On Being a Good Literary Citizen

And also, what not to do in the Author's Greenroom lunch line at a Book Festival

I first heard the term “literary citizen” during a Kauai Writers Conference session, after the conference transitioned fully online during the COVID lockdown days.¹ The speaker mentioned the phrase during a talk on how to acquire a literary agent. Although I wasn’t ready to approach an agent yet, the idea of participating in the bookish landscape as a good literary citizen intrigued me; I very much hoped to insert myself into the community of writers without appearing overeager. Besides buying their books, I wanted to explore other authentic ways to support writers and expand my connections with them.

Here are a few things I’ve learned so far.

Protect Writers’ Work/Don’t Steal

A major writing organization, from whom I’d taken a single online workshop and whom I shall not name, had their website set up such that all of their previous class recordings were magically available to me. Their entire catalog of dozens of courses by many writers over many years was there for me to just…take. I knew that this was not what they intended. As a retired IT person, I suspected that this largesse of free training was actually inadequate web site security. Had other people assumed that they had hit the Zoom training motherlode after taking one $99 course? I chose to think that no one had noticed, because I didn’t want to lower my reading glasses judgmentally at other writers. I let the organization know of the situation, and they were extremely grateful. The organization’s contact person responded, “Thank you for being a good literary citizen!” and I did feel a little puffing up in my chest over that. Writers deserve to be paid for their work, and me taking a bunch of stuff for free would have been wrong. Do unto others, like the guy said.

Let Writers Know that You Appreciate Their Work

My copy of Matt Bell’s terrific craft book, Refuse to Be Done, has an abundance of text that made me sit up straight, read carefully, and then re-read. I highlighted and underlined many sections of the text, and affixed sticky notes to sections of particular interest to me. I really got a lot from this book, and I wanted to share my appreciation of Bell’s work with him but not come off as a total suck-up. I filmed a short of me flipping through the pages to show the many pages I’d marked, then posted the clip. He seemed genuinely pleased, and restacked my post. I felt good about this. I shared my appreciation of the book in a way that I hope will encourage other writers to buy it, too. (Buy it now!)

Ask Real Questions at Author Events (In-person and Online)

A terrible, awful, no-good thing that some readers do during the Q & A portion of an author event is to immediately launch into a long-winded pitch for their own Vegan Tradwife Vampire book series, of which they have a “solid outline” of book one. Maybe a friend said the book was a timely and inventive idea and definitely worth pursuing, and now that writer feels entitled to hijack someone else’s book event. People, do not do this. A person who’s actually completed and published a whole book, and is now on book tour, is trying to sell that work. Not to smash anyone’s dreams no matter where they are in the writing process (because I don’t want anyone to smash mine), but it seems most helpful to the author (not to mention the audience) if you ask an actual question about the book she’s hawking, or at least something about her writing process.

Also: don’t let the guest writer on a Zoom event see only a bunch of blurred backgrounds where heads should be. Show your face, if you’re comfortable with it. And, ask questions! There are not many things worse, I imagine, than having hundreds of people on an event call, but all of them are afraid to speak up or even ask a question in the chat. Engage!

Don’t Post Bad Things About Other People’s Books or Writing

Sure, there are books I’ve read that I didn’t care for, or thought were poorly written. Like, a lot of them. But I see no need to publicly post those thoughts. Generally, I am talking about fiction works here. I share any thoughts I have about book I don’t like with friends, face-to-face. I don’t want to be the cause of lost income for any writer and affect their ability to send their kids to gymnastics. Authors likely spent years working on a novel, and while it may not appeal to me at all, it could still be a major success. I know there are sites that exist for people to rail against others’ books, but if you’re a writer, I think it’s bad form.

However, if the topic of the work is something detestable, then it’s fair game, even if it’s fiction. If one of Elon’s data-stealing boys decides to write a novel, or Pete Hegseth pens a work highlighting the blessings of Christian nationalist tattoos, I think it’s fair to call them out. Not just fair, but maybe a democratic obligation. Fortunately (?), this is unlikely to happen; I doubt that any of the people who are currently revoking the visas of international students at the university where I worked have read a novel in years. Relatedly: If you’re not registered to vote, please consider doing that today. Local elections matter, too, especially School Board elections, and they may be happening soon in your area. If you’re able, consider joining PEN America, the staff of which are tracking book bans across the country.

Don’t Soft-stalk Authors, in Person or Online

Here’s the city where I accosted the author while she tried to get lunch snacks.

I’m not great at this one. When I see an author in person whose work has greatly influenced me, I get that pre-teen Tiger Beat feeling again. If only David Cassidy were to meet me in person, he’d quickly realize that we were soul mates.

I don’t exactly feel that an author would be my soul mate, but on some level I think that they’ll just go - OH! - you’re the person writing that novel and it’s just so great to meet you in person and what can I do to elevate your work! Or maybe I think that talking to them in person will somehow split my own work open, and I will be able to say in my future full rooms at my own book signings that I can trace it all back to that very moment, and now here I am, a best-selling author, as you see by the standing-room only situation we have here.

However, it’s really best, when attending the Texas Book Festival, to not accost the famous author while they’re mid-bite in the lunch line at the Author’s Green Room, even if you are there as a bona fide volunteer, badge and all. It feels a little creepy to me, in retrospect, so I’m sure it was worse for the author. I won’t mention the author’s name here because I still feel a medium to high level of cringe thinking about my hovering. Sorry, person.

I do think it’s perfectly fine and even a good thing to gush over a writer in a public space, such as during the Q & A time of their session when they are surrounded by readers, and when they hopefully feel safe and even powerful and bright and shiny. Similarly, I think it’s okay to over-gush in person when you’re in line at a book signing because you only get a few seconds with the author. Plus there’s usually security right there. I can’t imagine how exhausting all this must be for the writer, but I hope they are able to take away some happy feelings from our enthusiastic comments.

Do you have additional ways that you try to be a good literary citizen?

I know that these are nerve-wracking times for us in these United States, so I send you thoughts for peace. Here’s a be-a-better-human link for today. Listen to Mel Robbins’ interview of Jackson Fisher: How to Be a Better Human. I listened twice; it’s that good. And Fisher’s book is definitely one to read before you run into those triggering folks again.

Peace be with you.

¹The Kauai Writers Conference has resumed their annual November in-person retreat, while continuing the Sunday evening online sessions.