Being an up-and-coming writer is an exciting experience. This is because every aspect of the book publishing process is a whole new experience. But it can also be a very challenging experience. This is especially true for the book marketing aspect of the publishing process.
The book market is a harsh arena where up-and-coming writers will have to compete with a myriad of other books. And seeing as new authors come out of the woodwork every day, new authors truly have a lot to contend with.
So if you are a fan of a certain newbie author, you should know that just buying his or her book is not enough. In order to help them properly, you will have to do a whole lot more than just buying their books. Here are ways you can support up-and-coming writers aside from buying their books.
- Avidly read their blogs (if they have one)
One of the easiest ways you can support up-and-coming writers is to read their blogs. The blog site is the author’s top marketing platform. It is their most potent and efficient tool in getting their books noticed by the reading public.
Thus if you want to support a newbie author it is always a good idea to consistently read his or her blog. This will not only keep you informed of the author’s work, but also help you form a bond with fellow fans.
- Introduce your friends to the author’s work
Nothing helps an up-and-coming writer better than a solid core of fans. A real fan is nothing like a fair-weather fan. A fair-weather fan is someone who likes something just because it’s either the in thing or trendy. But a true fan is a fan that will stick to the bitter end. Through thick and thin, a true fan will always be there.
So if you want your favorite up-and-coming author to do well, introduce your friends to the author’s work. Or introduce the author’s work to likeminded people who will also be passionate about the author’s work. That way you can form a truly solid fan base that will push the author’s work to new heights.
- Follow them through Social Media
Social media is the most widely used and popular form of media in this day and age. So if you really want to help your authors make a name for themselves it always helps to follow them through social media. And seeing as there are a myriad of social media sites, you will have a lot of opportunities to support them through social media.
It is also very important that you engage them through these social media sites. You can do this by liking, tweeting and sharing their posts. Not only will this show the author that he or she has support, it will also make the author’s work more visible in social media. Overall, social media is a perfect place to engage your favorite authors through.
- Feature them through your own blog
Aside from reading your favorite newbie author’s book there is also one more thing that you can do for them. And that is to feature them in your own blog if you have one. By featuring them in your blog you are helping them expand their reach to other demographics.
You are also giving them a chance to be recognized and create a fandom with other people who follow your blog. All in all, by featuring the author on your blog you will be able to help give them the reputation and reach they need to succeed.
- Attend their book signings
It is also a good idea to be somewhat old fashioned in your support. One way is to attend any book signings that the author takes part in. Of course you don’t need to follow the author all over the country to attend every book signing or literary events he or she takes part in.
Just keep tabs of his or her schedule, and if there are any events being held near your city or hometown then make it a priority to attend. By doing so, you are showing the author concrete proof that he or she has your support.
- Review their work
If you are wondering how to support an author effectively, one of the best ways is to make a thorough and honest book review on their books. Although it is true that there are a myriad of book review services out there, a good book review from a fan is always a welcome boost of confidence for any author.
So if you want to help a newbie author make a difference in their book marketing campaign then you should review their work as thoroughly as possible. Expound on the good points and give them pointers on which point of their writing they can improve. It is important that you be honest with your review though.
Don’t just give them a positive review because you want them to get more fans. Write the reviews so that they can gain confidence and improve their writing overall. This will help them a lot more in the long run.
It takes a great amount of courage and grit to publish a book. And the book publishing arena is a harsh one and newbie authors will need all the help they can get. So you should give newbie authors the respect and support they deserve.
