10 Things Authors Can Be Thankful For

1. New Ideas.  If you’re like me, you have over ten story ideas and books started, but haven’t finished but probably one. Don’t beat yourself up. Be thankful for the creative ideas that flow. You will be able to re-visit those ideas and create best-selling masterpieces. And, also think about it: you can use some of those story ideas to create other works, such as short stories, poems, blog content, webinars, courses, workbooks, and cheat sheets. Allow those ideas to flow!
2. Book Reviews & Recommendations. I blogged about this a while back, and it’s so true. If you want to feed an author, write a review. Some readers say that reviews don’t weigh in on whether they’re going to read a book or not, as statistics show that 7% of readers said that the reviews were a determining factor on them buying a book, but over 20% buy books that they've heard good things about from word-of-mouth (gallup.com). So be thankful for those who took out the time to share a review or a good word about your work. Thank them vocally and tangibly.
3. Book Clubs. Where would we be without those men and women who buy our books by the 5’s to the 10’s to read, share, dissect, and discuss. Book clubs online and offline are where you find some of the greatest market research ever! You get to know your readers, and what they like, what they need, and what they want. If you haven’t joined a book club, what are you waiting on?
4. Virtual Book Fairs and Expos. Within the last few years, virtual gatherings have increased where authors reach hundreds of people with their books while simply sitting on their couch in a dress shirt and no bottoms. They are usually cost-efficient, which means people come out to see who’s hot and who’s new. If you have not invested in scouting virtual book fairs online, you are missing out on a lot.
   
5. CANVA. Yes, indeedy! I have surprised myself with some of the book covers I’ve created this year – simply using Canva. I’ve also used it to make my promo and marketing graphics, and they look so professional and eye-catching. Building my brand is sometimes challenging, but having a user-friendly graphic design app like Canva, makes it less stressful.
6. Social Media. Oh, where would I be without it? I’ve learned how to expand my creativity in reaching my audience by joining various social media platforms to do video to Q&A time to interact with my readers and fans. I’ve grown by a leap using social media, and my prayer is to grow by a bound next year with it.
7. New Readers and Fans. I’m so thankful for the people who buy my books, not only because I like making money, but because I get to share my story with one more person. My focus resonates with one more heart, and one more person’s life has an opportunity to be changed.
8. That First Book Sale. Ha! The first book I sold, I was so giddy, that I didn’t know what to do. I felt like it was official; I was a real author. That first sale is like diesel. It gives you that extra push to write the next book, and the next book.
9. Other Authors in Your Genre. Getting to know people who write what you like to write is not about scoping out the competition. It’s about getting to know people who share your passion and who you can actually learn from and bounce ideas off of from time to time. Get to know them, and what topics they deem are important versus the ones you’ve addressed on your own.
10. Literary Connections. Getting to know the “little people” is just as important as knowing the literary celebs. Reflecting on this year, I’ve connected with some great authors as well as some awesome book fans. It has not only made me thankful, but appreciative for the love, acceptance, and the lessons. Don’t be afraid to connect with people who you can learn from, people who you can learn with, and people who you want to learn about.

I'd love to hear one thing that you're thankful for. Comment below!