Be an Indie Author Advocate

You can help an indie author grow their readership.

When I started my bookstagram in 2021, I quickly fell in love with indie authors and their books. If you’re unfamiliar, indie books are those that are self-published, locally published, or published by an independent press. And for every indie book, there is a dedicated indie author behind the scenes.

Books by indie authors are growing in popularity every day and winning major awards in the publishing industry. These authors constantly and unapologetically push boundaries and take risks, all with the hope of people discovering and falling in love with their work.

Since having the privilege of working with so many indie authors, I’ve noticed that there are a lot of common challenges they face when it comes to marketing their books and growing their readership.

My goal is to create a space on my platforms that bridges the gap between bookstagrammers and authors, so I’ve compiled a list below of 8 ways we can help indie authors get another step closer to reaching their dreams.

Review Their Work (Everywhere)

Leaving a review is EVERYTHING to authors, but takes only a few minutes of our time. Submitting reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, and your own platforms increases the likelihood of that book being suggested more frequently on those sites.

Exposure is what indie authors work for, so using your platforms to help them accomplish that is a much bigger deal than you might even realize. Plus, the more reviews the book or author gets, the higher the likelihood someone will consider reading it and leaving their own review and so on… (let’s get that avalanche of love started!)

Social Media Love Goes A Long Way

Sure, I’m preaching to the choir here, but your platform has power! (influencers gotta influence)

Sharing your reading reactions to a book, links to the author’s website, reviews in a post, or your stories, etc., goes a LONG WAY. So, utilize all the features on your social platforms to help indie authors get their names and faces out there. Think IG lives, tagging the author in positive reviews, creating content around their novels, plots, characters, or anything you loved about the book.

Most authors will deeply appreciate your efforts in getting their books visibility this way. Plus, this allows you to connect more with not only the creator but it gives you the chance to make those connections with others.

Become a Library Advocate

Did you know you can request that your library purchase specific books? This is an amazing way to get more indie book exposure right in your own community (talk about community service).

Pre-Orders, Baby!

Pre-orders are a much bigger deal to authors than most readers know. Their pre-orders are often a factor in launching best-sellers and putting them at the top of recommendation lists. So if you are planning to buy a book, maybe pay a little earlier than planned to help that author out a ton.

Don’t forget to add your favorite indie author’s exciting and upcoming books to your Goodreads “To Be Read” list, your Amazon wish list, and other public TBRs to get that author more visibility.

Share The Love

Encourage the heck out of them! Authors work in a pretty solitary space, so don’t be afraid to reach out and encourage them. You may even want to ask what help you can give that would be the most beneficial to them and their author goals.

Upvote the 5 Star Reviews on Review Platforms

When you hit “like” on a great review on Goodreads, it bumps up that review to a “featured review”. (Go ahead and do it now, and then send me a DM so we can celebrate you making an impact.)

Upvoting great reviews, in general, will make those reviews more visible to others who scroll through, and it’s one easy way to support the author and the book! Every time I’m on Goodreads and looking through book reviews, I always hit “like” on a few good ones. (it’s like passing on good karma)

Please Never Tag Authors in Negative Reviews

It is okay to not like a book and to tell people that. Not every book will be your cup of tea, but you can still celebrate that author’s hard work and prioritize their mental health by leaving them out of a negative review.

Tagging an author in a negative review isn’t productive for anyone, so there’s no reason for them to have to be involved.

There’s nothing wrong with a book or author not being for you, but they are for someone, and they deserve that chance to get found by the right audience! Because of this, I personally choose to only share positive reviews of books I enjoyed on my Bookstagram.

Buying Directly From the Author

At the end of the day, hitting that “purchase” button — (or downloadable link) — matters.

This is the biggest way we can support indie authors. When buying their books, I recommend viewing them as a way to invest in the author, their passions, and their families. If the author has their own site, try to buy directly from them as it makes a huge difference to the revenue from the purchase.

And don’t be afraid to spread the love even further by supporting your local bookstore. Many shops will order books for you even if they don’t typically carry that title.

Ok, my friend, if you haven’t jumped on the indie author train yet, what are you waiting for?

Here’s a quick list of some of my favorites (Some of these authors have gone on to traditionally publish, but all of them started indie):