Having a book out when the bookshops are shut and publicity tours aren't an option (except via zoom) is tough. Lockdowns favour big names over smaller or newer authors. But here are some amazing things you can do to help authors ride this out...

1) Review their books on amazon: it's most people's book search engine, and even more when there are no bookshops to browse or booksellers to ask... for example ahem... https://t.co/Q4WgFc2JMl
2) TELL THEM you enjoyed their book. They may be feeling glum. You will 100% make their day.
3) If their book isn't out yet, preorder it! For eg this from @ldlapinski is coming in April. Most booksellers will be ordering smaller quantities than usual, this gives them a reason to order more! Also you might get a lovely package from @rshipbshop https://t.co/7Gao5zDsJi
Oops forgot a bridgerton gif for the last one. Enjoy this one.
4) Tell your friends about their books! Booksellers are usually out there hand selling and recommending books, authors are normally out there doing school events and festivals, but now word of mouth is all online. Finding new books is hard, but you can help. Thank you!
5) If the author with a book out writes series and you haven't read the previous titles...well, isn't now just the perfect time to catch up on some reading? You know, for example...https://t.co/8CjpmmWkRA
6) Bonus: if you recommend a book, drop a link to your favourite indie bookshop to make it even reasier for the recommend-ee to buy!
If you do any of these things or all these things...
If you're an author with a book out under lockdown, drop a link here so we can all boost! Or if you've read a book published under lockdown, same, link! Share the love!
This WHALE-y good book is making a SPLASH in spite of lockdown. Please buy it to stop my terrible puns. @NizRite @NosyCrowBooks https://t.co/zov6gDqgl1
If anyone else has suggestions for how to support authors in lockdown, drop them here too!
Oh, but one thing...do not for the love of The Plot tag authors in bad reviews. While locked up in their houses they WILL obsessively mull over it and ignore all good reviews.
When you're recommending books, remember that some books already have shed loads of marketing, so definitely think about recommending books someone might not have heard of. Boost books by under represented authors especially as those SO OFTEN get less marketing (different rant)
If you've reviewed their book on Amazon, why not copy that review across to other platforms? https://t.co/ak5Zi2bXrD

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Patriotism is an interesting concept in that it’s excepted to mean something positive to all of us and certainly seen as a morally marketable trait that can fit into any definition you want for it.+


Tolstoy, found it both stupid and immoral. It is stupid because every patriot holds his own country to be the best, which obviously negates all other countries.+

It is immoral because it enjoins us to promote our country’s interests at the expense of all other countries, employing any means, including war. It is thus at odds with the most basic rule of morality, which tells us not to do to others what we would not want them to do to us+

My sincere belief is that patriotism of a personal nature, which does not impede on personal and physical liberties of any other, is not only welcome but perhaps somewhat needed.

But isn’t adherence to a more humane code of life much better than nationalistic patriotism?+

Göring said, “people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”+

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