Often when I'm immersed in a book I'll think to myself:  "This author clearly has nothing but contempt for his/her readers..."

Why else would they permit sloppy syntax, obvious word choices and tuneless scribbling to be released under their name? Writers who aren't willing to work hard to make their books/stories/poems as literate, intelligent and original as possible are doing a disservice to the legacy of the printed word and they're treating readers with unbelievable scorn; both are unforgivable affronts, equally despicable.

My readers mean the world to me.  I labor through long and difficult hours to create prose that cries and sings like a blues guitar, tales that aren't (at least) already twice told. I never want them to feel that reading anything of mine, no matter how abbreviated, was a waste of their time. 

Recently, my wife finished one of Jim Harrison's novels and said (with an appreciative sigh), reading him makes me feel smarter.

How I would love to hear one of my readers say the same thing about my work.

Something to aspire to...