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Yesterday, we talked about how to survive negative or not-so-flattering reviews. Yes, a snarky review can be crushing. Now, while it is important to learn from valid reviews and critique, it is equally important to put reviews in perspective and to realize that a review is simply an opinion. What is an opinion, anyway? It is someone’s impression—how an individual is impacted by your book—what their reaction to it is.

And one’s reaction or impression is often based on their belief system, their life experiences and their taste.

As you know, I’ve had five-star reviews for my new mysteries and I’ve had one-star reviews. So which reviews are valid? Who’s right, the readers who said the books are delightful, fun, easy-to-read and well-written, or are the reviewers who said the books are disappointing, hard to follow and disturbing?

Who’s right? I guess both readers/reviewers are right, because these are simply opinions.

Are you swayed by reviews? Will you choose to read or not to read a book based on the reviews you see on the book’s page at Amazon? I believe that a negative review can be as tantalizing to someone who follows reviews as a positive one. Readers wonder, “Why did two out of 25 reviewers give this book low marks?” Curiosity sometimes inspires sales.

I think that the number of reviews a book gets tend to sway some people to either purchase your book or move on to another one. A book that has 80 reviews is apt to capture their attention over one with only 5 reviews.

When you’re trying to decide how to market your book and whether or not to solicit reviews, consider how reviews affect you when it comes to choosing a book to read or study. And be sure to think like your readers—what attracts them? What’s the best way to get their attention? Do reviews impress them or not? Where are they most apt to purchase books like yours? How do they learn about books like yours?

In the meantime, read Catnapped and Cat-Eye Witness (from my Klepto Cat Mystery series) and determine for yourself whether these books are “good stories,” “amazing,” “enjoyable” or “annoying” and “disappointing.” The books are on Kindle at http://www.amazon.com.

Do you have books to sell? Many of your readers might attend the huge Los Angeles Times Festival of Books April 12 and 13, 2014. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has secured two booths. The idea is, this is such a big event and the booths are so costly—and individual authors are often lost in the shuffle of their own booth—so SPAWN rents booths and provides space for members to sell their books. These authors share in the cost and it is more affordable for everyone.

Read more about this opportunity in SPAWNews. http://www.spawn.org. Click on “SPAWNews.” The link to sign up is here: http://www.spawn.org/latfb.htm. Once you have read the article in SPAWNews and visited the site, if you have questions, email me here Patricia@spawn.org or PLFry620@yahoo.com

Yes, I’m finding this to be true. Yesterday, for example, we created sweet little tiny promotional booklets to hand out and tuck into holiday cards. Those I’ve shown them to, love them. They aren’t utilitarian like bookmarks, but they’re something you might commit to hold onto at least for a little while—possibly longer than you would a postcard, promotional email or flier. (Does anyone promote using fliers anymore?)

I first saw the tiny mini-booklet idea at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. One of our SPAWN members had created some to promote her novel and they were a real fascination for the women visiting or walking past our booth. If the author handed a booklet to one woman, others would reach for them. Many women stopped to look at them scattered on the table in front of the author and ask if they could take one.

Mine is just a 4 x 4, four-page booklet with the cover art for both of my novels on the front along with brief reviewer comments. Inside I have a synopsis for each book and the back is all about ordering information. I added a sweet bow made of narrow red ribbon. I chose red because of the holiday and because one book cover has a woman with a bright red polka dot skirt. Paw-print ribbon might have also worked because the books also feature cats. I even found some red polka dot ribbon at Michaels, but it was too wide to work for my purposes.

It’s interesting how an author—in order to sell books—must also become a savvy promoter, creative marketer, public speaker, design artist, social media expert and so much more. This serves to remind us of the blatant fact that so many debuting authors miss or entirely disregard: while writing is a creative endeavor, publishing is a business—a fiercely competitive business. Publishing is NOT an extension of your writing.

For more book promotion ideas for both fiction and nonfiction and for a clear understanding of book promotion and the author’s responsibilities, read “Promote Your Book.” It’s at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html

The holidays are in full swing, which means you’ll probably be slacking off on book promotion. You’ll be too busy planning, shopping, preparing for guests, sending good wishes to friends and family all over the globe and so forth. Yet, this is the biggest shopping season of the year, so why not take advantage of that fact and step up your book promotion activities? Too busy, you say? Then consider multi-tasking—use the opportunities before you at any given moment to pitch your book. Here are a dozen super easy ideas that may surprise you:

• Send out your holiday cards early and be sure to write something about your latest book and slip in an advertising bookmark.

• For a novel or children’s book, for example, create sweet little booklets with the cover of your book and a poem or brief description of your story, etc. Bind it with a piece of pretty ribbon. People love receiving these tiny booklets.

• Enclose bookmarks in those paid return envelopes you get in the mail. And tuck them in with your bill payments.

• Pull out a bookmark or two when you’re paying for purchases at the mall. Hand them to the clerk with an enthusiastic—“I’m an author—this is my latest book! Makes a great gift.”

• When picking up your cleaning, making a bank deposit, buying groceries at the usual supermarket, paying for your massage, getting your teeth cleaned, picking up your pooch from the groomer, etc., mention the availability of your new book—offer a discount if they buy it from you.

• Bring up the subject of your book in social gatherings. Keep business cards or bookmarks in your pocket so you can quickly put your hands on them during opportune moments.

• Send an online holiday greeting to your email list with a mention of your latest book. Offer a discount to those who order it during the month of December.

• Recruit friends and colleagues to spread the word about your book. Offer them a percentage of sales they make for you during the holidays.

• Submit articles to newsletters and websites where your readers congregate. Ask to be interviewed at important blog sites this month to bring attention to your book.

• Give copies of your book or Amazon gift certificates (if your book is on Kindle only) to people who are influential within your readership.

• Tie your attractive bookmarks on the gifts you wrap for family, friends, coworkers, hairdresser, gym manager, manicurist, barber and those other special people you remember during the holidays.

• Leave small stacks of your bookmarks at your hairdresser’s station, in the library and in those specialty stores that your potential readers frequent. This might be pharmacies, bakeries, pet stores, feed stores, gift shops, toy stores and so forth.

I’ll just bet this list spawned a whole lot of other ideas you can use to promote your book this holiday season without stepping too far outside your realm of traditional and everyday activities.

Would love to hear some of your ideas—so would my followers. Leave a message under comments here or email me: PLFry620@yahoo.com

In the meantime, if you are looking for an enjoyable read this holiday season for yourself or someone else, consider purchasing my cozy mystery novels for your Kindle or a gift certificate for Amazon for friends and family.

The first two in the Klepto Cat Mystery series:

To order Catnapped for your Kindle http://amzn.to/14OCk0W

To order Cat-Eye Witness for your Kindle http://amzn.to/1bJiq0x

For a lifetime of book marketing ideas, put my book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author on your holiday list. It’s at amazon in print, Kindle and audio. Or order it from me: http://www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html

Are you promoting your novel? Or are you sitting around waiting for people to notice it? Are you more interested in writing the next story than promoting the one you’ve just published? This is pretty typical. It’s not a good idea, but it’s typical. And this is also the reason that way more books fail in the marketplace than succeed. This is why so many novels go unread and unnoticed, because there is no one promoting them. The fact is, when a book is not promoted, it will die.

Books, especially in this fiercely competitive publishing arena, must be touted, advertised, flaunted, plugged, publicized in order to be noticed. If no one knows the book exists, they won’t be buying it or borrowing it or even stealing it. It won’t be noticed and it won’t be read, making your efforts in writing it for naught.

Do you enjoy pursuing activities for naught? I wouldn’t think so. But if you write a book, go to the trouble of self-editing it, hiring an editor and getting it published, why wouldn’t you take the next majorly important step and introduce it to your readers? Why would you keep it a secret? Why wouldn’t you expend at least as much time and energy getting word out about your book as you did producing it?

For many of you, it’s because you just didn’t understand the publishing business. You didn’t know that books need to be promoted; that the number of books in the marketplace is growing as compared to the number of readers; that no one will know about your book unless someone tells them about it; that it is the author’s responsibility to promote his or her book.

I’d like to invite you to read my books, Publish Your Book and Promote Your Book. Every author should have booth books at his elbow throughout the writing and marketing phases of their projects. I recommend that you read Publish Your Book before you even start writing your novel, nonfiction book or children’s book. But it is never too late to get the education provided in this book. Study Promote Your Book early on, as well, in order to gain a clear understanding of book marketing and how to pursue it with regard to your particular book.

If you care about your book’s health, you will heed this message.

Publish Your Book, http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

Promote Your Book, http://www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html

Also available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores.

Are your book sales slow? If you’re not experiencing the success you expected, maybe you aren’t approaching your book project in the right frame of mind.

I tell authors that they must consider themselves the CEO of their book from the very inkling of an idea on through the sales and distribution. What happens when you don’t take charge of your book project and look at it as a serious business? You are at high risk of failing.

Most new authors do not take their book projects seriously enough—a fact that is reflected in these sad statistics: nearly 78 percent of books fail in the marketplace. Only a very small percentage of books sell in the millions. And there are authors who are making money selling books. Many of them are also promoting services or other products related to the theme of their books. And this success does not just happen because they’ve written a decent book. These authors would advise the following:

• Write the right book for the right audience—a book that is needed/wanted.
• Keep your audience in mind throughout the writing process.
• Before publishing, hire a good book editor.
• Study the publishing industry so you make the best publishing choices for your project.
• Create a marketing plan early on and work it long and hard.
• Be constantly aware of the best way to approach your particular audience.
• Be flexible, be innovative and be willing to take risks.

You are in charge of your book project and you have the power to succeed.

If you are new to publishing, please take time out to read my book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html. Or purchase the print, Kindle or audio version at Amazon.com here: http://amzn.to/1a7KUOt

First, let me announce that I have both newsletters archived here: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/?page-id=3081  Please check them out. They are jam-packed with information and resources for authors. Sign up to receive the next enewsletter scheduled to be sent December 10, 2013. http://www.patriciafry.com

Now here’s the second part of our article in which I share 7 secrets to getting your book reviewed. Part One appeared in this blog yesterday.

3: Make the most of what you have. Okay, your book is a done deal. How can you maximize your book review options? Get personal with your book. Dissect it and jot down what you find. For example, what city is the story set in? Pursue reviews in regional magazines in that area. Do you have a section in your budgeting book for teaching children money-awareness? Parenting magazines might be a good secondary review option for this book. Is your book clean and honorable? Consider reviews in religious magazines. Maybe your novel has a séance scene. This may provide an opportunity for a review in a metaphysical or New Age publication.

4: Locate appropriate publications and websites. You probably have magazines in your genre or topic on your own book shelves. Start there. Scan magazines at your local library and bookstores. Study Writer’s Market to find additional magazines related to your book’s theme. Do a Google search to locate even more magazines and newsletters. Here’s a link to one newsletter directory. http://www.newsletteraccess.com

Likewise, there are hundreds of online review sites. Seek out those related to the theme/genre of your book. Here is an online review directory to get you started: http://www.acqweb.org/bookrev.html

5: Contact appropriate reviewers with your review package. I suggest sending a query/introduction letter or email asking if you can submit your book to them for review. Include some quality promo material related to your book—in particular, a color cover image. Some magazine websites post book review submission guidelines. Adhere to them.

If you are invited to send the book, package it carefully along with your brochure, promo postcard, business cards and a cover letter. In the letter, remind the book reviewer that they requested the book for review. Be sure that your contact information is included.

Most online review sites offer a submissions page. Follow the instructions there.

6: Keep accurate records. Log every review package and book that goes out—when, to whom and be sure to log the contact information.

After two or three weeks, if you have not heard from a reviewer who requested your book, contact him/her and ask if they received the book and when they have it scheduled for review.

7: Express your gratitude. Once the review has been posted, send a thank you note to the reviewer.

Unless your book is seriously obscure, you should be able to land book reviews in dozens of publications. And the book doesn’t have to be hot off the presses. Maybe you neglected to solicit book reviews when the book was fresh. Don’t let that stop you from trying to get some publicity now. Go ahead and contact appropriate book reviewers. If it is a worthwhile book, most of them will say, yes.

How much will this cost you? Absolutely nothing! It is a rare reviewer that will charge for a book review in a magazine or newsletter. Sure, there are book review site where they charge. There are publications devoted to book reviews that charge. But, magazines and newsletters that include a book review section, rarely charge for a book review. They offer them as a service to their audience.

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Every author has heard the term Book Review. Many of them consider a book review to be an honor bestowed only on famous and lucky authors.

Some are aware of the pre-publication book reviews, but have been duly warned that these reviewers will NOT review books by unknown authors. Is this your belief?

Okay, let me say that you are right and wrong. I’ve certainly known of the coveted pre-publication reviewers, such as the editors of Kirkus Review and Library Journal, to review books by unknowns. In most cases, it seemed to be because the books were so well suited to the public library system. Think about that when you plan your next book!

As for the rumor that, if you miss out on getting your book reviewed by a pre-publication reviewer, you’ve lost your chances of a review forever—hogwash!

Here’s another myth I’d like to expose: You can get your book reviewed, but you’ll have to pay for it. No, no, no! Well, let me say that there are certainly some review sites cropping up that require payment for reviews. But I have to tell you, they are not the only reviewers in town!

There are hundreds of FREE book review opportunities for books in all genres and topics. Here are my suggestions:

1: Write a book that reviewers will want to review. Now this sounds like a big fat no-brainer, doesn’t it? But think about it. What more could you do to make your book-in-progress more appealing to reviewers—more appropriate for a larger number of reviewers?

Build promotion into you book. Add wider dimensions to attract a larger audience and you’ll also attract a greater array of reviewers.

2: Seek out magazine book reviewers. Not every magazine runs book reviews, but many of them do. Editors of some literary magazines and others that publish fiction, review books. Some genre fiction magazine editors publish book reviews—this might include science fiction, romance, horror, young adult and children’s.

Likewise there are hundreds of consumer and association/trade magazines that run book reviews on appropriate books. My book on presenting a Hawaiian luau on the mainland was reviewed in dozens and dozens of cooking and foods magazines. My writing/publishing-related books have been reviewed in numerous writing and publishing magazines and newsletters. There are magazines in every category imaginable—business, child-rearing, pets and animals, public speaking, finance, fitness and health, education, sports, hobby and craft and on and on and on.

Again, the more aspects you have skillfully worked into your novel or nonfiction book, the more potential you have for getting your book reviewed.

Here’s an example: Write a book about a run-of-the-mill factory worker and his life after divorce and your book will likely appeal to a relatively narrow audience of reviewers. Add the fact that he (or another character) is dealing with an affliction such as deafness or ALS, for example, and they have a therapy dog that saved someone’s life, and you’ve expanded your options. Now you may get reviews in fiction and relationship magazines as well as those related to handicaps, ALS/deafness, therapy dogs, pets, health, animal heroes, religious and general interest.

To find publications and sites where they post reviews, study Writer’s Market and other directories of publications. Do an Internet search to locate directories of book reviewers. Use the archives for this blog and locate several book reviewer directories.

Tomorrow, we will continue this theme. I will tell you how to use what you have in your already published book to maximize your book review options, how to locate appropriate publications and websites, how to contact potential reviewers and more.

I see that Amazon has chosen three of my books to promote to customers far and wide. Let me know if you received Amazon’s promotion email for Publish Your Book, Promote Your Book and Talk Up Your Book. These books are all available at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio.

Yesterday, we talked about book reviews for fiction and what they mean. Why does one reviewer or reader praise a novel and another harshly slam it? What causes one reader to fall in love with your characters and another say they’re shallow? How can one reviewer give a book the ultimate 5-star rating and the next only one or two? Which reviews are valid and which ones are slanted?

Probably all reviews are slanted, depending on the reviewer’s mindset and life experiences. Think about it, we don’t all enjoy reading the same books. Most of us notice a shift in our taste in books over the years. As a young woman, I devoured romance novels. I went through a long nonfiction phase. I read only to learn and grow. Then I began reading for relaxation—light mysteries, true animal stories and fun adventure stories.

And I can tell you that a book I found delightful when I was twenty, might seem trite now. The books that held my interest in my forties, would bore me today. And even the books I currently read must meet my personal standards for readability and entertainment value.

We all have standards and pet peeves related to the types of books we read. And when we choose a book, we may also have expectations—that the book will make us smile, choke up, feel good, etc. If the story touches a raw nerve that may be unique to the individual, that reader might not be able to move beyond that issue and the entire story then becomes tainted for that reader. He or she can’t get past the fact that the couple took so long to fall in love, that the couple fell in love too fast, that one character uses swear words, that the animal isn’t active in every scene, that the crime was solved too early in the book, that the ending was predictable. And that one issue colors the reader’s view of the whole story, thus his or her review.

So what is the value of reader and reviewer opinions? Should you even get your book reviewed? Yes. Remember, you want as much exposure for your book as you can muster. You want reviews posted at Amazon and key blogs and websites. You want people talking about your story. You want to do signings, book festivals, presentations and more. You must get involved with social media. And, yes, you really should be soliciting book reviews. It’s all part of your quest for exposure. Without it, no one will know about your book and no one will buy it.

Now, let’s say that reviewers are all critiquing the same aspects of your book—it needs to be edited, the story is too grim for the category you’ve chosen, your story doesn’t flow, etc. If the majority of reviewers are making similar comments, consider this a welcome wake-up call. Perhaps your book has serious flaws and you should consider a rewrite. This time, work with a good book editor.

For more about book promotion, purchase my book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. It’s also at most other online and downtown bookstores.

For a pleasant, quick and easy read, upload my latest mysteries to your Kindle. They are Catnapped and Cat-Eye Witness—both part of my Klepto Cat Mystery series. At Amazon.com only for Kindle.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com