FAQ

Okay, so this is less FAQ and more info on how you can help indie authors!  If you do have questions, though, about this or anything else, send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Now, onto the good stuff!  A few years ago, the lovely author Gail Carriger wrote a fantastic blog on the top 10 ways readers can help support authors. I suggest you check it out on her website. This is a summarized version of her list, combined with some of my own thoughts. 

 

1. First and foremost, and I can’t believe I have to say this, DO NOT READ PIRATED BOOKS. There are lots of ways to read books for free that are LEGAL and don’t harm the authors.
    

2. The number one way you can support indie authors is by buying their books, ideally within the first few weeks of release, but anytime will do! Buy direct from authors whenever you can – no middle man means more money goes straight to the author, which means they can write and publish more books for you to enjoy! Check their websites to see if they sell direct. Editors, proofreaders, software, it all costs money. No money = no books.
    

3. Once you read it, if you love it, please rate and review it! Reviews are how authors find new readers. If you loved the book, sing its praises on all the standard review sites (and, yes, you can use the same review across sites! The important thing is that you review it.) Tell your friends! Use social media for good and let the world know you loved it and why.
    

4. Preorder the next book as soon as you can! Reviews/ratings and preorders all impact the algorithm, and unfortunately, we live in a world dominated by the great and powerful Algo.
    

5. Join my newsletter and follow along on all the chaos and mayhem (scroll all the way to the bottom of my homepage to find the sign-up link). Same goes for other authors you love. Get their newsletters, follow them on socials, and again, share the love. 
    

6. Buy that shelf trophy! Or that audiobook. Or both! The more formats you buy, the more successful the book will be (see more on libraries below if you don’t personally want to have all the different formats).
    

7. If you use a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited, if you read a book and you really love it, don’t reread it on KU. Buy it or get it from the library. Why, you might ask? Fun fact, authors get paid per page view for books in Kindle Unlimited, BUT only for the first time someone reads a book. So, if you love an author’s work and want to reread it once a month, just know, they won’t get paid for anything except the first time you read it.  Also, if a book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, digital copies cannot be sold anywhere else during the time it is in the program, so you may see some titles come and go. 
    

8. Libraries! Use them, support them, and request books through them. If you don’t see a book you want in your library’s catalogue, request that they get a copy to add to circulation, whether print or digital. 
    

9. Support your independent bookstores! In the last few years, several romance-only bookstores have popped up around the nation. You can shop and support these local stores in person or online! If you shop Bookshop.org you can select which Indie bookstore you want to receive a portion of the profits of the sale. If you’re an audiobook lover, the same goes for Libro.fm. Don’t see an author you love in the store? Request they carry it, and in the meantime, shop Bookshop.org or Libro.fm to support the author and your local romance bookstore. 
    

10. Join an author’s Patreon and/or Discord communities if they have them (I’m not (yet) so don’t look for me.)  
     

11. Do not tag authors in negative reviews!  If you don’t like it, that’s fine, and you can still leave an honest review, but remember, there’s a real human behind that book, and they have feelings too. 

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Thank you for all of your support!  It means the world to us indie authors who just want to get our stories out there for book lovers to enjoy!