Author Appreciation
Many moons ago, I was on a Caribbean cruise with my family, and I was blown away by the experience. The servers, crew, cleaners and attendants were helpful, friendly and kind.
But I was aware of my privilege; I knew how hard the staff worked, so one evening when I encountered a cleaner in the public washroom, I thanked her for her hard work.
“Thank you,” she said, visibly moved by my small comment. “That means a lot. You see, today is my birthday.”
I smiled, wished her a happy birthday and went about pretending to be rich for the rest of the cruise. But I think a lot about that cleaner. I know nothing about her life or her family. All I know is that I let my appreciation of her hard work be known and it made a difference.
When we read a book, we’re benefitting from all the hard work of the author—hard work we rarely consider as we enjoy their story—but the experience of reading their work can still make a difference in our lives. Just like the cleaner I encountered; writers appreciate hearing their efforts were worthwhile.
We may not have the writer in front of us, but we can do the next best thing. Tell other people. Leave reviews. Mention their work on social media. All these small things can let the writer know you appreciate them.
And who knows? Maybe they’ll stumble over your review on their birthday. 🙂