Last Monday, I invited a trusted collaborator to deliver a 10-minute demo of an all-in-one CRM tool I use to manage my website, calendar, commerce, and social presence, and most importantly, to simplify connection and relationship-building while streamlining my systems and improving data quality. By the end of the call, one attendee had signed up as his client.

Not my client. His.

I’ve been the person people call when they need something for most of my life. If I don’t know the right person, I can usually get there in one or two phone calls. And when someone is trustworthy and delivers real value, I want the people around me to know about them.

Yesterday was National Do Something Nice Day, which got me thinking about what that habit does for authors. Every time you point people toward someone good, three things happen. You become visible to people who weren’t looking for you. You build relationships that last longer than any launch. And over time, those relationships sell books.

Not because you’re keeping score. Because people remember who showed up for them.

Four nice acts that open doors (and one to skip)

1. Share someone’s podcast episode. Even if you weren’t the guest. Say why it was worth your time. You’ve done your audience a favor and put a fellow author in front of new readers.

2. Introduce a podcast host to a great guest. If you enjoyed working with a host and know an author who fits the show, make the introduction. One email opens a door for both of them, and hosts remember who sends them good guests.

3. Feature another author in your newsletter. LinkedIn and Substack newsletters are useful, but your email list is the one room where you decide who’s invited. Your readers gave you permission to keep the conversation going. Use that room to introduce people you trust.

4. Give a colleague’s book as a client gift. Pick a book that complements your work, written by someone you respect. Your client gets something useful, your colleague gets a sale and a new reader, and you get remembered for both.

Skip this one: the Amazon review for an author you know. On last week’s Novel Marketing podcast, Book Launchers founder Julie Broad described Amazon removing 35 reviews from one book when only 5 were the problem. Host Thomas Umstattd Jr. says Amazon spots those connections through Facebook. Amazon won’t say how it decides.

So put your praise where you control it: your website, your newsletter, your blog. Those reviews stay put.

Generosity is a long game. The doors it opens stay open.

Practicing what I preach

Last Monday was a full day. Along with that demo, I joined Debra Eckerling on #GoalChat Live for an episode on “The Writer Life,” alongside Nikki Green, a life and business resiliency expert, and Kathleen Kaiser, co-host of Talking Book Publishing.

Debra opens her room to a new set of guests every Monday at 4 p.m. Pacific. Thank you, Debra, for the invitation. Thank you, Nikki and Kathleen, for the conversation. We laughed and shared stories for the entire episode.

This is act #1 in action. If the replay is useful to you, share it with an author who needs it: watch the GoalChat Live replay.

Meet Your Readers

For authors who are in the Northern California area, the Napa Valley Writers are hosting a Book Festival on November 14, 2026. Click on the link for more information. Click on the image to see a full size page.

Your turn

Comment below or send me an email and tell me which nice act you’ll do this week.

Judy M. Baker

I’m the Queen Bee of Book Marketing — I help nonfiction authors turn their books into business assets, find their hive, and become more visible, memorable, and profitable.

P.S. For bonus gratitude points: if my work has helped you or your book, I’d be grateful for a testimonial on my website, written or video. Leave a testimonial here.