In a recent editorial I lightly mentioned that a lot of my family do not read my books, and another writer replied to that. She wondered if it was upsetting to me. My honest answer? I try not to dwell on it. If I did, I would get my feelings hurt. But a writer has to accept reality.

1. Not everyone reads your kind of writing. One of my sons promises every now and then he’ll read the books. I don’t hold my breath because he prefers reading nonfiction, specifically how-to and historical. My work can’t be further away from those genres.

2. Not everyone reads. . . period. It’s sad, but a lot of people don’t believe reading to be important. They stay busy and wouldn’t take the time to read anything, whether it’s your book or not. Reading reminds them of the forced reading from school.

3. Readers read more than your work. They have their favorites, and you may not be one of them. Another son loves several other authors, and while he reads my work, he is several books behind, because other books caught his attention.

4. Phones have stolen reading time.

I was told by another writer that, “to read a writer’s work, is to accept them, to know them, the best way to support them, as people.”

That sounds lovely. I would like to agree. But to agree with that is to also believe that not reading my work means someone disrespects me. Readers read books for the story, not for the author. That might not be an easy reality to swallow, but it is what it is.

If someone in my family wrote something, I would read it, regardless the genre. However, words are my thing. I appreciate the meaning of having written something after hours, days, and months of work. One family member even asked me how many hours a day does it take to write a book, like it’s the hours per day that give it value. Another was blown away when he heard how much I made per book sale, like how dumb was it to invest one’s self into that when the return sucks? Then there are those who don’t see writing as work. They cannot fathom the effort that goes into proper and enjoyable word creation. (Some even think AI can do it just as well.)

Most nonwriters are ignorant about writing. And if those people happen to be family, well, they just don’t get it. I don’t fully understand all that they do for a living either.

It’s a sad subject if you allow yourself to dwell on it too long. Some days it hurts me, too. At least buy a book, even if you don’t read it. . . you know, as support. But people have different priorities and most have limited income. They probably do not see that writing pours life into you. Their attentions, beliefs, and joys lie elsewhere, rooted in places and things that you and I may not appreciate.

My best advice is to respect what they do, in hope they’ll respect you in return. But don’t get mired up in who reads you. You enjoy writing, and that’s what matters first.