Have you ever contacted authors of books that you read?

[Myword]

I am just curious. Have you or do email an author of an article or book (outside of social media) that you enjoyed or to make comments? Usually, this is done with book reviews or another article published. Do you want an academic "pen pal" ?   Not necessarily in your career field. Say you have a strong interest in zoology. Would you seek out a published zoologist for questions or conversation, even in another nation? I feel isolated from academic life, so occasionally I do. Sometimes they write back, but it does not last long. I don't mean Researchgate or another site. A professional is unlikely to talk long with someone outside their field.

[Puget]

I am just curious. Have you or do email an author of an article or book (outside of social media) that you enjoyed or to make comments? Usually, this is done with book reviews or another article published. Do you want an academic "pen pal" ?   Not necessarily in your career field. Say you have a strong interest in zoology. Would you seek out a published zoologist for questions or conversation, even in another nation? I feel isolated from academic life, so occasionally I do. Sometimes they write back, but it does not last long. I don't mean Researchgate or another site. A professional is unlikely to talk long with someone outside their field.

I occasionally contact authors of articles to get a measure they developed, or more information on a statistical method they pioneered, because I'm trying to apply it in my own research and need some information that wasn't in the published paper. Likewise, I am sometimes contacted by other researchers in my field with requests of measures we've developed etc. This is a normal part of scientific exchange.

But outside of my field and without a clear practical reason for doing so, no-- I think that would come across as a bit weird -- what exactly would be the motivation of the author to correspond with a random person outside their field? I mean, I'm sure you're a charming individual Myword, but I don't think this is a good way to form connections with other people. You are much better off networking within your field -- attending smaller (in these days, virtual) conferences is a good way to strike up meaningful conversations with others in your field which occasionally lead to collaborations or other opportunities down the road. And for interests outside your field, you'd have a lot more luck connecting with other hobbyists -- e.g., join the wildlife watchers club/forum, rather than emailing zoologists.

[fourhats]

I get contacted by people who've read my books, and try to respond in a friendly way. Often they want to say nice things, and other times they want to let me know of similarities between their work and mine. However, after a couple of back and forth emails, I usually let it drop since I don't need or want a pen pal. But it's nice to hear from them, and I usually say something like "thank you for your kind words and interest in my work." And let it go.

[Ruralguy]

I suppose I have contacted authors. I did this more when I was younger. I don't think I did it so much for social connection, but would have welcomed that for a bit, most likely. Mostly I just did so for information or discussion of certain issues in my field.

I have also been contacted by others. Mostly they just want to say a few nice words. Once they wanted me to speak to their class (I agreed). I don't think any wanted a deep social connection, though if they did, I might have cut it off with my brusk nature, although I don't think I would really go out of my way to shun someone who wanted to be a pen-pal of sorts unless it got weird (which I take to mean, trying to meet me in person for non-professional reasons or talking about personal matters).

[Hegemony]

I had someone contact me about a subject we were both writing on, and we developed an email correspondence, eventually met up when our paths crossed, and now I'd consider her a friend, though a fairly distant one. We're not in ongoing contact, but in occasional contact.

But I also had a male academic contact me to say that he appreciated one of the articles I'd written, it reflected a useful stance on such-and-such, and I wrote back thanks, and then he started to stalk me. Although I never responded after that first time, I'd get daily emails from him, all about what he guessed must be our many shared interests and how much he thought of me, then voicemails, then hang-up calls from the same number, etc. This went on for about two years.  I was not happy about this at all, to understate the case. Fortunately he lived many thousands of miles away.  It seems to have slacked off at last, knock on wood. But I once shared a house with an academic who had a stalker (also a casual acquaintance, not even someone she had known well) who had travelled to two other continents in search of her, so I know it can get even worse than that.

So after that, I'm always leery about responding to emails from male academics I don't know. It reminds me of the dictum that what men fear about women is that women will laugh at them, but what women fear about men is that they will kill them.

[Ruralguy]

I must be a feminist because I am occasionally afraid a woman might kill me. I'm impervious to laughter, having encountered much as a nerdy youth.

But I do get your point, Hegemony, and its probably part of why many of us cut things off if they aren't brief and professional.

[Puget]

To what I said before I will just add (not sure what the OP's career stage is) that I sometimes get emails from students at other institutions who are essentially asking me to do the job of their advisor (or on occasion, doing their homework for them)-- that is, rather than a specific question about one of my papers, they ask things like for help designing a study, interpreting their results, or even what direction to take their research in. Since doing this job for my *own* students is my actual job, these students get a polite reply saying they should discuss these questions with their own advisor, but if they have specific questions about my work they are welcome to ask. If they persist that get a more direct reply that I cannot function as an advisor to them.

(I do mentor students from other institutions as part of summer programs for under-represented students, but that's different).

[jerseyjay]

When I was in grade school we read Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw. From this I took away that most authors would not like to get letters from random fans. Sometimes I think of writing a letter to a novelist whose work I like, or with whom I feel some sort of connection (e.g., they write about my neighborhood). Then I think better of it and don't.

As an academic, I won't write to an author just to say I liked their book if it is something that is not within my own specialized field of research. I once saw a famous, prize-winning historian at the library and almost came up to him and said I really liked his books, but I thought that is probably exactly what he did not want when he was reading archives.

However, I have often written people whose works overlaps my own. Sometimes I have a question (e.g. I just wrote one a few months ago about a footnote). Sometimes I want to get some obscure article that I cannot find online (especially now, with my ILL closed). If I publish an article on a subject they have published on,  especially if I discuss or cite their work, I often will send a copy  of the article. I cannot really say I have made "friends" this way, but I have established academic connections, including those that have led to collaboration.

If I publish a book review of a book, I will usually send a copy to the author out of courtesy.

I have had a handful of graduate students or wannabe grad students contact me. Sometimes they seem to want me to hold their hand and do their research, but usually they have more discrete questions. Again, I cannot really say these are "friends," but they form part of my network of academic connections. Some have gone on to publish interesting stuff.

On another level are non-academics who contact me about my work. Some of these are somewhat daft. However, a handful have been by relatives of people who are mentioned in my research, mainly to thank me for illuminating an aspect of their relatives' histories that they didn't know about.  I am always grateful when my research seems to make a difference in the life of ordinary people. Some have lead to photos or materials that have helped my research.

[mamselle]

I wrote to Sue Grafton once.

She sent a postcard back that indicated she'd really read and thought about my letter.

I was satisfied.

(But most of the other folks whose work I've used, I either talk to at conferences, seminars, or colloquia...or else I send a very brief email if I have a very specific question.)

M.

[bento]

I've routinely written appreciative emails to people whose public-facing work has been admirable, and/or whose book reviews have been so well crafted as to be works of art and treasures of knowledge.  This kind of work is such great service to the profession, of the best kind, and I just like them to know it is appreciated.

[Katrina Gulliver]

I've routinely written appreciative emails to people whose public-facing work has been admirable, and/or whose book reviews have been so well crafted as to be works of art and treasures of knowledge.  This kind of work is such great service to the profession, of the best kind, and I just like them to know it is appreciated.

Me too! I'm not expecting to spark an exchange, just to say "thank you for your work".

[hmaria1609]

I've written to a few novelists over the years. Even if it's a one time exchange, it's a pleasure.

[Myword]

It bothers me when they don't write back. Well known  authors I can understand. Too busy? I doubt it. Well, I doubt I will be writing more notes. It takes time to look them up, write and wait.

I used to joke with my students about this, when they were writing about a present author or famous person. They laughed.

[fishbrains]

About 15 or so years ago when our English department moved to online readings instead of a paper textbook (and I didn't know how to dodge time-suck committee work), I had to contact authors/publishers for permission for us to post their work(s) on our CMS. Authors were generally receptive to this, and I had a few email exchanges with some marginally famous folks. Family members mooching off a dead author's works--not so much. Some publishers were okay with the postings as long as we gave them credit, and other publishers wanted to be paid by the view and such and didn't seem quite hip to the fact that most of the works were becoming available (even if somewhat illegally) on the internet.

It was actually an interesting experience overall, especially trying to figure out if copyrighted works we found on the internet were okay for us to link to given various circumstances (location of web site, type of web site, translation, etc.), if we could post works in a password protected CMS course without permission, etc.

[mamselle]

I used to work as an EA for folks whose course packets had 30 articles, all needing permissions.

Some of my co-workers had 2 or 3 profs to do this for.

We got them the semester before, (usually). (Thankfully)

Lots of phone calls and emails ensued.

M.