Writing a book isn’t easy. In fact, it’s more work than you can imagine. For Indie writers you can add the stress of printing, marketing and distributing. Anyone who accomplishes writing a book deserves a lot of praise!
Every year on November 1st, millions of people celebrate authors and the books that they write on National Author’s Day.
The idea of setting aside a day to celebrate American authors came from Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement (Illinois) Women’s Club in 1928.
McPherson was a teacher and an avid reader throughout her life.
During World War I, when she was recuperating in a hospital, she wrote a fan letter to fiction writer Irving Bacheller, telling him how much she had enjoyed his story, “Eben Holden’s Last Day A’Fishin.”
Bacheller sent her an autographed copy, and McPherson realized that she could never adequately thank him for his gift.
Instead, she showed her appreciation by submitting an idea for a National Author’s Day to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, which passed a resolution setting aside November 1st as a day to honor American writers.
In 1949 the day was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Sue Cole, McPherson’s granddaughter, was largely responsible for promoting the observation of National Author’s Day after her grandmother’s death in 1968.
She urged people to write a note to their favorite author on November 1st, to “brighten up the sometimes lonely business of being a writer.”
She also suggested flying the American flag as another way of showing appreciation for the men and women who have created American literature.
Fly a flag for National Author’s Day, November 1st.
The best way to honor an author today is to buy some books to support them.
Trust me on this, nothing brings a smile to an author’s face more than that!
You can also use #NationalAuthorsDay to post on social media.
My author story begins in 2015 when I wrote Front Row Seat at the Circus after two election cycles covering presidential candidates, first in South Carolina in 2008 and then Ohio in 2012.
Front Row Seat at the Circus, 2015
It’s like the ultimate diary of my time in those two states, and I’m still pretty proud of it.
The book ends with a tweet from… you guessed it… Donald Trump complaining about Karl Rove misspending $400 million in a losing effort for Mitt Romney:
Our election night coverage, which had lasted all night in 2004, wrapped up by 1 a.m., much to the delight of a tired 10TV crew. After arriving home I noticed Donald Trump had tweeted out, “Congrats to Karl Rove on blowing $400 million this cycle. Every race Crossroads GPS ran ads in, the Republicans lost. What a waste of money.” The outspoken billionaire had backed another losing candidate and he was livid. Could Trump seriously consider running himself in 2016? I wondered to myself as the election night wound down. I chuckled out loud and thought, certainly not, the political circus will never get that weird!
Okay, so I got that wrong. It did get that weird.
The Trump era led me to write my first (and so far only) children’s book, called Mylo the Panda Travels to Washington, D.C.
Mylo the Panda, 2018
The purpose of the book is to give America’s children a positive history of our “great” country without all the shouting and garbage in the political arena today.
Sales around the Washington, D.C. area have been steady, and we’re still thinking about some more adventures to the Mylo franchise.
My current project is an e-book that will be available very soon for everyone to signs up for our Daily Newsletter on JimHeath.TV
A Question of Bias updates my extensive chapter on Media Bias in Front Row Seat at the Circus.
The book will show you that there is a growing tilt in media today, especially in local news, and it’s to the right, not the left.
If you’re interested, please consider signing up for our Daily Newsletter today (you can find the sign-up box on this page) and you’ll be the first to get a copy!
Meanwhile, #NationalAuthorsDay has been trending on social media all day.
Here are some highlights:
It’s #NationalAuthorsDay! Easy ways to help your favorite writers today & every day:
?Talk about their books on social media
?Review their books on retailers’ sites
?Tell your friends about them
?Ask your library to stock them
?Buy their new books & continue enjoying them?— DearEditor.com (@Dear_Editor) November 1, 2018
#NationalAuthorsDay
Support indie/self-pubbed authors today!
Hype up your favorite books
Talk about little-known books you think deserve more attention
Recommend diverse books written by diverse authors
Tell writers what their books mean to you
Encourage your writer friends <3— ?Elle?Gato?(they/them) (@ellle_em) November 1, 2018
HAPPY NATIONAL AUTHOR’S DAY #amwriting #authors #NationalAuthorsDay pic.twitter.com/Z8FcEB5A9n
— Rebekah S. Cole (@rebekahScole) November 1, 2018
Happy #NationalAuthorsDay everyone! To all of you aspiring writers out there – never forget: pic.twitter.com/hjxUbDCyJI
— Brad Thor (@BradThor) November 1, 2018
“I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all.” E. B. White #NationalAuthorsDay pic.twitter.com/LUO5xD4vT7
— Ray E. Boomhower (@RayBoomhower) November 1, 2018
It’s #NationalAuthorsDay, and I’d like to thank all the talented scribes out there who’ve given me countless hours of entertainment and enjoyment over the years. I’d also like to say how blessed and fortunate I am to get to do something I love every day. pic.twitter.com/pITux3BnFH
— Tracie Banister (@traciebanister) November 1, 2018
Thank your favorite authors and leave a review. #NationalAuthorsDay #bookreview pic.twitter.com/YQinlwucrj
— C. F. Francis (@Francis_Sanibel) November 1, 2018
“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Ray Bradbury #NationalAuthorsDay pic.twitter.com/VUW2pKHheF
— Ray E. Boomhower (@RayBoomhower) November 1, 2018
“Nothing is more satisfying than to write a good sentence. . . . This does not just happen. It requires skill, hard work, a good ear, and continued practice.” Barbara Tuchman #NationalAuthorsDay pic.twitter.com/FYTVyakuAi
— Ray E. Boomhower (@RayBoomhower) November 1, 2018
It’s #NationalAuthorsDay! Hug a writer!
— scbwi (@scbwi) November 1, 2018
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
― Thomas Mann #NaNoWriMo #NationalAuthorsDay— Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom) November 1, 2018