My new book officially releases today! It’s called “The First Time We Saw Him” and it’s stories about Jesus retold in the 21st century, as if he had come to Portland, Oregon instead of Jerusalem.
Whenever I have a new book come out, friends and fans ask me how they can best help get the word out. Most authors hate asking for help (not all of them… but a lot of us), so I thought I’d put this post up for all my author friends, too.
Here we go… the best ways to help an author when they have a new book releasing!
1. THE MAGIC OF WORD OF MOUTH!
You don’t have to look far to find a book that publishers will say, “That book succeeded because of word of mouth.” It’s like magical fairy dust that every author wants sprinkled liberally on all their books.
Word of mouth means putting a post on Facebook, or tweeting about the book. Or getting your book club to all buy books. Or taking a picture of yourself reading the book by the pool and putting it on Instagram.
I’ll tell you a secret. If you want authors to cry tears of joy, make it a goal to personally sell a certain number of books. Say to yourself “I’m going to keep telling my friends about this until I know my friends have bought ten copies.” I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.
Authors believe in their books, but it’s awkward to constantly tell everyone to buy them. We LOVE it when other people believe in our books, too. So tell your friends and family and enemies and neighbors about the book any way you know how. Word of mouth is the best.
2. Post a review.
What’s that? That sounds just like word of mouth? Well, yeah. I guess it is.
Posting a review to your favorite bookseller or on Goodreads can be a huge help. We want you to be honest, of course! However: if your goal is to help the author, negative reviews aren’t “helpful” in the traditional sense. Have something negative to say? Drop your author friend a kind email. Every book gets its share of negative reviews, but they don’t (usually) help authors sell books.
So: honesty is good. Especially if you liked it.
3. Give the book as a gift.
Sometimes you tell your friends “READ THIS BOOK” and they’re thinking, yeah yeah I’ll get to it give me a break.
Sometimes it’s best to buy the book for them and say, “Read this right now so we can discuss it.” It’s a time-honored tradition .
Think about the book and who among your friends would most benefit from it, and then buy a few copies to give away. Everyone loves the gift of books.
No, seriously. Everyone. No exceptions.
4. Use your influence for good.
Are you the host of a podcast, radio or television show? Have the author on for an episode!
Get them invited to speak at a conference or church or book club.
Most libraries will take requests from their patrons… request that the library buy the book or bring the author in!
If you have influential friends, send them the book.
And so on. You have a lot of influence, believe it or not, so take a few minutes to think how you can best help, and then do it!
5. Give the author some love.
Authors are people, too. Possibly more neurotic than other people. We like to hear nice things about our work. So send us a note. Say something nice to us. Tell us you’re looking forward to the next one. It may not sell books, but it could keep us writing!
FINALLY,
We authors know there is a lot of competition for your reading time. Which is why we encourage you to EAT ANY BOOK WRITTEN BY A COMPETITOR! DESTROY THEM ALLLLLLLLL!
Just kidding. The great thing about books is that “competitors” often generate sales for your own books, because people finish a great book and say “I want another like that.”
I hope you’ll enjoy The First Time I Saw Him and thank you so much for your support! I look forward to your thoughts about the book.
12 replies on “How to help your favorite authors when they have new books coming out”
Good suggestions Matt. I didn’t even know you had another book coming up.
Thanks, Greg!
I’m working on another one right now, too! I’m behind… deadline is August 1!
Congrats, Matt! In the kidlit world, launch day is called a book’s birthday. So happy Book Birthday!
That is awesome. I love it. Thank you for the birthday wishes.
Aren’t we always writing another one? What do you do when your brain hurts? lol “The Amish vs. The Zombies” launches Sat. and, of course I am at work on another book “Heaven, Hell and Back” (sci-fi theological) and am meeting w/ my illustrator today on our book “I’m Samson,’ said Sydney” (a children’s picture book due out Thanksgiving). If I get done with HHB by Nov. I’ll write another Bayou Boy’s Adventure (“Alien Ambush”) and both will be out for 1015 during which I plan to write a comedy-mystery (I have a plot and characters). So what is your project. BTW: I will buy and read “The 1st Time…” when I (and if I ever?) finish KK7 and Rubart’s “Soul Bridge” (I just bought).
What is KK7? Sounds like you have a lot of writing to do!
The new project is basically a sequel to this one, but I’m keeping it mostly under wraps right now!
Sssshh. Okay. Zipped lip. KK7 = Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers series.
Well I sorta did one of those already, haha. We didn’t talk about the book really, but I put another plug in at the end of the podcast. That posts tonight (after I get home from work and load it, haha).
My copy has been shipped to me, so I’m eagerly anticipating it! Listened to the Storymen today and the good Samaritan story almost made me cry on the treadmill. He was so selfless and concerned about taking care of the other man in deed and prayer. I am not like that even a tenth amount and I was so moved and convicted by that story.
On a related note, you should do an audio version. I’d buy that. Just do it at home with a recorder and that would be good enough for me.
I would love to do an audio version… my publisher holds the rights so they have to sell it first. I put it in my contract for Imaginary Jesus that I got to at least audition to read it myself. And I got to narrate it! That was really fun. We’ll see if Baker sells the rights to this one for audio….
Not all writers are qualified to read their books aloud, haha. But you are good at it.
Hey Matt. Just ordered the new one, Kindle edition, on Amazon. Looking forward to it. And I do spread the word about your books. I’m a pastor of a small church so I don’t influence thousands, but I tell everyone I can. Why? Because your books are really good. Keep up the great work! — Dave McWhorter, LivingWater Church.
Dave, thank you! I think everyone influences thousands. All of us have a relational network that eventually flows to kevin Bacon, you know?