Six Things You Can Do To Support The Authors In Your Life 

By Andrea J. Stein, author of Typecast and Dear Eliza

When babies are born, there are celebrations galore.  Showers are thrown.  Gifts are given.  Visits are paid.

In many ways, books are authors’ babies. They take hours and hours (truthfully, years!) of work to create and cultivate, and then they face a big world full of other babies—er, books.

I’ve been a book publicist for my entire career, but before my debut novel, Typecast, was published, it didn’t truly sink in how much it means to have the support of family and friends.  

But what does “support” look like? I think non-authors can be forgiven for not knowing what can be meaningful, so I spoke with some of my fellow authors to assemble this list of things that the authors in your life would love you to do!

Buy the Book

This would seem like an obvious one, but as Liz Alterman, author of The Perfect Neighborhood, commented, “I’ve had friends and even family members who’ve said, ‘Where would I find this book?’ I’m always tempted to joke, ‘There’s only one copy and I keep it in the dark recesses of my basement. When the mice finish reading it, I’ll pass it along.’” We don’t care where you buy the book—online, or in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore—or if it’s a physical book or an e-book.  But how many copies of a book sell is extremely important—not only for the obvious reason, but also because sales figures have an impact on how the author’s future books are evaluated by potential publishers.

I’ve been delighted by the people in my community who bought multiple copies of Typecast and now of my sophomore novel, Dear Eliza, as gifts, and I’m not the only one with this experience: Maggie Smith has a friend who bought five copies of her book, Truth and Other Lies, to give to each of their sisters for Christmas.  

If you have a local bookstore, consider making your purchases there. As Angela Terry, author of The Palace at Dusk told me, “This helps booksellers to discover small press books like mine, and exposes my books to a new geographical audience.” 

Review the Book 

Did you know that 500,000 to a million new books are published each year?  If you add self-published books, that number may be closer to four million books. In this intensely crowded environment, reviews are critically important. And it’s not only about attracting new readers—promotional opportunities are often not available unless a book has 50 or 100 reviews on Amazon.  “Amazon reviews are the most effective because, after a certain number of reviews, a book gets bumped in the algorithms and will appear under ‘Books You Might Like’ to potential readers,” explained Terry.

Amy Impellizzeri, author of In Her Defense, added, “Don’t forget to review the books you love —especially on Amazon and Goodreads. No matter where you bought/borrowed the book, Amazon reviews help others find our books!”  Lainey Cameron, award-winning author and host of The Best of Women’s Fiction Podcast, pointed out, “a review only has to be one or two lines—I think many of us were brought up thinking we have to write New York Times Book Review-style reviews!”  

Invite Authors To Your Book Club – Even If You’re Not In One

I’ve loved the many book clubs I’ve visited—some in person, and some via Zoom.  And if you’re not in a book club, don’t let that stop you!  Joani Elliott, author of The Audacity of Sara Grayson, explained, “I’ve had several friends host a book club for my book with friends from their work, church, or neighborhood circles.”  I can relate: a neighbor friend of mine hosted a Ladies’ Night built around my debut novel.  

Penny Haw, author of The Woman At the Wheel, had similar experiences. “I have a friend who is a member of Rotary Club. She told the committee about me and my books, and they invited me to talk at one of their meetings. Another friend is part of a businesswomen’s group in her town. She told the association about my books…and they included several copies in prize hampers for one of their events.”  

Bottom line:  think outside the box to introduce your author friends and their books to your communities.  

Shout From the Rooftops (well, post on social media)

It’s likely your author friends are hustling on social media—be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and wherever else they are, and like and comment on their posts. The more activity on their pages, the more attention the posts will get. You can also invite your friends to “like” author Facebook pages—just click the three dots on the upper right of the page and hit “Invite Your Friends” when the drop-down menu appears.

But it’s not just about the authors’ social media channels. I’ve loved it when friends post their photos of my books on their own social media.  C. D’Angelo told me that, with her first book, The Difference, she started a hashtag for her readers’ posts. (#TheDifferenceAroundtheWorld). “One friend took it everywhere…I mean on every vacation. She also would go into bookshops around the US and ask if they would carry it. Just above and beyond!”

Don’t Forget Your Local Library

“A wonderful thing friends have done is to connect me to their local librarians. Library events have been some of my very favorites. And having my books in libraries across the country is such an honor!” Amy Impellizzeri told me.  So do as Michelle Cameron, author of Babylon, suggests and ask your local library to stock the book—and let the librarian know that your author friend would love to come in for an event.

Go The Extra Mile

I always love it when friends introduce me as an author—it has been known to spark my new acquaintance to order a book right then and there. The beauty of smartphones!  Sandra L. Young, author of the Divine Vintage series, described one of her friends as “like an unpaid publicist.”  “She talks up my books wherever she goes, introduces me to people, and approached a venue about hosting a launch party,” Young said. If you’re connected with a group or organization that hosts speakers, consider recommending your author friends.  

Angela Terry also mentioned how grateful we are when our friends attend our book events. “Venues expect us to bring in a certain number of attendees. So there is always the worry, ‘Is anyone going to come?’” she said. I have people in my life who have surprised me at quite a few of my events—it’s always so great to see a familiar face!

The acknowledgments page in my new book, Dear Eliza, includes a long list of folks who have posted reviews, shared on social media, connected me with speaking engagements, and/or bought multiple copies of my debut novel. It truly takes a village to launch a book—and to keep finding new readers.  Whatever you can do to support your author friends, they will appreciate it more than words can say. (Given that we’re authors and words are our business, that’s saying quite a lot!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea J. Stein is an author of women’s fiction. Her award-winning debut novel, Typecast, has been featured in BuzzFeed and ScaryMommy. Her sophomore novel, Dear Eliza, was just published on October 8, 2024. For more information, go to:  http://andreajstein.com

By Andrea J. Stein, author of Typecast and Dear Eliza

DEAR ELIZA

Ten years after her mother’s death, Eliza Levinger never imagined she’d hear from her again. But then The Letter arrived. 

Eliza’s world broke apart when she was sixteen and her mom died of cancer. Now, years later, she has rebuilt her life to include a director-of-development job at a nonprofit, a Manhattan apartment, and an easy-on-the-eyes bedroom buddy—just the kind of no-strings relationship she wants, even if it’s less than her best friend, Mo, thinks she deserves. But when Eliza’s dad dies unexpectedly, her beloved aunt Claude arrives at the shiva with a letter from her mom—to be opened only after her father’s death. Inside the letter? A bombshell.

Suddenly, all of Eliza’s relationships are upended. Her brother is angry, her stepmother is threatening to disinherit her, and Mo—who has always been her rock—doesn’t seem to understand what she’s going through. But as Eliza struggles to cope with the shocking news, she finds an unexpected ally—her brother’s best friend, Josh—her high school crush, whom she’s tried hard to forget. It’s not in Eliza’s nature to trust . . . but maybe it’s time for that to change.

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin, Katherine Center, and Jennifer Weiner, Dear Eliza explores the meaning of family, the complexities of grief, and the beauty in finding your way again.

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: How To and Tips, On Book Marketing