How Readers Can Support Their Favourite Authors

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Before we start into this week’s blog post, for friends and readers in the Southern Ontario area, you are cordially invited to the launch party for A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH. Please join me at A Different Drummer Books (513 Locust Street in Burlington) on Friday May 9th at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

And to celebrate the launch of A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH, the preceding novella, NO ONE SEES ME ‘TIL I FALL, will be available for FREE on Amazon starting tomorrow. So if you missed it and want to catch up, don’t wait—this offer ends on May 11th!

It’s a question we’ve heard a lot lately from friends and readers—how can I help with your new book? As authors, we’re very grateful for help when we’re promoting a new release. Many of us are already neck deep in our next manuscript (or the next one after that, if you’re us) and time is a precious commodity. Many hands make for light work, so we’re very appreciative for any and all assistance. Especially right now when A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH is newly available everywhere!

How can readers support the authors they love (and not only at release time)?

  • Buy their books: On behalf of authors everywhere, thank you for buying our books! If you pre-order an author’s book, that confirms with bookstores that they should stock it. And once you’ve found an author you like, buying from their back catalogue is another great way to support them.
  • Donate a book to your local library: Maybe it’s an author you love, but their latest release isn’t a genre you enjoy. Donate your copy of their book to a library where other readers will enjoy it.
  • Request your local library to purchase the book to add to their catalogue: If you’ve already blown your book budget for the month, request new books from your library. Especially for authors who are just starting out, this is a great way to be discovered by new readers. Authors love libraries and this is a great, free way to lend your support. The more requests a library gets, the more copies they might buy.
  • Give their books as gifts: This not only supports authors, but also booksellers as well.
  • Review the book: Word of mouth is one of the strongest ways to promote a book these days, so write a review for Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Chapters/Indigo.
  • Join the author’s street team: I had a kick ass street team for A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH. This team of fantastic readers got access to the book four or five months early and have been instrumental in talking up our books early and through the opening weeks.
  • Use social media: If you’re looking forward to a book, or you’ve just read a book you love, tweet or Facebook or blog about that book. Social media sites are a great way to promote both the author and their books.
  • Let the author know you enjoyed the book: Either with a tweet, a FB message or an email, a quick word from a happy reader can give an author the kick they need to pound out another 1,000 words on their latest manuscript, or even just put a spring in their step for the day.

 On behalf of Ann and myself (and, really, authors everywhere), a huge thank you to all our readers for all they do for us. We really, really couldn’t do it without you!

Photo Credit: Kate Ter Haar