Books
7 Incredibly Easy Ways You Can Support Authors You Love Right Now
Authors work incredibly hard to create the books that we love, and for many, it can be a thankless job. So, of course, as readers we want to support the authors we love as often and as loudly as possible.
The unfortunate truth is that being an author can be both financially and emotionally draining. Unlike most careers, you can't just apply for a job to be a author, you don't receive a salary and benefits, and many don't have the opportunity to go an office every day to write. Most authors are not able to live off of their writing earnings alone.
Writing is also a lonely career. By nature of the work, authors spend a lot of time working by themselves, Plus, being a writer and sending work off into the world comes with a ton of rejection. Publishing is tricky business, and authors have to jump through a ton of hoops to get their work out there. Authors have to be their own advocates all the time, and they fight to have their voices heard.
But as a reader, you have a lot of power. There are tons of easy ways that you can support your favorite authors, and help them become even more successful. From financial backing to creating buzz around their books, here are some easy things that anyone can do to show authors some love.
1Pre-order their books
Pre-sale and first week sale numbers are huge for authors. It's how rankings like the New York Times Bestseller List are determined, and it is a major metric used when signing contracts for their next books. You're going to buy the book anyway — might as well do it early!
2Write a review
I don't know about you, but the first thing I do when I'm deciding to buy a book is to check out the reviews on Goodreads. You can support your favorite authors and create buzz by taking just few minutes to write a quick review on Goodreads or Amazon.
3Support them on Patreon
Patreon is an amazing, simple way to fund authors. You can choose the amount of money to pledge to an author each month, and you get tons of awesome exclusive content in exchange. For authors, that often includes exclusive blogs, short stories, videos, Q&A sessions, novel excerpts, and even advanced reader's copies. There is a whole writing section of Patreon dedicated to authors who use the platform, including N. K. Jemisin, Catherynne M. Valente, and Seanan McGuire.
4Follow their blogs and sign up for their newsletters
Most authors have a blog or newsletter. Not only is this a great way to find more content from authors you love, it's also the best way to find out from the authors themselves how you can support them. Plus, here's something else to think about: when an author is trying to get publisher interest for their next project, high blog numbers make them look even better, and might help them score a better contract.
5Like and follow them on social media
Just like with blog followers, social media followers can be currency for an author, and it's a great way to show them that you care. Plus, authors are usually a treat to follow!
6Post a picture of their book on Instagram
If you're reading a book you adore, share the love by posting a pic of it on Instagram. It's an easy, cute, and fun way to help spread the love, and I've personally learned of so many great books from my Insta feed.
7Attend their events.
And while you're there, buy a book! This is another win-win. Physically showing up for an author is a great way to show an author that you love them; it also helps drive up their book sales, look good for publishers, and incentivize other events venues to host them.
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