# Reviews - Getting them and what they're worth



## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

A friend asked my yesterday, what makes an author - and generally speaking - I think it means you need readers. So reviews, to me, are huge! I don't care that The Caliphate at just 10 cents makes me nothing. What's important is that someone reads my work, and more importantly, enjoys it.

For authors:
How did you get reviews?
What do the reviews mean to you?

For readers:
What type of review makes you buy the book? 
Do you click through profiles to see who wrote the five star review and what else they reviewed?
What about Amazon Top 1000, 100, 50 reviewers, do they carry any more weight?

Look forward to everyone's thoughts.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

I think reviews are something of a mixed bag. On one hand, getting reviews from complete strangers is a powerful statement that a book has moved readers enough to take the time to express their opinions in a public venue. This means that a review can either be in favor or against our books. On the other hand, an author would do wisely not to read too much into a book review. The reason I say this is because if an author falls too heavily in love with only the positive reviews, he/she may fail to noticed some of the more meaningful remarks that may only appear in a negative review, thus missing an opportune moment to grow as a writer. I have seen authors explode in fury over a negative review, never once stopping to consider that the reviewer may have identified glaring weaknesses in the author's book. In my humble opinion, reviews should be used as a gauge for the public's response to one's books. Since a reader's response can span a whole wide spectrum of opinions, it's best to enjoy the positive reviews and try to learn from the negative ones.

I would rather have reviews than not, if for no other reason than to prove that my books are being read. It is also wonderful to know that my books have touched someone's life and moved them emotionally. To me, that is the greatest review one can receive. Though it doesn't hurt to have those feelings put into words to help sell a few more copies of my books.


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2009)

I tend to look at reviews analytically, but that is probably because I am a publisher as well as a reader.  

Star ratings don't mean a thing to me.  I'm numb to them, to be honest.  Few reviewers, particularly casual consumers, use them well.  Everything is either five-stars or one-star.  

But I do read reviews themselves.  If a review is "too gushy" I frankly consider it suspect.  I do click on the reviewer's name to see what other reviews they have written.  Because the thing is, a review is one person's opinion, so what matters to me is if this person's opinion jives with my tastes.  If Jane Doe gives a book 5-stars, but gives every book five stars including emo vampire erotica crap that I hate, I don't give her reviews a lot of weight.  But if a John Doe tends to read the type of books I read and seems to have similar interests, then his review is going to carry more weight with me as a consumer.  

Also, because I'm a critical reader, I tend to give more weight to reviews that point out the positives AND the negatives of a book.  Sometimes, what one person considers a negative I might consider a positive, for example, so it gives you a better perspective on the book.  Further, unless the negatives are poor grammar or poor spelling, the fact that a person took the time to point out both the positive and negatives to me means the book was at least engaging enough for the person to have given it a thoughtful review.

I do take notes about poor grammar and spelling seriously.  Not because I'm a grammar nazi, but because if the grammar and spelling was so bad that the reader noticed it and it stuck out enough to be included in a review, then that is a sign of bad writing.  All books have typos and grammar errors in them, but in well-written books the reader doesn't generally notice them.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Book reviews, like anything else, is subjective to the personal taste and opinion of the reader. I recently had a reviewer give one of my books 2 stars because she felt that there were elements in my book that seemed unrealistic. She felt that some of my characters were able to perform feats that would be impossible in real life. Even though I thought it was interesting to get a dissenting point of view on my book, I kept wondering to myself as I read the review: "Does this reader realize that my book is a fantasy?"

Fortunately, the reader was honest enough to say that as an adult that she could not believe in many of the things occurring in my book and that this hampered her enjoyment of my book. For all the knocks she gave my book, that particular point stood out the most for me. Her own perspective on what she expects or wants to happen in a book trumped my ability as a storyteller to overcome her biases.

Another reviewer gave my book 3 stars and said that she could not overcome the choice of narrator style which I used in my book. Other readers contend that it is the narrative voice of my book which shines through the best. The conclusion I have come to regarding these reviews and the other ones I received is to take every review with a grain of salt. There is a reason why someone who loves romance novels may not be particular to reading a fantasy novel. Or why someone who loves to read science fiction avoids reading historical fiction. If an author has done his/her job, a book should be polarizing. We cannot be all things to all people all of the time. And a good book always allows its reader to bring half of the material to the reading experience. Reading novels is a symbiotic (if not spiritual) experience where the author and the reader both converge metaphysically to create the experience of reading a novel. Sometimes this experience works in favor of a book, other times it does not. This is the true power of literature to transcend our reality through the medium of the written word and this shared reality, for better or worse, is reflected in book reviews.


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

I suppose the challenge for an Amazon orientated author, i.e. somewhat dependent on Amazon for sales, is that a bad review and star ranking can kill a book. I've seen one instance on Amazon already where a book got a couple of one star reviews from individuals who have only ever posted that single one star review. Both of the reviews were only one line and didn't really say why they didn't like the book. As the author that would be pretty hard to take. But I'd likely use them in consideration of my purchase.  

I do personally read who make reviews - sometimes you discover they've only ever reviewed that author over multiple books. Which I guess is okay, we all have friends and family. I've asked my family not to review my books, but my friends are welcome to, but I'm not asking them. 

What about Vine voice and Amazon Top Reviewers - is that important? It sways me. 
How many reviews do you need to make the reviews credible? For instance if I saw a book that had 5 five star reviews, versus one with 20 averaging 4 star. I'd consider the latter, but not necessarily the former depending on the content of the reviews. Do you think the average buyer takes the time to differentiate between credible reviews?


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> Do you think the average buyer takes the time to differentiate between credible reviews?


I don't think the average buyer is very assertive at dissecting reviews to figure out who wrote it or why. But I think many readers are intelligent and seasoned consumers who are cynical about an unknown book with too many 5 star reviews. I think the authors who really do themselves a disservice are the ones who write their own 5 star reviews. It's usually pretty easy to spot these phony reviews because their book usually only has 1 or 2 reviews (and both of the five-star variety). I've even seen reviews on Amazon where the author who writes their own review tries to hide their identity by using his/her initials.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

As a reader, I pay attention to the reviews in particular for authors I am unfamiliar with - or for content-related items (such as a short story collection I was going to buy until a review let me know it was simply a compilation of stories I already had in other collections by the author). But as mentioned above, it is usually clear when they are "puff" reviews rather than objective critiques based on the entire book.

As an author, I appreciate reviews, whether they are positive or negative, as long as they actually relate to the book rather than personal attacks. I would rather have a three-star review that has some depth to it than a simple "great book!" five-star review that doesn't actually help a potential reader decide if the book is something they might enjoy.

Getting reviews has been problematic as an independent author. I had some success e-mailing top Amazon reviewers who had reviewed similar books to see if they would like a free copy, and there are also a number of review sites that accept self-published works, but even in those cases the reviews sometimes don't get posted, and I have never seen an up-tick in sales related to recently posted reviews.


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> For authors:
> How did you get reviews?
> What do the reviews mean to you?


When my books appeared, my first action was to contact well-known speculative literature ezines, sending them a polite introductory email with links to first chapters. The fruit of that strategy can be found at my website, which features a selection of terrific reviews from influential sources. Besides those, my Amazon purchasing page has highly-starred assessments from several Amazon top reviewers.

Besides the latter, the reviews that have most weight with readers, and which have made me glow within, are the ones from well-known authors or 'zines with big readerships, written with detail and discernment. I've never asked friends/family/acquaintances/beholdens to review me; even thinking of it makes me uncomfortable.

Reviews should cost nothing more than a complimentary copy and/or pdf. I can't stress this enough.

CK


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Carolyn Kephart said:


> When my books appeared, my first action was to contact well-known speculative literature ezines, sending them a polite introductory email with links to first chapters.


That's a great idea that I haven't tried. I have contacted some Amazon Top Reviewers and sent copies. I hope that results in some good reviews but I expect will take time. I've found everyone to be very accommodating, however. In fact, Amazon is a very supportive community. Armchair Interviews is doing a review. They don't charge for the review but they do charge if you want it posted to Amazon. If the review is good, I will do that. I think these sorts of independent blog review sites can be helpful especially if they are focused on your genre (works better for SF and Romance that Thriller).

MFS


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> I have contacted some Amazon Top Reviewers and sent copies. I hope that results in some good reviews but I expect will take time.
> MFS


Good luck! The top reviewers can be a tough crowd, but that makes their favorable comments all the sweeter.

CK


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## AppleHeart (Apr 10, 2009)

I am a reader, started reading when I was a child sitting on Dad's lap while he read Sir ACD's Sherlock Holmes (those little blue books which are probably collectibles now and I should have hold on to them but when I went home for a visit in 1996, I learned that Mom had stored them in the garage in 1975 when I left home for here and they were now all smelly, moldy blackish-green, yucky junk and so ended up in a bonfire behind our house with several members of the town's FD watching to make sure the fire is kept under control -- but the stink and the smoke from burning vinyl and moldy books and journals stayed for days that the neighbors complained a lot {and even after I'd left! _Que horror, muy terrible_.}, and I was treated like a _persona-non-grata _ instead of a long lost, very much welcomed, home-visiting heroine, I reverted to the always-in-trouble-hoyden who got the rest of the neighborhood kids in trouble along with her by playing follow-the-leader_ess_. heh! -- along with my collections of 78's, 45's and LPs of Sinatra, Elvis and Beatles et.al.) or Bret Harte's short stories or ESG's Perry Mason, depending on his mood at the time. He instilled in all of us the love of reading but I am the only one who reads the most in the whole family!

Anyway, I digress.

As a reader, I do not read reviews because I like to make my own judgment.

If I like or enjoy a book, I write brief notes so that when I recommend it to family members, friends and colleagues I can say why I like it. On occasions, when I'm at a bookstore and I see people looking at a book and returning it to the shelf after reading the synopsis, I'd say "good book but read this first, see how you like it, you won't be sorry."

I also give 'wows' instead of 'stars' in my personal book list right after the notes and most of the time, when I'm asked, I just say 4 wows, etc...(<-- 3 to 4 1/2 wows is my usual rating.) If I don't like a book, I make no notes, give no ratings and I never delete it from my list. I donate it and others like it to the hospital's volunteer library cuz others may like to read/keep them. And I seldom give a book a 5 wows unless I really, really love it. I also do not like to write or post a review anywhere unless I really, really love it, or am motivated to write one because I want the author to know how much I enjoyed her/his book.

The real reason why I don't write reviews is because it (reviewing) will take away the enjoyment I get from reading - kinda like after school homework, which I really hated doing.

Years ago, I was asked to review books by friends whose reviews are posted and read by many people on-line and I tried it for 3 months (heck, you get to keep the ARCs afterwards so you don't have to buy the books when they're mass marketed! Oh, joy!) but reluctantly gave it up (inspite of --> see above parenthesis, boy, I do love writing in parentheses, no?) because I had to keep stopping my reading to write down what bothered me, whether it's the grammar, misspelling, non-continuity, words not used in that time frame, etc.. or the wrong title/singer of a song so I won't forget later on when I'm ready to do the review (commas, too. yikes!), and then start to read again, and so on and so forth. Ugh! Like I said, too much like homework! 'Nuff said.

Anyway, the above is looong, apologies to all. I could have just written "No, I don't read reviews and they do not influence my buying/reading in any way, form, yada, yada, yada."

Ebc aka AppleHeart


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## Kilgore Trout (Dec 28, 2008)

Anytime the discussion of reviews comes up, I feel compelled to add my two cents. I have spent countless hours over the past three years building a website that offers a maximum amount of quality content for authors and their readers. The links down the left column of PODBRAM will lead you to a vast quantity of reviews, articles, interviews, and even more sites that review books by POD, self-published, and unknown authors. Come visit PODBRAM, where reviews are an art form. Thank you.

http://podbram.blogspot.com/


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Thanks so much Kilgore, looks like a great site! I'll be submitting as soon as I've have a chance.

All the best,

Michael


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## William Woodall (Jun 8, 2009)

I've done the usual thing and offered free copies/PDFs to anyone who is willing to review for me. The results have been tolerable. I've discovered that not everyone who agrees to do a review will actually end up doing one, though; in fact I'd say that only about ten percent of those who request a PDF will write a review. Which is fine, of course. . . but I think sometimes people don't realize how important those reviews can be. For some of us, it's the most important publicity we get.

My work has always been rather unusual and it doesn't fit neatly into a specific genre (I've been criticized for that by some reviewers). That complicates promotional efforts. But on the other hand, occasionally I get those reviews when the readers tell me how much it touched their hearts or how much they loved it, and that makes me feel good. Pleasing my readers was always my primary motivation for telling stories in the first place.

I've developed a thick skin about criticism; I use whatever constructive suggestions I'm given to get better next time, but I don't take anything personally. I always knew that some people would like what I wrote and some people wouldn't, and that's okay.

Cry for the Moon

The Prophet of Rain

Beneath a Star-Blue Sky


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## Patricia Sierra (Jun 25, 2009)

I don't know how much reviews guide a potential buyer, but I do appreciate receiving them. When I first post a title, I get whatever reviews I'm going to get within a few days. As time goes by, few new reviews are added. That's perplexing because, as sales rise, you'd think that's when you'd have the best chance of seeing a review. This has been true of both my Kindle books and my Random House books for the most part.


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## William Woodall (Jun 8, 2009)

Patricia,

I think one of the reasons reviews fall off like that is because people go to the product page and they see so many reviews already posted there, so in the back of their minds they think it's not helpful or necessary for them to add their own.


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Patricia Sierra said:


> I don't know how much reviews guide a potential buyer, but I do appreciate receiving them. When I first post a title, I get whatever reviews I'm going to get within a few days. As time goes by, few new reviews are added. That's perplexing because, as sales rise, you'd think that's when you'd have the best chance of seeing a review. This has been true of both my Kindle books and my Random House books for the most part.


That is interesting, and a little disheartening given, I know I've had buyers but no reviewers as of yet. I was hoping for the opposite. Perhaps you're right bluearkansascowboy. The readers don't feel they have anything to add.


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## Patricia Sierra (Jun 25, 2009)

Michael, I purchased your book but I haven't read it yet. I have a mile-long list of books waiting to be read. When I do get to it, I'll review it.

How did you get your book priced at ten cents? Did you publish via something other than DTP?


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

As a reader and reviewer I will add my two cents.  

As a reader, when I am looking at a book (or anything on Amazon for that matter) and thinking about buying it, I always look at the reviews.  However, I pretty much only look at the 5, 4 or 3 star reviews UNLESS there is an inordinate amount of 1 star reviews.  I also ONLY read the reviews that do not include a synopsis of the book.  If I wanted to know what the book was about, I would read the write-up in the description or read the book itself.  I look more for the short, sweet, to the point reviews, because IMO those are the real readers who loved the book enough to throw something up there to help the author out.  I honestly question anyone who has the time to write a review that takes them a half hour to compose.  (I know that these are real too, but this is just my opinion).  If a book only has under 10 reviews and they are all 5-star, I will look at the other books that have been reviewed by some of those. 

As a reviewer, I haven't always been good at giving reviews.  But since being on this board and reading more smaller known books, I have been better at leaving them.  I write them short, sweet, and to the point.  I will say what I liked and what I didn't like.  I rarely give 5-stars, and if a book was 1 star IMO, then I won't leave a review at all (If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all).  I try to review all the books I read, so if someone clicks on my name as a reviewer they will see the types of books I read and that I am not a friend of any of those authors.  I think this helps all the authors I review.

Reviews are important, but they are even better when they happen organically.  A forced review, even a 5-star one, can be bad for an author.  Readers are smart, they can see right through that.  I will read a book that has 1 through 1500 reviews, and I don't look any worse on the ones that only have 1.  I see it as a challenge actually.  So I wouldn't stress so much over the number of reviews you have, if you are selling books, then what does it matter how many reviews are there, obviously the book is selling anyway!  And when that one in a blue moon, real review comes through it'll be exciting that someone had a strong enough opinion about your book to take the time to spend 10 minutes away from their lives writing their opinion for you.  That's the best.

Rachel


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2009)

bluearkansascowboy said:


> I've done the usual thing and offered free copies/PDFs to anyone who is willing to review for me.


I would suggest you be more selective in whom you offer a review copy to. It's the QUALITY, not QUANTITY, of the review that matters. Ten illiterate five star reviews can do more damage than one well-written two star review. As others have said, and I concur, readers are smart. They can differentiate between a sincere review and a hack that wanted a free book.


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

What an interesting thread! As a reader, I will contribute to it.

I read reviews for the following reasons:

1. Since I have an Officially Old brain, I want to be told enough about the book to know if I have read it before. Of course, the Amazon notification that I have already bought this book is very helpful! 
2. I really like books with a strong character and therefore, I like reviews which tell me that this particular book features the particular character. {I am thinking here of Lisa Scottoline's "Benny Rosato" books}
3. I like reviews which tell me where in a {for example} trilogy this particular book comes. I also appreciate it if a reviewer says "I enjoyed this book more because I had read... first."
4. As someone else has said, I do NOT want to be told the whole story. I am a reader which means I can read this for myself. However, I DO appreciate a brief synopsis.
5. I get irritated by reviews which say, "You will enjoy this book." I find myself mentally telling them, "And, since you don't know me, how do you know I will enjoy it! Huh?" However, it is helpful to read, "If you enjoy alternate histories and dragons, you will probably enjoy Novik's _Temeraire_ series."

Slightly off subject, I would like to tell authors that I almost always download samples and if you haven't caught my interest within the first few pages, I am gone and so is your book! 

patrisha


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Patricia Sierra said:


> Michael, I purchased your book but I haven't read it yet. I have a mile-long list of books waiting to be read. When I do get to it, I'll review it.
> 
> How did you get your book priced at ten cents? Did you publish via something other than DTP?


Thanks so much Patricia! Take your time. I published via Mobipocket which appears to give more flexibility on pricing. I think I could make it a penny if I wanted to - free didn't work. I wonder how some publishers manage to list their books for nothing?


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> I wonder how some publishers manage to list their books for nothing?


It's because the big pubs believe in the golden rule. Those who have the gold makes the rules. (Sigh.)


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

patrisha #150 said:


> What an interesting thread! As a reader, I will contribute to it.
> 
> I read reviews for the following reasons:
> 
> ...


Thanks Patrisha - interesting, I agree, I've never understood the synopsis in a review. The product information is located above. Your last point is really important. Not everyone is going to like the book you reviewed even if you thought it was supremely good. As an author, of course, I'm hoping for a good review. But I need to be careful as bardsandsages noted -not everyone is going to enjoy my type of thriller. The key protagonist is male and it is something of an 'economic' thriller, not everyone's cup of tea. By offering it for 10 cents - I'm casting a wide net and I might not like some of the fish. Time will tell!


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> It's because the big pubs believe in the golden rule. Those who have the gold makes the rules. (Sigh.)


I suspected. Thanks for the confirmation.


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Well, reviews are worth a lot more when you all of a sudden lose them.  I had 6 reviews for my novel.  I just put the DTB version  up for sale through CreateSpace, and in the few days it took  the book to appear on Amazon.com, lo and behold, my 6 reviews for the Kindle version went poof!  I'm hoping it's just part of the process, and that those reviews will show back up in a few days.  I already wrote customer service about the problem- so far no word back.  So, the old adage is true!  You never know how much you appreciate something until you lose it!

Any other authors care to comment?  Am I the only one this has happened to?


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Carol Hanrahan said:


> Any other authors care to comment? Am I the only one this has happened to?


Hi, Carol - that must be brutal. I have heard of this happening if those who did the reviews also marketed their books in their signature. So for instance I wrote at the end my name and linked to my book, the reviews would be removed.


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Most of the 6 reviews were not from authors.  4 of them were members of the boards here, maybe 1 or 2 were authors.  Still, I miss my reviews....


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

I have seen reviews go away for a book, only to magically return in a couple days. Hopefully this is just a temporary glitch for you.


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## auntmarge (Dec 4, 2008)

I review most books I finish and, occasionally, one that I stop part way through.  I got in the habit of doing this because I'm a member of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers, where posting reviews is a sign that you are a good candidate for getting books to review.  After I post the review on LT I copy it to Amazon if it's available there, and when I post to the Recommended Books topic here I include the review.  I especially make an effort to review non-mainstream titles, and I admit I'm one of those who figures if a book has lots of reviews and the average rating is what I'd give it, I save my time for reviewing other books.  I'm very much opposed to the practice lately of using 1-star reviews to comment on price, and I've started to report these reviews to Amazon.  Just one more thing to consider as a reader: if I see a book has a generally favorable rating and then a couple of 1-stars, I check to see if they concern price and, if so, discount them. 

Reviews on Amazon are very important to me for deciding whether to even sample a book or, in the case of free or cheap titles, whether to download it.  I prefer a sentence or two about the plot to put the review in context as to the reviewers' point-of-view, and I write my own reviews this way.  If the book has little about the plot available when I write the review, as happens sometimes on LT with small publishers, I do expand more.  I always try to include positive (and negative, if appropriate) points to show why I've given it a certain rating, to guide other readers in judging whether the book might appeal to them and to let the author know why I felt as I did.  I don't think I've ever posted a review with only one or two stars, simply because if a book's that bad I'd have to say things that would be really hard for the author to read.  Since I was reviled recently for a 3-star review, I've gotten to wondering whether authors would prefer to hear the bad news or not.  I can imagine it hurts, but wouldn't you guys like to know?  (I see some authors here have already commented on that.)

And yes, readers can often tell if a book has been reviewed only by the author or friends.  Usually that deters me from buying.  OTOH, I'm loathe to pay money for something about which I have absolutely no information.  I imagine it's a tough balancing act for writers.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

In all honesty, I pay far more attention to recommendations/suggestions I find here on KB than I do reviews on Amazon. However, I will look at the reviews to see if they are predominantly one way or the other. If there are a lot of mixed reviews, I'll glance through them to see what it is about the book that had people mixed on the result. I tend to discount 1-star reviews completely. 

The reviews I do read are those that give me a sense of what the reviewer liked about the book. If that falls in line with my tastes, I'll give it a try. 

EllenR


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Elmore Hammes said:


> I have seen reviews go away for a book, only to magically return in a couple days. Hopefully this is just a temporary glitch for you.


Elmore,
Happily, Amazon replied to my note, and the reviews are back! So I can't complain. But I will appreciate those reviews even more now!


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

This is an interesting topic. As you can tell from the responses, there's as many opinions about reviews as there are about a particular book. Here's a couple of things I've noticed. If you're already famous like Dan Brown you can receive lots of 1 and 2 star reviews on amazon and it won't make a difference to sales. If you ever get a chance to look at the ratings for The DaVinci Code, you'll see that he has over a hundred one star reviews.

If you're an unknown writer, however, who's published independently or with a small press and your book hasn't been made into a movie starring Tom Hanks, a 1 and 2 star review can hurt sales. There are people who do pay attention to them, and there are people who do give a top 500 reviewer more credibility. Whether it's deserved or not, I don't know. But I admire those people for reading and reviewing so many books. I've reviewed 63 and it's taken me nearly eighteen months to do that!

The thing is, I've had some really terrific views, but they're by people who've posted on their own blogs and not on amazon. I don't feel right about asking if they'd post reviews there because it's enough that they took the time and trouble to review my book in the first place. But still, I think one has to have an awful lot of reviews all over the place to generate steady sales.

Just my two cents.

Debra


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

I love it when my books get reviewed because I believe that helps sales. I prefer Amazon reviews, but I'll take them anywhere. Of course, 1 and 2 star reviews aren't good for sales and they don't feel so great to the author. I review almost every book I read, usually on Amazon. I like to help other authors and I like to help readers by letting them know what I liked and didn't like about a book.


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## sigrosenblum (Dec 22, 2008)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> I think reviews are something of a mixed bag. On one hand, getting reviews from complete strangers is a powerful statement that a book has moved readers enough to take the time to express their opinions in a public venue. This means that a review can either be in favor or against our books. On the other hand, an author would do wisely not to read too much into a book review. The reason I say this is because if an author falls too heavily in love with only the positive reviews, he/she may fail to noticed some of the more meaningful remarks that may only appear in a negative review, thus missing an opportune moment to grow as a writer. I have seen authors explode in fury over a negative review, never once stopping to consider that the reviewer may have identified glaring weaknesses in the author's book. In my humble opinion, reviews should be used as a gauge for the public's response to one's books. Since a reader's response can span a whole wide spectrum of opinions, it's best to enjoy the positive reviews and try to learn from the negative ones.
> 
> I would rather have reviews than not, if for no other reason than to prove that my books are being read. It is also wonderful to know that my books have touched someone's life and moved them emotionally. To me, that is the greatest review one can receive. Though it doesn't hurt to have those feelings put into words to help sell a few more copies of my books.


A very thoughtful contribution, which I endorse enthusiastically. But what grabs my attention at the moment is the spate of obviously cooked-up reviews I've been seeing on Amazon: "The greatest American novelist, ever!" "Run, don't walk, to your book store..." And similar ersatz raves for ham-handed self-published wannabees. Yes, on balance, reviews are helpful to both readers and writers. Too bad some authors confuse them with advertising.


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> I don't feel right about asking if they'd post reviews there because it's enough that they took the time and trouble to review my book in the first place.


Hi, Debra, I really don't think they'd mind! Besides, don't ask, don't get. I've had one external Amazon review so far and I've asked them to post it and they agreed, no problem (still not up yet however!).

And, Kevis, I totally agree with you with regards to authors confusing reviews with advertising. I think reviews are the single most important method of generating credibility and so authors need to be careful when they start putting their fingers into this system.

I've got one 4-star review so far! Not sure she was too into the Wall Street and world economic components of it, however.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> Hi, Debra, I really don't think they'd mind! Besides, don't ask, don't get. I've had one external Amazon review so far and I've asked them to post it and they agreed, no problem (still not up yet however!).


I agree - if you like the review enough to want it posted, then most likely they enjoyed the book enough to not mind posting that review. It also gives them a chance to bring traffic back to their own blog by including the reference as the original location for the review.


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

sigrosenblum said:


> A very thoughtful contribution, which I endorse enthusiastically. But what grabs my attention at the moment is the spate of obviously cooked-up reviews I've been seeing on Amazon: "The greatest American novelist, ever!" "Run, don't walk, to your book store..." And similar ersatz raves for ham-handed self-published wannabees. Yes, on balance, reviews are helpful to both readers and writers. Too bad some authors confuse them with advertising.


A really good review--meaning not just a two-line buddy gush, but a positive reasoned assessment from an impartial, experienced, articulate, educated reader, taking into consideration the pros and cons of both story and stye--is absolute gold. I cherish those. They're why I write.

As for those fake headlines you mention...I'd never have the gall to make up "Masterful fantasy by an extremely talented author." One's readers should provide such praise, and I'm ever so glad they do. 

CK


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

For readers:
What type of review makes you buy the book?


None, really. I pretty much use reviews from amazon because I often find their description for the books to be lacking, and I don't use them to find "good" books, rather, I use them to see if anything said catches my interest, if something does then I'll get a sample, and then the sample will be used to determine whether I buy it, and how much I'm willing to pay for it.

To be blunt, an author has a better chance of getting a sample of theirs on my DX from something randomly said on these boards then they do with reviews.


Do you click through profiles to see who wrote the five star review and what else they reviewed?


I have out of curiosity but normally I cannot be bothered with it (i.e. I feel that it's pointless).


What about Amazon Top 1000, 100, 50 reviewers, do they carry any more weight?



No, while they might be able to write better reviews, their reviews contain the single flaw that runs throughout every review ever written, which is that they reflect a unique point of view, their point of view, not mine.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

As a reader, I hardly ever pay attention to book reviews. I usually don't find them very helpful. A lot of books that get raves don't do much for me, and some books that get slammed turn out to be quite enjoyable for me.

As a writer, yep, I'm always looking at the reviews I get. I don't care much for the "that was great" or "that sucked" reviews, but the ones that were well thought out I find helpful.

I used to do quite a lot of book reviews, mostly for Apex Digest, but when the magazine stopped running reviews I was actually quite glad of it. It wasn't that so many books were awful, just that so many of them were simply okay, not leaving the reviewer (or maybe it was just me) a whole lot to say about them than could potentially be helpful. And it wasn't even that the books were boring, just that they weren't something that got you emotionally wound up, wanting you to cheer for the author. Did that make sense?


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## Frank_Tuttle (Jul 1, 2009)

I usually read reviews by peeking through my fingers and cringing.  I have yet to receive a truly scathing review, but I know it will happen sooner or later and I dread the moment it arrives.

I've been pleasantly surprised by getting good reviews from reviewers I honestly thought would hate me.  Not because the book was badly written, but because it simply wasn't a genre that the reviewer professed to enjoy.  Those were great fun, and really boosted sales.

I have learned a few things from the more critical reviews.


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## angelad (Jun 19, 2009)

Frank_Tuttle said:


> I usually read reviews by peeking through my fingers and cringing. I have yet to receive a truly scathing review, but I know it will happen sooner or later and I dread the moment it arrives.
> 
> I've been pleasantly surprised by getting good reviews from reviewers I honestly thought would hate me. Not because the book was badly written, but because it simply wasn't a genre that the reviewer professed to enjoy. Those were great fun, and really boosted sales.
> 
> I have learned a few things from the more critical reviews.


Its only one opinion. Nothing to dread there.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

Frank_Tuttle said:


> I have learned a few things from the more critical reviews.


Exactly. Other than the obviously mean/spiteful reviews, a critical review can be very educational for the author. We should learn from those and improve our writing as a result. Also, take the time to look at the reviewer's other reviews, and that should help you decide how much weight to give to their opinion on your book.


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## auntmarge (Dec 4, 2008)

Frank_Tuttle said:


> I usually read reviews by peeking through my fingers and cringing.


LOL! I give writers a lot of credit for putting themselves out there at all....


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Elmore Hammes said:


> Exactly. Other than the obviously mean/spiteful reviews, a critical review can be very educational for the author. We should learn from those and improve our writing as a result. Also, take the time to look at the reviewer's other reviews, and that should help you decide how much weight to give to their opinion on your book.


I just got back from ThrillerFest where I had a chance to brush shoulders with some amazing authors, but more to the point, Steve Berry offered up this nugget: That the best selling books on Amazon are those with an even distribution of five star and one star reviews. As long as you're generating an emotion, good or bad, you're winning. I thought that was quite interesting.

MFS


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> Another reviewer gave my book 3 stars and said that she could not overcome the choice of narrator style which I used in my book.


I hope that you don't mind me posting this here but seeing as how you brought it up, and I'm assuming that you're talking about The Legend of Witch Bane, I'd thought I'd go ahead.

I also had great difficulty with the narrative style, every single time I read "this is the part of the story..." I would immediately be jerked out of the experience, so much so that I would often set aside my DX in momentary disgust (one time I set aside my DX almost a bit too enthusiastically... oops). It's just something that I could not get past. I do have other complaints but no point in posting them as I have gone back to read more reviews and have seen people praise the book for things I didn't like, so clearly this series isn't meant for me.

Anyway, this was to let you know that I've read your book, I wish that I liked it, but that's just the way that it goes.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

As a consumer, I tend not to rely on reviews of any kind (book, movie, theater, etc), because in the end, all they are is one person's opinion.  And one person's opinion at a specific time.  If they're having a bad day, they may have a bad view of your book, but next week, they might love it.  My sister and I are very alike in most ways, but we often disagree on the shows we see.  I've even had times where I'd be laughing at a joke at show and heard someone turn to their neighbor and ask "what's she finding funny?"  while other times the entire audience is laughing and I'm shaking my head in disbelief.  So, my advice to readers; take advantage of the free samples and decide for yourself.  My advice to authors?  Remember, in the end, the only opinion that counts is your own.  And criticism is like liquor, it only has an effect on you if you take it in.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Selcien said:


> I hope that you don't mind me posting this here but seeing as how you brought it up, and I'm assuming that you're talking about The Legend of Witch Bane, I'd thought I'd go ahead.
> 
> I also had great difficulty with the narrative style, every single time I read "this is the part of the story..." I would immediately be jerked out of the experience, so much so that I would often set aside my DX in momentary disgust (one time I set aside my DX almost a bit too enthusiastically... oops). It's just something that I could not get past.


Selcien,

Many thanks for giving my book a try. One of the things that I should be clear about is that I am one of those authors who doesn't feel he is above criticism. I like to think that every dissenting viewpoint about my work provides me with a moment to grow if I am careful enough to learn from it. I also am of the belief that art is subjective. No author can be all things to all people all of the times. Every book has its audience. The goal for any sensible author would be to tell his/her story to the best of their abilities and let readers decide for themselves if a work is for them or not. Those are the rules I live by.



Selcien said:


> I do have other complaints but no point in posting them as I have gone back to read more reviews and have seen people praise the book for things I didn't like, so clearly this series isn't meant for me.


I am absolutely intrigued with the whole polarizing process of literature. It is very interesting to see how some readers dislike a book for the very reasons its fans love it. Even popular authors like Stephen King, J.K. Rowlings, and J.R.R. Tolkien get lots of negative book reviews. This, however, does not invalidate the author's work. All it says is that people like different things. That what makes us human. And in my book that's a-okay. 

I am a big fan of authors such as Lord Dunsany, Fritz Lieber, and George McDonald. Books like The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Grimm Fairy tales employ the same narrative style I use in my book. I would imagine that anyone who has a problem reading books with folksy narration will have a problem reading mine as well. But I still stand 100% behind my product. And the readers who have enjoyed my book have thanked me for it. All I can do is to hope that you'll try one of my other books in the future and will find them a little more to your liking. But again thanks for checking out my book!


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## Tanner Artesz (Feb 2, 2009)

As a writer, reviews tell me 2 major things aside from making me feel good when someone enjoys my writing.

1. Reviews are the best way to get constructive criticism from readers I don't know. For Shadow, one of the things I learned is that readers will be confused by characters with similar names (Ky, Little Ky, and Ky II). I played these characters in D&D campaigns for years and had no problem keeping them straight. My readers don't have the luxury of my experience.

2. Just as important to me, reviews tell me that my stories are being read. Regardless of the content, every review is a reader. Readers are my motivation so I like seeing new reviews. It keeps me writing.

Tanner


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

Kevis Hendrickson,



As it happens I bought The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) this past Sunday (I had found a post mentioning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and while I had never planned on reading anything by Tolkien, finding out they were available on the kindle made me curious, and while I looked at the samples I was a bit overzealous and only read a tiny bit before purchasing them, meaning that I never noticed the style they were being told in.) I also got Grimm's Fairy Tales from feedbooks (last week I think) as I've been curious about it ever since it was mentioned in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

The point being is that this type of storytelling was new to me, at least I don't recall reading anything told this way before, and I believe that I unintentionally responded in an overly negative fashion. I'm currently 24% into The Hobbit and I've found that I've responded to it much more favorably than I did your book (admittedly I was worried when I ran across "This is a story...", doesn't seem like such a big deal now though). I think that it has to do with having watched The Lord of the Rings as the voice I'm reading The Hobbit with sounds lighthearted, and is very well enunciated, and there is a feel of familiarity to it all. In contrast, I'd allowed myself to be affected so much by the "this is the part of the story..." in your book that I ended up reading the majority of it with a voice that was rigid in it's desire to finish the tale as quickly as possible. Hardly fair. (My K1 got me to start reading again but still not that much, whereas my DX is threatening to turn me back into a serious reader, and I never realized just how much an effect the voice you read with has on the story that you're reading until now, so I unwittingly undermined your book.)

Once I finish The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy), and Grimm's Fairy Tales, which will give me more experience with this form of storytelling, I will be coming back to your book to read it again. I'll let you know how that goes.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Selcien said:


> Kevis Hendrickson,
> 
> As it happens I bought The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) this past Sunday (I had found a post mentioning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and while I had never planned on reading anything by Tolkien, finding out they were available on the kindle made me curious, and while I looked at the samples I was a bit overzealous and only read a tiny bit before purchasing them, meaning that I never noticed the style they were being told in.) I also got Grimm's Fairy Tales from feedbooks (last week I think) as I've been curious about it ever since it was mentioned in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
> 
> ...


Selcien,

Thanks for letting me know the situation concerning your unfamiliarity with the narrative style I used in my book. It's very interesting to note that the storyteller's narrative voice is an archaic form and unless you read classic literature, you're unlikely to be exposed to it. Very few authors today write in this mode and when they do, it is typically used exclusively in children's books. Anyone who is familiar with classic mythology or fairy tales would be quite at home with the storyteller's voice.

Although I enjoy reading all kinds of books, I am particularly fond of ancient legends and myths. Stories such as Gilgamesh, Arabian Nights, The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Mabinogion, The Eddas, and Beowulf which comprise some of the world's earliest literature use the storyteller's narrative voice and were my inspiration for adopting it in my novel.

I will not dare to put myself on the same level with J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis. However, The Legend of Witch Bane is written in the same vein as their fantasy works. Most of the fans of my book are also fans of The Hobbit and books with folksy narration. I completely understand how someone who is only familiar with contemporary fantasy and the works of authors such as Donaldson, Goodkind, Jordon, Brooks, Martin, and Salvatore would be caught off guard with the narrative voice of my book.

With that said, it would be a very interesting experiment to see if after you read Tolkien and the Brothers Grimm if you still feel the same way you do about my novel. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Uncle Stevie King (although he'd be more my cousin since I'm 2 months older than him), says: "Authors are always trying to outrun their doubts." With the traditional publishing machine jettisoned in the Indie publishing process, the reader review is the most valuable tool to help an author know just how far and how fast he or she must run. Sometimes "doubt" catches up and sometimes it destroys the soul, but as any author can tell you, "Silence" is the enemy when sharing your soul with the world. It is better to be told something than nothing at all. I just recieved my 106th review across all my titles (paltry compared with many other authors), and I thank God for every single one, because it means that some one out there is encouraging me to continue that race until there's no where else to run — and of that, I have no doubt.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Readers are golden. Reader reviews are platinum. Sales are . . . well, they're just sales. If the reader is the most important piece in the equation, when they speak, the author should make sure that they are heard. Some propective readers head for the hills when authors display their reviews, but reviews are the words from . . . the investors, who took a chance with their time and decided to tell others about it. To relegate their opinion to "chance encounter" insults their time and effort, and their vote of confidence or hammar of justiice for an author's work. I want my readers to be happy, and I want them to tell others, so why would I quietly hde their opinions in the barn behind the haystack?   Authoring is a joint experience. It starts with my incomplete thought and is completed in my reader's imagination.

Edward C. Patterson


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> I thank God for every single one, because it means that some one out there is encouraging me to continue that race until there's no where else to run - and of that, I have no doubt.
> 
> Edward C. Patterson


I like your philosophy Ed. And I hadn't considered the fact that by bypassing the publishing house, the readers in fact become our editors, and the review, their way of providing that editorial feedback.


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

Boy - I'm going to step far out on a limb here and honestly express an opinion that I hope will be taken in the manner intended.

I rarely read indies. Yes, that probably says something fairly negative about me (hang in there, I'll get to reviews in a bit  ), but it is a fact in my life. I love to read and I read a lot. My problem is that I have so many good authors who are known to me and so little relative time to read that I don't often venture out to test the indie waters. And, quite honestly, most (not all) of those indies that I have read were less than satisfying - including one that got excellent reviews here and elsewhere.

Now I'm bright enough to know that won't be true of all indie authors and I believe that indie publishing will be the wave of the future of ebooks, but when being forced to choose between spending my time on an indie author that is unknown to me vs an author that I know and love, well, the known author wins out.

So what the heck does this have to do with reviews?

I rarely review books. A known author usually has tons of people reviewing his/her book already, so my input isn't needed. I'm also not sure how much credibility I put in reviews generally for indies because those few I have read were well reviewed, but not well written (for the most part), IMHO. Should I read an indie who has a book that I enjoy, then I DO review. If I don't like the work, I tend not to review because I feel for indie authors and don't want to negatively influence potential buyers. Not a good approach.

So what do you do with readers like me? How do you get them to try your work? I dunno, and therein lies the problem. I suspect that most people are as shallow as I am when it comes to testing new, unknown authors. I'm not sure what it takes to lure new readers to those books that indie authors have worked so hard to produce. 

But the point is that I don't think that reviews are the key. I suspect that many people like myself have become jaded to the reviews written for indies because they tend to be overly optimistic. I'm also not sure that price is the key. Cheap or not, free or not, time is my issue - not cost.

So, I've stepped out on the limb but I don't think I am alone in how I approach indie authors nor how I perceive reviews of their books. I have no answers. But I do think this is a big part of why indies struggle as much as they do to get noticed.

FWIW.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Mike D:

I am not only an Indie author, but I am (drum-roll) an author. I've been authoring all my life and as for publishing, well just for the last 18 months. Why readers read me? I do not know. I love words. I respect readers, because I am a reader and have self-respect. It's not the promoting skills. I had 38 years of marketing and don't want to be a marketer. I mean at $ .35 a throw, it doesn't make sense. I love words and I believe that shows in my writing. But why any reader reads me, is a mystery. I guess it's the reason why I read authors, and my TBR pile is as high as probably everyone here on Kindleboards. I DO love Kindleboards. I learn so much here and have so many friends and some even read my books and share their thoughts (and their dislikes). I especially enjoy engaging my fellow authors. But why do readers read my works? I lie in bed at night and wonder (and I do), I just fell like it's a dream come true. "What happens to a dream deferred?" Well, mine are not raisins in the sun, but I am not delusional. Whatever magic exists between me and my readers I cannot tell, but I'm glad that I am alive to enjoy it. Many authors in my TBR pile are among the immortals, and although I envy their position, I'm in no hurry to get there. Mike D, your honesty is appreciated. You will never know just how much.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

MikeD said:


> Boy - I'm going to step far out on a limb here and honestly express an opinion that I hope will be taken in the manner intended.
> 
> I rarely read indies. Yes, that probably says something fairly negative about me (hang in there, I'll get to reviews in a bit  ), but it is a fact in my life. I love to read and I read a lot. My problem is that I have so many good authors who are known to me and so little relative time to read that I don't often venture out to test the indie waters. And, quite honestly, most (not all) of those indies that I have read were less than satisfying - including one that got excellent reviews here and elsewhere.
> 
> ...


I think that your opinon is a fair and all too tragic representation of the overall temperament of many readers out there. People are creatures of habit after all and tend to stay within their comfort zone even when it comes to reading books. But one response to this situation would be for indie authors to read other indie authors. Since authors are some of the most insightful and voracious readers, it goes a long way to helping an indie author find a readership if other indie authors give them a chance. With that said, indie authors still need to make certain that they are putting out the best materials that they can. IMHO, quality over quantity should be the mantra among indie authors. Putting out good work will lead to good reviews which goes a long ways to overcoming the stigma attached to indie books.


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

MikeD said:


> Boy - I'm going to step far out on a limb here and honestly express an opinion that I hope will be taken in the manner intended.


I very much appreciated your post's candor, Mike, and I'll admit that as my time on this planet accrues, I increasingly weigh a book's potential against my life expectancy. When I look at reviews, I consider the source. Impartial, reasoned analyses from known entities will always persuade me most.

As for getting known when you're unknown...it's extremely tiring to self-promote, and one always runs the risk of boring, offending, and alienating the very people one hopes to interest. I wish my books would just sell themselves on their merits (heaven knows they've received, many times, the kind of reviews I mentioned), and perhaps that'll be the case eventually; but for now it's me against the deluge.

'Oh Lord, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small.'

CK


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Carolyn:

The sea may be great, but your boats are not small.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I've tried very hard to make my reviews "matter." I have been told I am stingy with my stars. Yes, it's true.

However, as hard as I can be on some books, I know that many have told me that they bought a book just because I reviewed and liked it.

Lately, I am reading a lot of Indie books. I enjoy trying new authors. I love getting hold of an Indie book and liking it so much that I can give a good review.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

I also strive to provide more than just "I liked it" in my reviews. I would rather take the time to provide honest feedback on a book than just do a quick review without any depth to it.

And thanks to Red Adept for reviewing Belt Buckles & Pajamas - I believe it is the first review left by one of the Kindle Boards members for one of my books.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Speaking of Kindle Boards members taking the time to review our books, I'd like to thank C.S. Marks, Songbird, Marianner, Dori,  MW Vickers, Beth A, Appleheart, and Liannallama for doing the same for me. I love getting feedback from my readers and consider getting reviews from KB members priceless. A big thumbs up!!!


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Elmore Hammes said:


> I also strive to provide more than just "I liked it" in my reviews. I would rather take the time to provide honest feedback on a book than just do a quick review without any depth to it.
> 
> And thanks to Red Adept for reviewing Belt Buckles & Pajamas - I believe it is the first review left by one of the Kindle Boards members for one of my books.


I have also purchased 2 of your other books, "The Cloud" and "The Twenty Dollar Bill". I will read and review when I get to them.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> I have also purchased 2 of your other books, "The Cloud" and "The Twenty Dollar Bill". I will read and review when I get to them.


Thanks so much - I look forward to seeing your reviews!

And to get a bit back on topic, this is part of what "reviews are worth" - a warm fuzzy feeling for the author when you receive one from someone you have never met in person, but who chose to not only purchase your book but take the time to leave a review to share their opinion of it. Of course it is warmer and fuzzier if they like the book!

Elmore


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

For an indie author, reviews are critical to helping to get the word out about one's books. I, for one, have no shame in saying that I am dying to get some reviews for my new book Rogue Hunter, if for no reason than to let me know that my book is being read.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> With the traditional publishing machine jettisoned in the Indie publishing process, the reader review is the most valuable tool to help an author know just how far and how fast he or she must run. Sometimes "doubt" catches up and sometimes it destroys the soul, but as any author can tell you, "Silence" is the enemy when sharing your soul with the world. It is better to be told something than nothing at all.
> 
> Edward C. Patterson


Truer words I've never heard. Considering the lengths that I go to make sure that my books are ready to be published, I don't remember ever second-guessing the quality of my books. But it is scary when people don't review your books. The first thing that goes through your head is "are my books being read"? After that you start to wonder "does my book suck"? My readers have already spoken regarding


Spoiler



The Legend of Witch Bane


. But


Spoiler



Rogue Hunter


 is another beast altogether. Where are the reviews? I'm sadly led to believe that selling it for a bargain price has worked against me since the lack of reviews makes me think that it's sitting on someone's kindle just waiting to be read. On the other hand, when a reader shells out full price for a book, they are more likely to read it not long after purchasing it. Now I'm forced to decide if it makes sense to continue selling my books at low prices if all they are doing is being stockpiled with other cheap books. Looks like I have some decisions to make.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Elmore Hammes said:


> Thanks so much - I look forward to seeing your reviews!
> 
> And to get a bit back on topic, this is part of what "reviews are worth" - a warm fuzzy feeling for the author when you receive one from someone you have never met in person, but who chose to not only purchase your book but take the time to leave a review to share their opinion of it. Of course it is warmer and fuzzier if they like the book!
> 
> Elmore


I finished and reviewed "The Twenty Dollar Bill". Thanks for the low price!


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> I'm sadly led to believe that selling it for a bargain price has worked against me since the lack of reviews makes me think that it's sitting on someone's kindle just waiting to be read. On the other hand, when a reader shells out full price for a book, they are more likely to read it not long after purchasing it. Now I'm forced to decide if it makes sense to continue selling my books at low prices if all they are doing is being stockpiled with other cheap books. Looks like I have some decisions to make.


I've done a few reviews on books I got for free from the author. Price doesn't have anything to do with it. Some people just don't like to write reviews.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> I've done a few reviews on books I got for free from the author. Price doesn't have anything to do with it. Some people just don't like to write reviews.


I hear you, Red. And you couldn't be more right. Problem is, many readers equate reviews with readership. In the case of an unknown author such as myself it makes a tough situation already tougher. As has been established at the outset of this thread, an author cannot exist without readers. It's also a balancing act knowing when to approach readers concerning your book and when not to. The last thing I ever want is for someone to think I am being overly agressive and spamming them.

I think I'll simply have to lick my wounds and learn from my mistake. I should never release a book on Kindle without having a DTP copy available. It's definitely time for me to rethink my strategy. (This book promotion stuff is certainly a different beast to overcome than writing a book.)


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I think asking once if someone would like a copy in exchange for a review is not a problem.

Now, if someone asked me and I said, "No, thank you, it's not my kind of book," then they tried to talk me into it, I would get irritated. 

I'm not going to sit and read something I am completely disinterested in just to write a review for them. I mean, how good could the review possibly be if a reader goes into it with that mind set?  

My advice:

Look for people who have reviewed other Indie Kindle books in your genre. Contact them to see if they are interested in receiving a free Kindle copy in exchange for a review.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Excellent advice, Red. I'll just have to be sure to tread lightly while asking people if they would like to review my book. Last thing I want to do is to be labelled a spammer.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I have also seen authors post here:

http://www.amazon.com/tag/top%20reviewers/forum/ref=cm_cr_tr_sap?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2Z5LRXMSUDQH2

You just title it "Looking for Reviews" or something like that.

Put a link in and tell them what format you can send.

I have seen authors several new readers that way, or it seems by the response. Those people are reviewers and love a free book. 

Starting one thread, then responding to others is not spam.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

That link looks wonderful, Red. Only problem is I'm not allowed to post on Amazon anymore. I ran into some very malicious trolls who found a way to get me banished from Amazon. But I think other authors can definitely benefit from visiting the link that you posted. And I have definitely taken your advice to heart.


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## Elmore Hammes (Jun 23, 2009)

I got several reviews up on Amazon for my children's fantasy/mystery when I first published it in paperback by e-mailing several of the "top" reviewers on the site and asking if they would like a review copy. I did make sure they had reviewed books with similar intended audiences such as the Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket series prior to querying them (and only contacted those who chose to have their e-mail listed on their Amazon profile page). Some of the reviewers said they were too busy or only reviewed "top selling" books, but a number were quite happy to receive a free copy of the book. The majority of the people who requested the book left reviews on their own sites and on Amazon, and were usually more detailed than a simple "I liked the book" review.

I have no idea how much influence these have had - I certainly didn't see a large spike of paperback sales in response to them. It's nice having them there and hopefully they will encourage others to give my books a try. I do think the product page looks a little more complete if there are a couple reviews there.
Elmore


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Elmore Hammes said:


> I got several reviews up on Amazon for my children's fantasy/mystery when I first published it in paperback by e-mailing several of the "top" reviewers on the site and asking if they would like a review copy. I did make sure they had reviewed books with similar intended audiences such as the Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket series prior to querying them (and only contacted those who chose to have their e-mail listed on their Amazon profile page). Some of the reviewers said they were too busy or only reviewed "top selling" books, but a number were quite happy to receive a free copy of the book. The majority of the people who requested the book left reviews on their own sites and on Amazon, and were usually more detailed than a simple "I liked the book" review.
> 
> I have no idea how much influence these have had - I certainly didn't see a large spike of paperback sales in response to them. It's nice having them there and hopefully they will encourage others to give my books a try. I do think the product page looks a little more complete if there are a couple reviews there.
> Elmore


I too have gotten reviews from Top Amazon reviewers. Lately, it's been tough getting them to review my books because they are flooded with so many titles that they are overwhelmed. There are those who also say that they don't review indie books. But I agree with Elmore, that if you are persistent and are willing to give away free copies of your books, you'll find some Top Amazon reviewers who will be review your books. I also agree that I have not seen any boost in sales from their reviews. But it does make people take your book a little more seriously than if the review is written by Joe Shmoe.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Okay, here's a wee contribution from me.

First, Kevis, your 'trolls' were indeed malicious, and I'd like to make 'troll-chutney' out of them. We can throw MY troll (whose identity is now known) in with them!

Second, as for reviews:

I'm an 'uber-conservative' marketer, especially on Amazon. I get positive feedback from readers (via my website) once in a while. Do they review the books?  Not usually. Do I ask them to do so? No.  Why not? Because I don't want any 'strings attached' to providing positive feedback, and because it seems like deliberately biasing the sample. A lot of folks don't like to write reviews (and they are correct in that a good review is difficult to write). 

Exchange of books between authors in anticipation of mutual reviews, though a common practice, almost can't help but be biased. It's not a bad practice, but both parties must at least try to be honest without fear of reprisal. Some of the most vicious 'players of the game' are other authors!*  

I've encountered authors who get upset when their reviews aren't completed and posted in a timely fashion. They complain that they've invested a copy of their book for no good reason. Comp. copies are like seed corn. Sometimes great things grow--sometimes all you get is bare dirt. Too bad.

I don't 'pressure' for a review. It might be that the would-be reviewer can't get into the work. Might be that they have every intention of getting to it...eventually. In any event, I would like reading my book to be their idea. 
    'Hmmm...look at this big pile of books. I'm in the mood for a good fantasy. Perhaps I'll read 'Elfhunter' now.' So much better than 'Gads! That irritating author just won't quit bugging me unless I review that darn book! Well, though I'd rather have a root canal than read fantasy right now, it's the only way to be free of her! Now, where the heck is it?'  (Which attitude would you rather have YOUR reviewer start with?) 

I'm surprised at the number of authors who don't employ the 'Look Inside' feature. Kindle books provide a sample, but printed books remain a complete mystery without L.I.  I'll look at reviews, yes, but without Look Inside I rarely (if ever) purchase--known or unknown! Trolls can say anything they like about a book whether they've read it or not. The author can arrange for 'fake' reviews. All reviews are opinions, anyway.  The writing itself is the deal-breaker for me. The author can't fake it, and trolls can't alter it. 

*All three of my book pages (as well as those of several other authors) have been attacked by a deranged troll who, as it turns out, is another 'indie' author. That person has caused several innocent authors a lot of grief. So much for 'honor among thieves,' eh?  

'Archer'
(Hi Kevis, CK, Ed, and new friends on KB! This place rocks!)
Speaking of reviews, RedAdept, are you still up for a fantasy?


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> I'm sadly led to believe that selling it for a bargain price has worked against me since the lack of reviews makes me think that it's sitting on someone's kindle just waiting to be read.


I think as an Indie book it must be released at a bargain price. That's only fair. We're asking the reader to take a risk. There are two things at stake, their time and their money, we can help mitigate the latter.

The only challenge I've found is that my novel's premise is based in economics and finance. By putting the book up for 10 cents (you'll note it's now 99 cents), I was getting the shrug your shoulders 'why not' buyer. I put the book out as a Librarything giveaway to 10 readers in exchange for reviews highlighting that it was a financial thriller, but the random selection process chose a lot of people interested in vampire romance. I know I'm in trouble when I get their reviews in. The latest review has said, good characters, good story, good premise, way too much finance. I can learn from that, but I can also wonder if I'm nailing the right market.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

The reader is taking a risk if its the Indie author's first book. I generally release my Kindle books at a standard price of $ 3.99, regardless of length for a period of time before I reduce the price to the populat $ .99. 

Edward C. Patterson


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

archer said:


> Speaking of reviews, RedAdept, are you still up for a fantasy?


Sure, I can add yours to my growing list. LOL

Kevis just sent both of his. I still have Wysard and the sequel to that one. I purchased both of those quite awhile ago.

I just read and reviewed "The Enhancer" which did put me in a mood for fantasy as it was a good read. (I would have given it 4 stars had it been edited decently.)


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> Kevis just sent both of his. I still have Wysard and the sequel to that one. I purchased both of those quite awhile ago.


I'm very glad you did, Red. 

I work hard at making my writing as good as it can be in every respect, and editing is no exception. While I'm looking forward to your comments, I certainly don't want to rush them. The more time you can take with my books, the better for them and for me.

With thanks,

CK


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Carolyn Kephart said:


> I'm very glad you did, Red.
> 
> I work hard at making my writing as good as it can be in every respect, and editing is no exception. While I'm looking forward to your comments, I certainly don't want to rush them. The more time you can take with my books, the better for them and for me.
> 
> ...


I'm rereading a Koontz novel, Phantoms, at the moment. Just a short break from Indie novels and having to worry about the kind of errors that really bug me. LOL

However, oddly enough, a horror novel will quite often put me in the mood for fantasy. If it does, yours will be next.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

archer said:


> Okay, here's a wee contribution from me.
> 
> First, Kevis, your 'trolls' were indeed malicious, and I'd like to make 'troll-chutney' out of them. We can throw MY troll (whose identity is now known) in with them!
> 
> ...


Archer,

There is so much wisdom in what you have said that I don't even know where to begin. I have to admit that I've been very short on patience lately and your explanation makes so much sense. I am sure that if I took your approach to getting reviews for my books, I'd be in a better state of mind. Unfortunately, I'm like a little kid on a sugar rush and have been going nuts waiting to see what people think of


Spoiler



Rogue Hunter


. Truth is, I'd been struggling over the decision to self-publish


Spoiler



Rogue Hunter


 for years and was of the mind that I should perhaps wait until I finish the entire trilogy before releasing it to the public. But I was eager to see what response it would get before I got entrenched in writing the sequels. Maybe I am a little too anxious to get my book reviewed, especially considering that the jury's out on whether or not readers like it. But as mentioned before, an author is not an author without readers. And if I don't know what people are thinking after they read my works, it's hard to tell if what I am doing is working, especially when my book sales are not like they used to be. I have to admit doubt is setting in.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

@ Kevis

I haven't started reading "Rogue Hunter", yet. However, I am going to tell you something in all honesty, even though it's a bit embarrassing for me.

I am going to tell you exactly why I didn't buy your book when I first saw it advertised here, even though it was only $.99.

You ready?

Promise not to yell at me?

Okay, here goes: I didn't buy your book because I didn't like the cover.    

I know. I shouldn't judge a book by the cover. I know it's a Kindle book, so no one will see the cover, anyway.

But, I looked at the Amazon book page and that cover just looked 'adolescent' to me. 

Now, I have no idea what your sales are like and don't want to know. I'm not telling you to change anything.

I'm only stating why I didn't buy it.

The blurb is good, though.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> @ Kevis
> 
> I haven't started reading "Rogue Hunter", yet. However, I am going to tell you something in all honesty, even though it's a bit embarrassing for me.
> 
> ...


Red,

I always appreciate your honesty. It's okay that you didn't like the cover for Rogue Hunter. I think the cover is one of those things where some people might be turned off by it. I worked hand-in-hand with my illustrator to design a non-traditional book cover to make the cover stand out. And for the most part, it would appear that we have succeeded. Rogue Hunter's cover doesn't look like any book cover that I know of. With that said, I am glad that you like the blurb. Even though you didn't like the cover, which can be jolting for some people, the important thing is that you have decided to give my book a try. It will be interesting to see what you think of it when you get a chance to read it.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> Red,
> 
> I always appreciate your honesty. It's okay that you didn't like the cover for Rogue Hunter. I think the cover is one of those things where some people might be turned off by it. I worked hand-in-hand with my illustrator to design a non-traditional book cover to make the cover stand out. And for the most part, it would appear that we have succeeded. Rogue Hunter's cover doesn't look like any book cover that I know of. With that said, I am glad that you like the blurb. Even though you didn't like the cover, which can be jolting for some people, the important thing is that you have decided to give my book a try. It will be interesting to see what you think of it when you get a chance to read it.


I should have clarified something. The art on the cover is great. I just thought it was better suited to a video game.  So, I immediately made an assumption that the book was a teen book and didn't even read the blurb at first.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

@kevis-

I hadn't realized why I hadn't bought Rogue Hunter until I read RedAdept's last post.  It's the cover.  It looks too adolescent male fantasy for my taste. But now that I've figured that out, I'm going to try and get past the cover and actually buy the book.  I don't know when I'll read it, my tbr list is getting obscene, but you've made another sale.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> I should have clarified something. The art on the cover is great. I just thought it was better suited to a video game.  So, I immediately made an assumption that the book was a teen book and didn't even read the blurb at first.


Red,

You hit the nail right on the head about the look of the cover. The one thing you'll learn about me is I'm willing to step out of the box to try something new. Rogue Hunter is different than your traditional science fiction novel as best represented by the main character who is in a class of her own. I often like to think of her as the female version of Flash Gordon (to say nothing of the fact that there aren't enough female lead characters in this genre). I hired one of the best up and coming illustrators out there to produce a non-traditional book cover that does in many way appear to be something you would find on a comic book or video game cover. Thanks for letting me know that you thought the cover was well done, even though it was a little misleading for you. 



scarlet said:


> @kevis-
> 
> I hadn't realized why I hadn't bought Rogue Hunter until I read RedAdept's last post. It's the cover. It looks too adolescent male fantasy for my taste. But now that I've figured that out, I'm going to try and get past the cover and actually buy the book. I don't know when I'll read it, my tbr list is getting obscene, but you've made another sale.


Scarlet,

Thank you so much for giving Rogue Hunter a chance. I have huge plans for this series. And as one of its first readers, I truly hope you enjoy reading it. If I have done my job as an author, there's no reason why you shouldn't. Cheers!


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

KEVIS HENDRICKSON!

I hereby release the 'Mom-Professor voice!' Do not doubt your work. Did you read my review? I called you a bard, few cryin' out loud!

Don't make me come over there and box your ears!


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

archer said:


> KEVIS HENDRICKSON!
> 
> I hereby release the 'Mom-Professor voice!' Do not doubt your work. Did you read my review? I called you a bard, few cryin' out loud!
> 
> Don't make me come over there and box your ears!


           

Huh? Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?

(I know, I know. My Robert Dinero impersonation needs as much work as Freddy Kruger needs a dermatologist! )

But thanks for the kind words. I know better than to argue with an archer. So a bard I am!


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Just a comment/observation:

I surfed around Amazon to see what 'cheap' books were out there. I found quite a few interesting ones that I hadn't seen advertised on any forums.

One was Crack-Up.

I read it and was amazed how good it was, not just 'for an Indie publication', but for any published work.

So, I wrote a 5 star review.

As many of you know, most of the time when I can review a book with 3 or more stars, I post about it on the forum.

Well, when I posted about this one, it went to number ONE on Amazon's Movers & Shakers Kindle List within 12 hours. It stayed at number one for the entire next day.

Now, I truly don't believe that many people read my reviews. What I do think is that many, many people read the forums. So, they went and checked the book out because I mentioned it; however, the blurb of that book pulled them in. Once on that M&S list, many more people who never go to a forum were able to see it.

My conclusion is that 1/3 of selling is good reviews, 1/3 is advertising, and 1/3 is a good blurb. I think writing a blurb has got to be one of the hardest parts of publishing a book. Am I wrong on this?


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

I dread the blurb - but if you don't have one that catches the prospective reader and keeps them interested enough to decide that your book in "intriguing," you're lost. There are many authors that just blurb something like this:

"This is a novel about Henny Youngman on the day he lost his violin."

Well, I would actually be interested in THAT book. But the "the work is about," or "the work is like StarTrek," or "Do you wanna by some candy little girl . . ." approach is "DEATH" to interest. 

The blurb should contain, IMHO, a bit of your style - some promise - and nail down at least the genre. If it's character based, you could start with - "Jenny Jones has a problem . . ." or "Whenever Tom Jones picks his nose, he turns into a butterfly." The outrageous usually works. I have even used the open line to the novel. I'd give examples, but it would hijack this thread, so I won;t - but I think I've mastered the blurb. BUT it takes me a week to write one.

One variation is the double blurb. The first is the short, hook paragraph. Then a second paragraph restarted with a more pedestrian "and so one and so forth," and also if the work is dedicated to an organization, it should appear in the blurb. For the Kindle you get 4,000 characters for the description, and when Professional Reviews come in, you can follow the double blurb with the review, either quoted or in its entirety. Since readers often do not consider the reviews, but do consider the stars, reviews that are tucked into the Description area are generally read and the most influential.

For DTB, such as CreateSpace, Amazon only allows 1,000 character blurbs, so only the first paragraph (the hook) will probably fit, and you save the full double blurb and your bio for the back cover of the book.

Anyway, that's my take on blurbs.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I can't even do a verbal blurb. 

If I mention that I am writing a book, people inevitably ask, "What's it about?"

My answer? "Oh, um, well, um, it's kinda one of those, um, mystery thriller serial killer books."  Yeah, real articulate. That'll sell it.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Oh, verbal I have solved.

"The book is about real life drama set in XXXXX, with vibrant chraacters and a universal theme, which I think you'll like. It's a smash-up between Jane Austen and Stephen King, and you know . . . here's one of my book marks. My website and all my titles are on the back. Take a look, and if you want, I get you one of my books so you can see if you like my sort of writing. Wait, I just happened to have one here."

That's what happens when you spend 40 years as a Director of mrketing. I may not know how to spell worth a damn (that's Peg's job), and mix up past/passed, but when it comes to creating a pace for the product . . . I'm your man. 

Edward C. Patterson

PS: I DO have an unpublished manuscript coming in 2010 that's a smash up between Stephen King, Jane Austen, the Brother's Grimm and my military experiences in Germany, _ja wohl!_


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Oh, verbal I have solved.
> 
> "The book is about real life drama set in XXXXX, with vibrant chraacters and a universal theme, which I think you'll like. It's a smash-up between Jane Austen and Stephen King, and you know . . . here's one of my book marks. My website and all my titles are on the back. Take a look, and if you want, I get you one of my books so you can see if you like my sort of writing. Wait, I just happened to have one here."
> 
> ...


Hey, Ed, I want a bookmark!


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Scarlet:

Send me your address and I'll mail a few out. I had them made up for a speaking gig for


Spoiler



No Irish need Apply


 - so the front has that artwork on it, while the back has the full list of published and on-deck to be published books. I'll even mail it to you with *Jade Owl * stamps.  My email address is [email protected]

Ed Patterson


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> If I mention that I am writing a book, people inevitably ask, "What's it about?"


You're writing a book Red? After reading through some of your reviews - I'd like to see the sort of book you'd write.

As for blurbs - writing something short is tough. Especially in fantasy and SF where the world itself might need an explanation.

MFS


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> You're writing a book Red? After reading through some of your reviews - I'd like to see the sort of book you'd write.
> 
> As for blurbs - writing something short is tough. Especially in fantasy and SF where the world itself might need an explanation.
> 
> MFS


I may never get far enough for anyone to see it. I am my own worst critic.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> I may never get far enough for anyone to see it. I am my own worst critic.


That's why you should let some of us read it. We'll be fair and honest and less judgemental than you are to yourself!


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

scarlet said:


> That's why you should let some of us read it. We'll be fair and honest and less judgemental than you are to yourself!


And the comments won't be published! Actually, you might want to consider some sort of non disclosure agreement...


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Red,

It's only fair that since you're reading my books that I extend the offer to do the same for you. I'd love to screen your book. But of course, only when you're ready.  BTW, if it means anything, I'm a walking non-disclosure agreement.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

RedAdept:

Never write with your eye on the critic or the reviewer   Get into the Zone, meet up with that critter we call the muse, let your characters co-opt your mind and produce a working draft dripping with imagination and innovation. Put it in the drawer for 7 weeks minimum (I put them in for 10 years sometimes). They rise like bread dough. Knead it, rework is, store it away again and then, take out your craft crayon box and then write a novel. That's how it's done, and by the time a critic or reviewer gets to say something about it, the damn thing has been in the works for a half-decade and it really doesn't matter what anyone says, because it is so much a part of your physical self (warts and all) that it will walk beside you and beyond you. I'm clearly in the Stephen King school of writing discipline (not all writers are, or agree or have the stamina for it), but that's how we hone the craft - write as many hours a day as you read (4 hopefully), write a minimum of 2,000 words per day. King also says that you know you have succeeded if the first royalty check doesn't bounce and you can pay the utility bill. Well, that's about all it pays - but hey, I like the part where the work outruns me. Yes, you can be your own worst critic, BUT you must also outrun your doubts.  Come into the Author Support Thread. We report our progress, sometimes nightly and help each other get through the work. You'll benefit from it.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

Thank you all for your helpful comments.

And, I may take you up on your offer to read. Well, I will for those of you who do not have weak stomachs. The post I put in the "snippets" thread was a rather benign portion, I thought, but, obviously, I was wrong.

At this point, I am only on Chapter 12.

I didn't mean that I have a book that I keep revising. I meant that I am working on one, but then I get stuck and start to think what an awful writer I am, etc., etc. 

But, I am determined to finish a book before I leave this world. Some way, somehow.  The story I want to write is in my head; I just have to get it on paper.


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## mfstewart (Jun 23, 2009)

RedAdept said:


> Thank you all for your helpful comments.
> 
> And, I may take you up on your offer to read. Well, I will for those of you who do not have weak stomachs. The post I put in the "snippets" thread was a rather benign portion, I thought, but, obviously, I was wrong.
> 
> ...


The first draft is always crap - expect it to be - and this isn't just Hemingway, most writers are like this. Sort of frees you to write what you will first and then see what the hell you did afterward! Good luck - as I think you've noticed, writing a book really isn't as hard as it's made out to be. Writing a great book is. But the first draft really doesn't have to be great. And if you think it is, that's when you're in real trouble. 

MFS


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

I agree, but with one caveat. Your FIRST first draft will most likely be crap, but as you move forward, the first draft becomes the essence of the book - so with each new work, and the better the first draft is, the greater the finished work will be. If you can view that puppy as you put it in the bread rising drawer/draw (couldn't resist   ) with pride and contentment, then when you pull it out for the 1st revision (and you'll say - did I write that drek), remember, the best part of your inspiration, passion and motivation is locked away in that first draft. As you snip away at it and expand and change in the various revisions (and it generally take 3 revisions - although some of mine go through as many as 8 ), the work's stability will still depend on that 1st draft - the kernel. Some caveat, eh? "But ain't it the troot," said the Cowardly Lion (forgive the passive dialog tag).

Edward C. Patterson


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Red,

I agree with Mike and Ed. But the most important thing to do when writing your first draft is to have fun! If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you're already doomed. Have fun being the goddess of your world and worry about perfecting your story in the subsequent drafts. If you allow yourself to enjoy the freedom of creating your story, the rest will eventually fall into place.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

mfstewart said:


> And the comments won't be published! Actually, you might want to consider some sort of non disclosure agreement...


Raising my hand--

I promise to not disclose anything about RedAdept's book to anyone without her permission and to not publish any of my thoughts about it. Once she lets me read it!


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Hello!  To me, reviews do play a big role, but I don't always read just the negative or the positive.  I read some of both.  Perhaps the reason someone gave a 1 star review was because of something that I happen to like - maybe the reader doesn't like characters who have been through too much trauma, whereas I like a little bit of trauma in the past to make a more complex character.  Perhaps someone gave a book 5 stars because it was was short and sweet.  I personally prefer longer books.  So, yes, I do take reviews into consideration, but a negative review isn't always a bad thing and a positive review isn't always a good thing.  And sometimes I buy a book and the reviews are completely off from what is posted   That is why I also like to read the blurb and the first few pages or so.  Hope this helps the discussion!
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson


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