Hiding among the reads

It's probably been said at book clubs and writers festivals; in gatherings at bookshops and libraries, the reader is the most important link in the chain. Even though readers can be notoriously fickle or only ever source their reading from street libraries and community centres, ensuring the author and the publisher get nothing for their trouble, without them there is no book market. Whatever the literati think of naked commerce, it too is a bottom line unless the book in question is a vanity project or in house publication.

Readers are like writers in that they can be found wheree'er there are words. We profiled authors not writers for this reason, but if writing a fax or reading an email are too workaday to be considered, writing a postcard or letter now a lost art, in books we are on a surer footing. Ignoring the unread books on the shelf that are used for effect or picked up at jumble sale, where there are books there are readers. No readers and the writer is soon scratching for work and the publisher out of business.
As with all the arts, it is the enthusiasm of patrons that propels the work and keeps the authors in hot meals. A created buzz or snob purchase unaccompanied by any real enthusiasm will only take the crew behind such a book so far - better to have fans.