One of the most frequent emails I get from fans is "write faster!" Hey, I do the best I can. Right now, I am on the book a year pace with the next Mike Bowditch novel, Massacre Pond, scheduled to hit stores on July 16.
But the truth is that authors are usually most productive when we can focus on our books. Brian Freeman, whose excellent thrillers you should be reading, has some great advice on his site about how fans can help their favorite writers succeed, which for most of us means being able to write more books. Among his tips are:
- Post about your favorite author's books on Facebook.
- Tell your friends about them.
- Encourage other readers to sign up for an author's email list.
- Give a gift of your favorite author's books.
- Tell your local bookseller and librarian about your favorite books.
- Ask your local bookstore and library to order those books.
- Put your favorite books on the to-read list for local book clubs.
- Contact your local newspaper, radio station, or television station and ask them to profile your favorite authors.
- Post online reviews at sites like Goodreads, Librarything, Amazon & BN.com.
These tips really do work! When my friend Monica Wood published her memoir, When We Were the Kennedys, last summer without much fanfare, initial sales were modest. But over the following months, the book has gone on to become a huge success, simply because readers have been sharing it with friends and family members.
As Brian Freeman says, "publishing is one of the last great word-of-mouth businesses."