It's Up to Us

I'm quite a fan of American Idol. And The Voice and X-Factor, and any other music competition shows you can throw my way. But mostly American Idol. I love how these shows have given a platform for talented singers who otherwise might never have been exposed to the world. Even those who don't win the competition have achieved far more than they ever thought possible, simply because of the exposure.


I was reminded again this morning how much I love those shows and the amazing platform they provide when my daughter showed me a YouTube video of a new release from Danny Gokey, a third place finalist in Season 8 of American Idol. He was a favorite of mine, as well as my husband and our family, and even though Danny didn't win, I had no doubt he would have a fabulous career in music. Here is the link to his latest song, Hope in Front of Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KIhYZQ_ovw

Not for the first time I wished, and said aloud, that there was such a venue for authors trying to get their "voice" out to the world in the form of their novels. A place where writers could connect with a tailor-made audience.

Sadly, there isn't. So it's up to us, you and me, lovers of good fiction to get the word out about our favorite books and authors. We have the ability to give a leg up to those novelists who touch something within us, to get the "word" out, pun intended. We have the ability to turn a ripple into a tidal wave, or at least a nice breaker the author can ride to a higher profile. After all, word of mouth is still a great way to expand readership.

So, I encourage you: when you read a book you love, tell someone. No, tell everyone. Post reviews. Email the author. Authors love hearing good things from their readers. Just do what you can on behalf of that author to promote his or her work.

What would happen if we all did that? What would it mean to  a writer and his or her work to have that kind of wind in their sails? What would happen if you --