Phil Giunta's Blog

Write Here, Write Now! Send the Elevator Back Down

Three Quick Ways to Support Your Favorite Writers – Without Spending a Dime

In an age where the gates to publishing have been thrown open, or possibly ripped from their hinges, discoverability for new writers is extremely challenging. According to statistics I’ve quickly researched online, there are approximately 300,000 new books published per year in the United States alone.¹

That’s a daunting number to new writers, especially those publishing through small presses or taking the DIY route. I envision writers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, pressed against one another, all holding their latest book over their heads hoping to be recognized by the reading community. A cacophony of voices, each one drowned by the other 299,999. Even the best writers can become discouraged and quit after a time. It has happened.

How do we stand out? Recommendations from readers are one significant way. We appreciate the fact that you spend your hard-earned money on our books. The best of us want to provide you with the highest quality reading experience, and if we succeed, we hope that you’ll spread the word through one or more methods, such as…

Leaving a review and rating on book sites such as Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc. Ratings and reviews are important to any writer’s career, but they are critical to burgeoning writers. A high number of reviews–especially positive ones–typically generate increased sales and lead to new opportunities.

I’ve had readers tell me that they are not good at writing and thus, are reticent about leaving reviews. Even one line would be adequate. On Goodreads, a reader recently left a four-star rating for my first novel, Testing the Prisoner. His review: “That was one hell of a read. Very intense.” That’s all you need! If you’re investing a day or a week to read a book, why not go the extra two minutes to voice your opinion, even if briefly?

Sharing the love on social media. For example, if you are friends with some or all of your favorite writers on Facebook, or you follow their author pages, you probably click LIKE to many of their updates and announcements about new releases. Why not take the extra few seconds to also SHARE their posts? Perhaps add a comment such as, “Enjoy this writer’s books. Highly recommend!” Ditto for Twitter, Google+, and other social media sites.

Spreading the word. Word of mouth still remains the best of all recommendations. If there are avid readers among your friends or family, mention your favorite writers’ books. If you happen to notice that the writer is holding a book signing or a library talk, boost the signal even if you can’t attend.

Speaking for myself, I deeply appreciate your support of small press and independent writers.

As a new writer myself, I occasionally give away free books to other writers, book reviewers, Goodreads giveaways, charity auctions, etc. I will be thrilled to send a free copy of my latest release, Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, to a random commenter here on my blog. This is an anthology of SF, fantasy, and paranormal stories written mostly by emerging fiction writers and edited by yours truly. Click here to read more about it.