--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here's the thing: Authors live or die by…" description: "\"Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. [That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.] Giving books you love good re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/patrick-rothfuss-145_book_here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by_50609.jpg" --- # Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations… ![“Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. [That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.] Giving books you love good reviews is one of the nicest things you can do for an author. What's more it's good for the entire community.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/patrick-rothfuss-145_book_here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by_50609.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/patrick-rothfuss-145_book_here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by_50609.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/patrick-rothfuss-145_book_here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by_50609.jpg) > “Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you love good reviews is one of the nicest things you can do for an author. What's more it's good for the entire community.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Positive reviews boost authors' visibility and morale, while also enriching the reading community with trusted recommendations. **In simple terms:** Good reviews help authors and readers alike. Key Takeaway Community support through feedback. Themes literature social proof community reciprocity Mood encouraging appreciative Type advice community When to use this quote - Writing a Goodreads review - Choosing a book based on ratings - Supporting indie authors Key Concepts social influence collective curation Practical Applications - Write thoughtful reviews - Share recommendations with peers Questions to Reflect On - How do reviews shape your reading choices? - What responsibilities do reviewers have? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on reviews can create echo chambers and suppress diverse voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Live or die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-or-die/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [“The Marquesa would even have been astonished to learn that her letters were very good, for such authors live always in the noble weather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/the-marquesa-would-even-have-been-astonished-to-learn-that-her/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [You don't expect me to know what to say about a play when I don't know who the author is, do you? . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-don-t-expect-me-to-know-what-to-say-about-a-play-when-i-don-t/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [An author, whether good or bad, or between both, is an animal whom every body is privileged to attack: for though all are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-gregory-lewis/an-author-whether-good-or-bad-or-between-both-is-an-animal-whom-every/) [Matthew Gregory Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-gregory-lewis/) > [I've never yet read a review of one of my own books that I couldn't have written much better myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-ve-never-yet-read-a-review-of-one-of-my-own-books-that-i-couldn-t/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Literature should not be exclusive, it should be inclusive. My general view is that you can't, based on your own experience, project what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/literature-should-not-be-exclusive-it-should-be-inclusive-my-general/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I'd actually really love to review books and films and plays, but you can't be an artist and a critic. I would love it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romola-garai/i-d-actually-really-love-to-review-books-and-films-and-plays-but-you/) [Romola Garai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romola-garai/) > [The books I read I do enjoy, very much; otherwise I wouldn't read them. Most of them are for review, for the New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-books-i-read-i-do-enjoy-very-much-otherwise-i-wouldn-t-read-them/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I've read a lot of bad books. I used to review books for a living, and when you're a reviewer you read tons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-ve-read-a-lot-of-bad-books-i-used-to-review-books-for-a-living-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nowadays, I only review books I really like. It's cowardly, I know, but I figure it's not my job to make people unhappy. I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/nowadays-i-only-review-books-i-really-like-it-s-cowardly-i-know-but-i/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [The people who review my books, generally, are kind of youngish culture writers who aspire to write books, or write opinion pieces about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-people-who-review-my-books-generally-are-kind-of-youngish-culture-2/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I might also say, regarding reviews and reviewers, that I have yet to read a review of any of my own books which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-might-also-say-regarding-reviews-and-reviewers-that-i-have-yet-to/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Maryanne Burkhard and I have set up a B W Wrighthard profile on Goodreads. If any of you would like to friend us there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-w-wrighthard/maryanne-burkhard-and-i-have-set-up-a-b-w-wrighthard-profile-on/) B W Wrighthard > [I don't want to review books any more. It cuts in too much on my reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/i-don-t-want-to-review-books-any-more-it-cuts-in-too-much-on-my/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [The people who review my books, generally, are kind of youngish culture writers who aspire to write books. When someone writes a book review,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-people-who-review-my-books-generally-are-kind-of-youngish-culture/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I review books." "Do you get paid for them?" I laughed out loud at that. "No, not at all." Daemon seemed confused by that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-review-books-do-you-get-paid-for-them-i-laughed-out-loud-at-that-no/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. (paraphrased)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-point-isn-t-to-win-the-game-the-point-is-to-play-a-beautiful-game/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I am no poet. I do not love words for the sake of words. I love words for what they can accomplish. Similarly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-am-no-poet-i-do-not-love-words-for-the-sake-of-words-i-love-words/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“There is something deeply satisfying in shaping something with your hands. Proper artificing is like a song made solid. It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [She looked at me. "What? Is there something wrong with my idea?" "It's not very heroic," I said dismissively. "I was expecting something with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/she-looked-at-me-what-is-there-something-wrong-with-my-idea-it-s-not/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Explore all 895 Patrick Rothfuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. 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