Small Ways to Support Indie Authors This Holiday Season
Knowing how and where to help is key
The holidays are loud for readers — sales emails, bestseller lists, algorithm-pushed “must reads.”
But for indie authors, the season is quieter. There’s no marketing team flipping a switch. No warehouse shipping thousands of copies overnight. There’s just one person refreshing a dashboard, hoping a story they poured themselves into lands in the right hands.
If you love books — and especially indie books — there are small, meaningful ways to support authors this season. None of them require spending a lot of money. Most don’t require spending any at all.
Buy One Book (and Mean It)
When a reader buys an indie book, it’s rarely an impulse purchase lost in the noise. It’s deliberate. It’s someone choosing that story.
Buying directly from the author’s website, if they have one, matters even more. It means fewer fees, more control, and often a signed copy or handwritten note tucked inside. But even buying through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo still counts — because every sale signals that the book deserves shelf space, visibility, and a chance to reach someone else.
One book might feel small to you. To an indie author, it’s proof the work landed.
Leave a Review — Even a Short One
A review doesn’t need to be poetic. It doesn’t need to be five paragraphs long. Sometimes it’s just:
“I stayed up too late reading this.”
That single sentence helps more than you realize.
Reviews are how indie books get noticed. They influence algorithms, recommendations, and reader trust. They tell future readers, You’re not alone. Someone else took the chance first.
If you finish an indie book this holiday season, leaving even a few honest lines is one of the most powerful gifts you can give.
Where Reviews Make the Biggest Difference for Indie Authors
Not all reviews carry the same weight — but every one helps. Leaving a review in just one or two of these places can dramatically increase an indie book’s visibility.
Amazon
Amazon reviews influence discoverability more than most readers realize. Even a short, honest review helps the algorithm understand who to show the book to next. Star ratings alone help — but a sentence or two goes further.
Goodreads
Goodreads is where readers talk to readers. Reviews here build long-term credibility and often influence library purchases, book club picks, and reader challenges. Thoughtful or emotional reactions perform especially well.
StoryGraph
For data-driven readers, StoryGraph reviews matter. Mood tags, pacing notes, and content warnings help the book reach the right readers, which leads to stronger word-of-mouth over time.
BookBub
Following an author and leaving a review on BookBub helps with future promotions and deal visibility. Even rating the book without a full review supports discoverability.
Barnes & Noble
If you bought or read the book elsewhere, you can still leave a review here. Retailer reviews matter beyond Amazon, especially for readers who prefer physical bookstores.
Kobo & Apple Books
These platforms are often overlooked, which makes reviews here even more valuable. A handful of reviews can make a noticeable difference in visibility and recommendations.
Libraries (Indirectly)
While libraries don’t always host reviews, requesting an indie book or leaving feedback with librarians helps signal reader demand. Librarians notice which books readers talk about.
A review doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t need to analyze themes or write a mini essay.
Sometimes it’s just:
What you liked
How the book made you feel
Who would yourecommend it to
Those few lines can be the difference between a book fading quietly or finding its next reader.
Recommend a Book the Way You’d Recommend a Favorite Recipe
Indie books grow by word of mouth — the same way traditions do.
When you tell a friend, “This book reminded me of you,” or post a photo of your current read by the Christmas tree, you’re doing something no ad can replicate. You’re offering trust.
Tagging the author, sharing a quote, or adding the book to a holiday reading list creates ripples that last far beyond December.
Request Indie Books at Libraries and Bookstores
Most readers don’t realize this, but libraries and independent bookstores want to stock books people ask for.
A single request can put an indie book on a library shelf where dozens of new readers might find it. It turns one purchase into many. It gives the book longevity.
And for authors? Seeing their book listed in a library catalog is a moment that never gets old.
Support Without Spending a Dollar
Not every form of support costs money — and indie authors know that.
Following an author on social media. Joining their newsletter. Liking or commenting on a post so it reaches more readers. These actions help authors stay visible during a season when attention is stretched thin.
They also remind authors they’re not writing into a void.
Remember: Indie Authors Are People, Not Just Brands
Behind every indie book is someone juggling deadlines, family obligations, and the quiet pressure to keep going. Someone who wrote scenes late at night. Someone who believed the story was worth finishing even when it was hard.
When readers choose indie books — especially during the holidays — they’re choosing to support creativity, risk, and stories that exist because someone refused to quit.
And that choice matters.