How to Support an Author

Bestseller and ebook trailblazer Hugh Howey had a blog post that I think bears repeating: What’s the Best Way to Support Your Favorite Authors?

The answer may surprise you: while buying stuff is absolutely great (and hey, you can buy my book here!), but it isn’t actually the best way to support someone.

Howey says:

“If you really want to support your favorite authors, my advice is simple: Read their books. Spread word-of-mouth. Write reviews. Email them and express your delight.”

The best–and easiest–way to support an author, be they independent, with a small publisher, or from one of the big publishers, is to tell someone else how great the book was. Despite all our gizmos and features, we still value word of mouth most. Telling your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others how much you liked a book is powerful mojo. Tweeting about it, blogging, sharing on Facebook, or writing up a review on Goodreads or Amazon or anywhere else are all bonus ways to share with more people all at once.

It’s humbling, really, to know that the most powerful way to boost your favorite authors (or even your most recent read) is just to tell someone else about it. I review every book I read on Goodreads. How do you show your support?