Anyone who has published a book knows how hard it is at the start. This is especially the case as a Christian author based in any country besides the U.S. The U.S. is by far the largest market for English Christian books, and they have access to far more resources.
Yet there are some simple things that we can do to help authors, and what’s more, they don’t cost anything but time and a little effort.
1. Reviews
One of the hardest things for authors to get is reviews. I sell hundreds of print books every year, but sadly (even with a direct request in the back of each book), few people do online reviews.
I spend a lot of my time trying to communicate how important reviews are and that there are never enough. If a book has 1600 ratings or reviews, then it implies that it is popular and people are more likely to read it. Even if a book has many reviews, they need regular and RECENT reviews. The more the better.
This post explains the how and where for each site.
2. Goodreads lists
Goodreads is a review site for readers, but it is much more than that. It is also a filing system for your reading and a place you can shelve books you’d like to read … but it is also a listing site. To find the list, you look under the ‘Browse’ tab and find ‘lists’ in the drop-down menu. You cannot add your own books onto lists, so this is something you can help authors with.
For example, I would love my new series on these lists:
Old Testament-based Biblical fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/191579.Old_Testament_based_Biblical_Fiction
3. Request books for your local library
Even in very secular countries, libraries will buy Christian fiction. Who knows, they might also do some Christian non-fiction (memoir would be more likely)? Whenever I go on holiday, I visit the local library and check if they stock some of the more well-known Christian fiction authors. If they do, I recommend local authors and write down a list of some of their titles.
4. Word of mouth recommendation
This is a powerful way to help authors. If you love a book or a series, tell others! You can do it in person or by buying books and gifting them to others. You can also have a rave on Facebook or another platform. Post a video holding up the book.
5. Book clubs
Request a book for your book club or suggest a book for someone else’s club. If our book clubs won’t read our authors, I doubt others will.
This post has much more to say about the advantages of book clubs and how to get the author involved with your book club.
Hi Christine, Thanks for sharing your tips on supporting authors. This year I’ve been more diligent in remembering to post written reviews at Goodreads, especially for paperbacks I’ve purchased or borrowed from the library. My Kindle will prompt me to rate and review as soon as the book ends, but often I’m reading a paperback precisely because I don’t want to look at a screen. It’s okay if I’m planning to write a book recommendation for my blog or record a Fan Girling episode because I’ll remember to catch up at Goodreads later.
Requesting your local library order in books is a no-brainer, especially if you’re on a limited book buying budget. You’re effectively the first person who’ll borrowing and read a brand new book for free—if your library approves your requests. 😊
Knowing how much I appreciate reviews I try to review all CF I read and to copy and paste to as many sites as possible. I am also requesting Aussie/NZ authors at our libraries.