Whether you are an author, know an author, or just like to read books, it is so important for the writing community to support one another. Below are eight ways you can make a difference for the writer in your life. Spread the word! 

1. Preorder the book. I am going to dedicate a whole post to preordering at some point, but the short version of that rant is that preorders are HUGELY important to a book’s success. Preorders determine the number of copies stores and online retailers will take, and they can also help books hit the bestseller list.
2. Buy the book. Okay, so you didn’t preorder? That’s fine. Buy the book as soon as you can. And buy the physical book, if possible. Ebooks are great, but they don’t put as much $$ in the author’s pocket.
3. Buy the book new. There are lots of great used bookstores out there, but used books rarely provide an author with royalties. Buying new means you are supporting that author’s career right now.
4. Buy the book locally…if you can. The publishing world has a serious love/hate relationship with Amazon, but we have a serious LOVE relationship with local booksellers. Pick up the book at your indie store or B&N whenever possible.
5. Tell the world you bought the book. Even if you only have 10 Twitter followers, post about the book and recommend it to your friends. Word of mouth is the #1 seller for books.
6. Review the book when you’re done reading. Reviews are also incredibly important to authors. Go to a site like Goodreads or to an online retailer to share your thoughts with other readers and inspire them to check out the book. But if you don’t have anything nice to say…well, at least give constructive criticism. That means NO TROLLING.
7. Attend events. If an author has an event in your area, go! Nothing means more to an author than a room full of people who like their work. Get your book signed, snap a picture with the author, and leave feeling like you met a rockstar.
8. Be a bookstore ninja. Go into your local bookstore and search for the author’s book. When you find it, place it so the cover (not the spine) is facing the store. This is called putting a book “face out.” Customers have been trained to believe face out books are more important, and are more likely to pick up a book when they can see the entire cover instead of just the spine. The bookstore employees might get mad that you messed up the shelving, but that’s where the ninja part comes in. (RUN!)

Want more ideas? Check out these sites:

www.huffingtonpost.com/cindy-tansin/be-more-than-a-reader-how_b_4568997.html

www.publishingcrawl.com/2015/04/20/how-to-support-an-author-after-buying-their-book

http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2015/6/19/want-to-support-an-authors-or-illustrators-new-book-but-cant.html

http://writerunboxed.com/2013/01/28/jan-28-column

www.hughhowey.com/whats-the-best-way-to-support-your-favorite-authors

http://theblazingcenter.com/2015/03/3-ways-to-support-an-author-you-like.html