I shared this post last year around the same time, and given that this year’s losses for writers may have been even more difficult than last year’s, it felt like an appropriate piece to reshare. Money is, as always, helpful to support writers, but many of the ideas below are about a small time investment, rather than a financial one.
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Over the last few months — weeks, really — we’ve seen a number of websites that book lovers adore cut their freelance writers and editors. Bustle’s books section lost its contributors and editors, and the Barnes and Noble genre blogs, including the teens blog, let their writers go. Both sites promise to continue producing content, but without savvy, insightful, and well-versed writers, they’ll never be the same.
Something I’ve thought about as an online writer is how these losses are painful, and while they’re not preventable (anyone in digital media knows this is a reality), there are things that readers can do to help with the longevity of these writers and sites. Too often, there’s a big mourning and public sadness about the loss of these sites. But, that same enthusiasm and engagement isn’t there continuously.
These suggestions aren’t going to be a fit for every person, nor will they fit in every situation. But they’re all small, manageable acts that you can do to show support for your favorite writers and editors in the bookish web.
Turn Off Your Browser’s Ad Blocker
The easiest and simplest way you can support writers you love online is to turn off your ad blockers. Yes, ads are annoying. They can slow down your computer a tiny bit. They are selling you things you may or may not be interested in. But those ads are what keep the lights on, whether you actively click on them or not.
You lose nothing by doing this or by – if your ad blocker supports this function – shutting it off for certain websites. Display ads make up a not insignificant amount of revenue for a website, and the fewer eyes that see them, the less likely advertisers will buy in, which reduces the revenue for websites, leading to cuts.
Think of it this way: display advertising on your screen is money in the pocket of those writers you love, even if you don’t click them.
Share Work You Love On Social Media
Seems obvious, but it’s not always the case. If you love something, share it among your social feeds. Clicks those garner not only bring in traffic to the site and, as noted above, more eyes on advertising, but that can help those writers gain exposure. As their reputations increase, so do the opportunities they might see when it comes to contributing in other capacities, be it another website in the future, a book, or even within their own company. If a writer is seeing good traffic, they’ll get more prime assignments or see their voices heard more frequently within the organization.
Too often, we forget that part of a writer’s livelihood is in their work being shared. If you’ve found something interesting or helpful, chances are someone else in your circle does.
Comment on Work You Love
Interacting with work you love is extremely helpful. It feels like it’s small, and it is. At least for you. For the writer, this interaction is not just a self-confidence boost, but it can be proof to an organization their work is important and valued.
While many sites have eliminated commenting directly on posts, most social media still allows it. Love a post? Go to the organization’s Facebook page and comment on the post. For Facebook, Twitter, and other algorithm-based streams, engagement increases a post’s chances of being seen by more people. A comment has more value than a thumbs up or like. Even something as simple as “this was a great read” can do wonders.
Leave Reviews (On Facebook, For Podcasts, etc.)
Facebook allows you to rate companies if they have a page, as opposed to a group. Rate the sites with work you love. Leave those five stars and write something about the value you see in that organization’s work.
For writers who are responsible for more than writing on-site content, leave reviews of their other projects. For example: is one of your favorite writers also a podcast host? Go to Apple Podcasts, to Spotify, to Stitcher, to Google Play, and to any other podcatcher of your choice and leave a positive review. Those reviews help increase the podcast’s visibility on those services, bringing in more listeners, which translates into both more traffic and more ad revenue.
If leaving reviews everywhere feels daunting, one thing I’ve found helpful is to set aside one day a month to spend 30 minutes leaving reviews everywhere I can think of. That’s it! It doesn’t need to be daily, doesn’t need to be a big project. Just a set period of time to do it and be done.
Click The Links On Posts
Most websites you read that link to products are using affiliate links, meaning that they get a small percentage of any sale made from that site when clicked for a set period of time. For example: if a writer links to a book on Amazon and you click that link, regardless of whether or not you buy that specific product, whatever you do buy in that session or for a set period of time after (time differs), the site gets a small percentage of the sale. This costs you literally nothing.
Want to make a significant purchase on Amazon? Go to a website you love and click one of their Amazon links, then navigate to the products you’re purchasing. Voila — you’ve put some cash into one of that site’s revenue streams.
It’s not just Amazon, of course. Many book websites (and, of course, other websites) have affiliate links for other outlets, too. Often the same principle applies. You don’t want that Harry Potter toy from Target? Click the link, then navigate to the things you want to buy. Again, you’ve done something for that website for literally no cost to you.
Subscribe to Newsletters
Newsletters are the new blog, and they bring in good ad revenue for many websites. If you subscribe, even if you don’t want to read them regularly, open them up, scroll to the bottom, then save it or delete it. You’ll impact the open rates.
If you CAN read them through, do so. That will be beneficial, as will clicking through on links that might be included in the newsletter. See above for why you want to click those links, even if the product linked to isn’t one you want to ultimately purchase.
I can say from personal experience that some of my best and most interesting YA book related work for Book Riot isn’t on site. It’s in the biweekly “What’s Up in YA?” newsletter. I know my audience is there because they love YA, and I can cater what I write to that audience in a way that I can’t and don’t on Book Riot.
Buy Your Favorite Writers a Coffee (Ko-Fi), Join Their Patreon, or Support Their Pet Causes
I don’t have the time or energy to have a Ko-Fi or a Patreon, but many writers do (I use that energy I have here at STACKED, which is a project I love doing with Kimberly because it brings me joy). When the budget allows, drop those writers a little spare change and help them buy a coffee at their favorite coffee shop or support their creative work beyond the organization for which they work.
If that writer doesn’t have one of those outlets, one thing you can do that would touch them personally (though maybe not professionally) is to ask them what organizations or nonprofits they love, and drop some cash that way in their honor. It doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but it can be. Digital media doesn’t pay big salaries, and even a $10 donation in a favorite writer’s name to a cause they love can mean the world to them.
How do you support your favorite online writers? These are the things I’ve learned are helpful from my own work in the field and that cost the least amount of money, time, and energy, but I know there are others out there. I’d love to hear them in the comments.