Saturday, June 12, 2010

A Special Thank You

Okay, so you know I love all of you, but today I want to direct all the gratitude I have in the whole world to a special few of you.

According to the poll from earlier this week, (last week? can't remember. too lazy) just under 1/6 of you are under the age of 18.

Thank you.

It's obvious that you and other people your age who read are the reason I have a career. But that's not entirely what this is about. I need you guys, definitely. I need you to pick up books and buy books and tell your friends about books and read more books by the authors you love. That's a given. That's how BREAK, a little paperback by a debut author that could have been lost in the shelves, is doing so much better than I could have imagined. It is thanks, hugely, to teenagers like you who have read it and told their friends about it, and I am so incredibly grateful.

But that's not really what this is about.

this is about--as much of my life is--the internet.

I started this blog *right* before I turned eighteen, and only because, rather stupidly, I thought it would help sell more books. I'm pretty sure that, all in all, this blog doesn't help sell that many copies of BREAK. It's not as if most of the teenagers in the world are reading this. The vast majority, like I said, of the teenagers who pick up BREAK are ones who hear about it from their friends or their teachers, or the ones who happen to stumble across it at the bookstore or while browsing for it online.

Most teenagers use the internet to a large degree. But the teenagers who read this blog--who comment, I've noticed, all the time, and who are very likely to have their own blogs--are a very very special breed.

You give a shit.

Teenagers who read are incredible. Teenagers who connect with authors and review books on their blogs and tweet and comment...God, do you guys know how much we love you? It's something authors discuss all the time, how incredibly grateful we are for the teenagers who come online and advocate for books they didn't write, or who take the time to talk to us, who understand that I am not just words on a page or on your computer screen, I am a girl in an armchair with a dirty laptop and a yellow tank top.

As a teenager, these are connections that are invaluable to me.

And it makes you so, so much braver and so much smarter than I ever was. Or than I am even now.

You are truly the future of publishing.

19 comments:

Sage said...

Absolutely. The teens who read and blog are an awesome group of people.

When I was a teen, I didn't blog..., but blogs weren't really a big thing then. But I can't imagine my teen self thinking that anyone would want to read my opinion on anything. Still, I know my friends and I shared all our opinions on books and shows and movies with each other and anyone else we thought might care about our opinion. Blogs go a step beyond that. You share with your friends who follow them, but also with anyone who's searching for info on that book or about books about, say, teens hurting themselves or about books being read by people with other similar interests as yourself. I think it's great that there's such a community of teens out there, sharing their tastes with each other.

Robby said...

I love you. I cannot wait for Invincible Summer. How many times have I said that now?

hannah moskowitz said...

Invincible Summer cannot wait for you.

in which a girl reads said...

:D :D :D

Count me in on "can't-wait-for-IS."

Also, I should comment more. I just wanted to let you know that I do basically read almost all your posts (and really enjoy them) but I don't comment on each one. I really should though XD

hannah moskowitz said...

Thank you! And yeah, I'm such a comment whore. Bring 'em on.

I'm *hoping* I get a handful ARCs with this one (I only got 2 for BREAK) and I can send them to all you book bloggers. If I don't, make sure you guys remind me, and I'll write to my publicist and see if she can send you review copies.

Molly said...

Thank YOU for being the writer we WANT to talk about! :)

Nadine said...

Beautiful post.

I wish there had been blogging when I was a teen, but the internet was only just getting off the ground.

Aleeza said...

We all love you too, Hannah =D

Anonymous said...

Dude, we must have been on a similar wavelength this morning, 'cause I wrote about connections and networking and the internet on my blog too. :)

<3 you, Hannah. You are awesome. Go rock the world.

Vee said...

Hannah, you're so awesome <3

Yours is one of the very few author blogs I comment on, and that's because most authors kind of intimidate me. I'm all like why would they want to hear from me? But you keep everything so REAL that it's hard to not understand that there's a person (awesome person, to be more specific) behind the keyboard and the books which makes me feel more comfortable/not ridiculous to comment away :)

So, throwing that gratitude right back at you for being such an honest, wonderful blogger.

And I'm going to join the I-want-to-read-IS club, now.

Samantha said...

We blog. We love you too. We harbor not-so-secret desires to be you if we grow up. Trust me, that kind of desire to be someone is a pretty high pedastal to be put on. You're in good company (JKR, JG, LS).

Kristi Faith said...

You are fabulous :0)

hannah moskowitz said...

"if we grow up."

<3

Richard Levangie said...

This is a really sweet, smart post.

Beth G. said...

*cries tears of Hannah worship*

Julie said...

I'm sure you're right in general about most of your blog audience not being target readers and probably not helping to sell books.

But I just thought I'd let you know, yesterday I got my copy of BREAK in the mail from Amazon and I bought because I loved your blog and the book sounded awesome. :)

Not trying to throw off your stats but just thought I'd let you in on a new fan and I'm well over 18. Can't wait to start reading today!

hannah moskowitz said...

Eee, thanks, Julie! I hope you like it!

Mara Daniel said...

Dude, Hannah. You are the bravest chick I know. I feel so lucky that i've been able to talk to you over at AW. You straight up rock and you spread vibes of profuse coolness where ever you go ;)

hannah moskowitz said...

You straight up rock too :D