Try this new, no-brainer social media tool to support an author: Thunderclap

I stumbled upon this resource for author support by accident, as fate would have it.
 
I was researching book marketing plans and came across a suggestion to promote an independently published book via Thunderclap.
 
When I checked it out, I was elated: what a super cool place to do good for authors, causes, and more! And it’s 100% free, even for campaigners. Authors helping authors. Or hipsters around a campfire. Same diff.Of course, I immediately created my own campaign to promote my debut nonfiction book, “100 of Your Toughest Business Email: Solved” (digital version free, paperback now also available on Amazon). After I poked around the site and thought about it more, I realized that Thunderclap is yet another way to provide nearly effortless author support.
 
I recently outlined 18 ways to support an author, aside from buying their book, in an article for The Write Life.  
 
In the article, I drew attention to the importance of social media to an author’s career. Readers, fans and fellow authors can support authors by following and engaging with them on social media.
 
The unique thing about Thunderclap is you can accomplish exactly that – with a few clicks of the mouse and zero time spent thinking about what to say. The campaign messages are auto-populated for you. You can personalize the message if you wish.  Support an author by lending your voice on social mediaThunderclap works like crowdsourcing, except without the financial component. Instead, campaigns garner social currency by collecting champions who pledge their support via social media, on the platform(s) of their choice: Facebook, Twitter, and/or Tumbler.
 
If/when the campaign organizer meets their goal for number of supporters, the social media pledges become reality on a specified date and time, and are automatically posted across social media, helping the message to stand out. 
I want you...to help spread the word!This is my new favorite thing, seriously.
 
Every day I log into Thunderclap to see which Books and Causes I can support. It takes less than 5 minutes, and I feel like I am giving back. I usually post to Twitter, because that’s my widest audience.
 
Isn’t it cool that we live in an age during which word of mouth can be this simple? Give it a try!
 
*Author’s note: These opinions are my own based on my personal experiences. I have not been paid to endorse Thunderclap. If this were my home library I would die a happy woman. Just saying.You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
Book cover design: How I developed a concept for my indie author book cover
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On The Write Life: 12 Traits Bad Writers and Toddlers Have in Common
On The Write Life: 18 Ways to Support an Author (Besides Buying Their Book)
On The Write Life: 17 Incredible Possibilities if Writers Ran The World
On The Write Life: Get Inspired! 20 Writers to Follow on Twitter
Article on The Write Life: Think Like a Journalist to Improve Your Writing (Trench Coat Optional!)
One year after my major career change from full-time mom to full-time writer: reflections and lessons learned
For writers: All your writing fears, squashed!
A real, imperfect day in the life of a writer: me
Your writing conference checklist: how to make it worth every minute and every penny (takeaways from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference) Survey: Do you have good author karma?Just for fun * Indicates required fieldAre you a big reader? *Yes, absolutely! For sure, but I don't have time to read as much as I'd like to I read primarily for school or work If Other please specify: *When you read an excellent book, do you leave a review? *Yes, always! Most of the time When I can If Other please specify: *Would you consider using a tool like Thunderclap to support authors? *I already use Thunderclap I prefer to simply follow authors on social media I prefer to simply buy books I use social media for personal reasons only I use tools other than Thunderclap for this purpose If Other please specify: * Submit