Writing to Authors

I keep a list of every book that I read. I started when I was around 15 or 16. The list began with just a title and author. It now includes a date, a ranking of 1-5 stars, and a paragraph of my thoughts on the book. I've kept it for 19 years so far. It's one of my prize possessions.

I tried turning it into a self-published book last year but got bogged down with other things. I still plan to self-publish the list and some essays I wrote for it.

Recently, I started a new thing. If the author of a book that I read and enjoy is alive, then I find their contact info and send them an email. If it is really special, a physical card. I'm sending N.T. Wright a note card because I enjoyed Simply Jesus so much.

I figure that most authors don't hear kind words about their work. They probably just hear complaints. When all the work is done, it would probably be nice to hear some feedback.

So I write a note saying what I thought and one specific thing that I enjoyed or took away from it.

Often, they write back within a day. And sometimes, they include more details and best wishes. This morning, someone responded with an invitation to a conference.

If you try this, let me know how it goes.