I’ve been spending a lot of time lately contemplating the new trend of having easy accessibility to authors on the web. Weblogs, message boards, chat groups, and mailing lists–these are just a few of the avenues authors use to get in touch with their readers. A brand-spanking new author myself, I employ all of these forums to make myself available to those who may want to speak with me. Within the last week I’ve concentrated time and money on web promotion, trying to introduce myself to potential readers and bring them to my site where we can get to know each other and hopefully establish a rapport. Someone once said that a person must see your name several times before it becomes a part of their conscious memory. Since I’m still relatively unknown, I have my work cut out for me, yet I can’t help but wonder at the feasibility of presenting ourselves as individuals first and foremost before our work.

Some authors have told me that pushing your books is tacky and turns off readers. So they present themselves, sell themselves as nice people you want to know and have dinner with. This will make you want to buy their books, or so they tell me. Is that true? How about great writing, great storytelling, great characters? Are these just bonuses you find in a book you bought simply because you know the author from their website?

Not long ago romance writers’ websites were simple in design—a little bio, a few book cover images, a few teaser excerpts, and a backlist. The site content was all about the books. Now, you sometimes have to search for the books amongst all the information about the author.

You can read about the writer’s daily life in their blog. You can learn their tips for aspiring authors and sign up for their workshops. You can find out what movies they’re watching and what books they’re reading. You can see pictures of family vacations and birthday parties. The intimacy is startling and sometimes disconcerting. I’m still reeling from the shock of reading about one author’s struggle with their mental medication.

Where are the books in all of this? I sometimes scratch my head and wonder.

I was privy to a discussion recently where a few readers were discussing some author sites they visited. The sites they talked about most were the ones lacking intimacy (i.e. no blogs or message boards). They wondered about the authors. Are they as standoffish in person as they appear on their site?

I was surprised. Is it important to the average reader to know intimate details about the person who wrote the books they liked? There are several writers I can mention whose work I enjoy tremendously and yet I have no clue who they are as individuals. This doesn’t bother me at all. I’m just grateful for the enjoyment their work gives me. What kind of dog they have or what flavor ice cream they like is of no consequence to me. But perhaps I’m in the minority? I’ve never asked on my blog or my message board or my chat group why the people who visit me come by. However, I’m going to ask you.

How do you feel about getting to know authors personally? If you’re a reader who enjoys this intimacy, can you tell me why it works for you? Or why it doesn’t? Do you think less of authors with whom you can’t converse freely?