As an author, you know how challenging it can be to stand out and promote your work. There is nothing more heartbreaking than having no readers and no sales. It feels even worse when people can’t relate to work. We believe Philippe Ruaudel found a solution to these problems.
We had a conversation with Philippe Ruaudel, a French Sci-Fi writer who shared a truly unique way of engaging readers using Traxoft. Philippe’s readers can vote on his characters and landscape illustrations to be included in his books and marketing communication. This gives readers a sense of ownership and involvement in the creative process.
Author marketers and authors often overlook a co-creation process as it requires you to be open-minded, adventurous, and receptive to constructive criticism and feedback. Discover how Philippe embarrassed the reader-author collaborative approach to engage readers in his universe.
A conversation with the reader
When Philippe wrote his first novel, he didn’t include any illustrations. “I had my own vision of my characters, of my landscape, but I didn’t include them in the book because I wanted readers to use their own imagination.” – Philippe says.
Philippe believes communication with his readers is key to building a loyal readership. So he asked readers for their feedback. “Many of them need some illustration, need to see some materials from my imagination. So I decided to change the covers to show it as I see it.” – Philippe says.
But his conversation with the readers doesn’t stop here. Unlike many of us, Philippe put his ego and fears aside, and I asked for a heartfelt truth about the illustrations and characters he created. He was shocked that most of his readers see his characters and landscape differently.
Instead of feeling offended and disregarding his readers’ opinions, he turns this rather unpleasant experience into an opportunity to create a new reader experience, which pays off later.
Author and readers’ collaboration
Many authors feel protective of their work. And we all can relate to it, but as Philippe mentioned, we live in a totally different world now where collaboration is a key to everything.
“We are not in the same world as decades ago when authors were distant from their readers and didn’t have to explain their characters or plot decisions. We are in a world of collaboration. So I choose to collaborate. And I use different tools, including Traxoft, to do so.” – Philippe says.
Philippe creates various character and landscape illustrations and then uses Traxoft to encourage his fanbase to vote on the illustrations they would like to see throughout the communication channels and in the books.
Characters and landscapes change and evolve based on the readers’ votes, directly impacting Philippes’ writing and implementing character traits desired by his readers. But Philippe’s collaboration process doesn’t stop with illustrations. He further encourages his reader to give feedback on his plot, character development, and writing style. This approach helps him improve his craft and offer his readers exactly what they want.
For Philippe, reader co-creation isn’t just a marketing tactic but a way of creating a deeper connection with his readers. His readers feel like they’re a part of the process, and this helps to create a sense of loyalty and trust between the author and his readers.
If you wonder how this approach impacted Philippe’s writing and character development, you can purchase Philippe Ruaudel’s novels here: https://www.markind.fr/commandez-votre-exemplaire/ and make sure to visit his website at: https://www.markind.fr/