“How can I support you?”

It’s a question often asked by friends, family, and all the other folks who don’t want to necessarily buy another book. Maybe you’ve have already purchased my latest book, or maybe you can’t just can’t swing it right now. I’ve found that it’s nice to have a ready answer for non-montary ways to support me… and all the other amazing indie authors out there.

The good news is there are A LOT of things you can do that impact my bottomline: not all support for indie authors is a financial commitment! In fact, I’ve compiled a whole list of ways to help without spending any money. Handy, right?

First, let me just say that the thought really does count in this case; it is soooo precious, and it means an insane amount to me. When anyone offers to help me, in what ever way they can, I’m tickled and it’s meaningful.  Honestly, it’s the exact kind of recognition that most author’s – myself included – crave. 

But, down to tangible steps. Free author support can look like any (or all) of these:

• Interacting with my social media accounts. That can be “likes”, but commenting, saving cool posts, and sharing content that I’ve created is even more helpful than just hitting that little heart button. Authors like me generally dedicate a lot of time to in order to find, grow and retain an audience, and engagement really helps!
• Posting a review of my book(s). If you like my books, definitely post a review on GoodReads or Amazon. (If you didn’t like them, that’s okay, but maybe just keep those thoughts on the DL.) Also, if you’re on any platform where you have an audience, post your review there too. Even very short reviews matter to the algorithms for visibility and marketing, so don’t be afraid to be brief. Something like: “Loved it. Would totally recommend this romcom!” Longer reviews, if you feel comfortable, can also be helpful to give me content options for creating buzz… I love featuring quotes from fans of my work! 
• Reaching out to the me directly. It may surprise you, but most authors actually love to hear from you. Especially if you want to tell me how a book made you personally feel, or something you really resonated with in my writing. That is just the best! You can generally reach out either in DMs on  social media (all of mine let you do that) or via email. Most author’s provide a way on their website. Don’t underestimate this option… many writers struggle with imposter syndrome and / or struggle with motivation while they wait for their audience to grow (it’s me, I’m many writers). Your truthful kindness will matter; you may be the very reason they keep writing.
• Sharing my books with people you know. This is huge! Growing an audience as an indie author is especially tricky… without a huge publishing house, marketing teams and advertising budgets are limited, so it largely happens organically. That’s why you sharing your favorites with your friend and family has big impact — through word of mouth, via text, on your own social media, or even your physical copies. (Pro tip: Don’t “gift” people the book, lend it to them. I’ve found people don’t read the books you give as presents, but they will read it if they know they have to give it back.)
• Joining my launch team. (These are sometimes called street team, hype crew or ARC readers) If an author has these options, it can be great to have volunteers… rather than having to solicit folks to help. However, this can be a significant time commitment. It might mean reading and reviewing a next book, posting about it, hosting events, or other activities, and it’s usually on a relatively short timeline. If you’re interested in joining my ARC team, you can just email me! The details will vary by author, but it can be a great way to offer tangible marketing support.
• Joining my mailing list. This kind of support is on the opposite end of the commitment spectrum from joining launch team; it’s super low effort! However, I promise it’s still very helpful. It demonstrates your interest, and gives me the opportunity to inform the right people of new books, deals, and other promotions you might be interested in. It also makes me less reliant on social media platforms to engage with you. And, many newsletters are like mine, so you’ll have the chance to get exposed to other similar authors… I’d call that a win-win!
• Requesting my book at your local library. When you request a book from your library that is not already in their collection, there is a decent chance they will acquire it. Not only can future browsers find it (after you bring it back!), it may open opportunities to host events at their location. 

Those are my best ideas and suggestions. I’m sure there are others, but it’s a good start.

I try to do as many of these as I can, as often as I can, for my fellow indie authors. In fact, if you’re looking for a few good recs, check out the Read & Review highlights on my IG. There are tons of options in there! (See how I did that? I just put some of the above into practice. It’s that easy!) 

Leave a comment below if I’ve missed any great options for helping indie authors for free! I always love learning new tricks!

In love and laughter, 

Michelle