It takes a village

There are a staggering number of books published in the world every year. Although it's difficult to pinpoint the exact number, it's safe to say we're talking about several hundred thousand in the U.S. alone. Stop to think about that for a minute. 

With all that competition, here's the bottom line: an author can’t successfully promote his or her book alone. We authors need your help. So, as a reader, what can you do? 

·       When you read a book you really enjoyed, spread the word. Tell everyone you know about it. Because the most effective means of promotion is word of mouth.

·       Write a positive review on amazon and Goodreads. I know this sounds like a lot of work but, believe me, once you do it, you’ll see how easy it is. A lot of readers have the mistaken impression that writing a review is similar to writing a book report. It isn’t. A four or five star rating and one or two sentences telling what you enjoyed most about the book can make all the difference in the world.

·       Purchase a paper copy of the book you enjoyed and give it to a reader on your shopping list. An avid reader will love nothing more than receiving a book for Christmas or their birthday.

·       Follow your favorite authors on amazon and Goodreads. That way, you’ll get an email notification whenever they publish a new book.

·       Take a chance on a new (to you) author. It’s fine to read the novels by Big Name authors but you’re missing out if you don’t give small press and self-published authors a chance. Not all writers can be a Mary Higgins Clark or a James Patterson but we all have stories to tell that you just might love.