As writers, we rely on our readers even more than our writing skills to produce a successful book. Here are some ways you can help your favorite author.

• Obviously, first thing you can do is buy the book.
• Then, tell your friends to buy the book. Or, buy it for them as a gift. Rave about it. Hand it to them so they can see the cover, read the back blurb. Tell them how wonderful it is and how you know they will absolutely love it.
• After raving about it to the people you know, write a review online so you can rave about it to the people you don’t know. Book selling sites have a way for readers to write reviews. Even if it’s not a 5-star review, that’s fine. Reviews help sell more books.
• Suggest it to your book club. And when you’re all done reading it, discussing it, and carrying on about how much you loved it, tell them to recommend it. And be sure to tell them to write a review.
• If the author lives in the area, maybe she/he would come to your book club and lead a discussion. We love to sign books and hear people tell us personally how much they love our book. We’re even willing to discuss the parts that confuse or fail for our readers. That’s how we learn. Writing a book takes a lot of work. It’s a sometimes agonizing process that can leave a writer wondering if it’s worth the effort. Kind words from our readers make all the hard work worth it.
• Check out our websites, our blogs. Sign up for the newsletter, if they have one. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, and any other social media site where you might find us. Go to book signing author/reader events and bring a friend…or two.

I’ve written many reviews for other writers. Some are personal friends, some are not, but I’m always honest while being fair and kind. If you truly disliked the book, you can still write a review. Just say why you disliked it, why it disappointed you in some way, but in a manner that’s neither rude nor hurtful.

This weekend I wrote a review for another Wisconsin author. I read her book in one day because I couldn’t put it down and I said as much in my Amazon review. If you like medieval Christian romance, check out Olivia Rae’s The Sword and the Cross Chronicles. I didn’t start the series until book 5, Adoration, and I just finished book 6 (the final book), Devotion, without feeling like I missed anything by not reading books 1-4 first; although, I will probably read them now. Olivia Rae takes you into the characters, into the time period, and never lets you go. She’s a master storyteller that I highly recommend.