How Can You Show Your Support for Your Writing Group Authors?

Writing Group Authors: Show Your Support!

No matter what kind of writing group you're in, mutual support among the members is essential for everyone's success. Knowing that your fellow writers are cheering you on can make a real difference in your motivation and creativity. And your author buddies will feel the same way, knowing that you have their backs.

That's true in your contact points and check-ins as a group, and it's also true when members of the group share things with the public. They might publish a book, or an article, or launch a new writing-related service.

Many writing groups extend their mutual support out into the public sphere. But I've been a little surprised how some other writing group members don't take the opportunity to support their writing group buddies. I'm not sure what's behind it and it doesn't really matter. What matters is that each member of the group find a way to be supportive of their writing buddies in the marketplace.

If you feel something is holding you back from supporting your writing group authors, check out these suggestions and see if you can adopt one of these practices:

Follow the Writing Group Author on Social Media

Follow your writing buddies on social media and like, comment and share their posts. It costs you nothing, but every point of engagement helps the author and adds algorithm weight to their posts, potentially increasing the post's reach, which could translate into more followers and readers.

Get the Books

Consider pre-ordering or buying the writing buddy's book. If that's not in your budget, many authors offer free stories, chapters or other materials on their author site. Take advantage of them.

Leave Reviews

Oh my gosh! This is so important! Every author needs reviews of their work. Written reviews have a mighty power that can transform browsing into book sales. So, if you've read the book and you want your writing group authors to feel the love, share a positive review on whichever platform you purchased your copy. If the members of the writing group served as beta readers, then leave a review on Goodreads or another platform that the author prefers.

BTW, as of this writing, Amazon shifted it's policy around book reviews, weighting text reviews higher than ratings alone. That means you'll help your writing group authors by going beyond stars and writing a few words.

If the author has shared an article, you don't have to review the work, of course, but you can like, comment and share.

Recommend the Author's Work to Your Network

You may not realize it, but you know a lot of people! Consider letting your friends or family know about the author's work. Word-of-mouth is one of marketing's most potent tactics for driving sales. My personal experience: My close friend, who is not a writer, wanted a book suggestion as a gift for her niece who loves mysteries. One of my writing group buddies had just released her latest mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommended. My friend bought the book and her niece loved it!

Subscribe to the Author's Newsletter or Blog

If you're like me, you probably get a ton of author newsletters. They're great, but the sheer volume can feel overwhelming. Still, if you can subscribe to your writing buddy's newsletter, you're doing something constructive. An email list is important to an author so that they can build a loyal fanbase.

Show Up

If the author is doing a book-signing, a library presentation, an online event, or guesting on a live-stream podcast, make an effort to attend. Schedules are crazy and locations varied, so it's not always doable. But if you can be a part of the event, your presence speaks volumes to others.

A Final Thought

Don't force yourself to show your support in ways that you're not comfortable with, but if you're doing nothing at all right now, maybe you can adopt one (or even two!) of these practices. Whatever you do, you'll help your writing group buddy in very constructive ways. With a few simple gestures, you'll celebrate their journey, as well as your own!

Let me know in the comments what you do to support the authors in your writing group.