Valentine's Day may be over but there are plenty of ways to share the love with your favorite authors. Writers receive negative comments and reviews more than you may expect, a little bit of affection from readers can go a long way toward counteracting the sometimes overwhelming unfriendliness on the internet. Here are few fun and free things you can do!
Did you just read a book that made you smile, laugh, cry or simply take you out of your day-to-day worries and entertain you for a few hours? If so, consider a few things you could do to let that author know and to let other readers know!
Have you ever emailed the author to tell them you liked the book? Trust me, even if all you did was write one simple sentence, you'd thrill any writer. No need to explain more or feel like you have to say something special or earth-shaking. A simple, "Thanks, I really enjoyed that!" means a lot.
It's easy to find author's email addresses: Just Google them and find their website. Most authors have them, with a contact/email page linked from their home page. Try it!
Too shy to contact someone directly? There are still many ways to show your love.
Write a review on Amazon or Goodreads and say a few sentences there about why you loved the story. Even if your author doesn't see it, others might and that could help increase sales.
Comment on someone else's review on Amazon or Goodreads. Agree or disagree with what the original reviewer said. Or just "like" a review. It helps get the original review noticed, and again can help your author's sales.
Tag a book on Amazon or create a Listmania list with your favorite books on it. People who love to read the same things you do will find your list and very likely buy some of the books you recommend!
[Note: Even if you don't like to shop at Amazon for whatever reason, comments or reviews there can help out, since plenty of other readers do shop there.]
Want to help your favorite authors earn more? Money's always a touchy issue but chances are your favorite m/m authors or those with smaller publishers don't make much at all on royalties. The way you can help is by purchasing books directly from the publisher, rather than a distributor like Fictionwise, ARe or Amazon. Distributors take a huge cut of the cover price, meaning your authors make double the royalties if you buy from their publisher's website. Books are usually the same price or even cheaper at the publisher's site.
Not sure how to find the publisher site? Check the links on the author's website, Google the book title, or just ask on Facebook or Twitter. One of your friends would be happy help you figure it out.
Of course, don't forget you can always sign up for the Gay Romance Readers Retreat in New Orleans in October. I'll be there along with lots more well known folks!
Got a suggestion for something else to do? Leave a comment.
What do Thai mobsters, a map, and an ancient Ruby Buddha have in common? They're all major headaches for Trent Copeland!Trent knows men like the handsome, hunky ones in the gay romances he writes don't really exist, but that doesn't stop him from wishing. When he travels to
Reed's mission is simple: get the treasure map by tomorrow or risk seriously pissing off the local thugs. Only problem is, it's wound up in the backpack of a hapless romance writer by mistake! A sexy, oh-so-irresistible romance writer.
One misadventure after another, and soon ruthless Thai mobsters are on their trail. Is Reed watching out for
They'll have to work together if they want to stay alive.
From the neon-lit streets of
4 comments:
Em,
You had some great ideas in your blog. Like you said, even one sentence expressing how a reader feels about your work works wonders for the author.
Your suggestion of purchasing directly from a publisher was a wonderful idea. This way an author doesn't have to split with the different sites their publisher places their work on to sell.
Mary Suzanne
Thanks, Mary. Please feel free to pass these ideas along...
I think many readers don't even realize they can purchase directly from a publisher site, so reminding them is a good thing. Hopefully some folks will pass the info on to others!
Awesome blog. I know I have a file called ego boosters just for those letters I get from readers.
When I'm feeling down and wonder why I'm even pretending to be a writer, I open that up and get that boost!
Great post, EM - I've only been on FaceBook a couple weeks, and I just got my first reader email today, from a reader who loved Santa's Boss! I'll put that in my ego-boosting folder, for sure!
Adriana
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