It’s that time of the year again, when everything is a clean slate. It’s the time when we think about the past, plan for the future, and hopefully don’t get the side-eye from our neighbors for still having our Christmas decorations up in January. 

It’s still cool to greet people with “Happy New Year!”, for a couple of more weeks, at least. Goals and resolutions are often a topic of conversation right now. And even though some people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions by January 2^nd, others are sticking with it. If you are a writer, or you know someone who’s a writer, goals and resolutions might be a potentially sticky subject, however. So how can you give a genuine “Happy New Year!” to the writers in your life? Here are some suggestions: 

Buy their books 

If they have any books for sale, on any platform, buy one (or more). Even a few pennies earned from a $.99 ebook is profit, and very exciting for any author. And once you’ve bought the book, maybe even read it. You might enjoy it!  

Review their books, and/or tell your friends about their books 

If you’ve read any of their books, leave a review! Obviously, us writers prefer glowing 5-star reviews (and if you absolutely hated the book and think it deserves less than 1 star, maybe you could actually not leave a review…?) But for real, most authors I know appreciate a thoughtful, honest review that highlights the strengths of the book or how it made the reader feel – even if it’s not quite 5 stars. Just be kind, please, in your honesty. And if you liked it, tell a friend!

Follow them on social media 

Or subscribe to their newsletter. Or read their blog. If they don’t have any finished books or other works for sale, you can still support your writer friends and get their new year started off nicely just by supporting whatever sort of online presence they have. 

Ask about their reading goals for the year 

A good writer is a reader, and most writers I know read even more than they write. Many avid readers post reading goals on social media sites like GoodReads, while others just add books to the already-towering stack beside their bed. But either way, most writers/readers love to talk about what they’re reading. 

Don’t ask them how their writing is going (or what their writing goals are) 

Since we’re talking about goals and resolutions for the new year, it might seem obvious to ask your writer friends what their writing goals are. And to be fair, many writers will be happy to talk about their goals, or discuss how their current project is going. But approach this discussion with caution. Many writers frequently struggle with feeling like their work is inadequate or they’re behind schedule, so being asked “So when’s your next book coming out?” does not give them the warm fuzzies. Congratulating them on a recent success (like buying their latest book and reading it) is more likely to give your writer friend a boost of encouragement to keep plugging away at their writing goals. 

What are some other ways that you might want to wish your writer friends a happy new year? If you’re a writer, then just keep reading and writing and sticking to your dreams, and have a happy new year!