Twelve days ago, my debut book, Oregon Trail Theology: The Frontier Millennial Christians Face—And How We’re Ready dropped. In the days following, I received a stream of congratulatory messages from folks with photos of their copies attached, and I was able to sign and personalize a number of copies for my friends here in my local area. In a year that has been a tough one in the country and the world, to be able to finish both my doctorate and my book—entirely separate endeavors—within a few months of each other has been a blessing in every sense of the term. And as I anticipate the birth of my and Carrie’s first child almost any week now, I am acutely aware of how big a year this has been for me and us.
The purpose of this post, though, isn’t to congratulate myself—I don’t sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, after all. It is to share how you can best support the work of the authors in your life—including, but not only, me. I don't want to see anyone's support of writers be limited to only me. We all put ourselves out into the public sphere because we hope that we have something of value to share with you, and that it will impact your life in some meaningful and maybe even lasting way.
I have loved doing that with OTT—so much so that I am already fifty pages into the manuscript for book number two—but I also know that I am signing up for another two-year process to get this new creation published and in your hands. And I will appreciate your support along the way, just as I can vouch that the other authors I know would as well. So, this post is dedicated to helping all of them, not just me.
Here are just a few ways to support us beyond buying our books for yourself. This list is meant to be a springboard and is not at all comprehensive:
Share our work with your friends, both in-person and online. Word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted friends and relatives still mean so much in a Yelp/Google/Tripadvisor-saturated world. My mom, as my unpaid publicist, does this for me, but really, anyone can do it. Similarly, gift our books to your loved ones (or, if you don’t like our stuff, to people you’d rather not see again) during the holidays or for birthdays. Also share that recommendation with your local library--that they should keep our book(s) in circulation! Libraries are fantastic community resources, and having our books there for anyone to read should be important to most any author.
Review our books on Goodreads and Amazon—and please review the book itself, not your shopping experience! Even if you do not buy your books from Amazon (and OTT is available at a wide array of non-Amazon outlets, including Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Powell's, and many others, including direct from my publisher), Amazon's review system has an undeniable impact, and a few sentences reviewing an author's book can make a big difference for us.
Invite us to come see you. I can’t speak for fiction writers, but for many of us nonfiction writers, we are experts in our subject matter, and we love getting to share that expertise in workshops, readings, and the like. And especially if we’re still building names for ourselves (like me—you can inquire about booking me right here through my website!) as opposed to already being an established “brand,” you’re likely to secure our services at a relative bargain.
Finally, do not underestimate the value and importance of your emotional support. I cannot tell you how many fellow writers I know who, like me, secretly suffer from some level of impostor syndrome (hint: it’s a lot). Writing can really be an up-and-down roller coaster of a vocation, and like ministry, I didn’t get into it to become rich. I, and many other authors for whom I know this is true, thrive on the knowledge that our words have had a beneficial impact on your life. That positive feedback is always welcome, even if said impostor syndromes may keep us from wanting to accept it!
Get creative! Carrie and I decided for our baby shower here in the area to specifically ask for baby books that either they loved as children or that their own children loved. The result has been an absolute treasure trove of books to start our own kid out on what I hope will be a lifetime love of reading and learning, and by supporting the life-changing work of a number of different authors.
These are only a few ways to support your favorite authors; this list is by no means meant to be exhaustive. What would you add to it? And thank you to all of you for your belief in me, that I have something important to say, and in reading and sharing my writing. It continues to be a blessing and an honor to write for you.