Have you ever e-mailed/contacted the author of a paper book?

I wrote some programming-related books for Sams about 10 years ago, and I received a few e-mails here and there. Usually they were asking for help with some project, which often took a considerable amount of time to look into and write a helpful reply. Still, I always tried to respond even if it was just a nudge in the right direction.

Book authors are not gods, they're just regular people. Don't be afraid to approach them, just be nice and they will most likely reply back. If you give them the idea that maybe you can help them somehow sell a few more copies of their books, they'll almost certainly reply. Please note that this probably won't apply to the household name authors, but you never know.

Ebook authors appear to be more approachable because of the medium. Digital book, digital e-mail... they seem that much closer to you. But it's really pretty much the same people. Copy for copy, I get a lot more questions on digital products than I ever did on the tangible version. You try to cover all the bases but it's impossible to address every question that might arise, especially when you're dealing with different levels of experience. If you get a lot of the same questions, start building a FAQ that you can point them to.

I think we feel more inclined to contact ebook authors because the internet feels like a level playing field because most ebook authors publish their own books.

They didn't have to submit a query, and wait for their agent to strike a deal with the publishing house, like a paper book author.

I've had three books published by a traditional print publisher. We're just normal people, don't put us on a pedestal just because we've been published. I've been contacted many times. I try to give the best answer I can with the time I have available. I've given interviews to TV and radio stations all the way down to junior high school kids looking to score big on a class assignment.

I've contacted other authors as well. As far as I can remember, every single one of them replied. I did not tell them I was an author, so as far as they knew, I was just another faceless name. You'd be surprised at how many folks in a position people tend to have high regard for are just as down to earth and friendly as you are.