First: thank you for visiting this page! That action already shows that you care—and I appreciate it. If you’ve also bought one or more of my books, then I appreciate that too. Support for a writer’s work doesn’t get any clearer than that.
But if you have positive feelings about me and my writing, and would like to help the two of us—the man and his writing—prosper, there are further things you can do, many of which cost nothing and most of which require very little of your time. Take a look and see whether any of them appeals to you.
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Rate me or write a review
Online ratings and reviews sell books. They cause books to be ranked higher in web searches and on store lists. They also give book shoppers important information that helps them to form their purchase decisions. Reviews don’t need to be long or brilliant; they just need to be honest and heartfelt. Provide the kind of information that you hope to find in a reader’s review when you’re shopping.
Also, in case you’re wondering, a negative review and a low rating is better than no review and no rating. The best books spark a range of opinions; this is natural, normal, and good for the book and for the writer. So do leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords, the iBooks Store, my Facebook author page, or wherever you please. And if you don’t have time for that, then leave a star rating. It all helps.
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Join my mailing list
Maybe I should have made this one #1, for the mailing list forms the core of an author’s “platform”—his link with an interested audience. When it comes to approaching print publishers, the bigger my mailing list is, the more likely I am to get a book deal. It’s easy to join my list, there are positive benefits for doing it, and there is almost no downside. I seldom send out mailings, but when I do you’ll get free books, discounts, and other news. I don’t share my mailing list info with anyone, and you can unsubscribe at any time with one click. So if you’re not yet on my list, consider yourself invited!
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Tell your friends
Word of mouth has always been the most powerful form of advertising. If you have friends who read, let them know about me and my books. Who knows, they may even wind up not hating you for doing this.
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Ask your local library to add my books to their catalogue
Authors get two benefits from their work being part of a library’s holdings:
- a royalty from every loan
- the chance to reach readers who might not otherwise encounter their work
If you’d like my books to be available at your local public library, ask a librarian to add my work to their catalogue.
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Shop from Paul’s Book & Movie Picks and Paul’s Reading Lists
I’ve been a thoughtful and wide-ranging reader for several decades, and I have also made a years-long search for the best movies ever made. Now I am making some of the results of my reading and viewing available to you in the form of lists. The Paul’s Picks menu above takes you to my choices for the best fiction, nonfiction, and movies that I’ve come across. The Paul’s Reading Lists menu takes you to hand-picked selections of works in my large personal library, arranged by subject, in case you’d like to dive in and discover what I’ve discovered. No lame books here—they are all recommended reading. The pages link to your local Amazon store; when you buy a book or movie after following one of my links, I receive a small commission.
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Follow me, like me, and interact with me on social media
When you post about me or interact with me on Twitter, Facebook, or other online hangouts, your wider circle of friends and followers gets to hear about me and my work—lucky devils! On Goodreads, you can help me widen my circle of readers by marking my books as “to read.” (If you never actually get around to reading them, well, you’re no worse off than I am with all my “to reads” on Goodreads!) Connect with me there and on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, LinkedIn, Smashwords, and Quora.
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Become a Patreon patron
Maybe I should’ve made this one #1. Patreon is an online platform connecting creators (like moi) with people eager to help bring more art into the world. For as little as US$1 per month you can directly support me and my work. I offer special welcoming gifts for the various tiers of support, and all my patrons get ongoing glimpses of my life and inner working process. Also, if you’re the kind of person who likes watching grown men beg, then you might possibly enjoy my 2-minute Patreon video.
There you have it, 7 ways of helping Paul in his writing career, other than by buying his books. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet: pile as many on your plate as you can and gorge. This author will greatly appreciate it.
Sign up for my mailings to get discounts, private updates, and early access to my publications—plus a free copy of my 1980 short story, The Hermit, my first serious literary work.
