3 Ways To Support Authors Without Spending Money
Because while the money part is certainly nice, there are plenty of other ways to help support your favorite writers and their work.
Happy October! Spooky season is officially fully upon us. So in this month’s newsletter, I’m bringing you some scare-free spooky or mystery book recommendations, tips for supporting your favorite authors, and of course, happy shouting now that BookCon is coming back in 2026. Let’s get into it!
3 Ways To Support Your Favorite Authors (For Free!)
While preordering a book by an author you love is always one of the most effective ways to show their publisher that there’s interest and that the story is worth fighting for, the reality is that it isn’t always feasible for some people. Or, even after they’ve already preordered their copy, there are other ways that they want to show up for them, but don’t know how.
Today, I’m breaking down 3 ways that you can support your favorite authors for free — hopefully some of these tips resonate with you and you put them into practice, either for We’ve Hit Turbulence or other authors you love!
Request their books at your local library. With debut authors especially, libraries don’t know much about them, and often won’t know to stock copies. If you go into your local library, head up to the circulation desk, and tell them the book you’d like to see in stock, they’ll very often not only order the copy so you can read it, but will then keep it in circulation for others to read, too. And the more a book is checked out, the more popular it becomes in the system and the more people may see it!
Engage with their content online. Authors put so much work into their online content, you guys. (If only you knew how long I agonize over Canva graphics and crafting the perfect captions for you all!) When you come across a post from an author you love, engage with it! Like the post, comment on it, or share it with a friend. The more an audience engages with someone’s post, the more the algorithm will recommend it to other people. The more you comment on the Reels I make, the more often those stats say that it was recommended to/pulled in new readers who saw it and then gave me a follow! It’s all a snowball effect, and those two seconds to hit the Like button or tap out a quick comment matter more than you know.
Word of mouth is absolutely key. Does your teacher’s daughter’s niece like to read romance stories? Is someone at work obsessed with an author who is the perfect comp for a book you loved? Tell people about it! While so many of us in the bookish world are plugged into Bookstagram and Goodreads, that’s not the reality for many people. Chatting about the book to people in your everyday life helps expose them to it, and spread the web of people who are finding out about the book. Similar to the social media example above, it has a bigger impact than you may realize and is a huge help to the authors you love!
Those are just a few tips on my end, but if you have any more, I’d love to hear them! You can always respond to this email and let me know.
5 Spooky/Mystery Recs For The Chickens of the World (Me)
Now that spooky season is officially here, you may be in the mood for a ghost story or two. But…what if you’re a chicken, like me? What if you can’t stand blood or gore, or slasher stories, or anything that gives you the uncomfortable kind of chills? Luckily for you, I have some darker books and mysteries that fit the spooky season vibe while still being light enough to have a good time with no real fear involved. Here are 5 that I recommend!
Lights Out by Navessa Allen (*swoon*, but most certainly NSFW.)
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths (A writing retreat where things go wrong!)
She Started It by Sian Gilbert (The world’s worst bachelorette trip. UGH.)
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (For those who like a little humor with their murder mysteries.)
The Girl You Know by Elle Gonzalez Rose (Unraveling the dark mystery of her twin sister’s murder while posing as her, Parent Trap-style…)
Have you given any of these a read before? They’re all winners in my book, for a darker story without the total fear. You should give one a try this spooky season!
BookCon is Back, Baby!
Also, if you haven’t already heard the news — after 6 long years, BookCon is returning in 2026! To say I’m excited about this news is an understatement, because BookCon was easily one of the best parts of my year when I was a blogger. Tickets went on sale this week, our hotel is already booked, and I’m ready to roll…can’t wait to see how this goes! Are you planning on attending?
In the months leading up, I plan on sharing some of my best tips, packing guides, ways to decode the scheduling process, the whole shebang. So stay tuned, because there’s a lot more to come here.
Something I’m Reading
I begged my coworker for a galley of Rainbow’s latest, Cherry Baby, and I have been sucked in, you guys. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately because I’ve been so busy, but this one has been keeping me hooked. I read for several hours the other day without getting off the couch — that’s how much I’m enjoying it! It’s been so fun and easy to breeze through.
Something I’m Watching
Season 9 of Love is Blind drops today, baby! If you need me, I’ll be parked on the couch binging the first few episodes as my treat for finishing my daily writing. This show is so messy, and I’m here for it. Let’s see what antics there at this time!
Something I’m Listening To
Twenty One Pilots has always been my soul band, and with their latest album, Breach, almost a month old, it’s practically the only thing I’ve been listening to. I can’t wait to see what my Spotify Wrapped looks like this year! (It will be a surprise to nobody, least of all me.) Even if you’re not a fan, I recommend giving it a try. I’m obsessed with this one!
Let's Get Social!
Don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I'm always looking for new bookish friends and would love to chat! And don’t forget to add my debut Young Adult romance novel, We’ve Hit Turbulence, to your shelf on Goodreads — you can preorder a copy here. And if you order through The Ripped Bodice, your copy will come signed with an exclusive enamel pin and bookmark. How cool!
Are you an influencer, professional reviewer, or journalist? You can request a NetGalley copy of my book here, or reach out to my PR team on my website.
See you next month! (Or maybe sooner…who’s to say? *wink*)