Seriously But Not Literally

I dislike hate asking for help.

I’ve always been like this. My ‘I got this’ affliction has led me down a bumpy road, filled with a smattering of ‘oops’es and a liberal spread of ‘oh shit’s. I’m fine with it, generally. In fact, I love it much of the time. Imagine my self-satisfied, smug little grin when I say, “I did that. All by myself, thank you.”

Well, Time to Eat Crow

What a gross idiom, yes? Nonetheless, there it is. Here it is. I apparently, undeniably need some help. Now, I’m going to paint with a broad brush here, and include my fellow authors, as well as artists, direct sellers, and every single small business owner out there. We need you– our friends, family, social media friends, people who’ve read our books, bought our art, shopped our mom and pop store, listeners of our sales pitches- to help us grow our fledgling businesses or careers.

Dramatic much?

Yeah, kind of. But it’s true. Listen, I know, you see our posts every single damn day. It becomes like white noise, the constant requests to LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE, BUY. It seems like everyone’s got something to sell, from crazy leggings to makeup and fat loss products (to books and art). But let me ask you this: Why are we so willing to buy department store clothing, accessories, and makeup, and not our friend’s or relatives? We don’t mind padding the big companies wallets (Coach, Nike, John Patterson, Maybeline, Almay, Athropologie, Macys, Michael Kors, Stephen King, MAC, on and on)…but it’s annoying when our acquaintance is trying to build a business from the ground up?

Nitty Gritty Time

I know you’ve got shit to do & this post is about two minutes too long already. So here it is. Be a helper. This is how:

SUPPORT small businesses. BUY from people you know.

LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE their pages and their posts. *Please do this whether you buy or not. This helps TREMENDOUSLY in gaining visibility for small/indie sellers.

**Being that I’m an author & speaker, the following is geared specifically toward helping authors. If you are sharing this post, be sure to add in your personal requests!**

BUY the books! All of my books can be found HERE

Again: Please LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE page and occasional posts- whether you buy the books or not

REVIEW on Amazon &/or Goodreads. Four & Five stars are considered excellent reviews. Three and under send us to the bottom of the pile. While honest reviews- even negative ones-are respected equally, I humbly request that if you can’t give me a 4+, reach out to me personally, rather than trash me.

RECOMMEND my books to others, and on GOODREADS and for local BOOK CLUBS.

REQUEST that your local library, artisan/boutique style stores, and/or indie bookstores carry my books on their shelves.

Closing Arguments

All but one option will cost you ~~$$$~~ NOTHING more than a moment of your time. The impact you will have on your friend or family member (or random Facebook friend you don’t even remember meeting, but somehow became friends with) is PRICELESS. Personally, I like showing gratitude toward those who have helped me is through free books, special mentions IN the books, and undying appreciation. Not trying to bribe anyone, but hey, if you happen to like any of those, feel free to join in the HELP ELSA SUCCEED party. Thank you in advance.