Besides being ‘Luke
Skywalker Day’—May the fourth be with you—it also marks the ninth anniversary
of this blog: Sharon Ledwith: I came. I
saw. I wrote. I started blogging—not really knowing anything other than
reading Blogging for Dummies—on May 4th,
2011, before I even had a publishing contract. If you build it, they will come,
right? Funnily enough, the contract came four months after I began blogging. It
truly feels like a blur now, and I’ve learned so much since that inaugural
date. That said, when I was trying to come up with a post to mark my
blogversary (is that a word?), I found an article in our local paper that
piqued my interest enough to pass on the wisdom I gleaned from it.
The headline read
‘MAGICAL MEMORIES’, with the subhead, ‘Disney letter among artifacts for
Capitol Theatre’s 100th anniversary’. The article goes on to explain
that, in 1938 Walt Disney himself sent a letter to the Windsor Daily Star,
thanking it for helping promote a screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Capitol. The article goes on
to quote, “Disney is a thing unto itself. That fact that the person who was the
head of the Disney empire took time to write a letter to the Windsor
Star—Windsor Daily Star at that time—to thank them for their assistance in
promoting a Disney film, it’s amazing. Incredible, actually.”
I couldn’t agree more.
The letter goes on to
mention the newspaper’s “splendid cooperation” in spreading the word about the
movie’s run at the Capitol. Disney continues to write, “May I take this
opportunity to thank your staff and especially your artists for their many
kindnesses?” Wow, just wow! The letter was ended with Disney’s handwritten
signature in large, swooping letters.
Can you imagine that
kind of correspondence happening in this day and age? Imagine say, trying to
get through to George Lucas if you were showing a Star Wars film. Um, no.
Wouldn’t happen. And neither would George sit down and write a personal letter,
and send it to you. It just goes to show you Disney’s considerate gesture
speaks to a very different time in our world. Kind of makes me sad, in a way.
Then, I thought about
what kind of legacy authors can leave behind in this ever-changing, post COVID
19 world. How a small gesture like Disney’s would make a difference in a
reader’s life? Kindness and manners still matter in my mind, and never go out
of style. There’s a handful of authors I know who do go out of their way to
thank others who help promote them, give them a shout out on social media, or
read their books and leave reviews. Most good business owners show gratitude to
their customers in one way or another. Why not authors? After all, we are the
owners of our stories, and publish them out into the world (or cyber-world) to
sell to prospective readers.
Which leads me to the
point of this post. A small kindness or act goes a long way with people.
Sending a thank you card or donating your book to a school you did an author
visit at, or adding value to a reader’s day by answering their email or social
media message. It’s a little boost that will go a long way in a person’s heart,
and probably make their day brighter. So take a page out of Walt Disney’s
business book, and take time to connect with and grow your audience. It’s a
great investment in your future author-self. Never forget, the world needs YOU!
BTW— For May-June my publisher, MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING is
going to promote a giveaway for new readers to try Mirror World books for the
first time. The code is FREEBOOK and it can be used once per email address for
a free ebook to try one of our books for free. Please
click HERE to go
to their online store. Happy reading!
Now that you’ve helped
celebrate nine years blogging with me, let’s time travel a hundred years from
now. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind as an author? How would
you want readers to remember you? Would love to read your comments! Cheers,
be well, and thank you for reading my blog.
