When people ask me what I want for Christmas, my first answer is always books . . . I expect you may feel the same way. Very few things make me happier than a stack of books waiting to be read.
Now that I’m also an author, I feel that way even more because I know that when I buy a book or someone buys one for me, a writer’s livelihood is increased and their vocation affirmed in some small way. After all, authors are small business owners.
Our businesses are our books. . . and while almost none of us can support ourselves entirely through book sales, many of us supplement our income and grow our other businesses through book sales. For example, when someone gifts a copy of my book Writing Day In and Day Out, they are not only providing me a small bit of income, but they are also helping to spread the word about my writing but also about my editing and coaching businesses that are actually the bulk of my income.
So tomorrow, on Small Business Saturday, remember the authors of the world . . . buy a book or 20 . . . visit an independent bookstore . . . make purchases from your writer friends’ businesses. . .
Every book you buy helps a writer get her wings . . . okay, not really, but it does help her buy groceries and publish more books. And we all know that food and books are two of the best things in life, right?
By the way, before you go, take a look at the infographic at the right. FreshBooks, a great accounting and invoicing tool for small business owners, put this together to show just how much of an impact shopping at local, small businesses makes in our communities. So tomorrow, I hope you’ll join me in supporting #smallbusinesssaturday.