9 Ways To Make Your Favorite Author Happy (And Motivate Them To Write More)

Hullo, friends! I’m still getting responses on the poll I posted, but I thought I would go ahead and share this post with you that I’ve had sitting in my drafts for a while. This is inspired by Rachelle Rea Cobb’s post called 20 Ways To Support Your Favorite Books. Go check it out, and take a look at her books, too, while you’re over there!

I’m pretty sure there is a direct correlation between fans fangirling over books and their authors writing more of said books. It makes sense, right??? So here are 9 ways to make your favorite author happy. This can also help that author write more by reminding them how much you love their books. (Note: these can be used for pretty much any author, although I know a few authors don’t agree about fanfiction.)

1. Fangirl over their books. On their blog, on Goodreads, to your friends, to that random stranger who asked you what you’re reading on the bus. Sharing your love for the book(s) with others will pique their interest. And who doesn’t want friends to fangirl over a book with them?
2. Share on social media. If you have a Twitter account, tweet a cool picture and a quote from the book! Post your thoughts on Goodreads while you read. Find the author on Pinterest and follow them. Like their Facebook page. Sharing your love for the book and the author goes a long way.
3. Write fanfiction. Some authors don’t like fanfiction, but many do. Have a random idea about what may be happening behind the scenes? Like a side character and want to write about how they saved the world? Found a spot where the author hints at something that happened and want to guess what it is? Write a fanfic! It doesn’t have to be long. Even a short fanfic can remind an author that people love their book.
4. Create fanart. You don’t have to be an awesome artist to create fanart. You could draw an important symbol from the book, make a collage online, or even film a scene from the book and share it on Youtube. Homemade book trailers are cool, too! (You can see one Alea Harper did for Twinepathy here.)
5. Write a review. Reviews help authors a lot. On Amazon, reviews determine how easy it is to find a book when searching, and readers are more likely to pick up a book if it has a lot of great reviews. Along with that, you can post reviews on Goodreads and your own blog. Authors also love it when you use gifs and fangirl in your reviews!
6. Participate in events. Whether your favorite author is hosting a giveaway, a blog tour, or doing a Q&A, they want to interact with you! Ask them questions, offer to help spread the word on social media, and provide suggestions for future events. Authors love having help when they host big events.
7. Share quotes. A good, memorable quote can grab someone’s attention, especially if it’s a relatable one. And while it’s easier to make quote pictures for movies because you can use pictures from the movie, books are fun to do, too! If you don’t want to do pictures, you can always just tweet a quote or add it on Goodreads.
8. Give the book as a gift. While Christmas may be half a year away, there are still many opportunities to give gifts, like birthdays and graduations. If you have a book you love, think about sharing it with your favorite bookworm. After all, what bookworm doesn’t love getting free books?

I hope you enjoyed this post, and hopefully you’ll be able to use a few of these ideas to help motivate your favorite authors. Comment below on which of these you’ve done, and don’t forget to share this post with your fellow bookworms!

Speaking of things authors love, I’d love for you to find me on social media! If you haven’t already, be my friend on Goodreads and follow me on Pinterest! There’s also a group board for the IDIA series on Pinterest, which you can join by commenting on this picture. Check it out!

Beautiful People: Albany’s Childhood | Fantastic Friday

Hullo, everyone! I kind of… forgot about posting, didn’t I? Whoops. I was trying to figure out what I could do for a Fantastic Friday post this week, and I had pretty much decided to just wait and do the Monday post I was planning, but then this month’s Beautiful People link-up appeared in my inbox! So why not? I was originally planning to use Anvil for the next Beautiful People, but since this one is a childhood edition, I decided it would be better to use Albany, since Anvil’s would be… not happy. Well, let’s get on with the questions!

1. What are their first childhood memory? Albany has a lot of vague “first memories,” but the first one that’s actually clear is the first time she and Brooklyn communicated telepathically, which was when they were about three. That was the first time they realized they were doing it, at least. It was a very traumatic moment and consisted of lots confused baby talk in their heads.
2. What were their best and worst childhood experiences? Her best childhood experience was probably the time she spent with her dad and Denver at a playground for three hours. That’s one of her older memories, but a favorite one. Her worst childhood experience was probably the time she fell off a tall slide, off the side, or any other time when her curiosity got her into trouble.
3. What was their childhood home like? It was an averaged sized house, but it was an older house, so it had lots of fun nooks and crannies to hide in. It was certainly a happy place, and they were sad to leave it.
4. What’s something that scared them as child? Albany was absolutely terrified of heights when she was younger. Bugs and snakes she could handle, but put her up on a tall ladder and you would find out how loud she could scream–and how tight she could hold onto something.
5. Who did they look up to most? Her older Denver, for sure. To her, he was the most awesome person in the world, and she would follow him around everywhere she could. Until he got too cool to have his little sister hanging around him. But he got over that phase pretty quickly.
6. Favourite and least favourite childhood foods?  I’m not sure she had a least favorite food, but if she did, it would probably be broccoli or something like that. Her favorite food growing up was Mac and Cheese. Any kind, anywhere. Especially if it had breadcrumbs on top.
7. If they had their childhood again, would they change anything? Albany would probably say no. She loves they way her life is, and she wouldn’t want anything to change that. Plus, she had a really good childhood.
8. What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious? Heh. Need this even be a question? She was the most curious child on the face of the planet–still is, in fact. She got into trouble quite a bit, and relied on Brooklyn to help her out.
9. What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like? Albany was close to her parents when she was little, and told them everything (still does, if she can), but she was always closer to Denver and Brooklyn. She and Brooklyn went everywhere together, since they were twins, not to mention they had their telepathic connection. And as I mentioned before, she adored Denver.
10. What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become? When Albany was little, she wanted to be a character in a book. Not kidding. Because don’t all bookworms want that at some point? (Don’t tell her, but she got her wish!) There were times when she wanted to be a princess or an elf, and sometimes she decided she wanted to be a spy or a president. Nothing normal, that’s for sure. As of yet, all she’s become is a superhero, so…

I hope you enjoyed getting to learn about Albany’s childhood! She’s an adorable character, and I can’t wait for all of you to read Twinepathy in its full and final form soon!