Books make great gifts. Opening a book, we are transported and transformed. Authors are the wizards of our modern world. But most of what they do is behind the scenes – no dazzling displays for them.
Most spend years quietly researching and crafting their tales, writing and re-writing, all to bring an idea, character, or story to life. Most work in relative obscurity with little remuneration – perhaps dreaming of being the next Stephen King or Nora Roberts or of just receiving a small fraction of their advances or sales! But unlike these well-known authors, most writers do not get much if any royalties and have to do (and pay for) most of the marketing themselves. Few authors make enough to adequately cover the time spent writing and promoting their books. Most self-published authors do not even cover the costs of publishing their books.
Yet, we are enriched by their efforts. And when we find one that captures our imagination, challenges our thinking, or feeds our soul, we await their next book with great anticipation. With luck, they will publish another book and we will be able to turn that first page and discover what new journey they have created for us.
They do all of this for us. What can we do for them? While we can’t give them big advances or buy thousands of copies, we can boost their morale and help them get support for the books they’ve written and the ones yet to come. Think of it as a down payment on their next book – or as a thank you for the gift they’ve already given you.
Here are five simple things that you can do to support authors:
1) Buy their book!
Best yet, buy their book from a brick and mortar bookstore – you’ll be supporting the author and the bookstore! Bookstores are rare treasures these days and they need our help to stay in business. If you don’t see the book at the bookstore – ask them about it. The more they hear that people are looking for the book, the more likely they are to carry it.
If you don’t have a bookstore nearby, buy the book from the author’s website or directly from their publisher. While Amazon will get it to you faster and cheaper, the author’s portion of the sale and royalty is greatly reduced. For a few dollars more, you’ll be supporting the author – making it more possible for them to be able to invest the time on the next book.
2) Write a positive review on Amazon.com.
Even if you don’t buy the book via Amazon, a positive review there can help with sales and promotion. Just think of all the books and other items you bought because they had a good review.
3) Mark it as “want to read” on Goodreads and then post a review.
And post positive reviews on Barnes & Noble’s website or any other sites where you see the book mentioned.
4) Support/like/follow their blog, website, Facebook page and tweets.
Look up the author online – most will have a website or blog. Engage with the author’s blog and Facebook posts. Retweet their tweets. Post comments about their books. Keep it positive.
5) Be an active fan!
Go to their book readings and events. Call into their talk shows. Tell friends about their book. Suggest the book for your book club, schools, and local library.
I hope you give and receive many good books this holiday – and beyond. Please remember to thank and support the authors when you do. We all benefit when good writers flourish!
photo credit: Nathan O’Nions <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/50523792@N03/7030777627″>Bookworm</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>
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