I always thought I supported writers by buying their books. Obviously purchasing books does support authors but a recent conversation with a fellow writer made me realize that I could do more. By more, I do not mean by buying more books. Not everyone has a book budget and I read books through a variety of ways other than buying an actual book: library, loans from friends and family and once by finding a book forgotten on a trail.
Maybe the pandemic has got me thinking about all the non-monetary ways we as writers can support other writers. It also made me realize how one person can support another in simple ways. It takes some time and thoughtfulness. As part of a writing community, we should put some time and effort into helping each other.
Here’s my list:
1. Write a review on Amazon, Audible or wherever you bought the book. If you borrowed a book, then post on Goodreads. Also check out LibraryThing (now free) as another option. This is an excellent way to support an author’s book by giving it a good (and fair) review. I am ashamed that I never post reviews of books but I use reviews all the time myself to chose books. My new resolution is to post one review per month of a book (I read more than a book a month so this should be totally doable). A positive review can boost a book’s reputation. I never really thought about how this supports authors. As writers, we have responsibility to help each other. Next time someone you know publishes a book, write a review for them!
2. Post on social media of reading the book. Even better, post a picture of you with the book (you can even use the library copy). This is a great way to spread the word of the book and support authors. It costs nothing and would probably take less than 5 minutes even with crappy rural Internet service (I timed it so I know).
3. Word of mouth. I probably read at least 50% of my books through personal recommendation. When a friend or my mom tells me of a good book, I add it to my reading list immediately. Every writer should have a reading list. I keep one for books recommended (and I add in who recommended it) or I hear about on the radio or through social media (see No. 2 above). You can “elevate” the word of mouth recommendation by being proactive too. When you read a book, and think —Karen would love this book— send Karen a quick text or email. I love it when a friend sends me a line to say: “I read this book and thought you would love it.” It’s a small thing and only takes 30 seconds. But think about the impact for an author if we did this all more often.
4. Write a thank you note / email to the author. Okay, you might think this is cheesy. But think about it this way: if you went to someone’s home and had a fabulous meal, enjoyed great company, you would probably say “thank-you” before leaving for the evening. If you go to see a play or a concert, you might clap (and maybe even stand up and clap) if you enjoyed it. Authors never get the clapping after someone finishes their book at 1 am in the morning (could you imagine that? Do it next time, just to see what it feels like then post it on social media for some fun). Do some metaphorical clapping. Send a quick message saying that you read their book and really enjoyed it. Don’t do it because you expect a response: we don’t say thank you and look for them to return it in someway. Do it as appreciation for the time and effort it took the author to write (and edit and polish) their book.
Imagine writing a book and only hundred people read it. But each of those hundred people wrote a two sentence email to you telling you how much they enjoyed their story. Think about that for a moment. A hundred people is almost nothing in the publishing world but imagine getting those hundred messages as a new author. It would lift you up into the clouds and beyond.
5. Write a blog about the writer and book if you have a website with a blog posting. You could interview the author or write a longer review of the book. This would take more time but a great way to support a new author.
As writers, I believe we have responsibility to support each other. Writing can be a solitary work but that doesn’t mean we can’t help to cheerlead each other on. Challenge yourself to support a new author and bring some joy to someone’s life. That would be a good Christmas present.
