How to Support your Author Buddy

I am your author buddy.  

I was just going to write a blog about how to support your author buddy, but I have to make it clear; I am your author buddy.  It's me.  Chances are if you have any other author buddies, they probably want to be supported in the same way.

Okay, so let's talk about that.

First thing - Amazon reviews.  An Amazon review is invaluable.  A lot of promotional services won't even talk to you unless you have five reviews on Amazon.  

Second thing - A three-star review is not helpful.  If you can't give a four or five-star review (because it wasn't good enough in your mind) then say nothing.  

Third thing - Self-published authors have typos.  If your problem with the manuscript was that it had a few typos, then your expectations are too high.  Do not mention typos in your review!  Self-published authors cannot afford editors, because editors charge thousands of dollars for the kind of triple editing services that ensure the absence of typos (hopefully, but even these guys fall on their faces regularly).  A self-published author is not going to make thousands of dollars off their novel; thus, they can't afford editorial services.  And it might seem crazy, but after awhile the author can't see the errors.  Their brain automatically corrects the work so that it looks right to them even if it isn't.  It's science.  It happens to editors too.

Fourth thing - Goodreads reviews.  That is the second-best place to leave reviews.  Sometimes Amazon gets cranky and deletes reviews off Amazon.com or Amazon.ca, but Goodreads is more flexible. It's also a place a lot of people go to look for something to read.  Following me on Goodreads is also supremely helpful!

Fifth thing - Chances are, if your author has their work up on Amazon, they also have their work up in about a hundred other places on the internet.  My work is available on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, KOBO, OBOOKO, Free E-Books.net, Apple Books, Overdrive, and so many other places that it will get crazy if I start listing all of them.  Where ever you are reading, I am probably writing (except Google Play), and there are mechanisms for leaving reviews and posting star ratings on lots of those.  You can also follow me on various sites so it looks like I have lots of followers, even if I am only your author buddy.  

Sixth thing - There is nothing stopping you from posting reviews in more than one place.  Lots of people are not going to look up reviews for a book on multiple sites, so if you feel so inclined, post happy reviews everywhere!

Seventh thing - Thank you!  Thank you a lot!  Thank you so much I could cry!  

BONUS BLOG!

The picture above was taken at my very first book signing.  That is me signing a book.  I want to thank everyone who came and picked up a book.  It was a long night.  I did readings from four of my books.  Special thank you to the gals who helped me organize it!