How to Support an Author

Folks, The Perfect Place to Die comes out TOMORROW. I am, needless to say, very excited. AndI keep having people ask me what’s the best way for them to support me. (Thanks, all!) I appreciate the question and the sentiment, though of course I also tell them to just go and buy the book (or borrow it from your library!). But beyond that, there are a few items I could highlight.

First and foremost, the best way to support an author you like (or a book you like) is to tell other people about it. Not in an annoying way, where you go around telling everyone they need to buy the book to the point that all your friends begin to avoid you. Rather, share a link to it on social media. Write a review of the book on your Facebook wall, or on your blog, or over at Amazon or Goodreads. Once you’ve written those reviews, share them online. One person buying the book is great, but for a book to really have legs, the word has to get out there about it. Reviews and word of mouth really make a difference.

As far as where to buy the book goes: it doesn’t make that much of a difference to an author. We get the same cut, no matter where you get it. I personally would recommend buying it from your local independent bookstore, simply because by supporting those stores, you support a wider variety of places to buy books. More places to buy books = more books being sold. But really, you don’t have to do anything special to support an author in terms of where you buy. (Though if you are going to buy on Amazon, if you buy at this link, then I get a cut of that sale above and beyond my royalties, because Amazon.)

One thing to note: it DOES matter when you buy the book. Books are often judged by how well they do in their first week. The more people who buy it then, the better for the book. So if you’ve already decided you want to buy the book, then buy it right away, rather than procrastinating. 🙂

With all of that out of the way, I’m really looking forward to you all having the chance to read the book this week. I hope you enjoy it. It’s been a long time in development, and I’m proud of how it turned out. Thanks for reading!