Help an Author Out

In other news, it’s entirely untrue that when you recieve 50 Amazon reviews you get a unicorn. (I check the mailbox every day and I do  have Prime)  I did get to meet this little sweetie at a friend’s birthday party, which was awesome:

A post shared by Jasmine Silvera (@jassilvera) on

Seriously, thank you to everyone who has left a review on Amazon or Goodreads. No matter what you thought of the book (and I’m not going to deny the sheer delight at the number of you who liked it, squee!!) I’m thankful that you took the time to share your opinions with others.

But maybe you’re not the review type. There are lots of other ways to show love for Death’s Dancer and other books and authors you enjoy. Here are a few suggestions*:

  1. Buy a copy – If you got your copy as a gift, or through Kindle Scout, consider buying a copy as a gift, or donating it to your local library.
  2. Speaking of libraries – Request a copy at your local library.  This earns you double karma points, because you’re not only supporting an author, but helping other readers who may not have the resources to buy have access to books!
  3. Word of mouth – Recommend it to a friend, co-worker, fellow book store browser. Mention it on your Twitter TL or post on FB. I don’t know about you, but books recommended to me by friends are always bumped to the top of my “to buy” and “TBR” lists!
  4. Follow/Like/Subscribe – Most authors are all over the intertubes (er..interwebs…ah…) most of us have websites, newsletters, Twitter accounts,  or Facebook pages. A few of us go overboard on the socials and have Instagram or Pinterest accounts. And others…we’re approaching junkie status, but you get what I mean, right? My point: whatever social media is your flavor, your favorite author is probably there. And the best way to find out about new releases and bonus materials is to follow along. If you are afraid of getting bombarded, try following the author profile on Amazon, Goodreads or BookBub, which only alerts you for specific, limited events.
  5. Book club – Part of a book club? Suggest it as a read. Not part of a book club? Start one! I love book clubs, even if you only spend 15 minutes talking about the book itself you’ve provided an avenue for necessary social interaction in ways we don’t often get in this “connected” age. This is a great way to support authors, boosting their book sales when your entire club buys the book, and contributing to word of mouth. As a bonus, if your book club choses Death’s Dancer, I’m happy to join you over Skype or Google Hangouts for a 30 minute Q&A session – for free! Double bonus, if you’re in a 20 mile radius of Seattle, and scheduling allows, I’ll join you in person.
  6. Write the author – Let them know you what you thought of the book, and that you’d love to read more of their work. (A small proviso: do remember that authors are people too with families and jobs and health issues and concerns. We are also not machines. So kindness and gentle encouragement will get you a lot farther than demands…)
  7. Make fan art – are you the artistic type? Have a way with charcoals, pencils or paints? Why not create (and share) your image.
  8. Support your local bookstore and an author  – booksellers want to know what people are interested in. If you have a favorite indie bookstore, let them know. Many hybrid and independently published books (like Death’s Dancer) are available through Ingram, which means that they can be ordered by your local bookstore as easily as a traditionally published book. Also, they’re available on Indiebound.org

* I did not come up with this list on my own. It was inspired, in no small part, from posts here and here.