Ways to Support the Author in Your Life

1. Buy their book(s)

The most obvious way to support an author is to buy their books. A single sale can help in lots of ways. The royalty from the sale helps the author on the road to financial stability—maybe even being able to write as a part-time or full-time job. The sale also helps with analytics. A book with sales traction is more likely to appear in front of other potential customers, so you're not just guaranteeing one sale, you're opening the door for more sales to follow. And of course, making a sale is a big boost of morale! It's a great way to hype an author up.

Bonus: see if the author is pointing you toward a specific platform to buy from. If they're offering their book on Ko-fi or Itch.io, they might earn a higher commission there versus Amazon, where a cut will be taken from their royalty. It's worth taking a moment to see if the author is trying to funnel you to a specific channel (something like so. And if they aren't, you can ask!).

2. Give them reviews

A review is like a big billboard for potential readers, and it's something that authors aren't able to do for themselves. There are people who won't risk buying a book if it doesn't have any (or many) reviews, so every review counts! Some potential review starting points are:

• This book reminded me of ___. (In other words, fans of ___ will enjoy this book.)

• This book made me feel ___. (It was thought-provoking in these ways...)

• The moral of the book is ___. (Here's what I took away from it...)

Even one sentence is better than none, and even a blank review with a star rating is better than nothing!

Bonus: leave your review in a few places. If the book has an Amazon page, you can probably also find it on Goodreads or StoryGraph; these are places where many readers find their next read. You can also share your review on social media.

3. Follow them on social media

Following an author on social media is a free and easy way to show them you care. Many authors use social media to market themselves and their books, and having a broad audience gives them a certain amount of clout and authority in online spaces. Plus, you'll have a direct way to see their updates, understand what they're working on, and know how to continue hyping them up in the future.

Bonus: like, comment, and/or repost their content. By engaging with their posts, you'll help them reach a wider audience. And seeing engagement on your work feels good!

4. Request their book(s) at your local library

Did you know that your library takes book requests? You might be able to fill out a form on your library's website, or you might need to ask in person, but your friendly librarians want you to have access to the books you want. What's excellent about this is that you open up a world of possibilities for readers who otherwise wouldn't have access to these books!

Bonus: if your library begins carrying these books, let the world know! And thank your librarian!

5. Offer direct support

Many authors (especially self-published authors) are creative in many ways; they might also offer art of their characters (or offer commissions), or have merchandise. They might have a direct storefront where you can purchase their book without a middleman. They might have a Patreon or Ko-fi with exclusive offers or rewards.

Bonus: if they DO have a Patreon or Ko-fi, consider a small donation to keep their fire going.

6. Join their newsletter

Newsletters are one of the best ways to engage readers and gain consistent sales, but it's hard to find the motivation to write and send newsletters when there isn't enough engagement or interest. Signing up to receive newsletters may be the motivation the author in your life needs. Even if they don't end up sending them out consistently (guilty!), you'll still be the first to know whenever they do send a newsletter out.

Bonus: if you get a newsletter, share some kind of response. Reward the author's efforts by sharing the newsletter around, or even just commenting "Neat!"

7. Gifts that honor their passion

If you're looking for a Christmas gift, care package, or pick-me-up for the author in your life, it's time to get creative. Firstly, I recommend every option above, even if you'll be presenting them with a physical gift.

Are they an avid reader?

• Follow-up question: do they already have 1,000 bookmarks? If not, there you go! Maybe a nice metal one, something they can reuse a million times.

• A case for their e-reader, if they need one.

• A book on their wishlist, or one you think they would enjoy.

Things that are nice to have around while writing

• An electric hand warmer. This is a pretty safe gift; I somehow ended up with 3, so now I have one at my writing desk, one in my car, and one with my camp supplies.

• Tea/coffee/cocoa/energy drinks, whatever they're partial to.

• Snacks!

Surprise! Merchandise!

• Bookmarks that pair well with their books—they can give them out with each sale!

• Extra copies of their own book, to be donated to libraries, coffee shops, etc.

• Their book cover, enlarged as a poster (be sure your recipient will be comfortable with that—some authors might not like their cover art being printed without their knowledge).

Vibes-based gifting

• A throw pillow fits that cozy, authorly aesthetic and is great for lumbar support when reading or writing.

• Authors and plant people have a lot of overlap. Even plant killers (like me) would probably appreciate a fake plant on their writing desk.

• Fan art of their characters. It could be by you (who doesn't love a homemade gift?), or you could commission an artist.

Bonus: when creating gift packages for other people in your life, consider throwing in a copy of the author's book!

8. A simple message

It's never the wrong time to send a quick "Thinking of you!" And if this list didn't quite strike the right chord, you could simply ask, "How can I support you right now?"

Bonus: try getting into a routine of reaching out with messages like this—that goes for everyone in your life, not just the authors!

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Sage T. Green, Author