How to support authors of LGBTQ+ books during challenging times

I hadn’t originally planned to write this blog post because I wanted to avoid causing unnecessary panic. However, I’ve been getting a lot of emails from readers asking how they can support authors of LGBTQ+ books during this challenging time. I’ve also seen a lot of misinformation about this topic circulating, so I felt it was important to address the situation and counter some of the misperceptions.

 

The current situation: How potential book bans could affect LGBTQ+ books

With the newly elected US president, there’s concern that LGBTQ+ books might be banned or made illegal (Project 2025 talks about criminalizing anything they classify as “porn”).

I’m not saying any of that will definitely happen. It’s not clear if, how, when, and to what extent any of those plans will be enforced, but if more book bans happen, there’s no question that LGBTQIA+ books will be disproportionately affected.

Within the community of LGBTQ+ writers, authors of color, trans and nonbinary authors, and disabled authors—who already navigate systemic barriers within the publishing industry—are at the greatest risk of being silenced by potential book bans, so it’s especially important to support them to ensure their stories are continued to be told.

 

Actions that help support authors of LGBTQ+ books

Here’s a list of 15 helpful things readers can do to support authors of LGBTQ+ books.

1. Buy and read LGBTQ+ books. Purchasing LGBTQ+ books allows authors to keep writing instead of worrying about how to pay the bills.
2. Recommend LGBTQ+ books to friends and fellow readers. Whether it’s online or in person, word of mouth is the most powerful marketing for any book.
3. Review LGBTQ+ books. Even a short review or a star rating helps, especially on algorithm-driven platforms like Amazon.
4. Post about LGBTQ+ books on social media. You could share a favorite quote, post a picture of the book (authors love photos of their books “out in the wild!”), or talk about a scene or a character that resonated with you.
5. Engage with LGBTQ+ authors on social media. Follow authors on social media, and like, comment, and share their posts to boost visibility.
6. Request LGBTQ+ books at your local library. Many libraries offer a way to suggest books they should purchase. You can even do that when you’re using Libby. This benefits both authors and future readers.
7. Send positive feedback to authors. Email authors with words of encouragement and appreciation. Being a writer is often a very solitary job, so a few kind words from readers are a wonderful source of motivation.
8. Subscribe to authors’ newsletters. This helps authors stay connected with readers without relying on social media algorithms. As an added bonus for you, many authors send out a free ebook to new subscribers.
9. Attend LGBTQ+ book events. Go to conferences, book signings, readings, panels—either in person or online. A strong turnout sends a powerful message that LGBTQ+ books matter and are popular.
10. Buy LGBTQ+ books as gifts. With the holidays approaching, it’s a great time to buy LGBTQ+ books for friends who might enjoy them—or to gift them to readers who are struggling to afford books.
11. Support LGBTQ+ authors on Patreon and similar platforms. For a few dollars per month, you can provide financial support directly to authors and usually get bonus material in exchange.
12. Suggest LGBTQ+ books to your book club. Spread the word in your book communities.
13. Donate LGBTQ+ books. Give a copy of your favorite LGBTQ+ books to libraries, community centers, or other organizations that accept book donations.
14. Fill Little Free Libraries with LGBTQ+ books. Drop off LGBTQ+ books in your neighborhood’s Little Free Libraries.
15. Ask LGBTQ+ authors where to buy their books. Different authors have different preferences, so check with them to make sure you’re supporting them the way they want.

 

Important note:

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious and just don’t have the spoons—or the money & time—to do any of the above and just want to escape into your favorite comfort reads for a while, that’s perfectly valid too! Never feel guilty for practicing self-care!

 

Actions that might be helpful but only to some authors (and readers) of LGBTQ+ books

I’ve seen many suggestions that could help some authors, but they wouldn’t apply to all authors, so the following suggestions are not universal solutions.

 

1. Switching from reading ebooks to reading paperbacks

Some readers are afraid Amazon could delete their entire library of LGBTQ+. So they recommend readers boycott ebooks and buy paperbacks instead. That might work for some readers, but quite frankly, as a person with low vision, I need ebooks and audiobooks. Paperbacks won’t work for me or for many other disabled readers.

Plus not everyone lives in a place where LGBTQ+ books are available in bookstores.

Paperbacks are also more expensive than ebooks, and shipping costs can be prohibitive depending on where readers live, so not everyone can afford print books. Despite the higher costs for readers, most authors make less money if you buy a paperback copy compared to an ebook.

And let’s face it—an avid reader who reads 300+ books a year won’t have enough shelf space to buy them all as paperbacks. So if paperbacks work for you, great—but I wouldn’t suggest them as a solution for everyone.

 

2. Getting LGBTQ+ books from libraries and indie bookstores

That’s actually a great suggestion—but only for some folks. I love libraries and local queer-friendly bookstores, and I definitely recommend supporting them.

But unfortunately, that’s not a solution for every reader. Not everyone has a library with a wide selection of LGBTQ+ books. The Queer Liberation Library, for example, is only accessible for readers in the US.

In addition, authors who are in Kindle Unlimited can’t offer their ebooks via libraries (KU’s exclusivity clause doesn’t extend to paperbacks, though, so you might find the paperback versions in libraries).

Indie authors and small publishing houses also often have a hard time getting their books into bookstores. Even if they manage, they make very little money off paperbacks because most bookstores require authors to distribute their books through Ingram (a major book distributor & printer), give them a 55% discount, and allow bookstores to return the copies they didn’t sell. That means authors could even owe Ingram money if their books don’t sell and bookstores return them—because they have to reimburse the bookstore plus pay for shipping!

Side note:

Ingram is also owned by a billionaire who has donated plenty of money to the GOP.

 

Actions that might even harm some authors of LGBTQ+ books

I’ve seen well-meaning readers recommend actions that might actually harm authors more than they would help. Here are the things that are not a good solution:

 

1. Blanket boycotts of Amazon and canceling your KU and/or Audible subscription

Jeff Bezos (the founder of Amazon, who still owns 9% of the company) is said to have supported the GOP and blocked the Washington Post from endorsing Kamala Harris, so after the election, some readers started to suggest boycotting Amazon and canceling subscriptions to Kindle Unlimited and Audible.

I understand and respect the frustration with Amazon’s monopoly and business practices. If you don’t want to give your money to Amazon, I totally get it.

But I don’t think calling for blanket boycotts is the solution because it won’t really hurt billionaires like Bezos—but it will hurt indie authors and narrators. Many indie authors make most (or even all) of their income via Amazon. Those who are in Kindle Unlimited (KU) are contractually required to be exclusive to Amazon—meaning you won’t be able to get their ebooks anywhere else.

Of course, you could argue that these authors could take their ebooks out of KU and sell them elsewhere. Long-term, making ourselves dependent on a single big corporation is not a great thing for authors, so that’s exactly why some authors are “going wide” and offering their books from many different retailers–my books, for example, are available from Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, libraries, and many other online retailers. However, that’s not an option for everyone. Some authors simply don’t have the time or the energy to deal with several different retailers. For many, leaving KU would also be a huge risk since the majority of their income comes from KU.

We should also take into consideration that some readers are on a fixed income and couldn’t afford to read as many books as they do if not for subscription programs such as Kindle Unlimited, Everand, or Kobo Plus.

If you absolutely want to boycott Amazon, go ahead, but be aware it means you’ll take many indie authors off your reading list. Just to give you an idea of what I mean: Of the almost 500 books that authors submitted for the 2025 Sapphic Book Bingo so far, 79% are in KU, meaning readers won’t be able to get the ebook versions anywhere but from Amazon!

Similarly, the same applies to Audible too. For authors to get a higher royalty rate, they have to be exclusive to them, so you’ll only find their audiobooks on Audible, nowhere else.

Not a single author or small LGBTQ+ publisher I know can exist without Amazon. We don’t like it, but it’s a reality we can’t ignore.

Side note:

The lion’s share of Amazon’s profits doesn’t come from books. It comes from AWS (Amazon Web Services), the world’s largest cloud provider, used by millions of companies worldwide, including Netflix, Spotify, Kobo, Overdrive, Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, and Disney+. So technically, we would have to boycott all of those companies too…

 

2. Piracy and sharing LGBTQ+ books without compensating the authors

It should go without saying, but apparently, it doesn’t because I’ve seen posts where readers talk about exchanging ebooks via email. That’s theft. Authors need to pay their bills, so please don’t resort to stealing books.

 

3. Making lists of authors and how they voted

I’ve seen lists going around of authors who voted “blue” vs. “red.” The intention was to create a list of “safe” authors who should be supported as well as authors who should be boycotted.

However, lists like that might put authors in danger, and it could harm an author’s career if they end up on the wrong list because someone jumped to conclusions.

 

My recommendation: How to best support authors of LGBTQ+ books

If you have the spoons to do so, you could ask authors where to get their books to support them best. As I said above, the answer might be different for every author.

It might not be realistic to ask each and every author, but in general, I think there’s room for a more nuanced approach and deciding on a case-by-case basis.

For authors whose books are available from their own webstores, from libraries or local indie bookstores, or from non-Amazon platforms, you could get those books there, while still using Amazon, Audible, or KU for books from authors who sell their books exclusively through those channels.

I don’t intend to tell readers where they should or shouldn’t get their books. My intention is to make sure readers have all the information and know the options and the pros and cons that come with each.

Just my two cents. But in the end, it’s your wallet and your choice. This post is just meant to help you make an informed choice.

Authors appreciate any way you support them!

 

Further reading

If you’re interested in learning more about how to support sapphic fiction authors, check out these blog posts:

• How to Make Sure More of Your Book Money Goes to Authors: This blog post pulls back the curtain on how much authors earn per sale via different platforms and formats.
• Where to Buy Sapphic Books Directly From Authors & Publishers: A list of sapphic fiction authors and small LGBTQ+ presses selling their books directly to readers through their own webstores.

Don’t miss future options to support sapphic authors

Next week, I’ll post a list of authors on Kobo Plus (Kobo’s subscription service for readers), and the following week, I’ll share a list of authors you can support on Patreon through a monthly subscription that gives you access to bonus material.

If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss those lists, sign up for my blog.

If you are an author of sapphic fiction who sells direct and want me to add you to the list, please email me.