Do you like to learn? Do you like to write? Do you like to help authors? Want to know a few secrets that will make learning, writing and helping fun?
Why Write About You?
The first time that I did this I walked up to an author in her booth at a tradeshow. I asked, "Why should I write about you over your competitor?"
In order to learn topics written in books or at Websites, I'd approach authors in my former industry in that manner or online. Sometimes, once you wrote positive things about them, they'd give you more access to their material. While they wouldn't flat out teach you for free, some would offer teaching guidance at little or no cost. This works really well within individual industries!
Now unless you're a cat who has a million or so followers, this approach will not work for authors like Dan Pink and Seth Godin. They are popular and crazy busy. When it comes to authors of high notoriety, I suggest joining their communities, learning from their books and or online material and supporting them when they ask. I enjoyed a really cool learning opportunity when I joined an exclusive online community to help promote Dan's book To Sell is Human. And the value that I received by participating in a Seth Godin Kickstarter campaign for The Icarus Deception far exceeded my cost.
Do you think Dan and Seth said, "I'm going to be an author," and instantly gained fame? No. So get to know the next batch of Dan's and Seth's before they become Dan and Seth. I began supporting Penelope Trunk and Pam Slim a little over seven years ago and Rosa Say nearly nine years ago. While they might not be as popular as Dan and Seth, they have achieved that crazy busy status.
How do You Support Authors?
Here are a couple of ideas:
- One way is to review their books at your Website
- Write an Amazon review
- Write a Goodreads review
- Create a Pinterest board
- Tweet about their book
- Post a note at Facebook
- Refer their book in the comment section of blogs (when appropriate)
- Talk about their books in your favorite Linked In group
- Join their community & get their newsletter
- Gift their books to coworkers, friends & relatives
- Gift their books to deserving young adults
I recently began experimenting with a new way to help authors I dig. Here I review Kathy Hansen's A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way Into The Hidden Job Market. Because I want to one, promote Kathy's book and two, provide more value for my readers, I created a mind map that lists resources relative to this book in particular. The mind map link is located towards the end of that review.
The second thing that I'm doing in that review is to NOT provide a comment section on my blog. Instead I refer the readers to a Facebook Page. That way it's easier for readers to talk to their friends about the book.
A combination of an insatiable curosity, being a book junkie and having tremendous respect for those who write books has led me to a very fulfilling endeavor in helping authors I dig.
Graphic via The Graphics Fairy