Some readers don't realize that THEY can help get their favorite authors get noticed and there are truly some very easy things they can do if they'd like to help out these authors, all by the simple click of the mouse.
So, you wanna help writers?
If a writer inspires you- makes you laugh, cry, scream, love
then use these 4 R's-
~Retweet, Repeat, Repost, Review~
~Share their blogs & statuses~
Show 'em
♥Love♥
Retweet~ Are you following your favorite author on Twitter? Retweet their statuses and help promote them into the Twitterverse and you never know- someone else might RT you. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire.
Repeat~ Share their posts on Twitter or Facebook or Google+ and many others. You might know other people who haven't heard of these writers. If you enjoy their books and think others you know might enjoy them as well, be sure to pass that along. It never hurts to pay it forward if a book has touched your heart.
Repost~ Did they post a blog today? Share that- repost it for others who might not have seen it otherwise. Did they say something funny or share a joke that made you LOL? Did they talk about hobbies, family, food. If it interested you, it might interest others, too.
Review~ Did you enjoy their book? Or maybe you didn't, but a review doesn't have to be all sunshine and lollipops. An honest review doesn't just help other customers, but it also give the author constructive views from readers about what works and what doesn't. I know I'd rather have a handful of honest reviews that helps me grow as a writer, than 100 that are just full of BS wrapped up in shiny foil paper with a ribbon slapped on it that feeds my ego but not my mind or my heart.
(That doesn't mean I would want a reviewer to slam me- reviews that do nothing but cut the author and their writing down, that childishly flame or blatantly bully have no place in the writing/reading world as it does nothing but enrage the readers and hurt the writers on a personal level that isn't necessary- it is not the way to help. Behind every book there is an author, a real person, who truly loved the story they wrote, but not every reader will enjoy and that's okay.)
Besides the 4 R's there's also a few other things you can do. "Like" the author's Amazon Author Page, or their Facebook Page, if they have one. "Like" their book on Amazon. Follow them on Twitter, read their blog. Write and tell them how their story touched you.
Most of these things are tiny considerations that authors appreciate, more than you can EVER know. We work at a very lonely, albeit, self-inflicted lonely job and when we touch others lives or hearts with our stories, we are grateful for even one little note letting us know these things. It fills us with gratitude that we've done our job- to write the best story we can and share it with others who will enjoy it as well. And it's also a wonderful reminder that doing what we love pays off more handsomely than just in a financial way. If we touch just one heart, then we are encouraged to continue to tell more stories. If we tell a story you want to share with others, it washes our spirit in joy.
I know it's easy to get discouraged in this business. Sometimes it's like spinning wheels in mud- trying to get somewhere and yet getting no where fast- Just throwing mud out behind us and not blazing our trail. Those 4 R's and those other helpful things readers can do to help out mean the world.
If you get a chance today, take a moment to click on something to retweet, repeat, repost or review it. Like a page, follow someone new, share an author with a friend (don't be stingy) :)
An author will thank you for it.
Have a wonderful Thursday- the weekend is almost here again.
1 comment:
Truth!
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