Remember Staples's Easy Button? Authors Need One Too

Years back, Staples offered an Easy button, and I had a boss who used this as his mantra. Whatever the request, his directive was to make it easy for the user. Authors need an easy button. We are always asking for followers, subscribers to our newsletter, reviews, and blurbs. If you’re asking for something, make it streamlined for the person to comply.

Links: If you want someone to follow you or sign up for something, always provide the link. (And make sure it works.)

Blurbs: If you’re asking for a blurb, and the person agrees, provide your short biography and synopsis of the work, along with the ARC (Advanced Review Copy). It takes time to come up with quotes. It always helps if you provide all the information for the person.

Reviews: The same is true for reviews, provide all the links, biography, and synopsis to help make the process smoother.

Photo Sizing: Make sure to send the correct size photo/book cover. Keep a collection of your headshots/covers in different sizes. There is nothing worse than getting an 8x10 scanned photo for a blog post. I have to take time to resize it to fit a webpage. A high resolution print version is too big (dimensions and file size) for a web posting. The majority of people are viewing web content on a mobile device. Loading speed and proportionate graphics are important for optimal viewing.

Organize Your Requests: Put the “ask” (what you want) in the first paragraph. People get hundreds of emails a day, and they often skim. This is a basic rule of journalism. Put the most important facts first in case someone doesn’t read the whole document. Chunk similar information together and use paragraphs or formatting to create subtitles. Be specific if there is a deadline.

Keep Copies: If you send a request or provide something, keep a copy of it. You never know when there is an email hiccup, and you’re asked to resend. Make it easy on yourself.