Support an Author Day

A most beloved author, Dr. Seuss,  died on this day in 1991.  As I reflected on how much joy this author brought to me and my children over the years even after his death, I found an obscure blog post by an author who dubbed a day back in August as Support an Author Day and asked everyone to like his Facebook Fan page.  That's all it said, but it got me thinking. Do you know an author?  I'll bet you do. Even if he or she doesn't have an agent or get paid for his or her work, you've seen them on Facebook and Twitter. These are folks who take the time to write up their own, unique insights into something, share their one-liners or memes and dare to send them out into the world. Writing is a lonely profession.  It's most often accomplished in between diaper changes, making dinner and doing the laundry or at 3am, after a long day of work necessary to provide for a family.  However, any way you cut it, most writers don't get paid anywhere near the cost of the effort that's put into it.  Mostly it's a labour of love and dedication and purpose.  So how can you support an author? 1. Click "like" on Facebook It only takes two seconds of your busy day.  Click like to show you care as you are passing by their note.  Find their fan page each day or once a week and give them a quick thumbs up. 2. Retweet them on Twitter Retweets only take seconds now that Twitter has added that new feature.  Like something they said?  Retweet it and, if you've got a few extra seconds, hit reply and tell them what you liked about it. 3. Comment on their blogs or posts In just a few seconds, you can make a real difference in the life of an author by posting a comment.  Let them know how much you liked their post.  Share your thoughts about their insights, how they have impacted you or even disagree with them.  Just knowing someone read their work and took the time to share their feedback is of great value to a writer. 4. Tell others about them Share their website or book titles with friends and family, post their links on Facebook and Twitter. 5. Buy their books! In order to get the word out, most authors give away a great deal of their writing for free: free articles, samples, excerpts and often provide personal one on one help via emails and Facebook PMs.  Consider purchasing their materials or giving their novel as a gift. Authors live to know that their work is appreciated, their words resonate and their ideas have helped someone.  Please take a moment today to support an author you know.  Then come back here and share how you did that. Are you an author who writes books, eBooks, devotionals, a blog?  Share how you feel when you receive a thumbs up, nice comment or when someone shares your work. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ If you liked this post, read…Seven Reasons Why YOU Should Sign Up for the Art of Eloquence Newsletter!