It's Valentine's Day. Some of us of a Valentine as someone sweet and cuddly who might conceivably give us chocolate, flowers or perhaps even jewelry. But I think we should broaden our view. This is because authors have been giving us Valentines for years. Books are not easy to write. And it's not easy to put your brain child out in the open for other people to criticize or even worse, ignore. So if an author has written a book you love, they really have given you a great gift.
Many of us wish we could send fan mail to folks like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens or George Eliot. But some of our favorite authors are still alive.
So if you admire a living author who wrote a book which has given you hope, great ideas, information or even wisdom, here's a top ten list of what to do for your favorite living authors in return. Remember that nonfiction authors get a lot less fan mail than the fiction ones do which would make your note to them even more special.
1. Post an author's book on your Facebook page.
2. Tell a friend how wonderful an author's books are. Word of mouth is the best way to spread the good news about a book.
3. Like an author's Facebook page.
4. Follow an author on Twitter.
5. Write an honest review of an author's book on Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.
6. Give a favorite author's book to someone else as a gift.
7. Give a copy of an author's book to your local library.
8. Pin an author's book cover or portrait on a Pinterest board.
9. Lend your copy of a favorite book to a friend to read.
10. Send the author a note telling them how much you liked the book. Tell them how it inspired you or changed you. Snail mail is grand but email costs nothing for either you or the author who might reply.
Some of these things would take only a second. I think I'm going to see if Elizabeth Peters has a Facebook page.
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