How to Support Indie Authors

First, let’s be clear: you shouldn’t support indie authors because they’re indie. Forgoing the traditional publishing route is a business decision for authors that is complicated for a number of reasons – royalties, marketing support, time-to-publication, local vs. international distribution, and creative control, among many other considerations. But none of that should influence whether a reader supports a particular author. The reader should choose to support a particular author for one reason and one reason only: they write books the reader wants to read.

Support authors who write books you enjoy, and you can’t go wrong!

That said, if you’ve found an indie author whose books you enjoy, congratulations! In some ways it’s much easier for an individual reader to make a difference in the career of an indie author. Indie authors survive because of readers like you! If you like an author’s work, you can help them out in a number of ways.

1 – Buy their books!

Every author appreciates every book purchase. But indie authors in general receive higher royalties than traditionally published authors, so you can buy knowing that you’re directly supporting the author.

2 – Write a review

Because indie authors typically don’t have any marketing support (or if they have it, they pay for it out of pocket rather than out of royalties), they rely on reviews from readers to get publicity started. If you enjoyed a book, please write a review on Amazon (or wherever you purchased it). The most detailed reviews are the most helpful for potential buyers, so the extra effort it takes to write a more in depth review that tells what you liked and why (without spoilers!) is really appreciated.

3 – Tell your friends.

Not everyone will like every book. Indie authors don’t expect readers to email blast everyone they’ve ever met about how awesome their book is. But if you have a friend(s) you think would enjoy it, please let them know! Word of mouth and personal recommendations are the very best advertising.

4 – Give the book as a gift.

Know someone who might enjoy the book? Give it to them as a gift! Amazon and Barnes and Noble both make giving ebooks easier than ever – all you need is the recipient’s email address.

5 – Subscribe.

Many indie authors have email newsletters and/or blogs. Subscribe to them! Generally they contain news on what the author is working on and sometimes discounts on new releases. Forward them to people who you think might enjoy the author’s books! It’s easy, it’s free, and every sale is appreciated.

6 – Social media.
Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Follow the author! It’s a great opportunity to engage with your favorite authors, find out what they’re working on, and contribute to their success by encouraging them and helping promote their work. Likes on a new release announcement can really add up! Plus, indie authors are often very willing to engage with readers, and you might develop real friendships. You can find my Facebook page here and my Twitter here.

7 – Tag their books.

Back to Amazon – down near the bottom of each book’s page, there’s a section where you can tag the book. Please do this! You can agree with the current tags or come up with your own. Tags help readers find books, so genre and descriptive tags are best.

8 – Like their books.

Barnes and Noble’s Like function is actually a Facebook Like. Amazon’s is separate but works in a similar way. The more Likes a book has, the more Amazon will promote the author’s book! Liking a book is quick and easy, and very much appreciated!

9 – Tell your library or book club.

Indie authors typically aren’t carried by many libraries. But what better way to gain new fans than through a library or book club? If you enjoyed the book, mention it to your local library or your book club as a potential acquisition.

10 – Keep reading!

You are the reason indie authors write! If you love their work, please keep reading it! Let them know you look forward to their next book or story. I love to hear from readers!

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