Ben Mezrich Quotes

I'm proud of what I write and feel endorsed by my readers.

As an author, I don't really think too much about being a celebrity. It's not like being a movie star or a TV star. It's not as if people recognize me when I walk down the street. That hardly ever happens, and it's just as well. But it is great when people know my books, when I walk through an airport and see them in the bookstore, or when I see someone reading a book on a plane or on a train, and it's something I've written. That's a wonderful feeling.

I hate traveling and being away from my family. But I like meeting my readers, as what I write is actualized in them. Those encounters are exhilarating to me.

Every time I'm out and somebody tells me they love what I do, that's what I do it for. That's like my vice. That's like my high. When people understand that this is who I really am, and to be appreciated for your craft .

I would love to be in public one day and see someone reading my book. I think that would be so ridiculously cool.

I will say that walking down the street, getting on the subway, taking the elevator, if there's one or two people and they say, 'Great job, Mayor,' that is a real turn-on. I mean, anybody that wouldn't find that satisfying, rewarding, exciting, thrilling - I think they should see the doctor.

If you meet someone on the street that likes something that you did or likes the way you brought this character to life, that's really rewarding. That's really cool.

With my first book, 'A Letter to a Young Brother,' I figured it would be my only book I was ever going to write. What happened with that is a lot of young men would reach out to me.

There are some people who have been reading me for years, and they keep saying kind things about the writing. That's what you're writing for, to get people to respond to it.

I didn't feel the need for anonymous affection, for people in the dark applauding. To me, it would be like writing a novel and then getting up every night and reading your novel.

Usually, as a fiction writer, you get e-mails saying, 'I liked your book,' or 'I didn't like it.' You don't get something saying, 'I'm really glad this is in the world.'

I think the greatest reward you get as a writer is finding that people who are reasonably receptive and intelligent have liked your book.

Generally speaking, I, like anyone else who does anything publicly, like it when people like what I do, and would like to hear as much.

Going to so many book events keeps me connected with my readership while constantly reminding me that all the long hours at the drawing desk are worthwhile.

I've written the best work I know how. And I'm appreciative of the people who read it and care about the work - and that's pretty much the end of that.

When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.

People do stop me and talk to me about something they saw that they loved. It is very satisfying, but I have my own opinions.

When somebody's face-to-face with you saying, 'I may not have been here had I not read your book,' how do you respond to that? The first several times I traveled, it was almost too much. I was totally grateful, but emotionally, it was really hard.

There's nothing more satisfying than having an idea and seeing it through to find out that, not only did you like it, but the audience and critics all seemed to agree.

I used to be so excited when I saw my name in print.

We got instant gratification when we would slip in one of our own songs and people would cheer. We started getting a lot of gratification from writing.

As enjoyable as it is when you're just writing and getting feedback from family members, it's 10 times more enjoyable, or 100 times more enjoyable, when you actually start getting paid for it, and people start reading your books, and once in a while you get a good review.

It's a blessing to have fans acknowledging your craft, period.

So, to see the response to the Kickstarter, and to see people actually really want to see, hear what I'm doing, hear what comes out of my own mind, is really an incredible experience.

I think people who share my dreams can enjoy reading my novels. And that's a wonderful thing. I said that myths are like a reservoir of stories, and if I can act as a similar kind of "reservoir," albeit a modest one, that would make me very happy.