Top Ten Gifts

Hi friends!

Happy Wednesday. I am so happy to be back with you today. With the aftermath of the flood still consuming a lot of time and energy, I completely forgot about today’s post as of yesterday morning. Yikes! Then a sweet friend gave me the best idea. She said to make a list of things readers can give authors they are thankful for. I loved it! And, since she named several gifts that cost money and others that didn’t, I thought it would be fun to come up with ten ways you can support authors you love for free. Yes, free! I hope you’ll enjoy the list, and if you’re a reader or a writer (as we are readers, too), I would love it if you would pick one thing off this list and do it for an author you appreciate. Any or all of these would be greatly appreciated. The next post in two weeks will be about free gifts from writers to readers they appreciate, so stay tuned.

1. Sign up for their newsletter:

Signing up for their newsletter ensures you get the latest news about their releases and ways you can help spread the word. It lets you get to know the author and find ways to support them, such as those listed here. In my newsletter, for example, you’ll find book recommendations for other awesome authors, giveaways, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and occasionally yummy recipes. Authors have wonderful, entertaining newsletters, and publishers like to see newsletter numbers high, so by signing up, you’re directly helping the author.

• Follow them on Bookbub:

Bookbub gets a lot of traffic from readers looking for their next read or a new-to-them author. Following them on Bookbub raises their number, allowing them to participate in more ways to get the news about the book’s release or sale.

• Join their launch team: 

There are almost always more readers than slots on the launch team, but offering to be on it is huge. It’s giving a commitment that’ll help the author spread the word about their release. It’s sharing social media posts and so much more. Even if you don’t make the official launch team because of limited spots (we wish we could have you all on every launch team), you can still share the posts when the author shares them on their account. You can always reach out to the author via email or their website contact page and ask how you can help.

• Follow their social media accounts:

This is easy if you’re on social media too. If not, pick something else off this list, and I envy you. LOL! If you are on social media, follow the author’s Facebook Page, Facebook Group if they have one, and Instagram. And any others they are on. It boosts their numbers, but, more importantly, it gives them a chance to interact with you!

• Send them an email:

Yes, we read them. All of them. And, you know what…We cherish them. Truly. Receiving an email from a reader or a handwritten letter makes my day. There’s nothing like hearing from someone who liked my book, had it make a difference in their life, brought them enjoyment, or even raised a question. Taking the time to reach out is such a blessing. I know every author would agree, so shoot your favorite author a short email to let them know which of their books you enjoyed or how much you enjoy their stories. It will brighten their day.

• Pray:

There’s nothing more an author needs than prayer—prayers for God to speak the story He has for them on their hearts. To encourage them during the hard times and to keep them humble and reliant on God during the good. Pray over the book they are working on, that it might touch lives for our Savior. Pray over their lives so they have good health, a strong family, and a deep walk with the Lord. Writing is hard. It pushes you past your limits so God can come in and carry you through. It means early mornings and late nights during deadlines; it means faithfully showing up to work each day, even when it’s wrestling every single word out. It’s marketing, traveling, newsletters, blog posts, interviews, and this list goes on. All things we love and are happy to do, but a lot goes into being an author in addition to writing. Praying for inspiration there, life balance, and joy in the journey. All prayers are such a blessing to us.  

And the final four are going to be short and sweet but just as helpful.

• Write a review:

These are more helpful than you know. They increase the chance the book will be seen on bookseller sites such as Amazon and let unsure readers know how much you enjoyed the book. I often read reviews before picking up a new book.

• Request the book from the library:

This helps get it into the library system.

• Tell a friend, church member, or neighbor:

Bookstore sellers say books are sold by word of mouth, so we should share about them whenever the opportunity for genuine sharing pops up.

•  Add their book to a list on Goodreads:

Goodreads is the powerhouse for readers. So many readers hang out there and look at lists and reviews to determine their next read. Adding a book you’re excited about to a Most Anticipated Reads list is a gift to an author.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about all the ways you can help the authors you love. We deeply appreciate it—and YOU!

Blessings,

Dani