Write On SC

Being a Good Literary Citizen: Part 1

Episode Summary

On August 23, 2025 and August 30th, Kasie and Rex worked on Jonathan Haupt's list of Literary Citizenship activities.

Episode Notes

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it.

Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes.

This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list:

Join a writers’ group
Go to a writers’ conference
Be a loyal customer to your local indy bookstore
Write reviews for your favorite indy bookstores
Attend author talks and book signings
Send than you letters, notes, and messages to authors
Like, comment, share, subscribe to authors’ digital content
Post reviews for books you enjoy
Go to book festivals
Be the “in conversation with” host
Be a library patron, better yet, a Friend of the Liberary
Support literary journals and magazines
Be a literacy volunteer at your local schools
Donate books to the Little Free Liberaries
Join the Authors Guild
Join a book club
Join Authors Against Book Bands
Advocate for the rights to read and write freely
Chronicle the times in which you live
Support the arts and your fellow creatives
Be a literary tourist
Read.