This topic came up in the Forum recently, and I’m curious how The Readers At Large are thinking on the subject.
What do we think about thanking the Academy? Do you like acknowledgment sections? Feel they’re self-indulgent? Touching? Do you notice? Not notice?
If you’re reading in a feed reader or via e-mail, click through for the fancy dancy poll:
I like them. I tend to skim them more, if they're generically, "Thanks to Bob and Kathy and Mom and Dad," but if they're a little more personal I'll absolutely enjoy them start to finish. It's almost part of the story at that point.
I love reading acknowledgments, especially when they're at the beginning, because those tend to be the most personal. The ones at the end are often research acknowledgments, which are good too, but tend to get more laundry-list-y.
I love reading acknowledgments when they are specific. It gives me a feel for what all the author went through in the research and development of their book.
I almost always read the acknowledgments section to see if I recognize any of the names and to see who the author's agent and editor are. They are a great resource for writers!