One of the most critical truths of living in the modern world is that we are all connected. As the poet John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” (And neither is any woman, of course.) And because you are the type of writer who wants to be generous, the kind of writer who gives more than you take, you will want to discover ways to support the important work of other writers.

After all, the world needs more great writing, and you also want to continue expanding your relationships. Here are five ways to accomplish both things.

1. Write personal messages to authors whose books you enjoy. You can find email addresses, social media accounts, or at the very least, website contact forms for almost any author in the world. Let them know how their book impacted you and why you loved it. It will mean the world to them.
2. Engage with their non-book content. Most authors have email lists and social media accounts. Many also have their own podcasts or video channels. Like, share, comment, subscribe, and support the material they are creating.
3. Buy their books, share them on social media, and give copies away to your friends. You not only support the author’s livelihood, you also become your friends’ favorite person by giving them unexpected gifts.
4. Write book reviews. After you post a review on an online retailer site, take a screenshot and post it on social media. Make sure to tag the author. Reviews are the lifeblood of an author’s business. If you want others to leave book reviews for you, you must do the same for others.
5. Share quotes from their books. You can do this via social media, email, podcasts, or other means. It’s a simple way to spread a book’s message in a short, digestible way.

None of these actions have to be complicated. If you just take five minutes per day to do one or two of these, it will make a huge difference for the authors you support… and will grow your own influence as well.

Daily Question: Who are three authors you could support with these strategies in the next twenty-four hours?