The day Garth Stein wrote back...

Garth Stein

A few years ago I read the book The Art of Racing in the Rain.  Amazing book, insightful, well-written (obviously- it became a bestseller), and bore a really striking resemblance to a particular time in my life.  It made me cry, actually, and books don't typically do that.

So, for the first time ever, I looked up the author's email address and emailed him, letting him know how much his book touched me.  I forgot about it within a few days, honestly, and went about my life when out of nowhere, about a month later, I have an email from Garth Stein sitting in my inbox.

Oh. My. God.  A NYT best selling author wrote me back.

So we exchanged a few emails, basic stuff, but it absolutely blew my mind that he actually wrote back.  I thought when you sent those emails out into the blue yonder, they stayed there.  I think great authors take on celebrity status so much that we think they're inaccessible and wouldn't bother talking to us nobodies once their books start flying off the shelves, but I've noticed since then that many of the books I read actually have the author's email address printed right there at the bottom of the bio (Christopher Moore, for example).

So that's my challenge to you....find your favorite book (OK, the author has to still be alive...I know one of my smart-ass friends will bring that up), find the email, and write your author.  Let them know you enjoyed it.  As much as their works may sell, which is proving that people are enjoying it by buying so many copies, I'm sure many authors just don't hear personal connections about their writing and writers are the most codependent people ever...we need TONS of validation.

Do it!
~m

Garth Stein's site...check him out : www.garthstein.com