The Orphans has been out for just over three weeks now. The initial sales were fantastic, and I couldn’t be happier with how well the book has been received. But now that the post release push has passed, we (well, really just me) find ourselves in the inevitable lull. It’s one of the perks of being in a “hurry up and wait” profession.
I knew that this was coming. I knew that, even in the best-case scenario, it would take time to build some serious steam. And I knew that it wouldn’t just happen on its own or by accident like things do in cartoons. You know, where someone harmlessly tosses a snowball down a mountain, then it grows into a massive mound, before turning into an avalanche.
I knew my avalanche wouldn’t come so easily. I don’t have the luxury of tossing my snowball (I’m still talking about The Orphans if I’ve lost you with this analogy) over a ledge. If anything, I’m rolling it up the mountain, and it still needs to go over the top before it will start to roll on its own. But it will. I’m very confident of that. And while I could keep pushing it myself, and maybe get a hernia or two, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask for the help of my great friends and followers.
The good news is, we’re not pushing a real snowball and there isn’t any actual manual labor involved. Realistically, you don’t even have to leave your chair or couch or wherever you’re sitting, assuming you’re sitting. All you have to do is a few simple things:
If you’ve read The Orphans…
- Write a short, honest review on Amazon and Goodreads (if you use it). Reviews not only increase exposure on Amazon, they also help potential buyers make decisions.
- Recommend The Orphans to your friends. I bolded that because it’s by far the the most important way to help the book grow. The number one reason readers check out new books is because someone they know recommended them. I mean, that’s the only reason why I read Little House on the Prairie in third grade. Obviously, the more the you can recommend the book to the better, but if you can even tell just two people to check it out, that would be amazing.
- Gift a copy to a friend or relative who likes to read. You can buy them a copy or even just let them borrow yours to help spread the word. **You don’t even have to have a print version to lend it. Amazon lets you lend the Kindle copy, too.**
If you haven’t read or purchased The Orphans…
- Check out the first four chapters on Amazon by clicking here: The Orphans (Orphans Trilogy Book 1)
. If you get sucked in, grab a copy and keep reading. If you don’t get sucked in, don’t keep reading. Nothing is for everyone. There are some people that don’t like pizza. I don’t get it, but it happens. And the last thing I would want is someone spending even a fraction of their life not enjoying my book.
- After you’ve read the book, follow the steps for people who’ve read the book.
That’s it. Pretty simple, right? Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time that could be better spent spreading the word, so…