{"id":840,"date":"2025-04-24T11:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T11:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/2025\/04\/24\/the-cost-of-connection-reaching-young-readers-without-compromise\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T01:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T01:02:09","slug":"the-cost-of-connection-reaching-young-readers-without-compromise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/2025\/04\/24\/the-cost-of-connection-reaching-young-readers-without-compromise\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cost of Connection: Reaching Young Readers Without Compromise"},"content":{"rendered":"

 Young readers have always been the heart of my
\naudience. It is where I started my publishing journey twenty years ago, and I
\ncontinue to write for them in my Draconim and MacIver Kids series. My stories
\nare written for them\u2014their grief, their fire, their fierce sense of justice.
\nBut I\u2019ve also known I couldn\u2019t, in good conscience, invite them into the same
\ndigital spaces that constantly exploit their attention, data, and trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

From the beginning, I chose not to collect
\ndata through my author website. No mailing lists, no subscriber pop-ups, no
\npersonalized ads. Not because I didn\u2019t want to grow\u2014I did, and still do\u2014but
\nbecause I could never guarantee that data, once gathered, would be fully
\nsecure. And I wasn\u2019t willing to risk the safety of the very readers I hoped to
\nreach. Recent headlines\u2014like \u201cHackers are targeting a surprising group ofpeople: young public school students<\/a>\u201d (OPB), \u201cThousands including childrenexposed in major data breach<\/a>\u201d (Tom’s Guide), and \u201cChildren’s data hacked after
\nschool software firm missed basic security step<\/a>\u201d (NBC)\u2014should raise both our
\nhackles and our awareness. If even large institutions can\u2019t protect children\u2019s
\ndata, how can we?<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a quiet stance. One that looks a lot like
\ndoing nothing. In a publishing world that rewards metrics, funnels, growth
\ncurves, and mailing list conversions, my refusal can seem naive or
\nself-sabotaging, and perhaps it is. After all, I depend entirely on book
\nsales\u2014and limiting the tools I can use to reach readers is counterproductive.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it has always felt necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Loophole
\nCulture<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Social media has long been a tool used to
\nskirt the very laws and codes designed to protect young people. Take for
\ninstance the \u201cBroadcast Code for Advertising To Children\u201d in Canada. It
\nincludes clauses like \u201cChildren\u2019s advertising must not directly urge children
\nto purchase or urge them to ask their parents to make inquiries or purchases.\u201d and
\n\u201cDirect response techniques that invite the audience to purchase products or
\nservices are prohibited.\u201d These principles exist in many countries in some
\nform\u2014yet across the board, enforcement is inconsistent, and social platforms
\noften act as if they exist above those rules. Laws like COPPA in the U.S. or
\nGDPR-K in Europe were intended to shield minors from exploitation, but their
\nenforcement has been limited\u2014especially when it comes to influencer-style
\ncontent and microtargeted outreach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advertising to children is supposed to be
\nstrictly regulated\u2014on paper, at least. In practice, platforms like TikTok and
\nInstagram offer frictionless access to teen and youth audiences, and authors
\nare often encouraged to “just be authentic” as a workaround to the
\nadvertising rules that apply more directly to traditional media.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem is, many of us aren\u2019t just being
\nauthentic. We\u2019re building brands. We\u2019re tracking engagement. We\u2019re optimizing
\nhashtags, timing posts, and nudging readers toward buy links. And if that\u2019s not
\nadvertising, it\u2019s close enough to feel uncomfortable\u2014especially when we\u2019re
\ndoing it in a space where our readers are young, impressionable, and often
\ninvisible behind anonymous handles.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that I blame authors for using these
\ntools. The pressure to be visible in an attention economy is enormous,
\nespecially for indie creators without a marketing department behind them. But I
\ndo think we need to talk more honestly about what we\u2019re doing when we use
\nsocial media as our primary path to young readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many find reassurance in using trusted
\nplatforms to manage their mailing lists. These tools offer a layer of
\nprotection\u2014but is it enough? And is the platform you’re using compliant with
\nthe privacy laws of every country your readers might live in? How many of us
\nhave downloaded our subscriber lists to a personal device, just in case\u2014and how
\nsecure is that laptop, really?<\/span><\/p>\n

A New
\nLandscape, Or Just a Clearer One?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

With the UK\u2019s new child safety regulations
\ncoming into force\u2014laws that challenge how platforms host content likely to be
\nseen by minors\u2014we may be entering a new phase. Not a surprising one, but a
\nclarifying one.<\/span><\/p>\n

These changes could make it harder for YA
\nauthors to reach their intended audience directly. Algorithms may become less
\npredictable. Accounts may be flagged, content shadowbanned, or reach throttled.
\nAnd while that may feel like a setback, it might also be a long-overdue signal:
\nthe system we\u2019ve all been relying on was never built for this kind of outreach.
\nNot ethically. Not safely.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the alternative paths we
\nonce relied on\u2014the slow, steady routes through schools and libraries\u2014are
\nbecoming less accessible too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The
\nGatekeepers Are Shifting<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Once, we relied on librarians, teachers, and
\nbooksellers to act as bridges between authors and young readers. But in an era
\nof rising book bans, state-mandated curriculum restrictions, and moral panic
\nover what young people should be \u201callowed\u201d to read, those bridges are burning.<\/span><\/p>\n

The people most qualified to guide youth
\ntoward challenging, expansive, and compassionate stories are under siege. And
\nin many cases, it\u2019s indie authors\u2014especially those writing about climate,
\nqueerness, neurodiversity, or racial justice\u2014who are most likely to be locked
\nout of institutional channels.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are being squeezed from both ends: told not
\nto market to teens and youth directly, while also losing the allies who once
\nhelped us reach them responsibly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do We Need
\nMore Laws, or Just Better Ones?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

One could argue that what we really need is
\ntighter digital regulation\u2014more protection for minors, clearer rules around
\nconsent and data, and harsher penalties for platforms that fail to comply.<\/span><\/p>\n

But part of me wonders: do we need new<\/i>
\nlaws, or do we just need to enforce the ones we already have? And shouldn\u2019t
\nthose same standards apply not just to corporations with billion-dollar ad
\nbudgets, but to the everyday content creators who are (often unwittingly)
\nplaying by the same exploitative playbook?<\/span><\/p>\n

What would it look like to create outreach
\nstrategies that serve young readers without<\/i> exposing them? What would it
\nmean to design tools that indie authors could use\u2014tools designed with care, not
\nconversion\u2014in mind?<\/span><\/p>\n

What Comes
\nNext?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have perfect answers\u2014or any answer
\nreally, only questions. I only know that I want to reach young readers without
\ncompromising their safety\u2014or my ethics. I want to be part of a world where
\nstories meant for teens can find<\/i> teens without relying on the same
\nsystems that have failed them in every other way.<\/span><\/p>\n

So I\u2019ll end this with a question: what would
\nhelp us get there?<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re a parent, indie author, publisher,
\nbookseller, librarian, coder, educator\u2014anyone asking the same questions\u2014I’d
\nlove to hear your thoughts. What tools do we need? What models could we build?
\nAnd what would it look like to imagine a future where our connection to young
\nreaders is built on trust, not surveillance?<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk. Share your thoughts and
\nsuggestions in the comments here, or on Threads.<\/span><\/p>\n

And if you don\u2019t have answers yet\u2014that\u2019s okay.
\nI don\u2019t either. This isn\u2019t a test, it\u2019s an invitation. A space to wonder, to
\nquestion, to imagine something better\u2014together.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Support Independent Content Creation<\/h3>\n

I know, I know, I know…<\/strong><\/p>\n

These donation messages can be intrusive. I understand that. (Trust me, I feel awkward writing them too!)<\/p>\n

But reaching out like this is crucial. Being reader-funded gives my work something valuable that many content creators don’t have: true independence.<\/p>\n

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For the price of a coffee, you’ll enable me to invest more time in creating in-depth, creative journal posts and episodes of the Stone & Signal podcast. If you’d like to contribute more, consider purchasing one of my e-books<\/a> (priced at roughly two cups of coffee) \u2013 a way to support my work while gaining additional value for yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for considering. Your support makes all the difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 Young readers have always been the heart of my audience. It is where I started my publishing journey twenty years ago, and I continue to write for them in my Draconim and MacIver Kids series. My stories are written for them\u2014their grief, their fire, their fierce sense of justice. But I\u2019ve also known I couldn\u2019t,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"The Cost of Connection: Reaching Young Readers Without Compromise - Lawrence Nault","description":"  Young readers have always been the heart of my audience. It is where I started my publishing journey twenty years ago, and I continue to write for them i"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,310,313,309,317,312,316,23,311,133,318,315,314],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-marketing","category-child-protection","category-childrens-safety","category-coppa","category-data-privacy","category-digital-ethics","category-gdpr-k","category-indie-publishing","category-outreach","category-social-media","category-trust-based-tools","category-ya-authors","category-young-readers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":841,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions\/841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}