Show Some Love

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. It's one of my favorite days of the year, the one day when we are reminded to hold those we love tight. It doesn't matter whether we are single, in a steamy new relationship, or an old married couple who can finish each other's sentences. We all have people we love, specifically family and friends.

As an elementary school teacher, Valentine's Day love usually comes in the form of hyped up kids and far too much candy. I swear the kids are trying to kill me by fattening me up, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

But what about the other people in your life? You know the ones I mean . . . all the people you take for granted, like the mechanic who keeps your car running, or the hair stylist who keeps your gray hairs hidden, or the barista who always gets your coffee order just right? Personally, I'd like to thank the creator of the Keurig machine who makes it possible for my husband and I to enjoy coffee together even when we don't like the same coffee flavor.

But what about authors? Authors need love, too. We readers take it for granted that when we pick up a book, the characters will welcome us into their lives, sharing their trials and tribulations, allowing us to forget our own drama for a while. In the end, we know we'll get our happy ever after ending that will cause a surge of satisfaction to run through us.

When was the last time you showed your favorite author some love? Do your favorite writers know how much you enjoyed their last book? Did you write a review, or recommend their books to all your friends?

No?

Well, here are 10 easy ways to show your favorite authors some serious love by helping to promote their books:

1. Recommend the book on FB and Twitter. 
2. Follow or like the author's social media pages. Share her posts/tweets with your friends. 
3. Pin the book on Pinterest.
4. Add the book to your Goodreads bookshelf.
5. Write a review and post it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. While you're there, click on the author's page and like it. 
6. Buy the book as a gift for friends and family.
7. Offer to distribute promotional items (swag).
8. Host the author on your blog for an interview and a giveaway.
9. Suggest the author's books to your book club. Invite the author (if local) to an informal chat with your friends.
10. Talk about the book to everyone you know.

So, who are my favorite authors I'll be showing some love this Valentine's Day? Here are just a few of my more recent faves:  Elise Sax, Shauna Allen, Jill Shalvis, Mary Higgins Clark, Helen Kay Dimon, Lois Lowry, and Cheryl Yeko. 

Tiptoeing Down the Path to Publication

Now that I have successfully landed a publisher and have a tentative release date, I'm starting to look at ways author's promote their books. And let me tell ya, it's all just a little bit daunting right now. According to all the websites and books I've read, here's what I know.

Establish A Social Media Presence
It's all about being accessible to your readers. Authors today absolutely have to have a website, preferably one that's easy to find and user friendly. I finally settled on a webpage name (using my pen name) and design. After half a day, my brand spanking new website was up and running. I have no idea if I'm getting hits yet, or how to increase my search engine visibility yet, but at least my site is awfully pretty!

Since most of the people I know are on FaceBook, it made sense to also create an author page on FB. Creating the page wasn't too difficult. Figuring out how to make my page look nifty and neat is going to take an act of God. Or at least someone with better computer skills than I have.

And then there's this blog. I have one. You're reading it, though for the life of me, I can't figure out how you actually found it. Actually, to be truthful, I have three blogs, but I'm a terrible blogger. I blog a lot during the summer months when I'm not teaching. But then school starts again and I fall off the blogging wagon. I tend to go months on end without writing a single post. *holds up three fingers and says solemnly* I promise to be a better blogger in the future. Starting now.

There are dozens of other ways I can connect with my future and current readers as well as other writers, but for the moment, I think it might be best if I just try to juggle the plates I already have up in the air. Twitter can wait.

Purchase business cards and give out to random readers
I gotta say, I love designing things. Creating cute business cards is right up my ally. Actually passing them out, not so much.

So a month or so ago, I started looking into business card designs. It's easy to get overwhelmed in the thousands of designs I found online. Should I go simple with a black card? Or should I go with something sensual to show that I write romance? It's all very confusing. And then it occurred to me. What in the world should I put on these new cards I was expected to pass out to every person I passed? I don't have a book cover to proudly display just yet. Until yesterday, I didn't even have an author website, email, or FB page to announce.

So what did I do? Created a business card . . . for my teaching career.

Buy Swag for Readers
Here's the part that makes me all tingly inside. Swag. I get to create bookmarks and postcards and . . . and . . . actually I'm not sure what readers enjoy getting from their authors.

Last Spring I attended the SoCalRWA Writer's Conference. Every writer I met had a business card to pass out and some sort of swag to give. Bookmarks and postcards were the most popular items, however I did snag a compact mirror, pens, booklets, and a cloth to buff my glasses with. Did any of those novelty items encourage me to buy a book? Nope.

What do you think? What swag items should I purchase to give to my readers? Or should I save my money and instead invest my time on building a strong web presence?