Despite Amazon's confusing policies on reviewing the books of people you know, leaving reviews for books you read really help authors. Don't just leave them on Amazon. Drop some lines on Goodreads, Smashwords, B&N or wherever you buy your books. It helps.
Retweet and share FB posts of writer friends who are making promotional announcements. Help them get the word out to a greater audience. It's a little thing that takes two seconds.
Another thing that is a bit bigger is to buy books directly from a publisher's website. Even some of the BIG boys are selling from their own site. When a publisher sells from their own site, they're not
If you're going to an event, offer to hand out bling for other writers. I have a table at the massive York Book Expo in October. Like their new Facebook page here. If you have bookmarkers, pens, stickers, or any other promotional material you'd like me to hand out to attendees, you can send them to me. I can't sell your books, but I'll had out your stuff that has links to you and your books. Drop me a line and we'll figure it out.
Support your local indie bookstores when you can. The only one near us sells only used books except during signing events. But I still visit when I can and have found some really great 'old' books that dress up my shelves. Even if you just go in and buy an expensive and high calorie drink at their cafe, that helps them stay open.
Do you have any ideas on little things to do to help fellow writers? I know the blogging community I belong to is great about sharing blog space but are there other things we can do? Any ideas? Does your publisher sell directly from their site? Have any bling you'd like to share?
31 comments:
I try to share the news when books are released and I almost always buy those books.
Would you really hand out stuff at the Expo for us?
I have a friend who bought several of my books to give as Christmas gifts. I was very touched, and I got at least one new fan from the gesture.
It's not a lot of exposure but it's a start.
How nice of you to offer to hand out other writers' bling/promotional materials! Good karma coming your way. :)
These are all great and positive things to do for authors, Sue. I try to do as many of them as I can. So nice of you to offer to hand out bling at the Book Expo. You rock! And I love the new cover of Keepers!
That was good advice to buy directly from the publisher if you can. I tend to automatically think Amazon when looking for something. We do have several bookstores here in town that are independents; I'll have to make it a point to visit one soon.
betty
Great post, I always read the book reviews as the authors work so hard to get a book together, Most interesting to read.
Yvonne.
Great tips! I always try to write reviews for books by my blogger buddies and post them on Amazon and Goodreads.
These are all great ideas. I'm always happy to help out fellow authors on my blog. I retweet a lot too. It's a tough job promoting one's work, and I love it that we have a community who are willing to help one another like this.
Promotion sure is a pain in the arse, but yeah, helping out where we can is great.
Amazon's 'Know this Author' policy is infuriating. What has that got to do with anything? Why does it matter if we know the author? There was a scenario pointed out to me by a friend of mine who works in publishing. Say person X, doesn't 'know the author', but writes a VERY FAVORABLE REVIEW to get noticed by the publishing company for enrolling in their 'first reads' or 'reviewer program'. Would that be considered an unbiased review then? There are several such scenarios, and so simply knowing the author, however closely or distantly, shouldn't matter.
Thank you so much for these tips, Susan. I always want to support the little guys, and I'm never sure how best to do it. I'll share this post for a good start on it!
It's just ridiculous that they've pulled reviews because people follow the writer on Twitter. It's hard to know what you can do these days! I think ordering right from the publisher is a great idea.
Wonderful and helpful tips, Susan. For myself, I don't read much grown-up fiction these days-but I will do giveaways on my blog. Helping each other out, is one of my favorite parts about blogging.
Cheers and boogie boogie.
You're the best at sharing news. And you bet I'll hand out 'stuff.'
I meant to include give your friends' books as gifts.
I can use some karma.
Thanks, Ava. One can never have enough freebies to give away.
We all tend to think of Amazon. It's like having to think outside the box to image something else.
Me too, Sarah. It doesn't take long.
You are very generous on your blog.
Promotion is the worst part of writing.
I know Shantala. I follow many of my favorite authors on Twitter but I don't really know them.
Thanks, Liz. You're super. Maybe your tattoo should be like 'Wonder Woman' or Supergirl.'
I know. Just because I follow someone on Twitter doesn't mean I owe them something or would lie on a review.
You are so supportive in so many ways.
Really insightful and wonderful post, and this policy is really a strange on by Amazon indeed. Greetings!
Great tips! I often try to RT when I can, even though I'm pretty unpopular on Twitter, LOL. I'll have to remember that thing about buying directly from the publishers. I was aware that it was better to buy directly from printers, like Lulu, for self-published authors, but for some reason I never realized that must be true for traditional publishers, too...
These are great ideas. I really need to be better about reviewing books I like. I'm terrible at that sort of thing. That said, I haven't even read a book in the last six weeks (or made progress on finishing the one I started). It's been a busy summer.
Tweeted and thanks for writing this post, Susan.. and don't forget YOU are an amazing support system!
You are so generous with your time and one of my never-deserted-me blogger buddies from when I nearly quit, so thanks...
Whatever I can do in the future... you let me know :)
I know I'm going to be sending people to my publisher's site when my book comes out in November :)
Loaning books out to friends who might enjoy an author you recommend can hopefully garner them future sales.
Thanks. You are as well and that's very cool.
Happy Blogging.
Post a Comment