It’s just easier to help out, though, when there’s something I’m paying i.e. it’s much easier to psychologically justify paying 50 dollars for a 1000 word short story from an author-in-need than 10 dollars for “nothing”; actual goods give you some palpable evidence of how much they need this. So ebooks or auctions, please, if you can possibly make it happen. If it’s an author-in-need, I do have trouble understanding why they can’t do a simple short story I buy directly from them perhaps on a ‘donate as much as you like and this is the gift that goes with it’ basis.

I remember wanting to get a Sharon Cullars book… and not finding it that easy to get a copy here in the UK (amazon helps!).

As to why the asking stirs so much emotion, my guess is that a lot of folks figure if one has ‘published author’ behind their name, they must be rich. Wouldn’t that be nice, were it true.

Man, if only….

On the flip side, I wonder if a reader went to one of their favorite authors, and asked for a financial donation, due to an unfortunate hardship, would the author be as charitable.

one author, I forgot her name, found out somehow that a reader of hers was homeless, or nearly there. I can’t remember the details, but the author ended up sponsoring an auction to help raise money for that reader.

This is the second year that a group of authors (and their agents) have donated both their advances and all royalties made off the sale of an anthology to a certain charity. last year it was a women’s shelter. This year it, I think, it is for a no-kill animal shelter.

I’ve seen authors doing fundraisers when disasters strike.

The year Katrina hit, JC Wilder up and left her home, driving hell bent for leather to get to people in Louisiana, taking food, water, clothing.

Not sure, but I think this was also related to katrina-Nora Roberts sponsored a matching ‘gift’ donation for Habitat for Humanity-for every dollars readers donated, she’d match it.

I can’t speak for every author out there, because I don’t know every author out there. But I can say that I’m very proud to know quite a few who give of their money and even more precious than money, they give of their time to help out when they can.

So yes,I can say with absolutely no hesitation that there would be authors willing to help out. Some have been asked, and have helped. All authors? No. But then again, not all people are always willing to help.

And in the long run, authors are just people, just like anybody else.

Some won’t help.

And some will. Some are willing to help, as much as they can and often as they can. Some of them already do.

edited

Within hours, to my shock and awe, the romance community responded. People I’ve never spoken to in many cases. People for whom I cannot find the right words to show my gratitude. Because of them, my sister was able to be buried. Her children have food. For that, I am willing to accept backlash from any who seek to offer it. They are welcome to it. Because without the help that was so graciously given, neither would have been possible.

Ms. Tenorio, you are phenomenal. And though I know (at least from personal experience) the words don’t offer much comfort, I am sincerely sorry for your unexpected loss.

About the rest of it, Karen (et al) are 15000% right about the begging. When the asker is looking down the tunnel to misery the likes of homeless and hungry, there isn’t ANYTHING they won’t do to at least TRY to stop those things from happening. People who say they wouldn’t either haven’t been there or would rather see their families suffer than set their pride aside.

As to why the asking stirs so much emotion, my guess is that a lot of folks figure if one has ‘published author’ behind their name, they must be rich. Wouldn’t that be nice, were it true.

They give when they have nothing left to give. Because to them, like everyone else in any job, they see themselves as people first, and go where their hearts lead them.

If you haven’t found evidence of that charity, either you’re not looking or you’re not looking with the right eyes.

Respectfully,
Dee

On the flip side, I wonder if a reader went to one of their favorite authors, and asked for a financial donation, due to an unfortunate hardship, would the author be as charitable.

Maybe that’s what gets to people–they take on the guilt of turning their back when no one asked them to feel bad.

Or maybe they’ve been scammed, and once that’s happened it makes it really really hard to be touched for cash or time again. That basic trust is really precious because when you give money to a con artist, you lose more than money or time–you lose the warmth and interaction of the experience which is valuable. (Yup, that one’s happened to me too)

I know that’s all WAY TMI but I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I feel that it’s important to give back, now, since I do have the means. Even if it’s not much, I feel that it’s important to me, as a human being, to help a sister out. As odd as this sounds, I feel like, if I give, especially from the heart, God will make sure that I don’t go without; I also feel strongly that we, as humans, have a responsibility to be good to and take care of one another.

Funny enough, one of my New Years resolutions this year was to give more of myself and my time.