How to Help Your Favorite Authors

“People can’t read a book if they don’t know it exists. All authors need to do marketing, regardless of how they published.” ~ Jo Linsdell

I’m a bit under the weather as I write this. I guess it’s my year to get a cold, so I’m reposting an article I wrote last year. It’s particularly appropriate since a friend of mine and my mother-in-law recently wrote reviews of my book, The Space Between Time, one on Amazon and the other on Goodreads. They were both favorable, which was very heartwarming. Thanks, Rita.

My mother-in-law, Judy, is a CHAMPION reader. I put champion in caps because she reads about two-hundred books a year. And she writes reviews for most if not all of them. In fact, she won an award from Goodreads a year or so ago for writing so many reviews. So the fact that she took time to read my book, which is not a genre she normally reads, and then wrote a lovely review was a big help for promoting my book. Thanks, Mom.

If you’re a reader, you can do your favorite authors a big favor by doing some of things below to help spread the word about their books. I’ve reposted this a couple of times, but it never hurts to repeat good information.

Word of mouth is still the best advertising tool. How many of you discuss your favorite TV show’s latest episode with friends, family and coworkers? See what I mean? You are creating a buzz. You can do that for your favorite authors as well. Here are some ways you can help them.

Write a review of the books you read and leave it on Amazon, Goodreads, in your blog, any social media site, or bookseller you choose.

If you are a member of Goodreads, just putting books on your “want to read” shelf will get the book noticed by the Goodreads staff and they may even promote them on their site.

If you like a book, let your local bookstore and library know what you thought of it, and ask them to carry and promote it.

Share your thoughts about the book with your friends and book club groups that you might belong to.

Consider asking the author to have a Skype session with your book club group so they can ask questions, or suggest that your local bookstore invite your favorite author to have a book reading/signing.

Give the book to your friends and family as gifts.

You may think these tips are rather easy and trivial, but if you help your favorite author sell more books, you will be helping them pay for all the time they spent working on it. Writing a book is not an easy thing to do, you know. If it was, more people would be doing it.

I’m shamelessly adding the reviews below.

Rita’s review: Recently, I finished reading a book titled, The Space Between Time, by my friend, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden. It was the best book I’ve read in a long time. It kept me captivated, which I have not experienced from any other book for the past couple of years. I loved all the little gems of meaningful and what I call spiritual statements throughout the book. You know, those words that make you pause and think, and sometimes have an “aha” from or a deeper awareness about something. And it was entertaining and informational about some of the history in the 1800’s and yet, contemporary. It also reminded me of the importance of “living in community” and how important it is to help one another and be engaged in your community. Thank you Lucinda for a wonderful, entertaining and captivating book!

Judy’s review: It is quite apparent that I have a relationship with the author of this book. Lucinda Sage-Midgorden is married to my son Barry. Because of that connection you should expect some bias in my evaluation of the book. However, there is another factor that may offset my favorable bias, and that is that I don’t really like and read very few in this genre. When I look at a book that is classified as time-travel, paranormal, or sci-fi, I usually skip it. I wanted to read Lucinda’s book to support her. She has worked for many years to complete this novel, and I know the editing and re-writing that she went through. Well, imagine my surprise when I found myself engrossed in the book and connecting to the characters and the story lines. I deeply respect anyone who writes a book, and Lucinda has produced a complicated novel that involves two different characters that are separated by years. At first I liked the sections with the historical character, Morgan, because my favorite genre is historical fiction. But I also became involved in the troubles that Jenna is facing in her life. It is interesting how these two women separated by time, but connected through family come to help each other deal with their problems. Many times the things these two women learn about facing life is good advice for anyone. I really did enjoy the book, and I hope many more will purchase it and find it as good a read as I did!

If you are so inclined to buy my book, and promote it, I will greatly appreciate it. And so will your favorite authors when you do the same for their books. And by the way, my husband Barry designed the cover art, maps, did the layout, and final editing for the book. It was a team effort.

Thanks for reading, commenting and liking my posts. I appreciate it.

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2018

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards. It’s a historical, time-travel, magical realism, women’s novel, and is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords, and print-on-demand at Amazon and other fine book sellers. To join her email list, click here. She will never sell the names on her list.