Being An Author
Being An Author: Helping Other Authors
Feb
As an Author and Editor, I find joy in helping other writers make their babies come to life as I was able to do myself. There are times when I am so engulfed in an editing project that I cannot work on my writing, but that doesn’t mean that another author’s success has to sting. If a writer is successful in the media environment, it is a success for everyone since books are considered the underdogs. Remember, we’re all in this together – that’s why something like #WritingCommunity exists.
As a writer, it might seem paradoxical to provide your support to another author’s work since they may seem to be a competition in your industry, and you may feel that you should be concentrating all of your efforts on your book. If you’re spending your days wondering why you’re not getting enough attention, keep in mind that the same is true for other writers. If you put in the effort to promote your book, you’ll receive back what you put in to promote someone else’s book. The attention you give outward may just be repaid – if not by the author, another author, a fan of that author, or someone else.
As a result of this, there is a delicate line between something altruistic and something that is just reciprocal, as in, if you support my book, I will promote yours. In principle, this is a good concept, but it has the potential to cause issues, particularly on Amazon. Here are some suggestions on how to be a genuine supporter of other writers, which may contribute to a more supportive book community.
Review the Author’s Published Work(s)
First and foremost, purchase the book so that your review is recorded as a Verified Purchase on Amazon, which is better visually and in terms of ranking in Amazon’s search engine. There is a lot of uncertainty concerning reviews being erased on Amazon if the author and reader have a social media connection, so this advice may contradict the information below about supporting an author on social media. This concern, however, has been exaggerated.
While there have been reports of individuals having their reviews erased, this is not a black and white problem. Frequently, reviews would state, “I adore this book, but that’s because I/my father/my daughter wrote it.” Amazon would immediately delete a review if there is a social network link. To be honest, Amazon isn’t very good at monitoring this kind of behavior.
More significantly, the regulation is difficult to police since a fan of an author is likely to follow the author on social media and review the book. Thus too many passionate evaluations would be removed. This has become a problem when two writers have a quid pro quo agreement in which they evaluate each other’s books – and that accounts for all of their evaluations. Because these are fraudulent reviews, this kind of conduct should be prohibited.
However, Amazon isn’t perfect, and occasionally reviews are accidentally erased and then reinstalled. In a nutshell, compose the review. If it is removed, post the review elsewhere, which brings us to point #2.
Review the Work(s) on Sites Outside of Amazon
Barnes & Noble’s review section is pretty lonely because they have a flawed review system. But that shouldn’t stop you from adding a review wherever you can: Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple iBooks, Waterstones, etc. Whether online–only or brick–and–mortar, every bookstore has a reviewing system, and the non-Amazon review sections are underused, so a review on a non-Amazon site can stand out.
Finally, cross-post your review to your blog. Here you can also link to an author’s book/website/social media accounts, which is much more than you can do with a review anywhere else and help get the word out about an author. This helps with the author’s SEO (search engine optimization), so the site ranks better in Google searches. For example, if you link to an author’s site with the tag “science fiction author” with a link to the author’s site, that helps the author rank better when someone types “science fiction author” and related searches into Google.
For example, the html code would be:
<a href=”http://www.arthurcclarke.org/”>science fiction author</a>
Follow/Share on Multiple Social Media Accounts
Don’t stop at Facebook and Twitter; follow an author on Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon, and other platforms, and like away…
Important note: always utilize hashtags when sharing an author’s book/post/interview/whatever. Using the hashtags #indieauthor or #scifiauthor may significantly enhance the reach of your post. Even a Twitter account with a small number of followers may wind up in the Top list rather than the Latest, which means it will get a lot more attention:
By employing hashtags, you’ll reach individuals outside your following base, improving the author’s exposure to whose work you’re promoting and your own. Here’s a crash course on Twitter hashtags for independent writers.
This has a limit. A rising number of writers have a Twitter history of 200,000 tweets, practically spamming Twitter. While it’s lovely to get retweeted, these accounts seldom engage with anybody beyond clicking “retweet” thus, a more selected account will have more authority.
Sign Up For The Author’s Newsletter
Unless you immediately buy a book from the newsletter, this doesn’t aid the author, although writers appreciate new subscribers. Also, opening a newsletter shows Gmail or other email providers that it isn’t spam, increasing its chances of being received.
Add A Book To Goodreads Lists
Lists are one of the simplest ways Goodreads can assist writers. You may add a book to an existing list (Best 2019 Horror Novels) or vote it up.
You can also make your lists, and sure, you may add your book.
Other Goodreads promotion ideas:
- Rate the book.
- Suit the author.
- Group the author’s name.
- Query the author.
Request A Book At A Library/Bookstore
Like retailers, libraries have limited shelf space and must be motivated to stock the book. If librarians detect a demand for the book, they are more inclined to acquire it. One borrow doesn’t always imply a library purchase, but every little bit helps.
The New York Public Library, for example, has a form for recommending titles. You may check WorldCat.org to see whether the book is in the system.
You may also contribute books to the library to be sold rather than placed on the shelves. Similarly, you can’t merely order a book from a bookshop and hope it gets on the shelves. Smaller retailers may shelve the book, just as they are more inclined to sell local writers’ works.
Like libraries, requesting a book shows demand.
Volunteer As A Beta Reader
It’s good to start early in the process – and the value of being a beta reader is that it not only helps the author, but it can also help you become a better writer. Keeping an eye on what needs to be fixed in someone else’s book can help when it comes to your own.
There are many venues to volunteer as a beta reader for long-form works rather than short pieces:
- Goodreads – Beta Reader Group
- #WCRequest on Twitter, courtesy of @ReadersWriting
- Absolute Write – Beta Readers, Mentors, and Writing Buddies
- Facebook – Beta Readers & Critiques
Spread Good Karma
Making yourself visible by performing the aforementioned steps increases your chances of being noticed by the author and other readers, leading to positive outcomes. Waiting for other people’s attention might take a long time.
The more positive attention you offer other individuals, the more favorable attention you may get yourself.
