Saw This Making The Rounds On Social Media...Worth A Share

 I am probably like a lot of writers...the more you get into the craft, the more writers you meet, and the more writers you meet, the more books you want to read.

To compound this problem (because it's difficult to read everything your author friends write...), as time goes on, you produce books and stories for others to read. So, not only are you overwhelmed by all the new stories to read, you're out there trying to get others to check out your stuff.

I learned quickly that I would not have enough time nor money to purchase and read everything from the authors I've met and become friends with. As a writer I so desperately want to read these stories--I mean, it's incredibly cool to read a novel and you know the author.

When I saw the above photo floating around on social media today, it hit home because I feel so bad when I am unable to purchase all the books I want. I'm always wanting to support my friends (and have them support me...) in ways that are not strictly financial. There are other ways to help. 

Some of my writer friends love statistics. They can tell you the how well a book can do based on Amazon reviews. I've heard symposium speeches where writers will break down the stats on reviews. Once a book hits so many reviews, the algorithms change and it helps increase the book's visibility.

There are other things a person can do to help an author--most of them focuses on letting as many people as possible know about the book. Basically, spreading the word. Following the author on social media helps as well.

Because it's relatively simple to get a book published (after it's written...) nowadays, there are literally millions of new books out there vying for attention. Because of all this noise, it's hard to have your written words be seen. By doing some simple things, you can help an author's words reach more people...

And it only will cost your time.