If that's the case, you might be wondering what to give that she/he would appreciate. I've given this some thought, just in case I might be "your author."
EVen if you don't know the author personally, reviews are gifts to the author.
Below is a list of items I'm sure any author would appreciate, and most won't bust your budget. The list is a countdown, so I think #1 is the most valuable.
5. A Book.
Preferably not one of her/his books. It should be a book you enjoyed. Give it with or without a note inside.
Many read because they like to read. Find out their favorite author and get a title by that author that she/he doesn't have. Alternatively, you could give a book you enjoyed from "your author's genre, because...
Most authors read as sources of inspiration, ideas, types of characters, etc. Giving a book you enjoyed is a good way to kickstart the creative process.
4. Gift Card
Authors have consumable items they use every day. Printer ink and paper are two I have to keep an eye on.
If your author likes to edit printed copies of her/his manuscripts, colored pens or pencils are valuable items.
Does your author subscribe to a website or service that charges a monthly or an annual fee? Gift cards for those costs are greatly appreciated.
If your author likes to map out her/his plots, character sketches, or timelines, graph paper or calendar blanks are an option.
3. Buy One of Your Author-Friend's Books
Unless your author has a contract with a major publisher, most of her/his revenue comes from book sales. If you live close enough, ask for an autograph to personalize your copy.
A friend of mine bought three of my books to give as gifts to family members. I had a sticker printed for people who buy eBooks or live out of the area.
This provides a place for the owner's name, and space for me to personalize that volume making it a signed copy! If you live far away, and your author does not have such a sticker, you can send blank stickers to your author with a request for her/him to autograph and personalize the book like my sticker allows. Be sure to include a stamped return envelope for the signed stickers.
2. Buy More than One of Your Author-Friend's Books
Good, indifferent, or critical, a review helps
new readers decide what to read and
the author to improve her/his writing.
Below is a list of items I'm sure any author would appreciate, and most won't bust your budget. The list is a countdown, so I think #1 is the most valuable.
5. A Book.
Preferably not one of her/his books. It should be a book you enjoyed. Give it with or without a note inside.
Many read because they like to read. Find out their favorite author and get a title by that author that she/he doesn't have. Alternatively, you could give a book you enjoyed from "your author's genre, because...
Most authors read as sources of inspiration, ideas, types of characters, etc. Giving a book you enjoyed is a good way to kickstart the creative process.
4. Gift Card
Authors have consumable items they use every day. Printer ink and paper are two I have to keep an eye on.
If your author likes to edit printed copies of her/his manuscripts, colored pens or pencils are valuable items.
Does your author subscribe to a website or service that charges a monthly or an annual fee? Gift cards for those costs are greatly appreciated.
If your author likes to map out her/his plots, character sketches, or timelines, graph paper or calendar blanks are an option.
3. Buy One of Your Author-Friend's Books
Unless your author has a contract with a major publisher, most of her/his revenue comes from book sales. If you live close enough, ask for an autograph to personalize your copy.
A friend of mine bought three of my books to give as gifts to family members. I had a sticker printed for people who buy eBooks or live out of the area.
This provides a place for the owner's name, and space for me to personalize that volume making it a signed copy! If you live far away, and your author does not have such a sticker, you can send blank stickers to your author with a request for her/him to autograph and personalize the book like my sticker allows. Be sure to include a stamped return envelope for the signed stickers.
2. Buy More than One of Your Author-Friend's Books
See number 2, but multiply the effect by the number of copies of your author's book(s) you buy.
1. Post a review (of one or more) of Your
Author's Book(s)
Author's Book(s)
This is a NO-COST gift that keeps on giving.
Book rankings and subsequent author rankings on Amazon are based largely on the number of reviews received by the book/author. If you own a book by your author or any author for that matter, and you have not posted a review of that book, posting a review is the best thing you can do for any author.
While 5-star reviews are nice, no book should receive only 5-star reviews. The odds of EVERYONE that read the book thinking it was one of the best books they ever read is astronomically low. Amazon reduces the ranking if the percentage of 5-star reviews is "too high" by their definition.
What authors want/need are honest reviews.
Reviews don't have to be lengthy. While one sentence with a ranking is okay, two to four sentences is a better review because people looking for a book they appreciate more than
"I liked this book because it held my attention."
A better review is something like
"This plot of this book had enough twists that it kept me thinking. By the time I finished, I felt like I'd lived the story along with the main characters."
Or
"The characters in this book are easy to relate to. I found myself thinking of actors who might play the roles in the movie version. Because I felt like I knew the characters, I wanted to know what was going to happen. This made the book an easy read for me."
Here's how a not-quite-so-stellar review might read
Two Stars. Really stretched the plot. Took too long to read without a satisfactory result.
Or, this review of the same book
Four Stars. Unlike many books nowadays, [this book] has been well-edited, and I detected less than a handful of errors (a missing word here a misspelled word there). This did not affect the reading experience in itself, which I found delightful. Conclusion: Written with humor and no little wit, this story will not rock your world nor change your life, but to fans of quirky science fiction it will turn a Saturday afternoon into pure gold.
I've published 16 books. The total number of reviews
of all those books is around 135. I know that more than
170 copies were purchased from Amazon or me at book
signings. I've given dozens as gifts.
My personal choice is for you to post a review as a Christmas
gift for an author on Amazon, Good Reads, or any site that
sells the book you bought or received.
I hope you choose to gift your author with some token of
your appreciation for her/his work. Emailing the author after
you post your review is also appreciated.
Good, indifferent, or critical, a review helps
new readers decide what to read and
the author to improve her/his writing.
SEO: Gift, Author, Reviews, Christmas
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I appreciate your feedback on Blogger!
Good to know. I'll have to check and see if I've reviewed all the books of yours I've read (which is pretty much all of them!) 😊
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