5 Ways to Support Authors
Hello Friends and Family,
I hope you are all doing well during these difficult times. During this pandemic, I have found myself reading and writing more. Both activities have brought me closer to my family and have refilled my cup when the outside world felt too overwhelming. Books – like when I was a little girl – have been my sanctuary and safe place. I would spend all of my free time in the library with friends and when I fell in LOVE with a book I needed to have, I would ask my Titi to get it for me, or I would give my choir money to add the book to my home library.
With that said, I cannot even begin to imagine being an author and having your book come out during a pandemic (especially a debut or your second book.) After working YEARS to get published, the excitement of meeting future readers and promoting your book baby is real, and suddenly all the events are canceled. It sucks!!! So here are 5 ways to support authors.
Buy their books! If an author’s books don’t sell, they might not get future book deals. AHHH!!! Writing is a creative pursuit, but it is also a business so if you are able, buy their books. And on this same note, support small businesses. I know, I know, Amazon is convenient and at times cheaper, but if there is a local bookstore near you, buy your book there, because supporting small businesses is important. While many indies were or are closed due to the pandemic, most are open to online orders. You can order online, they process your order, and it gets mailed to your home. Others allow for online orders with curbside pickup, so you can save on shipping if you are close by. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but we need to make sure these businesses stay open so we can make book-ish friends there when the world recovered from this pandemic. Real talk, Amazon doesn’t need your money.
Review their books! Reviews are an effective marketing tool. Before I buy anything I read the reviews. Books are not different. Even if you buy your book from an independent bookstore leave a review on Amazon because it will help to trigger the Amazon algorithm. The more reviews (good or bad) the author gets, consistently, the more this will positively impact their overall algorithm and the searchability of their book. I have been told to shoot for 50 reviews at the least.
Tell your friends about their book. Studies have shown that word of mouth is still the best way to get new customers. If you LOVE the book, tell everyone you know to buy it. Share it on social media. This is a great way to support a friend that does not cost you anything, but time.
Ask your local library to purchase a copy for their collection. I get it. Books can be pricey. If I could buy all the books I wanted I could build 3 houses out of books, instead of straw or sticks or bricks. I share this tip because it is a great way to support an author without breaking the bank. This is also something you can do pandemic or not. Contact your local library and request they carry the book; the more requests for that book the more likely they are to purchase it.
Add their book on GoodReads. I am new to GoodReads, but I like that the platform recommends books to you based on what you like. So far it has proven to be a great tool for promoting books. You should also review the books on GoodReads. I just use the same review on GoodReads and on Amazon. The goal is to improve the searchability and visibility of the book.
If you know of other ways to support an author that I did not mention, please comment with your suggestion below. Also, feel free to comment with questions or concerns. Thank you all for reading and I hope you support an author today, tomorrow, and always.
