I recently read an article in which an independent artist was defending their reasons why they chose to run their business a certain way. I don’t think that there’s one right way to do things, but to each his own. What disturbed me was the artist’s statement that they decided not to support a friend by not purchasing something of theirs because that friend did business differently. I think she missed the point; being an artist or author usually means that you are underpaid and any reciprocal support should be appreciated and fostered.
Note that I said reciprocal. When I began writing, it was a whole new territory and I was more focused on the creative end instead of the business end. Since then, I have met several other author and artist friends. The first thing I did was buy some of their stuff. It took me quite a little while to realize what really helps are reviews of their products. This was when I started leaving reviews about the pieces or books that I bought from them. Luckily, most of these folks also reciprocate. Some honestly don’t realize what an impact a review can make. I have some of those friends too. The same is also true for well meaning friends who do buy from their artist/writer friends. They just don’t realize how important it is to leave a review for independent authors and artists.
Here’s a good example. I have an author friend who is a really nice person, but he’s a bit like me when it comes to business, which is to say that he doesn’t put a lot of thought into advertising or reciprocating. Yes, his books are good and can sell on their own merit, but imagine what he could do if he reciprocated with reviews and word of mouth. I suspect that more reviews would only help his business.
Next time you want to support your artist/author friends, don't just buy from us, leave a review because it helps more than you realize.