Should Authors Adopt A Charity?

   

Americans gave $471.44 billion to charities in 2020, up 5.1% from the prior year. Should you donate to charitable causes to promote your book? 

If this pace of growth held true the last few years, Americans giving to charities should be clearing the half-trillion dollar mark this year. People give for many reasons: to help others; to promote a good cause; to feel like a savior or hero; to get a tax break; to absolve a feeling of guilt; to assist those in need without having to devote much time in doing so.

But, there could be another reason why authors should donate to one or more charities: it helps their image. Yes, for branding purposes.  

Writers may want to ingratiate themselves with a cause that not only hopefully helps people, but lacks controversy or potential criticism. In other words, feed the homeless, respond to a natural disaster, help illiterates, stop bullying, or support cancer research. None of these issues has any opposition and each enjoys universal respect and praise. Things involving issues that are political or split the country will turn-on some people and turn-off an equal amount. Avoid publicizing your support of such things in connection with your book.

Writers can simply state on their website, back book cover, press kit, and social media platforms that a percentage of the proceeds or net profits will go to fund a specific charity or cause. You can name the percentage if you like. You can make it a dollar amount: $2 from every book sold will be sent to (name the charity). Some will distinguish between proceeds (gross amount taken in) vs net profits (what you actually make after expenses). 

In addition to money, or instead of it, you can donate books to organizations, either to supply free access to your book as a gift or public service — or so the group can sell your book and pocket all of the proceeds to fund its programming.

To maximize your investment opportunity and to improve your brand while helping a good cause, do the following:

Reach out to the charity to see what you can do to help them in a public way. Will they agree to endorse your book in exchange for your help? Would they hold a fundraising event and use your books as the drawing card? Would they post something about your book in their newsletter or on their blog or website? Would they agree to email their membership and encourage them to buy your donated book from the charity? Could you get five people from the charity to each post an amazon review in exchange for you donating a number of books? Could the charity leadership introduce you to other community members who may be able to help you get attention for your book?

Look, in the end, I hope you help great charities because it is the right thing to do and your heart is in the right place, but even if you could not give a crap about others and just want to selfishly

wed yourself to a charity, by all means do it. You win, the community wins, the charity wins.  

 

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.