Until I started writing, I had no idea how important reader support was, nor did I know the many simple ways readers can help. Last year, In honor of Valentine’s Day, I did a “Show your Favorite Author some Love” event, in which I posted a unique idea for readers every day for 58 days. Below are ten of my favorites. Most of them are quick, free, and almost painless!
1. Write a short (1 – 2 sentences are great!)
honest review of your favorite author’s book(s) and post it on Amazon. Love Amazon or hate them, they are a
key player in book sales, and reviews help your favorite authors rank higher in
the Amazon search engines. Some promotional opportunities are only
available to authors if they have a certain number of Amazon reviews.
Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and personal blogs are also fantastic. Most authors I know think Amazon reviews provide
the most access to new readers, though. Best yet--you don’t have to purchase the
book on Amazon to review it there.
2. Buy their books! This may seem obvious, and I know not
everyone can buy all of the books that they read. However, if you really
like an author, purchase their books rather than borrow them. Publishers
drop series that don’t sell, so the best way to help ensure you’ll see your
favorite author’s next book is to buy it. If you’re on a limited
budget, save up for the books you really like. Your purchase helps ensure
that there will be a next book in the series!
And remember, books make great gifts!
3. Attend their events, virtual or in person. There is nothing worse than hosting an
event that no one except your mother attends. And sometimes even your
mother is busy! Make your favorite author’s day by coming to their
signings, asking questions, and sharing your enthusiasm. While you’re at
it, bring a friend! I promise, we don’t bite, and many of us give out bribes.
(Oops, I mean prizes!)
4. Talk up their books at your local bookstore. Depending on which source you believe,
there are between 1600 and 2700 new books published every day in the US
alone. Your neighborhood bookstore can’t carry all of them or even keep up
with new titles. So nudge them in your favorite author’s direction.
The next time you’re at a book store, talk up your favorite author with one of
the employees. Point out the cover. Tell them what you love.
You might just provide the information that helps that employee connect a
future customer with that author’s work!
5. Sign up for their newsletter! Facebook is a lovely community-builder,
but it only shows a very small fraction of the posts written on author pages
(considerably less than 5%) and Tweets fly by faster than geese flying south
for the winter. So how can an author best communicate with her most loyal
fans? Via a newsletter! If you go to your favorite author’s web
page, they may have a link to their newsletter. Join and be sure you
don’t miss out on any of the fun! My newsletter is at http://tracyweberauthor.com/newsletter.html
6. Ask your local library to carry their books. Library systems vary greatly in budgets and
ability to act on patron requests, but you never know until you try! Sometimes
all it takes is a single request for a book to get placed in the ordering
system. And even if your library can’t carry THIS book, you’ll have put
your favorite author on their radar screen for the next time they order.
Just think, you may be introducing your favorite author to dozens of
readers by requesting a single book!
7. Join their street team! Street teams are made up of readers who
enjoy an author’s work. They help spread the word in lots of ways,
including social media. Even better, they are often first in line for
cool author swag! My street team is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DownwardDogMysteries/
8. Tell a librarian about their work! Librarians are in the business of
matching readers with work they will love, but they can’t read
everything. Tell them about your favorite author’s work and what you love
about it. Point out the cover if it’s already on the shelves. The more a
librarian knows about a book, the more likely they are to recommend it to
patrons that might enjoy it.
9. Share the love on social media! Authors rely heavily on social media to
spread the word about their work. Help them expand their reach!
When your favorite author has something to brag about, share it with your
Facebook friends. Tweet your heart out. Pin their book cover on Pinterest.
Heck, make a video of you doing a happy dance holding their book and put it on
Youtube. You may help your favorite author go viral!
10. Think outside of the bookstore. Does your favorite author have a hook
you can help them exploit? Love their knitting mysteries? Talk them up at
a yarn shop. Devour dog mysteries? Maybe your favorite dog trainer would
like it. Practice yoga? Why not talk it up in your next yoga class?
Many of the people who would love your favorite author’s work won’t look for it
in the mystery section of your local bookstore. If you’re really passionate
about sharing, ask your favorite author to mail you some bookmarks or post
cards to share with your friends!
And
a bonus, and probably by far the most important way you can show your favorite
author some love:
11. Tell them you love them! Most of the authors I know make
essentially no money on their writing. (Sad, but true!) Some of us
spend more than we make. So why do we write? For our readers! Drop
your favorite author a line and tell them you appreciate their work. Better
yet, include a selfie of you holding their book or a photo of it on the shelf
of your favorite bookstore or library. Facebook
message them, send an e-mail, post a tweet with their hashtag. Believe
me, you will make their day!
Tell me, reader lovelies. What would you add?
Tracy Weber
5 comments:
Great reminders Tracy! I especially like the suggestion to take advantage of shared interests! There are many people who may enjoy the protagonist's hobby, but not know how to find the book!
Thanks for reading, Micki!
Thanks, Tracy. This is insightful and helpful. We sure want to be supportive of writers. It seems publishing is fraught with politics and uncertainty. I recognize this is not new in the world of publishing, but am saddened by the difficulties writers face.
Thank you. I had no idea how hard the writing world was, on levels that have nothing to do with actually putting pen on paper (or finger to keyboard.) But honestly, hearing from readers makes it all worth it. And reader reviews, recommendations, e-mails, and kudos make all the difference in the world!
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