A couple of weeks ago I met author Kwame Alexander. Kwame is a big shot in the book world. He has written a variety of best-selling books. Some target young adults. Sports, friendships, romance, family, relationships, current events. He has a vlog/variety show, Bookish. He has been a keynote speaker at high-profile book events. Plus he is tall. I mean tall. This guy towered over the bookstore where my daughter and I went to meet him.
He stood in a relaxed stance with his string bag hanging from his shoulders chatting with people in the bookstore, Scrawl Books. When we hovered nearby with his book in hand, we looked up at him and introduced ourselves.
“Hi, I’m Lisa and this is my daughter, Libby. Nice to meet you!”
“It’s very nice to meet you, too. Lisa and Libby, right?” he confirmed our names after shaking our hands. Libby shared how she read his book The Crossover when it was a Virginia’s reader choice selection.
“Hey, thank you for reading my book,” he said. It was sincere. We continued talking for a few minutes, delighted to discover that he is as friendly in person as he seems on his Bookish show (I recommend it! Click the link above.)
I have reflected on Kwame’s sentiment since that day. Gratitude. The thing you most feel as an author. Gratitude that someone read your book. Gratitude to the people who supported you along the way.
So if you’ve read a book and you loved it, tell the author. Maybe you can’t share your feedback in person, but you can write a letter, send an email, and post reviews.
Share your kindness through a kind word! Both authors and fellow readers feel gratitude and appreciate your feedback.
bylisatully 
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