There are lots of ways to follow authors.
I mean online, of course. Following authors in real life could be classed as stalking …
So how can we follow authors online? We can:
- Visit their website
- Follow their blog (if they have one)
- Sign up for their email list
- Follow them on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or TikTok
- Follow them on review sites such as Goodreads
- Follow them on sale sites such as BookBub
- Follow them on retail sites such as Amazon
That list probably goes from most personal to least personal. Following an author on a site like Amazon or BookBub doesn’t do much except make sure you get an email when the author has a new release or (for BookBub) an ebook on sale.
Following an author on Goodreads will also advise you of new releases, and may also show you their blog posts if they blog on Goodreads (although I can’t think of any authors I follow who do blog on Goodreads).
Following on social media is a little more social (well, the clue is hopefully in the name).
Depending on the author and the social media platform, they might share about their books, their personal life, or both. But social media posts tend to be short, and are easy to miss.
Following an author via a blog or newsletter is more personal. You’ll always get their newsletter (if it shows up in your spam box, try adding the author’s email address to your safe senders list). That means you won’t miss out on any useful information. And author newsletters often have useful information, like new releases and sales, as well as information about their life.
I prefer to follow my favorite authors via their newsletter (so I don’t miss out!).
I will follow other authors on sites like Facebook (so I can see what they share about life), Amazon (so I can see their new books) and BookBub (so I know if there is a sale on for a book I don’t yet own).
