Looking for ways to support your writing friends without spending a dime? Canadian children’s book author/illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi has written a great post on cost-effective ways to support writers, which I highly recommend checking out, but I thought I’d add a few thoughts to the conversation, too.
I write picture books, which have a very specific target demographic, and I completely understand that not everyone is in a position where buying picture books makes a lot of sense. That’s OK! There’s still plenty of ways that people can support writers beyond purchasing their books (though of course that’s lovely, too).
Show Up – One of the things I worry about most when planning an author event is staring out at a sea of empty chairs. If you want to support a writer, show up to one of their events – just seeing a friendly face in the audience can really mean the world to a nervous presenter!
Write a Review – I wish it wasn’t the case, but reviews (specifically the number of them) can make a big difference when it comes to a book’s commercial success. Please, please, please, if you want to support an author, write a review and share it widely – Goodreads is great, but Amazon is even better. And while you’re at it, why not share your review on the Chapters or B&N websites, and any other commercial website you frequent? The more reviews a book has, the more likely a seller is to show it to other potential buyers. It’s unfortunate, but it’s just the way the market works.
Request a Purchase – If your local library doesn’t carry a certain writer’s books, you can always request that they purchase a copy! Countless books come out every year, and as hard as they try, collections librarians can’t possibly keep on top of all of them, no matter how brilliantly written they might be. Purchase requests really do help librarians learn what kinds of materials their patrons want to see in their library’s collection, so they are worth filling out any time you spot a potential gap they could be filled with a great book. There’s no guarantee that a library will purchase every book that’s suggested (if only we had that kind of book-buying budget!), but it certainly doesn’t hurt to submit a request!
Borrow a Copy – And if you’re lucky enough to find your friend’s book in the library, check it out! It doesn’t cost you a dime (assuming you return it on time), and circulation statistics help libraries determine which books to keep in the collection, and which they might even want to purchase additional copies of. Oh, but be sure to actually read the book!
Retweet/Share/Like/Etc. – I’m not nearly as active on social media as a lot of authors are – I find that Twitter just aggravated my anxiety and had a very negative impact on my mental well being, so I’ve limited myself to Instagram and Facebook. I appreciate every like and comment so very much – not only does it help reassure me that I’m not screaming into the void, but it helps others find my posts, and helps build my network of connections. And of course, like everything else on this list, it doesn’t cost a penny (not that anything does here in Canada anymore), and you don’t even have to leave the couch for this one.
Take Them Out – This works best if you actually know the writer you want to support on a personal level, but if you have a writer friend who’s in the midst of writing / editing / revising / subbing / waiting / or promoting a book, taking them out of their stress can be the best kind of support imaginable. I don’t have a lot of close friends (social anxiety strikes again), but the ones I do have are very kind and very good at cheering me up with a coffee date, dinner in or trip to the movies. Sometimes creative pursuits can feel all-encompassing, and it can be an incredible relief to be reminded that, as important as writing may feel sometimes, there is more to life than creating, and that there will always be people who think we’re awesome, no matter how rejection letters we get, or how many scathing reviews our books get on Goodreads.
So there you have it, a few ways you can support writers without parting with even a cent. Obviously I dearly appreciate every single person who has spent their hard-earned money on one of my books, but I also appreciate that not everyone can do that, or even wants to (buying picture books makes a lot more sense when you actually know some children). However you are able to support a writer, know that your support is always deeply, truly appreciated, and can mean the world.