“I’m just too busy,” some reply. 

“I can’t answer every one.  I don’t have the time!”

Make the time.  If someone takes a few minutes out of their busy schedule to tell me that they loved my book, you bet I will extend the same courtesy. 

I’ve written or e-mailed some of my favorite authors and I’m always surprised that they write me back.  One such author is Barbara Delinsky.  I sent her an e-mail praising her latest book and two days later I got an e-mail back from her saying thanks.  She also took the time to remark on the bad weather we’d been having in Houston.

Wow.  I was blown away.  I didn’t care if she personally wrote me back, or her assistant simply did the job, the point was that she took the time to answer me.  I became a reader for life because of that.

Thank you goes a long way.  It can ingrain on our readers brain that we appreciate them.  We make them feel important, because they are important. 

Take a few minutes to answer your readers.  They’ll thank you for it.