1. Buy your friend’s book. And, encourage your friends to buy it, too!
2. Give it as a gift. Give the book to friends and family. Don’t wait for the holidays; the sooner you buy, the more confidence you’ll inspire in your friend. Early sales generate more attention in the media and the public.
3. Recommend it to your friends. If you like the book, tell your friends. Tell everyone about it. Encourage them to buy it.
4. Review your friend’s book. Write a review about the book for Amazon.com, BN.com, GoodReads.com, Library Thing, and other reader social networks and book sales sites. Good reviews inspire others to buy your friend’s book.
5. Recommend your friend’s book to local librarians and local bookstores. Encourage them to buy the book. Let them know the book is by a local author. The more people ask about a book, the more likely the bookstore will stock it. Suggest they invite your friend in for a book signing.
6. Recommend the book to your book group. If you belong to a reading group, recommend your friend’s book as your choice for the next book to read. If you know other local book groups, encourage them to select it. If you know book groups in other cities, encourage them too. Tell them know how to get in touch with the author to buy the book or to interview the author as part of their discussion.
7. Tell your friend what you like about the book. Provide support by telling your friend something you like about the book. Was it a good read? Did it move you to tears or laughter? Did you learn something new? Were you moved to take action?
8. Ask your friend how you can help. You may have some talent, connection, specialized knowledge, etc. that might be just the thing they need.
9. Social network for/with your friend. Post that you liked it on Facebook. Tweet about it. Retweet his/her tweets. Engage in a conversation with him/her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, or Twitter. Pin. Re-pin. Post. Share. Tweet. Retweet. Plus One. Like.
