by Linda Thorne
About five years ago I wrote a version of this post for a blogspot now inactive. Being late for my post today, I thought I’d bring this topic to Make Mine Mystery.
Ah, reviews. Authors yearn for the good ones, will take the reasonable ones, and hopefully learn from those negative, but none want those posted by meanies with nasty unnecessary attacks.
For the most part an author will welcome almost any type of review: the ever steady one with an accurate ending and a trustworthy opinion, but even a shallow review of three words: “I enjoyed this book,” brings a smile to my face. And I love to see the total numbers of the review count go up.
It's my understanding that Amazon will do a little more promotion for an author with twenty reviews, then maybe more at fifty. I’m not sure if this is accurate, but I have heard it several times.
Some people who read my book, volunteer to put up a review without my asking, but then never do. Maybe if I showed my true emotions when they first mentioned it—chanted cheers and did somersaults—they may have followed through. This happens more often than not.
I asked my publisher to add a blurb at the back of my book asking for consideration of a review. I’ve seen it in other books. I’m not sure it helps, but I don’t think a reminder can hurt.
In the January 2017 issue of Writer's Digest. Barbara Solomon Josselsohn wrote in the “5-Minute Memoir” section a short article on book reviews. She titled it “The Review Rat Race" and said, "...many authors will attest, customer reviews have become the holy grail of novel publishing." She also confessed wishing she could simply appreciate a compliment about her books without the drama of the sought-after book review jumping to the forefront.
What about you? Do you go after reviews or just hope that they come? Do you have other resources that help you bring them in or are you relying
solely on those folks who read your books?
Buy Link: Just Another Termination
Author Website: Linda Thorne Website
5 comments:
Ah, reviews. They can be a writer's best friend - or worst enemy. Personally I don't go after reviews. I have had some very well reviewed books and some that have next to none. Honestly, I'm not sure they make any difference.
What helped me was that I also worked when the book came out. I was surprised by reviews from several of the employees who I didn't deal with much and had no idea they knew I'd written anything. Being in HR, it would've been inappropriate to promote it the workplace. One dress-down-Friday I wore a sweatshirt with a tiny picture of my book, which no one had ever noticed, until someone in my office asked me what it said. That moment sold one book and got me a review. Like you, I'm not sure whether they make a whole lot of difference.
I only write reviews on books I like, because usually if I don't like a book, I never finish it. I most often leave 5 stars, sometimes 4 if something could have been improved on
In some cases I get to what the author has declared the end of a book and it really isn't. Even if I liked it up until that point and am disappointed at the unfinished ending, I won't do a review. I know how devastating it is for an author to get a bad review, so I don't have it in my heart to give one.
Thanks for your review of Found at the Pound, by the way. It was much appreciated!
You're welcome on the Found at the Pound review. I did enjoy it. I also don't review books that I don't like. I know how hard the author works at writing them, so I'd rather say nothing.
The topic of getting reviews is always timely. There's an etiquette I follow in reviewing, too. Do unto others...
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