Claudio Lassala's Blog

Books can change lives—but one book, in particular, changed mine by showing me what I was capable of. And not just as a reader.

This activity from the Read to Lead Challenge inspired me to reflect on that: Reach out to an author you admire.

(If you prefer listening to reading, and with added images…)

That simple prompt made me think back—first to the books that shaped me, then to the moments when I decided to tell those authors what their work meant to me. Some responses were cold. Others were unexpectedly warm. But each time, the act of reaching out deepened my relationship with the written word.

My first time reaching out to an author came in my mid-20s. But the foundation for that moment was laid a decade earlier, when I took on the challenge of reading a full-length novel in English. At the time, I’d only managed a short, 100-page book as a test to see if I could follow a story in a language I was still learning. That small win gave me the courage to pick up something far more ambitious: a 1,043-page epic.

I made a plan: read a little every day for a full year. I did the math, figured out the daily page count, and stuck to it. Most of that reading happened on my commute, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers on a crowded bus. I didn’t understand every word, but I could follow the plot. The characters, the pacing, the emotional depth—it all gripped me. I ended up finishing the book in just three and a half months.

That experience changed me. It taught me that I could push past my current skill level. It gave me a rhythm: finish one book, start the next. 

Years later, that same novel inspired a long, multi-part song I was writing. Each section drew from the book’s themes—not the characters or plot, but the tone and ideas. I was so excited, I reached out to the author to share it.

His reply? Something like: 

“I’m also a musician, and if any band is ever to write music inspired by my work, it will be mine.”

That was a little disheartening. But it was also a start.

Years later, during the Read to Lead challenge, that prompt to reach out to an author came up. This time, I paused to ask: Which book has changed me? Given me food for thought? Made me act differently?

I picked one. It was a book with lessons I had successfully applied for the last year or so, and had been teaching and encouraging others to read it and try it too. When I looked up the author, I was surprised—it was the same author of another book I had loved 15 or 16 years earlier. I hadn’t made the connection back then, but now it made sense why I liked her writing so much.

I searched for a way to contact her. She wasn’t on social media. After some digging, I found a website—completely unrelated to the book—and a quiet little “Contact Me” link. I clicked. I wrote. I thanked her.

Her reply came less than 24 hours later:

“Wow, so wonderful to get your message. You just made my whole week 😊. Thank you for taking the time to tell me this. It matters.”

That alone was enough to encourage me to keep doing this.

Another time, I reached out to a favorite non-fiction author—someone whose books I devour as soon as they’re released. He’s known for staying in touch with readers, and sure enough, he responded thoughtfully.

Then there was an article I read years ago. A woman had written about a terrifying experience: under anesthesia for a medical procedure, she regained consciousness but couldn’t move or signal anyone. She was awake through it all.

That story haunted me. I wrote a song inspired by it, then reached out to her with a link.

“Thank you for your message. I think it’s awesome that you wrote a song inspired by my story. It’s crazy to think how many people have been impacted by what happened to me. Thank you for sharing your music with us.”

As I write this post, I’ve just finished reading a book that instantly became a favorite for this year. It made me think, reflect, and change a few things in how I do my work. I’m getting ready to write to the author.

And it’s not lost on me that I’ve been blogging for over 20 years. I’ve had people reach out to me to say how something I wrote helped shift their thinking or changed the way they work. It’s humbling.

So yes: Reach out.
Even if you think they already get hundreds of messages.
Even if you think it won’t matter.

It does.

Just be specific. Be sincere. Tell them how their words helped shape yours.