the best way to help your favorite author

Dear friend and fellow author Harley May takes a bite out of Crim on launch day last year.

I have been unknowingly doing my fellow authors a disservice:

I've been waiting to buy their books.

That is, when I hear their book is out, I wish them a Happy Book Birthday on Twitter, add their book on Goodreads, share their FB status, "like" their book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and do all of the easy social media methods of supporting them from my pajamas.

But then I typically wait until I see them at a con to buy their book and have them sign it.

And that, dear friends, is a bit of a sloppy unkindness.

The best way you can help an author is to buy their book THE WEEK IT COMES OUT.

That's when numbers count the most for bestseller lists, Amazon rankings, and publisher scrutiny. That's when authors are desperate, watching numbers online, praying for their big break. That's when your $8 can do the most good for someone who counts on book sales to continue doing what they love.

So if you're going to buy the book anyway, I urge you to consider buying an author's book the week it comes out, especially on the day it launches. You'll save a few dollars, at most, by waiting, but it makes a big difference to the author's life, livelihood, and career. Then, if you ever get to meet them, you can just bring it along and have it signed. And if you really love them, buy an extra copy at their book signing or launch party and give it to a friend.

Because the second best way you can support an author is to convince someone else to buy their books.

Other things you can do to make sure your favorite writer gets to keep writing:

* Pre-order the book to let the publisher know how anxious you are.
* Leave a review at Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble
* Tweet a link to their book and a few warm words of praise on Twitter
* Use your Facebook or Google+ status to leave a link and some praise
* If you participate in online forums, mention their book
* Go to the book signing or launch party or visit them at a con, even if you don't buy anything
* Post their book cover on your Pinterest board
* Write a book review on your blog or post a video on YouTube
* Ask for their book at your local bookstore. If they don't carry it, urge them to pick it up and tell them how much you like it.
* Find out which local indie bookstore the author uses and request a signed or personalized copy
* Buy/wear author swag. They probably have t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, buttons, or something that you can wear as a conversation starter.
* If you're in the bookstore and see someone standing in front of your author's genre, ask that person if they've read it and encourage them to buy it. Put it in their hands for bonus points, as people are more likely to buy things they've touched.
* Take a picture of their book in a bookstore, especially of you holding it, and post it online. A picture's worth a thousand words on social media.
* In as few or as many words as you wish, tell the author how you feel. Email, Twitter, FB-- it doesn't matter. Some days, writing can kick you in the nads, and a few kind words can keep someone going even after the Swamp of Sadness has swallowed their Artax.

They say the #1 way to sell books is word of mouth, so if you love a book/author, be that mouth.

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This public service announcement is brought to you by someone whose next book comes out April 30.