Have you read and enjoyed a book lately that was written by an author who is still living? You should tell that author how much you enjoyed the book, because we all love to hear from readers who have not only read but have also appreciated our writing. Really! We do! After all, who doesn’t like flattery? (And this holds true for any creator, but I’m zeroing in on authors at the moment, because I am one.)
While we do love the flattery, you should also consider going one step further, and recommend what you’ve read to other readers – especially friends who may never have otherwise known about this book you’ve enjoyed. You can do this by “liking” and posting a review to Amazon, Indigo, Kobo, Goodreads or Independent Bookstore websites, or wherever the book is listed for sale. Also, by sending out an email to your contact list, and generally broadcasting the information at your place of work or in real-life social settings, you’ll get the word out even further.
If you belong to a book club, encourage your group to read and discuss the book – and to buy multiple copies of it, rather than just circulate one copy among all members (!!!). Consider asking the author to speak to your reading group. Many authors LOVE speaking to book clubs! Some even enjoy doing so via Skype…
Attend public readings by this author – especially if the author happens to live in your own community. Take friends with you, so they have a chance to meet the author, as well.
But you could do even more for this author and their book by sharing the information on social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or many other sites – whatever you use most often. Give that author a plug! Encourage your friends and followers to buy and read the eBook or print copy, or to borrow either from the library. (If your local library does not currently circulate copies, make a request that they consider buying the book for their collection – especially if the author is local.)
Then encourage those friends to do the same and to share the information about the book and author among their friends and followers, if they also have enjoyed the book.
Subscribe to the author’s blog or website. Read their updates and share that information with your friends. Encourage those friends to subscribe. Make comments on the author’s blog posts. Let them know you are out there reading and that you still appreciate their writing. Like and share interesting blogposts the author has written on social media, as per above.
If that author has written and published more than one book or eBook, buy (or borrow from the library) and read everything. Support their entire list of books!
Consider buying multiple copies of the book or eBook to give as gifts for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations. Receiving a book as a gift is always appreciated (at least, it’s appreciated by most of the people I know…), but giving a book that you yourself have read, enjoyed, and now endorse is the best gift of all! And, if you’ve already written to the author and told them how much you enjoyed their book, as per above suggestion, I’m sure that author will not mind signing and personalizing those gifts for you.
If you follow my suggestions, any author’s life will be made that much easier, because you will be helping them to promote their writing. Which in turn will keep them writing. And with the success of this book after building a larger readership, the author will continue to publish, and you will have more books written by your favourite author to read and enjoy and to share with your friends.
Truly, authors cannot ask for a better response from their readers! Please consider adopting an author and assisting in their care, feeding and promotion. We authors will all thank you very much!
Oh, and one more thing … please like, share, and comment upon this blog post! Let’s try to encourage all readers to do the same for the authors they love! Think of it as karma for books and writing.
And, if you don’t believe me, read what Dan Blank, media and promotion expert, has to say about this very same topic on his website, We Grow Media … How to REALLY Support the Work of Someone You Respect
Books: Publishing, Reading, Writing 
Also wanted to say as a Canadian living in Dublin getting my hands on CanLit takes perseverance. New releases are almost a year getting to us. Luckily I have friends who send my ‘ must reads’ Have a 5 book a week habit 🙂
A Canadian living in Dublin! The you may be interested in Irish author, Lisa McGonigle’s book Snowdrift about living – and skiing and snowboarding! – in Canada. Lisa is now completing her PhD in New Zealand.
I do it everyday. Pure joy for me to promote writers whose work I enjoy. Also love having books recommended to me. It is how I make my ever growing TBR list. I have never been disappointed. Keep writing. We need you all.
Thank you, Sheree!
Hi Susan: Just read your latest offering. Good stuff and so real. As a group, we support each other well. Too bad Canada can’t wake up and start buying more books. I just read, yesterday, about yet another publishing house struggling to stay afloat—one that has recently published award-winning Canadian fiction.
Thanks, Glenna! We do need to sell more books as an industry, that’s for sure, but there’s a lot more going on – worldwide – to do with publishing that improved sales alone won’t help. We need to get more people reading as part of their leisure time, and to realize the benefit of reading good books. Each of us readers (and authors) can help by getting the word out there as far as possible about the good books we enjoy. The more people reading these books that we write and publish, the better for everyone, I believe!
Reblogged this on darcie friesen hossack and commented:
What a wonderful world this could be!
Thanks! You of anyone understands the importance of what I write here! Let’s get the word out!
I just read an incredible book that hasn’t been published yet and the author is very–I mean –very sick— so I would love to see it published!!
IT is called” Bound by Destiny” by Kathleen Ross
Barb, please send me Kathleen’s contact info via private email.