Christy asked Michael J. Sullivan:

This is kind of a question, and I really don't know where else to put it or if I should, but you're an author that interacts frequently, consistently, and well with your readers (me included) https://kimharrison.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/you-only-hurt-the-one-you-love/ Is there anyway that people who don't hugely use social media can help besides just buy a couple of books and tell a few friends that you know of?

Michael J. Sullivan Thanks so much for thinking about authors! Readers can certainly play a big role in helping their favorite authors. The most important thing you can do is pre-order an upcoming book. Why is this so important?

A publisher has many authors they are releasing in any given quarter and they have limited resources. One of the way they determine which authors to "push" is by the number of books that are pre-ordered. This effects:

* The size of the first print run
* The amount of money spent for marketing

I know it seems like a kind of chicken and egg situation - and it is. The size of the initial print run is VERY important because the sales force of the publisher can use this to entice the bookstores to increase how many books they buy - so the larger the print run - the more likely there will be a good number of books on the shelves. Yes, I know ... another chicken and egg situation - but it is at the heart of the business. Books that are highly anticipated get a lot of "publisher love" - which makes them more highly anticipated ;-).

Pre-order sales are also important as they are "counted" as part of the "first week's sales." Best-seller lists such as The New York Times and USA Today is based on how many books are sold in a given week. Many books hit these lists for one week only - and you guessed it, it's week one. In fact, some books get so many pre-orders that it's known before they are released that they'll be New York Times Bestsellers and the publisher will sometimes print that right on the cover of the book.

The worst thing you can do, is not buy books until the whole series is released. In some cases, this may mean the cancellation of a series because early sales indicate there is no interest. I totally understand the desire to "binge read" from start to finish - and by all means, people who like to do this should follow that process. But buy the books as they come out!! If you don't there is a possibility that the series is cancelled as it sends the message to the publisher that the books aren't well loved.

Thanks again for asking!

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