--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a lot of respect for readers…" description: "\"I have a lot of respect for readers because I'm a reader. That's how I got into writing.\" — Toni Morrison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/toni-morrison-271_books_i-have-a-lot-of-respect-for-readers-beca_940954.jpg" --- # I have a lot of respect for readers because I'm a reader… ![“I have a lot of respect for readers because I'm a reader. That's how I got into writing.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/toni-morrison-271_books_i-have-a-lot-of-respect-for-readers-beca_940954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/toni-morrison-271_books_i-have-a-lot-of-respect-for-readers-beca_940954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/toni-morrison-271_books_i-have-a-lot-of-respect-for-readers-beca_940954.jpg) > “I have a lot of respect for readers because I'm a reader. That's how I got into writing.” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Readers gain respect for writers, and reading fuels the desire to write. **In simple terms:** Reading builds respect and inspires writing. Key Takeaway Read more to write better. Themes reading respect writing inspiration Mood thoughtful encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - writing workshops - personal study Key Concepts literature creative process Questions to Reflect On - What books have shaped your writing? - How does reading influence your voice? A Different Perspective Reading alone may not improve skill without practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“So you can't please all the people all the time. All you can do is what pleases you, and hope that it pleases other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/so-you-can-t-please-all-the-people-all-the-time-all-you-can-do-is/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I personally have a great deal of respect for readers. I have a great deal of respect for the human race. I think most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-personally-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-readers-i-have-a-great/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [While a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/while-a-book-has-got-to-be-worthwhile-from-the-point-of-view-of-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Like most lit nerds, I'm a voracious reader. I never got enough poetry under my belt growing up but I do read it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/like-most-lit-nerds-i-m-a-voracious-reader-i-never-got-enough-poetry/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“The English major is, first of all, a reader. She's got a book pup-tented in front of her nose many hours a day; her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edmundson/the-english-major-is-first-of-all-a-reader-she-s-got-a-book-pup/) [Mark Edmundson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edmundson/) > [“Allusion is lovely, and experience with other forms of writing brings the ability to use that device pervasively. This in turn sets high expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/allusion-is-lovely-and-experience-with-other-forms-of-writing-brings/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [One of the many things that surprised me about 'Wool' is how many of its fans don't consider themselves science fiction readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/one-of-the-many-things-that-surprised-me-about-wool-is-how-many-of/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Generally my favorite remarks always come from my readers. I've had people say my books made them laugh, or cry, or that it frightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/generally-my-favorite-remarks-always-come-from-my-readers-i-ve-had/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [We're all just facilitators. The real business is done by readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-re-all-just-facilitators-the-real-business-is-done-by-readers/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I like art that trusts its audience, that's written for readers who like to work hard. I like art that knows its readers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-mohr/i-like-art-that-trusts-its-audience-that-s-written-for-readers-who/) [Joshua Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-mohr/) > [Readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as they like reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donalyn-miller/readers-enjoy-talking-about-books-almost-as-much-as-they-like-reading/) [Donalyn Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donalyn-miller/) > [The comments I most appreciate come from ordinary readers who've happened on one of my books at some time of stress in their lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-saberhagen/the-comments-i-most-appreciate-come-from-ordinary-readers-who-ve/) [Fred Saberhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-saberhagen/) > [A lot of times it's the child that sees something and not the grownup. I love that because, when readers get older, they start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brett/a-lot-of-times-it-s-the-child-that-sees-something-and-not-the-grownup/) [Jan Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brett/) > [Grabbing readers by the imagination is a writer's job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/grabbing-readers-by-the-imagination-is-a-writer-s-job/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. 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It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a lot of respect for readers because I'm a reader. 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