by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites
Is it my imagination, or does it seem like lots of books are launching all at the same time? Earlier this month, two of my fellow critique buddies from Page 33, my Word Weavers International critique group, released within a day of each other.
I’ve enjoyed serving on launch teams for many of my writer friends. As I’ve watched others’ launch teams and been in the trenches as my own books have launched, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve discovered the process is more than just helping friends publicize their books. It’s about encouraging these hardworking folks along the journey.
Supporting and encouraging our writer friends is biblical. While not specific to the writing world, these verses are especially appropriate:
* Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
* Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
* And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works … Hebrews 10:24
In my next several posts, I’ll share some of the tricks and tips I’ve learned from others and through my own experiences to help you support your author friends. Here are a few to get you started:
15 Ways to Support Your Author Friends
1. Share authors’ books on social media. Be sure to share buy links, too. A picture always captures social media scrollers’ attention, so snap a picture of you holding the book to include with the post.
2. I think it’s fun to include a photo of myself with the author. I have a tendency to say on my social media posts, “My friend so-and-so just launched a new book …” Because I don’t want my social media followers to think I’m exaggerating my “friend” status, I dig into my photos from conferences or book signings to find a picture of me with the author.
Including the picture, along with a picture of me holding the book, makes the post more personal and helps my share seem more genuine and “believable.” (Perfect reason to take as many pictures at conferences as time allows—you never know when you’ll have the pleasure of sharing about a friend’s new release!)
3. Share friends’ latest blog posts. Hitting the share button within the author’s post is simple and oh-so-kind.
4. If you send out a newsletter, include something about your friend’s new releases or writing success.
5. Start a video series to share on social media and include authors.
Before I launched my book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories, published by Revell, I started a campaign to collect brief videos—one to two minutes—from fellow authors. In them, they shared one way they show or have shown love to their kids or grandkids. They sent me the video, and I posted one per week for many weeks before the book launched. When I shared the video, I rarely discussed the launch of my book, but instead touted the other author’s books, blog posts, or articles. I grew an audience of moms and dads who wanted to find new ways to show love to their kids and simultaneously promoted my friends’ books or websites.
6. Snap pictures when you find friends’ books in a store and share them on your social media sites.
7. Share favorite lines from friends’ books on social media.
8. Join AWSA, CAN, and other Facebook groups. When members mention new book releases, make sure to share that information.
9. Host author friends on your podcast and give away a copy of their book.
10. Invite author friends to guest blog on your website and include a book giveaway.
11. If an author friend mentions they’ll be traveling to or through your town, offer to treat them to lunch or dinner. Be sure to snap photos and add those to your social media sites.
12. Tell a conference director you enjoyed an author’s class. Even if the conference doesn’t ask you to fill out a survey, message or email the conference director and share the wonderfulness of that author friend. This helps them make decisions about staff and faculty for future events, which in turn supports the writer’s new projects and writing opportunities.
13. Take your favorite author’s book with you to doctor and dental appointments. Tell someone there about the book. You could even share the book with them as a gift.
14. Boast to your family and friends about a favorite author.
15. Comment on author’s social media posts. These extra comments help the algorithms of the post, which will allow more people to view the post.
Supporting author friends by purchasing their books is just the beginning of the encouragement journey. Try some of the tips and suggestions above to show some love to an author friend. Next month, I’ll share more tips. Leave your best suggestions below to help us continue to learn from each other how to support fellow authors.
TWEETABLE
Featured Image: Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Great suggestions, Julie! And these are things you do so well. You are very intentional about supporting and promoting other authors. I appreciate you!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so very much for those sweet words! That's so encouraging to ME! I absolutely love supporting my author friends! It takes a village, right?
DeleteI love these practical and VERY doable ways to bless our friends. Thank you for sharing them AND for modeling them toward so many of us. We love you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much, my sweet friend! For reading and for commenting! You're a blessing to me, and I LOVE supporting my writer friends!
DeleteThank you, Julie, for these great tips. Any little thing we can do to encourage and support our author friends is worthwhile!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these tips, Julie! Anything we can do to encourage and support author friends -- even the things that seem small -- are worth the time and effort!
ReplyDelete