Famous, bestselling authors such as J.K. Rowling, Anne Rice, Stephen King, John Grisham, Dan Brown, and others get a huge support from their fan bases. Of course, they should, they deserve it. They have written spectacular books. I love John Grisham and I also like Stephen King’s earlier work. If we give these people such support, then why shouldn’t we support an author friend, right?
Right?
The term “author” seems to have something glamorous attached to it, but unless you’re one of the authors I mentioned in my first paragraph, there is nothing glamorous about it. There are millions of authors out there who struggle, who have earned perhaps a $100 dollars or less in book sales in the last 5 to 10 years.
This is not due to being ” a bad author” but due to marketing. Nowadays, it is not enough to just write the book. Even editing and proofreading … still not enough. An author must engage in lots of marketing, free and paid, and the truth is that most authors simply do not have the budget to pay for marketing.
You could be the next Agatha Christie and still remain forgotten among the millions of authors that you can find online.
Let’s face it, most authors are not marketers. Some are amazing at promoting their books, but most need professional help that they can’t always pay for.
I always see the same advice for authors. “Get your friends and family to read your books and leave reviews”. That will help big time.
Oh yes, absolutely! If only they would do it.
In reality, most friends don’t. Before I continue, I just want to clarify that I said “most”, not all. I make this claim based on what many authors on Twitter tweet about (indie or traditionally published). They all – with some exceptions – complain about the same thing: little to no support from friends or family.
And if you’re here to genuinely find out how to help your friend who is an author, then I apologize. It’s wonderful to have you here and your author friend is lucky to have you 🙂
Tips to Help an Author Friend without Spending a Dime
- Like and share their Facebook posts about their books
- Same on Twitter, like and retweet (and on other social media)
- Leave reviews on Goodreads, B&N, Amazon (it can still be free with Kindle Unlimited), and other major book retailing sites.
- Recommend their books to friends and colleagues
- Talk to local book stores and libraries to feature their books
How to Help an Author Friend at a Small Cost
The cost is the book, of course, which is less than or the price of a cup of coffee. Some books are even priced at just 0.99 which is like the tip you’d leave someone who puts your groceries into you car for you. A small, very small investment to help out a friend.
To leave a review on Amazon you are required to make a verified purchase, which is why it is recommended to buy the book in order to leave a review on their platform. I have bought several books from fellow authors to support them with a review. It is a tiny cost. If you think about it, we spend 2 to 3 dollars randomly on a daily basis, so why not use it to help out a friend?
Final Chapter
In other words, in conclusion 🙂 authors work really hard to get their books noticed and sometimes friends and family can be deal breakers or makers. If an author has the support of family and friends he/she can be well on his/her way – at least he/she will have a great jump start – but without that support it is tough.
Unsupportive friends and family can be hurtful, because it’s not just a book, it’s a piece of their soul. If friends and family can’t give importance to this piece of their soul they are sharing, it can feel like a let down.
Of course, success is what we make it, it depends on our drive and passion; and a lack of support will turn into an opportunity for a highly driven person but not everyone has that zeal in them and life isn’t always like the movies.
When we see writers like J.K. Rowling, we see the success, the amazing Harry Potter book series and the Fantastic Beast movies, the billions of dollars she made of this, but we forget about the years of poverty she went through. It takes just one person, one supportive friend or relative, one supportive stranger to get that book noticed.
Authors continue to work hard to get their books seen in the pool of millions of ebooks. Most authors never give up, but it all goes much better with a little help from our friends 🙂
Hi Christine,
It’s challenging to make money as an author these days since it’s just like what you mentioned here. It takes a lot more marketing stuff to promote their books. I remember I have a colleague who quit his job to publish a travel book, which is brave, in my opinion. When I knew this, I immediately ordered his book online and could not wait to read it. I think this is what I could do to support him. 🙂
Matt
Hi Matt,
It’s great that you supported your colleague. I’m sure that he appreciated it 🙂
It was indeed pretty brave of him to quit his job to publish a travel book, going after his dream. I hope the book did well! Have you heard from him?
Hi Chrisitine I found your post informative and the concept you are aiming for aligns with my intent to write a book. I am about to publish on Amazon. Thank you
Hi James,
Wishing you all the best with your book! 🙂
Hi Christine,
It is quite disheartening to not have your book or blog read by family and friends. I get it, they say they will and forget to, or say they do not have the time. However, by just leaving a comment after something has been read is such a boost to the author’s confidence.
Your post has so much merit. Personally, I have not had anyone ask me to read a book that a friend or family member has written, but I will gladly set the time to do exactly that if asked. This is such a small contribution I can make to someone who has spent a lot of time and effort to create a book or post of their own.
Thanks for reminding me,
Nina
Hi Nina,
That’s wonderful that you will set the time to help out an author friend if you were asked 🙂 It will be very much appreciated. It’s a small contribution that can go a long way 🙂
I love this post.
Writing a book is something I would to do in the future – it’s more of a dream to be fair!
I found your article very interesting, but it made me realise how hard it must be for authors these days.
I would always read a book if someone put so much time and effort into completing it. And if a friend published a book I would purchase it.
Thanks for a great read!
Adam
Hi Adam,
True, it isn’t easy for authors these days.
It’s great that you’d purchase a book from an author friend 🙂 it will always be much appreciated!
It’s very disheartening that most authors have little or no support from friends and family because man, it’s a lot of work!
It takes a lot to write and a lot more to promote and do all the other loads of work involved in getting a book onto the shelf or phone apps.
It’s good to support your author friends by buying their books, telling your friends about them, and leaving reviews.
When authors get support from friends, it boosts their confidence and encourages them to keep writing. Additionally, it helps get their name and work out there.
And I have come to realize that authors really appreciate any kind of feedback – positive or negative – so we shouldn’t be shy about letting them know what we think.
I hope to do better in this regard, especially for my soon-to-be-famous author friends.
Thanks for the reminder!
Cheers,
Femi.
Hi Femi,
Very well said 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Christine,
It is indeed a pity that authors face these challenges. Not getting support from family and friends must be really devastating to many because it is no easy feat to write a book and most importantly, these are the people they believed would support them!
Absolutely, in a heartbeat, I would support an author friend whether by Liking and sharing their posts about their books on Facebook and other social media platforms, or by buying the book so that I can leave a review of the book online. True friends help each other out.
Hi Ceci,
Such help means a lot. Thank you! Your author friends will appreciate it very much! 🙂