top of page
Search

My Two Cents on How to Help Indie Authors

Happy Sunday my lovelies! I'm so sorry I've been out the past couple weeks, but what can I say…life is really freaking hard! I'm doing my best.


But…today I'm giving you My Two Cents on how to help indie authors.


First off, let me remind everyone (in case you happened to miss it), my first full length novel, The Cupcake Cowboy finally published on March 22. It's on Kindle Unlimited, so make sure you grab yourself a copy (and when you're done devouring it, drop a rating/review) Get it here


Ok, so now that I'm done with my shameless self-promo, here goes… I'm going to run down the best ways to Help Indie Authors:


  1. Read their books

This is probably self explanatory, but I'll tell you a couple things I didn't know prior to self publishing. If your favorite authors offer their books Kindle Unlimited, they don't get paid unless you actually read it!


Did you know that Kindle pays authors in “page reads?” What that means is that somehow the system calculates how many pages you actually turn in their book and the percentage you complete. So if you borrow a book, make sure to read it—turn them pages!


Also, there is a difference in how much you make from the ebook and the paperback (hint hint, the royalties on eBook purchases are usually higher). So if after you borrow your indie authors book on Kindle Unlimited, you decide you love it, consider springing for the ebook or the paperback!


2. Leave a rating or review

Ok, again, it's pretty self-explanatory, but authors need reviews. Whether you have red-hot or luke-warm feeling a for a book, increased reviews generally result in more eyeballs on a book. I'm not going to pretend like I understand how the Amazon formula works, but it usually follows that the more reviews a book has, the higher it ranks, and therefore the more visabluty it has from potential readers of their genre.


Also, be aware that when authors run free/reduced price book promos, they are making nothing or next to nothing. They're doing it in hopes of getting more readers, and as I previously explained, those additional readers find their book based on their rating, which ultimately relates to the number of purchases and reviews. Indie-authors usually give out more free books than traditionally-published authors, so if you happen to get one of those free copies, please do them a favor and help them out with a review or at the very least a rating. It costs you nothing and it helps them loads!


3. Follow/Like/share

We all know that that social media is one of the most powerful tools in a modern indie author's arsenal. It helps them reach readers they may not otherwise ever reach and meet people they might not have ever met before. But the Instagram/TikTok algorithm is hard to navigate. It's unclear to me what actually increases reach, and it can be really tricky to understand. The only true consensus is that it takes people engaging in your posts to make your reach go beyond those you're following. So, all that to say, if you have a favorite indie author, follow them and engage with their post! Just like a rating, it costs you nothing and it takes 2 seconds to hit the ❤️ and/or share. And if you really like an author, join their street team, become part of their inner circle and help them branch out!


           4. Tell your like minded friend

Since the beginning of time word of mouth has been one of the best ways to increase business. Just think about it, you like something enough to tell someone, it's likely going to be a person who will also like it. So if you like a book, tell someone who has the same tastes as you, because that helps more than you know!


Ok guys, I know that's probably all stuff you already know, but here’s what it boils down to…just be supportive in whatever way you can!


Indie authors aren't just writing books, and moving on to the next. They're writing them, editing, getting cover work, and then being their own media/marketing team. It's a lot of work! If you are a lover of good books, and want your favorite authors to keep on producing your favorite books, help them out. It can be very isolating to be out on a limb by yourself, so reach out and give an indie author a boost!


That's it folks! That's my two cents on how to help indie authors. Be supportive, be kind, and tell a friend!


Happy Sunday my friends! I hope you have a fabulous week!



XOXO

-Rose Rayne Rivers



Also, stay tuned for early readers signups for Book 2.



Let me know if you have any topics you want me to cover in the upcoming weeks!




2 views0 comments

コメント

bottom of page