Being an author is a difficult and often lonely business. Yes, I said business, because soon as we put something out there for retail sale, we’ve officially evolved from hobby to business. The vast majority of us are indie authors, whether self-published, small press-published, or freelance, which means support in terms of both financial and word-of-mouth is vital. Without the six figure backing of  a “big six” publisher, we are small business owners, just like the guy who owns the diner down the street or the woman who owns the consignment shop or the friend who sells Avon. 

Often our efforts to spread the word and sell our product fall on deaf ears, lost in the crowd of the millions of other authors out there trying to do the same. Many times, support can feel very one-sided, particularly when we have done a great deal to support family and friends in…