Competitive collaboration is a great phrase to describe writers in the self-publishing era. Yes, writers battle it out in the Amazon charts but writers are also the best people to help you rise in those charts.
After all, your fellow writers will have similar aims to you and sympathise with your plight. Therefore, why not do them a favour and have a favour done in return?
So, here are five ways in which you can help a fellow writer.
1. Test their books - writers are always looking for test readers to look at the first draft of their manuscript. Give them pointers, spot their spelling mistakes and give them encouragement to carry on.
2. Buy their books - sales will help a book rise in the Amazon charts. Also, writers deserve some financial pay-off!
3. Review their books - reviews also help a book rise in the Amazon charts, although only four and five star reviews will make any impact on the Amazon algorithms. Aside from that, there is a whole e-book culture who put enormous faith into the Amazon reviews so spend some time on writing a quality statement about the book. A professional, well-written review takes time and effort to write, thereby showing the reader of the review how strongly you feel about the book. And once you have written the review on Amazon.co.uk, make sure you copy it to Amazon.com and Good Reads.
4. Promote their books - the review is only the first step. Use social media to spread your review further: post it, tweet it, share it, tag it. Tell your friends and family about the book. Connect with the writer too. Visit their website, sign-up for their newsletter, re-tweet their tweets. I spent a long time promoting my friends' books and my friends are now returning the favour now that The Sheriff is finished.
5. Share their pain - finally, just be a shoulder to cry on when your fellow writers are having a bad day at the laptop. Send them a message via Twitter. Share a funny quote by a famous author. Offer some writing tips. Buy them a pint.
All for one and one for all.
After all, your fellow writers will have similar aims to you and sympathise with your plight. Therefore, why not do them a favour and have a favour done in return?
So, here are five ways in which you can help a fellow writer.
1. Test their books - writers are always looking for test readers to look at the first draft of their manuscript. Give them pointers, spot their spelling mistakes and give them encouragement to carry on.
2. Buy their books - sales will help a book rise in the Amazon charts. Also, writers deserve some financial pay-off!
3. Review their books - reviews also help a book rise in the Amazon charts, although only four and five star reviews will make any impact on the Amazon algorithms. Aside from that, there is a whole e-book culture who put enormous faith into the Amazon reviews so spend some time on writing a quality statement about the book. A professional, well-written review takes time and effort to write, thereby showing the reader of the review how strongly you feel about the book. And once you have written the review on Amazon.co.uk, make sure you copy it to Amazon.com and Good Reads.
4. Promote their books - the review is only the first step. Use social media to spread your review further: post it, tweet it, share it, tag it. Tell your friends and family about the book. Connect with the writer too. Visit their website, sign-up for their newsletter, re-tweet their tweets. I spent a long time promoting my friends' books and my friends are now returning the favour now that The Sheriff is finished.
5. Share their pain - finally, just be a shoulder to cry on when your fellow writers are having a bad day at the laptop. Send them a message via Twitter. Share a funny quote by a famous author. Offer some writing tips. Buy them a pint.
All for one and one for all.