What Can You Do to Help Your Favorite Authors?

by Susan Roberts

Did you know that most authors are NOT rich?  In fact, most make less than $10,000 a year.  We hear a lot about the rich authors - 

• JK Rowling made $95 million dollars last year
• Stephen King averages $40 million a year
• Nora Roberts made $23 million last year
• James Patterson is worth $310 million

But other than a small percentage of rich authors, most authors treat their writing like a small business and many of them work full-time jobs and write when they can find the time.

What can you do to help get out the word on your favorite books?

1.  Write a review.
2.  Ask your library to order the book.
3.  Talk about the book on social media.
4.  Attend author events at indie bookstores.

I currently write reviews for Goodreads, BookBub, and Amazon.  Did you know:
If there are 50 reviews, Amazon lists a book in its newsletter and mentions it in other promotions.  The more reviews, the more visibility Amazon gives it.

How do you write a review?

• It can be as short as "I liked it" or it can be more lengthy. 
• Tell what you liked about the book - characters, setting, etc.  
• Avoid spoilers.
•  If you didn't like the book, don't attack the author.  Realize that someone else may love a book that you disliked.
• Rate the book.  I use 5 stars very rarely and only for books that I think are above and beyond all of the other books out there. Most of my reviews are 4 (really liked) and 3 (liked). Normally if I read a book with a rating below a 3, I won't finish it so I don't write a review.

Reviews are the easiest way to tell an author 'Thank You' and to tell their publisher to publish more books by them.

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

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