Thursday, August 29, 2024

Meet My Guest Kimberly Monaghan, Creator of Books Uplift--A Place to Share, Learn, Promote and Celebrate How Books Uplift Us Each and Every Day

I honestly can’t remember how I came across Books Uplift—it could have been on one of the numerous Facebook author groups I belong to, or an author friend may have recommended it...but one visit and I was hooked. Kimberly devotes endless hours to the constant updating of Books Uplift, keeping it up to the minute with posts for authors and readers—all of us lovers of books. Read Kimberly’s story of how she created Books Uplift, and please use the link below to join in and let Books Uplift brighten your day!

Kimberly’s Story: The What” and the Why” of Books Uplift



What is Books Uplift? To be succinct and a little sassy, it
s exactly whats written on the website: A place to share, learn, promote, and celebrate how books uplift us each and every day.” Perhaps a bit trite but, trust me, its a serious endeavor. A passion project dedicated to encouraging positive promotion and celebration of everything related to books. And much, much more. 

Ive been asked on numerous occasions why I started Books Uplift. After all Im not profiting from this venture, and it requires plenty of time. In fact, I invest numerous hours each week writing blogs, reading, and reviewing books, interviewing guests for spotlights, and creating positive, upbeat, and hopefully educational articles. Not to mention the research, planning, organization, soliciting guest and expert insights to keep Books Uplift fresh. Im thrilled each time Im asked why?” because Books Uplift has grabbed someones attention. Thankfully, this is a frequent occurrence. 

To drill down a little further, here are a few reasons I decided to make Books Uplift a positive, not-for-profit community.

Learning. For me, writing things down and slowing my thought process improves learning and retention. I cant tell you how many notebooks Ive filled over the years, rewriting portions of texts, books, and other content-laden documents so I could absorb information. I never knew why Id developed this habit until later in life I was diagnosed with dyslexia. It also helped my retention process to review books which I did for NSLS and School Library Journal for over ten years. Doing so was a great joy and that formulated a fun habit that Ive continued to this day. Then one of my friends, a published author, recommended I take all these notes, reviews, and articles and share them with the world. Start a book blog,” she suggested and so I did. That s how Books Uplift was born. 

Positivity. The majority of what you find online is negative. Its a seemingly safe place to disparage others and unfortunately provides a false sense of courage or power. Tired of seeing all the negative commentary, I wanted to build a community of positivity around something we all love—books! Books unite the masses and are the foundation for creative dialogue. And the people behind them—authors, publishers, publicists, editors, bookstores, artists—well, wow! They put their life into these little gems. No easy feat. Trust me. So, when a book is published it deserves praise, not punishment. Though not every book is for everyone and yes, fair and honest reviews are critical for the marketplace, growth, and development, everything that goes into a books creation deserves applause. No negative reviews here. Like my momma always said, If you cant find something nice to say, dont say anything at all.” 

Charity. Several years ago, I experimented with ads and site affiliations. It didnt feel right. Im always annoyed by the pop-up ads on sites, pulling me away from content and making it difficult for me to concentrate on what I m reading. Now, let me be clear, I dont have a problem with this strategy per se, but it really detracted from the values behind Books Uplift. Then in 2020 I had to step away from volunteering in a physical capacity (as we all did). It especially bothered me that I couldnt volunteer at my favorite shelter Save-A-Pet (well, we no longer lived in Chicago, so theres that). Then a light bulb went off and I decided to make Books Uplift a charitable platform. I removed all income streams and encouraged affiliates and others wanting to support Books Uplift to donate to some of the amazing charities that are doing great things with books. The response has been amazing, and the charity partners are very grateful for the support. Of course, I had to add a column for Readers Rescues to spotlight the wonderful people whove adopted pets and gave them a forever home.

Connecting. Ive always been a natural connector. I love meeting new people, making introductions, building groups and communities—ask anyone that knows me So, the Books Uplift Community is a wonderful place for connecting with others who love books and believe in their positive impact on the world. Ive been exploring how I can make it more interactive and I certainly welcome suggestions. For now, I encourage comments on articles, blogs, and contributions, and of course joining the community Ive built on Facebook. 

Love. This is truly a labor of love. Books Uplift provides me an outlet to share things Ive discovered. Of course, its a wonderful way to share the work of all those in this community with the world. I dont ask for anything in return, but patience and support. With that being said, I hope more people will support the community by getting involved, giving to the charities spotlighted, visiting the bookstores, or offering positive comments on the blogs, articles, interviews, and reviews. Of course, I love receiving the positive and supportive feedback in my email—Thank you. But we would all truly appreciate your adding your positive commentary when moved to do so, and please, please, please share on social media all the posts, articles, charities, spotlights, or interviews that have captured your interest, moved you to action, and touched your heart.

Visit Books Uplift

Visit Kimberly's Creative Portfolio

 


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