Finding and Supporting Your Favorite Authors


Finding and Supporting Your Favorite Authors

Have you ever seen a celebrity in the flesh? Who would you want to sit next to on a plane?

Do you dream of running into your favorite author and having a real conversation with them?

Fangirling or fanguying. They’re a real thing. And I’m here to tell you how you can live out your dream.

Nothing is more endearing than a reader contacting an author and telling them how much you enjoy their story.

You can do this in many ways.

First, reviews are the way that really helps authors in so many ways. A review on a sales platform, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, helps authors to know not only what you liked, but also what you didn’t like. It also gives other readers a heads up on what readers are enjoying about a book…and what they aren’t. And lastly, many platforms like Amazon give authors a ranking boost—allowing other readers to see and read books that they loved more easily.

Second, you can boast about the book on websites like Goodreads and Bookbub. They aren’t sales platforms, they’re basically a reader support and reference location. They allow you to record what you’ve read and what you thought of it. Be sure to follow the authors that you support on there. When it comes to Bookbub there is a FOLLOW button in red on an author’s page. Like these…

(All pictures are clickable!)

 

Be sure to find your favorite authors and let them know what you think on those platforms.

Lastly, social media is a great place to interact and contact your favorite writers. The list is almost endless these days with the major platforms being Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. Many authors will concentrate on one or a couple of the offerings. And some will be on all of them in some manner.

Start by typing in just the name in the search and see what comes up. If you’re not seeing the author, try adding author behind the name. Often that will focus the algorithms to the right type of account.

Then “follow” and “like” and interact to your heart’s content.

Many authors will have what’s called a “linktr.ee”. It’s where they have collected all of their social media in one place. Our own Lana Dash has one. Yeah, yeah, I can hear her in my head saying, Brynn should have one, too! I’ll get to it! But you can type in www.linktr.ee/(author’s name) and you might find them. Otherwise—just ask them: Do you have a linktr.ee?


Last Chapter Press has a linktr.ee, too.  

Surprise a writer! Do something that will make them have to fan themselves to keep from crying. 

A reader created this video with one of my series in it on TikTok and guess what—I thanked them for it. I was thrilled to see the series out there. I’m not great at TikTok, and having someone who uses it well helping to promote my work is beyond helpful. It’s amazing.

Video: Authors Who I Just Found on TikTok

Authors absolutely love when a reader contact them to discuss their books or ask questions.

Nothing is off limits—well, some things are off limits. Please don’t ask them their “real name”. If they use a pen name, it’s for a reason. And don’t get creeper and ask them what they’re wearing. But asking about their sources of inspiration and what they love about writing, are a great start.

I contacted one of my favorite authors, Jay Crownover, a few years back after she had to cancel a book signing in Des Moines to let her know that I missed her, and she was an inspiration to me. I asked her for any hints she might have on being an author and she wrote me back!

She said:

I'm so sorry I couldn't make it.

I swear the universe absolutely didn't want me in Des Moines. Everything that could go wrong did.

I'd love to send you a [XXX}. He's my game changer...I feel it!!

The first thing I tell anyone that wants to be a writer is that means you have to write. You have to sit at the computer and put the words down. IT sounds like it should be the easiest part, but often it's not. I write like it's my job. When I'm on deadline I work 8-10 hours a day. I set word count goals and I don't allow myself to stop until they are met.

I also think it's important to write something you, yourself want to read. A lot of writers talk about voice...and it's true. If you can't make your work, your books stand out, if they sound like Jamie McGuire or like Jen Armentrout then that's not good and you'll never find your place in the market. I honestly just wrote about things I liked. My music, my kind of guys, my favorite town, my kind of bars and since the Marked world is so wholly made up of things I like no one can dispute my unique voice. Your voice is kind of like your heart on the page.

Lastly you have to ignore the haters. I get bad reviews, I get a lot of hate on my ladies and at first it was so hard. I took it really personally. It affected my writing mojo to the point I almost couldn't get Rome off the ground. It sucks...but now I know its just part of the game and in order to keep doing what I love to do I can't internalize it. After all I like terrible movies that other people hate and there is nothing wrong with that...it's all perception.

Again sorry I missed you!!

Lots of Love from Colorado

That’s pretty cool, right?!

I’ve contacted her since, but I’ll keep those conversations private. And just writing this made me write her again. I want her to know she's still influencing me and I love her work! 

What I’m saying is…JUST DO IT! Let those authors know what you think. What do you have to lose?

Happy reading from Last Chapter Press

#authors #readerlife #amreading #readromance #ireadromance