Before I wrote reviews for authors formally, I wrote reviews for books that I liked, once there was the option of the Internet, book buying sites, and social media. Sometimes, when social media forums were born (Yes, before Facebook, there was that site, uh, MySpace?), online relationships could form. I remember that being a little taboo, forming a relationship or friendship with someone you only met online. Now, many of the people we think we know (yes, I said think we know) have formed relationships due to social media.
I became friends with a fellow author, Renee Robinson, and we planned on creating a forum where we would write reviews. We started just reading each other's work, and if we liked it, we wrote a review. We were going to start with a Review group, where authors share their work, with no expectation of have a review written, but hopes that one would write one. Then, the world lost a great children's author. Renee Robinson passed away. When I created my book review blog, it was in a different form from where it is now, but I soon transitioned to my current blog, which was established in 2014, and still continues today, and has grown since then. Since it has grown, I had to implement many rules, and review freezes, and different policies, but it is still going strong.
With this blog and my author blog, (the one you are currently reading this post on), I have built up some relationships with other authors, whether it's making friends, initiating a professional contact, providing services (free and paid), etc... With these relationships, come friendship and loyalty, not competition. I think authors, especially Indie authors, should try to build each other up, not tear each other down. I do my best to help authors, read and write reviews, as well as write my own stories, promote my own stories, and go through the process that is within self-publishing. It was through my reviews that I connected with the author and radio show host McKensie Stewart. We aren't only professional colleagues, but we're friends as well.
If you're an author, and you meet another author, support each other. Every writer has their own projects and work, but do your best to support others. If you read a story, write a review. It doesn't have to be long, just a review. If you're asked for feedback, be kind but be honest. If you just want to be friends, don't take advantage, just be the friend. Too many times have Indie Authors been looked down upon, or been "trolled" or whatever fancy word there is for tearing someone down, or being "fake" on the Internet. And, with your own work, be proud of what you've done. Not everyone is a writer, but the first rule of writing is to write.
Thank you.
Writers or authors can always contact me for assistance, advice, or just wanting to forge a professional relationship. As always, i can be contact via email at writeramyshannon@gmail.com