won’t get? Any kind of memorability. Those 75 readers who commented probably aren’t going to remember a week down the road whose author page they were even on when they answered that question. In other words, engagement just for engagement’s sake isn’t worth it.

What you want is engagement that leads to meaningful connection. Really want to talk about seasons? Then get specific. Give us a poignant memory or a funny moment from that season. Paint a word picture that will stick with us.

For instance, I might tell you that one of the reasons autumn is my favorite season is because autumn means apple orchards, which often means petting zoos, which often means baby goats! ☺

• Be you.

I’ll never forget this one time my grandpa told me he loved getting emails from me because my emails sounded exactly like the way I talk in person. And I remember thinking that’s a great little nugget to take with me into other areas of my life. Because it keeps me from trying to mimic anyone else. It keeps me real on my Facebook page, in my newsletters, in my Instagram stories (yeah, man, I actually finally learned how to do an Instagram story!).

If you want to form a solid, genuine connection with a reader, don’t try to echo what other authors are doing. Just because another author writes funny Facebook posts, doesn’t mean you have to try to force the humor if that’s not your thing. Just because another author tweets five times a day doesn’t mean you have to tweet five times a day.

Your job isn’t to be as interesting, witty, smart, or ever-present online as anyone else. It’s just to be you. To bring your own, unique voice to the table…so that when readers connect with you, they’re really connecting with you, not a carefully crafted image.

All This Time (Walker Family Book 4) 

Bear McKinley’s past refuses to let go.

Ten years ago, Bear gave up everything—his freedom and his reputation—for his mess of a family. But after years of distance and too many attempts at starting over, he finally has a new life doing noble work in Brazil . . . until his past catches up to him once again. Suddenly he finds himself back in Maple Valley, charged with the care of his missing brother’s children, convinced he’s out of second chances to make his life count. And yet, with every day that passes, these kids, this quirky town and the woman he never stopped missing help patch the holes in his heart. Maybe this is the fresh start he’s been longing for all along. But as his newfound hope grows, so does the mystery surrounding his brother’s activities—and when the threat reaches into the lives of those he loves, it’s clear he can’t run away this time.

Fear holds Raegan’s future captive.

Raegan Walker is fine. She’s happy working a slew of part-time jobs, still living in her childhood bedroom and rarely venturing from her hometown. At least, that’s what she tells everyone . . . and herself. But she can’t help wondering what might’ve happened if she hadn’t abandoned her art so many years ago—and if Bear McKinley had never left. When Bear returns and she’s commissioned for a painting that just might revive her artistic ambition all in one week, it’s time to finally reach for more than fine. But doing so means facing the fears that have held her back all this time, including admitting the secret she’s kept from Bear and her family. With her dream and her heart on the line, how much will Raegan have to risk to finally chase her happy ending?

Melissa Tagg is the award-winning author of the popular Walker Family series, the Where Love Begins series and the Enchanted Christmas Collection. She’s a former reporter, current nonprofit grant writer and total Iowa girl. Her recent releases include a Carol Award Winner(One Enchanted Noel), an RT Book Reviews TOP PICK (All This Time) and a Publishers Weekly Spring Top Ten Pick (Like Never Before). Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women’s retreats. When she’s not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. Melissa loves connecting with readers at www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook and Instagram.