> I dunno how common this is...but I recently wrote a note of appreciation to
> John Cramer regarding his books and columns.....and he REPLIED. (as did Damien
> by the way...to a similar note...)
>
> Maybe its very common...and I'm just a cynical curmudgeon.
>
> EvMick
I think it might just be fairly common. I got a similarly surprising personal response from Linda Nagata when I wrote her a note of appreciation for "Tech Heaven".
Must depend on how big the author is (how many books sold, volume of fan mail, etc.), as well as the author's personality. But it doesn't surprise me that some give personal responses. When you spend a few months or years pouring your soul into some words that are supposed to MOVE people somehow, it must be very nice to get some confirmation (beyond the number of copies sold) that the effort wasn't in vain.
--Derek