9 Ways to Help an Author

The holiday season has begun. Today is Small Business Saturday and CyberMonday is fast approaching. If you like a book or an author, here are some quick ways you can spread the news and help your friendly neighborhood writer.

1. Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or other book sites. It doesn't have to be a long, detailed literary analysis. It can be a couple of sentences. Book retailers use the number of reviews for ad placement, author ranking, and marketing.

2. Tell your friends about the book and the author. Word of mouth is the best endorsement.

3. Share the link to the book or a book review on your social media sites.

4. Request that your local library purchase the book.

5. If you're in a book club, nominate it as a future read. Many authors will visit or Skype with book groups.

6. If you blog, post about your favorite books and authors.

7. Buy the book for yourself or for a friend. Books make great gifts. My author friend supports other authors by buying the book and then doing a give-away on her site.

8. Go to author and book events.

9. Share author events, book launches, and contests on your social media sites. A post's reach expands exponentially with each share.

Authors are small business owners, and they always appreciate recommendations, referrals, and social media shout outs. Happy reading!