I find few phrases more distressing than, “just a reader.”
You, my friend, are not just a reader.
You are the arbiter of great stories. You are the fuel that runs engine of publishing. You are the only reason any book ever sees the light of day.
You are the best source of book recommendations for everyone you know, even if you never write a review or participate in social media.
You are the reason I got up this morning; when people ask me what I do for a living, I say, “I connect books and readers.”
You might be one of those folks who feels the need to complain to an author because you don’t like the font used in her book or object to her English characters speaking like Brits. Perhaps you feel the need to tell everyone the ending of the last book you read because, clearly, you could have written it so much better.
Doesn’t matter.
You’re still not just.
You’re a reader. And if nobody has said it recently (or even if someone has), thank you.
