As writers, we should know our market audience, or so experts tell us. So, who am I writing for? Professional women, young mothers, or women of a certain age? Most of the time I feel as if I'm writing for other writers--which isn't necessarily a bad thing. To date, they've been my most vocal readers and reviewers. So when someone poo-poohs marketing to authors, I get a little hot under the bra strap. After all, authors read. I know I devour two books a week. What about you?
Other writers have become more than the building blocks of my fan base, they've become online friends, too. If I'm going through a string of migraines, these ladies commiserate with me. They email to see how I am. If I'm upset over a character who won't cooperate with my storyline, my fellow romance writers encourage me to plow ahead. We joke. We email racy pics. We cheer for each other's successes. In essence, we are a team with each member working on a different project.
They are friends I've met along the way!
Frankly, I'd be lost without them. Had someone told me in, say, 1990 that one day I would have oodles and oodles of friends around the world that I would cherish, even though I'd never met them, I would have backed away, my eyes frantically searching for the nearest exit door. But the Internet has gifted us with these acquaintances--and we cherish them. At least I do. So for all of you lovely ladies whom I've never met...
