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
I’ve been asked on numerous occasions why I
started Books Uplift. After all I’m 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. I’m
thrilled each time I’m asked “why?” because Books
Uplift has grabbed someone’s 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 can’t tell you how many
notebooks I’ve filled over the
years, rewriting portions of texts, books, and other content-laden documents so
I could absorb information. I never knew why I’d
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 I’ve 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. It’s
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 book’s creation deserves applause. No negative
reviews here. Like my momma always said, “If you can’t find something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Charity.
Several years ago, I experimented with ads and site affiliations. It didn’t feel right. I’m
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 don’t 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 couldn’t volunteer at my favorite shelter Save-A-Pet
(well, we no longer lived in Chicago, so there’s
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 who’ve adopted pets and gave them a forever home.
Connecting.
I’ve 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. I’ve
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 I’ve
built on Facebook.
Love. This is truly a labor of love. Books Uplift provides me an
outlet to share things I’ve discovered. Of
course, it’s a wonderful way to
share the work of all those in this community with the world. I don’t 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 Kimberly's Creative Portfolio
