Lately, I've heard author after author say something like this:

"Do newsletters have a positive ROI?"

"I don't do book signings because I don't sell anything, so they're not worth my time."

"How many books do you sell in your Facebook group?"

People, let me tell you something: not everything is about money.

And look, I'm a capitalist at heart and very much in favor of people making a living with their art. 100% for that.

But there are things we do that don't generate money directly, or have anything to do with selling, especially where readers are concerned.

Readers are, first and foremost, human beings, and they deserve to be treated as such.

That means not treating every interaction with them as if it's going to add to our bottom line.

Will the folks in my Celia Roman reader group buy my books? Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

That's not why I put it together. Far from it. I wanted a place for superfans to hang out and discuss stuff, a place to reward loyal readers with special stuff like cover reveals and exclusive giveaways.

Same for my newsletters. I know that my newsletters will generate X number of preorders and Y number of sales, based on past data. Is that why I do them? No! Again, it's a place to foster reader connectivity and to reward loyal readers with special stuff.

Do I expect to make bucket loads of money every time I make an in-person appearance? No! I'm there to meet readers.

Authors seem to have forgotten that the primary purpose of engaging with readers is engaging with readers, not selling more books, not making money, not lining our pockets.

And again, I'm all for authors making buckets and buckets of money.

But not at the expense of the reader experience, and most definitely not when it comes at the cost of our relationship with fans.

Money is important, but it's not everything. As we head into 2023, let's all try to remember that readers are the reason we're in the book business to begin with. Money is the icing, not the cake.