As those of you who follow me on twitter know, I learned a lot at 4^th North American Historical Novel Society Conference in San Diego last month (see—I didn’t just spend my time drinking in the hotel lobby).  I even had a number of “ah ha” moments.

One of those happened early on, when a publishing industry insider said, “The author to reader connection is closer than it has ever been.”  Now admittedly this was a bit more of a “duh” moment than an “ah ha” moment as it was happening because if there is one thing a writer knows (even a newbie like me) it’s that in this era of social-media we are expected to network with our potential readers.  But knowing something being able to act on it effectively isn’t always the same thing.

What does it mean to “be accessible to our readers?”  How can we turn the monologue (I blog, I tweet, I facebook, therefore I am) into a dialogue?  How can I improve your experience—of this website and ultimately of my book?

It was while thinking about these questions that the “ah ha” bit happened (or more precisely while thinking about these questions and not coming up with any clever answers) —ask readers.  AH HA!!!

 So, what do you think?  What would you like to read about here in blog-land?  What do you like about this place and what needs some improving?  Do you follow me on twitter, and, if so, how would you whip @lit_gal into shape if you were given access to a whip?  What can I or should I be doing to improve your experience as a reader (of this blog and soon, I hope, of The Sister Queens)?