Do you remember this TV commercial with Heather Locklear in 1984?
“When I first tried Faberge Organics shampoo with pure wheat germ and honey, it was so good I told two friends about it. And they told two friends. And so on, and so on, and so on…”
Before the Internet and social media, this commercial showcased the power of word of mouth.
For authors, word of mouth is still as important today; it just comes in many more forms.
Here are 15 ways to help your favorite author sell more books.
- Buy the book for yourself. You can buy The Cabernet Club, here.
- Buy books for your friends and family. My friend Tom sent 6 copies of The Cabernet Club to women friends he thought would like it. My friend Bronya bought books for her condo community library and another condo community library where my mother lived. Others have bought books for friends and family, as holiday gifts (don’t forget Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day), and for birthdays.
- Write a simple review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or other review sites. I hate figuring out what to write in a review, so if this is you, I see you! I envy people who write these dynamite review descriptions that almost sound like works (or words) of art! That said, I think I speak for every author when I say that giving us a high number of stars (if you like the book) and a short headline and one-line description is much more important than no review at all. Sometimes I’ll say something like, “Phenomenal,” “Stayed Up All Night Reading This,” or “Loved This” for the headline. The description can include anything you liked about the book: the characters, some of the funny lines, the message, the writing style, the plot, etc. These help in several ways. First, it helps potential readers learn more about the book and find a nugget of information that will help them choose to purchase the book. Then, the more reviews a book has (especially positive ones), the more likely the site’s algorithm will show that book to potential readers. Want more information on the importance of writing a book review, and some examples of book reviews I’ve written? Check out my post, Why and How to Leave a Book Review.
- Talk about the book with your friends. Word of mouth sells books! At dinner with friends, at work, at pickleball, and more.
- Post your positive thoughts about the book, especially with photos of you with the book, especially in interesting places. Some of the most enjoyable photos friends have posted include drilling into a door (at work) reading the book, having lunch at the office and reading the book, and at the library holding my library book.
- Follow your author on social media. Be sure to like, comment, and reshare their posts.
- Attend book launches, signings, and author talks to support them in person.
- Post about the book in online reading groups. Some Facebook groups, such as Renee’s Reading Club, have 50,000 or more members. Members are all readers and interested in hearing about great books. In your post, mention how much you loved the book and why.
- Ask your local library to carry the book. Remember, libraries can carry print, ebooks, and audiobooks. Libraries are some of the biggest buyers of books, and librarians talk to each other, especially at conferences.
- Ask your local bookstore to carry the book. It could be an independent bookstore or part of a large chain.
- Ask your book club to read the book. That exponentially increases the number of potential readers, because if each member of the book club likes the book, they will likely tell others. Most authors (including me) are also delighted to do a Q&A after the book discussion, in person, or online.
- Suggest your author as a speaker at an event you know of or are involved in. Are you in a women’s group that has luncheon speakers? Or maybe you’re involved in a charity with speakers at various times of the year?
- Send out a group email or text. After someone read my novel, she sent this text message. Wow! “Dear friends over 50 – this is a shameless plug for you to order a new book called The Cabernet Club by my dear friend Margie. Perhaps order it through your local library for others to enjoy? It’s a cross between the Golden Girls and Schitt’s Creek. Margie’s mom started it, and passed away, and Margie promised her it would see publication. With a dogged effort to find a publisher and sheer determination, her promise became a reality. I hope you embrace this story.
“
- Suggest a podcast or media outlet that you enjoy and that you think might be interested in interviewing your favorite author. There are an overwhelming number of podcasts and media outlets to learn about and keep track of. If you’ve listened to authors on the podcast or read about them in a media outlet, let your favorite author know. If you have a contact or personally know someone there, and can make an introduction, that is a terrific bonus, but not necessary.
- Make an introduction. Many of us are one or two degrees of separation away from someone, and we don’t even realize how much it could help an author. Here are some connections that would help almost every novelist, including me:
- Media contact for publicity – your niece who works for an online website
- TV or film producer – this is the dream for Mom and me!
- Member of a book club – your cousin across the country counts!
- Event organizer – for any kind of women’s group, religious group, business group
At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “Doing all of this would be a full-time job!” Yes, it is, for some people! But your favorite author appreciates whatever you can do, whenever you can do it. So go forth and live your life, and, occasionally, if you remember, help out your favorite author.