How Readers Bless Authors

How Readers Bless Authors

How Readers Bless Authors is the follow up to  How Authors Bless Readers. This came about from some of the comments to the blog post. I asked several Authors and below are some of the answers.

How have readers blessed you?

I love that readers contact me either through social media, email or in person, and tell me which book or book series they have read, and then discuss characters with me. I love it particularly when they tell me about a scene that really impacted them and helped them through a difficult time. This encourages me that people are not just buying, but they are reading and engaging with the stories and characters.

Readers have blessed me through a number of ways: writing and posting reviews, joining my influencer team and helping to promote a new release, sending me encouraging emails / messages saying how much they have enjoyed the book, or been touched / challenged by the message, requesting my book at their local library. I love it when readers get in touch!

One of my main motivations for writing was that I didn’t really find a lot of stories I wanted to read. One of the massive ways readers have blessed me is that I have connected with like-minded readers. I don’t feel so alone in my taste in stories anymore and it’s a wonderful feeling.

I have been greatly blessed by so many readers by their friendship. One of the best treasures of this

writing life are the people I have been privileged to know. Especially you, Jenny.

What is something unexpected a reader has done to bless you?

ON occasion, a reader has done a review on a blog. This is a public expression of the connection they’ve made with the book and characters.

I was at a conference many years ago when my first book had just been released and a reader particularly sought me out to let me know how much they had enjoyed the book. For a new author it doesn’t get much greater in encouragement than that!

Someone travelled partway around the world just to come say hello to me and spend some time with me just becoming better acquainted. That touched my heart and reminded me of the goodness in the people I have the privilege to know. What a wonderful book world this is, where we have such kindness in the quiet book girls, just like me, and just like you. It is one of the best gifts I’ve been blessed with in a long, long while.

And now a fun question what is the most original or unusual thing a reader has done for you?

This is not fun, really, but one young reader, twenty years after the series was published, wrote to me and told me that one of my books helped her face a really dark period in her life, and encouraged her to turn around from thinking about suicide. This was super encouraging, because the book was big in the market before this young lady was born, and yet, eighteen years later, she is reading it and being changed by it. I love to hear these sorts of story’s.

The most original thing a reader has done is to take a copy of my book to the beach, buy a special type of shell, and pose the book in various locations in order to create memes they then used (and allowed others to share) on social media. That was pretty cool!

I once received a very special gift from a reader. It was something very simple but touched my heart in so many ways. It was a card telling me how much they enjoyed my stories and one lone tea bag. A simple gift, but I loved the thought of both of us – reader and writer, sharing a cup of tea together, even if we were miles away from one another. That’s what writing and reading is all about – connecting through stories.

Given me two decades of friendship. There is no greater treasure than the wealth and riches of the heart that one gets with a real friend.

Finally, what would you like to say to readers about how they have encouraged or blessed you and what it means to you.

Thank you

1. For buying the book. 2. Thank you for reading the book; 3. Thank you for reviewing the book; 4. Thank you for looking me up on social media and letting me know how much it blessed you. Without dedicated readers, writing a book has no purpose at all.

Finally, readers are very special

– without them, a book won’t get read! I think many readers don’t realise the value of writing a review and posting it in places like Amazon and Goodreads, places where other readers are often looking for a new-to-them author. It needn’t take a long time, but it can be a very important way to let an author know you appreciate their hard work. So if you’re a reader, please consider doing so (and if an author asks you to write a review, there’s usually a very good reason for it). Seriously, I’ve been brought to (happy!) tears by some of the comments readers have made in relation to my books, so don’t be afraid to let them know if you have enjoyed their work.

Please, please, please keep contacting me.

I can’t tell you how uplifting it is to hear from you. It makes my heart sing, and there have been times that the Lord has used that contact to lead me into what He wants me to do, or to point me in the right direction for my work. The greatest value of my work doesn’t lie in worldly success, or sales figures or prestige, it lies in relationship – the one both reader and writer has with the story and the relationship we have with each other. And above all this, the relationships the Lord inspires through the work.

Encouraged

I have been encouraged, inspired, humbled, and moved beyond words by every surprising kindness, every gentle compliment and overwhelmed beyond the ability to say how much their kindness, thoughtfulness and sweet-natured goodness has touch my life. I’m grateful for every one and every reader who has sent a kind thought, a good wish or a gentle word my way. I have done my best to give the spirit of love and kindness back in return.

Thank you

I want to thank all the authors who have contributed to this post. In the future I plan to do another blog on this topic with more authors. If you would like to be included leave a comment here or via our comment page.