All I Want for Christmas Is...Reviews!

A friend sent a page from her 2022 Page-A-Day calendar since we’d been talking about my book and reviews. I laughed out loud, because this, I imagine, is what the typical reader thinks an author expects:

When in reality, most authors would be just as happy to have a review like this: 

Now, I do have a respectable number of reviews for my debut cozy mystery, Secrets Laid to Rest, and I appreciate each and every one of them! But compared to the number of books sold, well…that’s another story. 

So who are the people who leave reviews for an indie author like me? 

Regular reviewers, whether they consider themselves professional or hobbyists, can provide quite detailed and well-written reviews. If you’re looking for reviewers, research your genre. Many reviewers just love to read, and getting free books is payment enough for them. 

Or consider a promotional book tour like we have here at WOW!Women-on-Writing. It’s a great way to not only get reviews but also build followers and get a book noticed out into the wide web world. (And it pays to remember those followers when one needs a review for upcoming books. How do you recruit them? That’s what social media and newsletters are for, y’all.) 

Writer/author friends make great reviewers! These reviews often read like a blurb from the back of the book. I’ve certainly written my fair share of reviews for my author/writer friends and I try to think in terms of attracting a new reader. I tend to keep reviews pithy; a few sentences, a handful of stars, and if a book is on Goodreads, I’ll post there and on Amazon. So if you’re a writer, join your pro organizations, make friends. Support your buddies and they’ll often do the same for you. 

Lovely readers—perhaps your friends, your family, your co-workers who didn’t even know you were a writer—make up the rest of the folks who might leave a review. The above review, with the “so far, so good” remark came from family. Honestly, I love that he took the time to leave a note when he received that Amazon email asking what he thought of Secrets Laid to Rest. He’d only read a few pages of the book but he figured he should say something. (More importantly, he left stars. Yay!) 

Keep in mind that it’s intimidating for non-writers to leave a review. They may tell you all day long how much they love your book but writing anything puts them on the spot. (And maybe they’re not even sure how to go about it!) 

Bottom line is that regular reviewers—unless they’re compensated—may not get around to your book. Your author friends have great intentions but busy lives; they, too, may not have time to write a review. And all those lovely readers might buy a dozen books from you but please don’t ask them to write a review! So what’s an author to do when all she wants for Christmas is reviews of her book? 

Just keep asking, y'all. (And it wouldn’t hurt to ask Santa, too.)

~Cathy C. Hall

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8 comments Amazon, book reviews, Catherine C. Hall, Cathy C. Hall, goodreads, indie publishing, Secrets Laid to Rest

Keeping Book Reviews on Amazon

I received an email the other day from a Facebook friend and author, apologizing for “unfriending” me. Not for anything I said or did, but rather, because of something I might say or do a month from now.

You see, she has a new book coming out on writing craft and thought I might like to give it a read. Well, of course, I’d like to take a look, and I promised that I’d give her a fair review on Amazon or Goodreads. But my author friend was told that Amazon would pull my review, since we’re Facebook friends. So she unfriended me, hoping that my (future) review would make it through the marketing behemoth’s gauntlet.

If you’ve been kind enough to write a review for a Facebook friend’s book, you might find yourself unfriended, too. Or worse, your Facebook author friend has found that your review has suddenly been removed. All because you’ve used social media in exactly the way you've been encouraged.

You’ve engaged with readers, sometimes at a conference, or perhaps through a blog, or maybe through email, and you’ve invited them to “friend” you on Facebook so that he or she will know what’s going on in your author world. You’ve spent time and energy forming relationships; even if you’ve never met that reader in person, you feel like you’re much more than virtual friends. And just when your friends want to show you how much they appreciate your hard work and writing skills, Amazon says, “Oh, dearie, no. We can’t allow Facebook friends to write reviews for each other. It might not be unbiased—or some other sorts of shenanigans could be going on.”

Now, I understand that Amazon wants their reviews to be credible. And I get that there’s some algorithm set up to pull reviews when certain sets (like a Facebook reader and a Facebook author) intersect. But there has to be a better way to cull bogus book reviews. Because it seems to me that the authors being penalized are, for the most part, the ones who can least likely afford to lose a review.

I mean, the author with 812 reviews (and thousands of Facebook friends!) can certainly stand to lose 10 reviews. But the author who’s managed to get 47 hard-earned and honest reviews from her 600 friends? If he or she loses one or two reviews it can really make a difference!

I love to write reviews for my friends—and I have lots of author friends on Facebook. So far, all my reviews are still standing, and honestly, I’m not sure why. I like to think it’s because I write a good and fair review but I have friends who have written just as good and fair reviews and have had their reviews pulled.

This is not a new Amazon policy, but it’s odd that in the last few weeks I’ve heard from several authors about pulled reviews and the Facebook connection. So what has changed? If you’re an author, have you lost reviews? Or if you’re a reader, have you found that your review went missing from a friend’s page on Amazon?

I’d like answers. But if I can’t get a reasonable explanation, then I suppose I’ll unfriend every author friend I have in order to leave a review. And I’m fine if you do the same to me.

~Cathy C. Hall

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11 comments Amazon, book reviews, Cathy C. Hall, Facebook, goodreads

The One-Size-Fits-All Writer Gift

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to fancy.

Fancy gifts, that is. And since we’re all about writing here, I thought I’d share my never-fail gift for the writers on your list. But honestly, it’s nothing fancy. In fact, it’s pretty simple. And it’s free, too.

It’s the sparkly and fun book review!

Wait—what? You never considered it? Then it’s time to take a closer look at the joy of the review.

Validation

Gosh, it’s hard being a writer. Day in, day out, you write, write, write—and deep down, you wonder, wonder, wonder if your writing is any good. And getting daily rejections certainly doesn’t help. But then, miracle of miracles, you get published! Maybe it’s a long-awaited contract for the manuscript you’ve spent five years writing. Or maybe it’s a story, accepted for an anthology like Chicken Soup for the Soul. Or maybe it’s the book you believed in so much that you went the self-publishing route. So now your words are out there in the world—oh, the thrill!—but something’s missing. And that’s a sweet note of validation.

There’s validation, of course, when friends and family and people you don’t even know buy your book, but nothing beats a sincere, “I really enjoyed this book!” You can make someone’s day with just a few words of validation in a thoughtful book review.

But you can also make someone’s book sales soar with a book review.

Marketing Boost

In a perfect world, writers could spend all their time writing. But writers must succeed in the business world, too, and that means marketing their books. They’ll schedule tours on blogs or dash around to book signings or sponsor giveaways. They want to sell books, but they also want people talking about their books. A book review can make quite an impact.

Reviews on Amazon or Goodreads affect a book’s ranking; they influence buyers. So your review—which costs you nothing but the twenty minutes or so to write a few words—can boost sales.

But, But, But

But what if your writer friend hasn't got a book? Be creative—you’re a writer, right? Send a note of encouragement, or leave a lovely comment on her blog.

But what if you truly didn’t like your writer friend’s book? You don’t have to gush. Find something nice to say, even if it’s just that you loved the title. And if you can’t find the words, click on a couple stars. Stars are shiny support, too.

But what if you have a book? Put a book review on the top of your Wish List. Spread the word to friends and family. Ask nicely. Because honestly, it’s that time of year when people want to do something good.

And something good doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be as simple and heartfelt as saying, “I really enjoyed this book!”

~Cathy C. Hall

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14 comments a writer's gift, Amazon, book marketing, book review, Cathy C. Hall, goodreads

Going Indie

Bookshelves at Robin's bookstore!

Ever since I saw the movie You've Got Mail, I've felt guilty walking into any BIG store or even buying something from Amazon or Barnes and Noble (and of course, Walmart, too). But I never let my guilt actually encompass me because even though I knew that big corporations really do take over small businesses, I didn't really know any small business owners, or so I thought; so what difference did it make?

Yes, I have the Kindle app loaded on my Toshiba tablet. Yes, I download books from Kindle all the time. Yes, I am an Amazon associate. And then I read this blog post: http://robintidwell.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/the-way-of-the-dodo/

Robin is a bookstore owner, and she is a friend of mine. We got acquainted in April at the Missouri Writers' Guild conference, and I visited her bookstore one month with my daughter for story time. I found this post of hers when a mutual writing friend told me to check out her blog; and for some reason, THIS TIME, I was like, "I can make a difference." I can stop promoting Amazon on my blog. I can order a book from her online. I can visit her bookstore to pick it up and buy another book--I can do my Christmas shopping there. I can become an affiliate of Indiebound.org instead of Amazon.com. I can do all of this, and I will.

I immediately purchased Divergent, the new, popular YA book, from Robin's store, All on the Same Page Bookstore; and I was able to do it online. It was less than $12.00, having it shipped to Robin's store! What a bargain and as easy as using Amazon. Plus then, even better, all the proceeds go to Robin's store.

That's when I decided that really, I could go Indie. I could buy my books at an Indie book store--in person or online. Yes, I would keep my Kindle app because so many authors offer FREE books for the Kindle; but if I'm going to purchase something, I decided that I would do it either in person in an Indie, local bookstore
or online through Indiebound.org.

I completely understand the ease and draw of Amazon! And I'm not telling you not to use them. I'm just asking you to consider visiting a local bookshop or searching online through a local bookshop to purchase your next book. As writers, we don't want bookstores to die. If it takes one behavior change to keep bookstores alive,  are you willing to do it? Are you willing to buy local and Indie?

Post by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/ 
Margo is the author of Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg.

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10 comments Amazon, bookstores, indie author, indie bookstores

Friday Speak Out!: 4 Things Authors Need to Know About Amazon, guest post by Aggie Villanueva

4 Things Authors Need to Know About Amazon

by Aggie Villanueva

Many of us have had books for sale for years at Amazon.com. Many excitedly await their first book going live. Whichever your situation, there are just as many of us who unfortunately use Amazon as simply the world’s largest bookstore listing. What’s wrong with that, you may wonder? After all, Amazon is the world’s largest bookstore.

Vikram Narayan, CEO of BookBuzzr.com, said of my book which teaches the principles presented in this article, “…Aggie Villanueva’s how-to changes your perspective of Amazon from that of an online book store to that of an author publicity machine."

In that spirit, here is my list of three things authors need to understand before selling their books at Amazon.com, and to change our “perspective of Amazon.”

 1. Amazon.com is Much More Than the World’s Largest Bookseller

If treated as a simple bookstore you’ll never garner the vast benefits of selling books there. They have created an ingenious marketing engine that drills through several layers of free and automated publicity, each layer completely unique and reaching millions of readers.

And like them or not, Amazon makes bestsellers out of more writers than anywhere. So why not make use of them? If you don’t utilize their system then they are indeed just the world’s largest bookseller. What a waste if all they do for your book is list it. Let me show you the basics of how Amazon can use categories to sell more of your books.

It all starts with YOU choosing your book categories wisely.

2. Nearly Every Publicity Function at Amazon is Based on Categories

The importance of wisely choosing Amazon categories goes far beyond gaining and keeping your category bestseller or overall bestseller. This nearly all-inclusive purpose for book categories creates a foundation point. Like an inverted pyramid, most of your rankings depend on categories. Most everything throughout Amazon’s ingenious multi-layered publicity machine starts with and builds upon categories.

Don’t underestimate their importance. You need the RIGHT categories attached to your books (not the smallest) in order to reach your precise audience. Only this tight targeting will kick start Amazon to begin publicizing your books globally on multiple levels. Which brings us to the next point.

3. Tight Targeting: The Force That Moves Amazon’s Mega-Publicity Machine

Targeting is the key to all successful marketing, and Amazon knows that. Booksellers all claim to know that, but Amazon.com is the only site I’m familiar with that actually implements it into their automated system in ways which go far beyond tallying categories. Tight targeting is the force pounding that publicity drill through each layer of their various promotion opportunities. And the first opportunity is always is to wisely choose your book categories.

What makes it all work is that every level of their marketing machine forces us to target our audience ever more tightly. That’s because this is exactly how Amazon markets. From categories to Tags to Customers Who Viewed This Also Viewed, to their numerous direct mailings, many top-100 lists… Nearly all promotions choose what to include from within categories. What if you’re in the wrong one?

Getting a picture here? Everything starts with and depends on categories, But is it YOU who must initially grease those category gears. The right categories trigger a targeting mechanism that shoots your book straight towards stardom.

---

 Published at Thomas Nelson before age 30, award-winning author Aggie Villanueva is now a self-published fiction & nonfiction author at Amazon/Kindle with The Rewritten Word, Rightfully Mine and Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers, all of which reached bestseller in multiple categories shortly after release. She founded an author publicity company, Promotion a la Carte. For those interested, you may find more than you could possibly ever want to know about Aggie by clicking here, including how to follow me at my social media faves.

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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2 comments Aggie Villanueva, Amazon, book marketing, book promotion tips, Friday Speak Out

Selling Books: What's Tags Got To Do With It?

There are little things that we can do to help authors, and in turn, help them sell a couple books. Like checking off tags—a small task that can reap big benefits.

But What Are Tags?

Let’s say you’ve just finished a book and you think it’s swell and you want to help the author optimize her/his web presence. So you find the title on Amazon, then you scroll down past the basic info, past the reviews, perhaps past a few more sections, and then bam! Say hello to the Tags.

Here are the tags for the book, Love Comes Later, currently on a WOW! blog tour:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
contemporary romance(7)multicultural romance(7)london(6)middle east(6) olympics(6)qatar(5)romance(5)kindle free(1) kindle freebie(1)      Agree with these tags?

So tags are keywords or labels. They have tons of uses and you can find out more here. But you want to know what tags have to do with selling books.

Why Tag?

When you click on a book’s tag, you’re sending a vote. You’re saying, “Yes! I agree this book is about this label or that label.” The more times a particular tag is clicked (like contemporary romance), the more that book will show up in searches (of contemporary romance). So checking the tags helps that author’s book get more exposure. Easy, right?

And authors, you can help yourself by tagging your own book! You can add up to 15 tags, and you make it a little easier for your readers to vote when they can click on that “Agree with these tags?” button.

Is That All There Is To It?

Well, you have to be signed in to your Amazon account for your tags to register. And your tags will only count on whatever edition of the book you tagged (ie. hardcover, paperback, Kindle). And really, you should read the book so that your tags are accurate.

But, yeah. That’s it. So check those tags—and help sell a book!

~from Cathy C. Hall

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4 comments Amazon, book marketing, Cathy C. Hall, keywords, selling books, Tags, web exposure

The e-book Revolution: Publishing Wars, Kindle, and Readers

Until recently, publishers didn't take e-books seriously because they only accounted for less than 1% of books sold. But now, according to Jonathan Kirsch, host of The Politics of Culture radio show, everyone in the publishing industry is paying attention to what he calls the "e-book revolution." He says it started with Amazon's kindle e-book reader--a product that did for e-books what iPod did for music. And last Christmas, e-book sales outnumbered print sales for the first time in history!

In Jonathan Kirsch's radio show yesterday, he interviewed New York Times digital media columnist Motoko Rich, Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blogger Peter Kafka, and e-book reader/fan and author herself, Dora Levy Mossanen about kindle, e-books, and ibooks.

Early adopters or mainstream?
Where e-book readers used to be for early adopters, it appears they have migrated to the general public. And surprisingly, these adopters are not the young and tech savvy, a lot of them are in their fifties and sixties and simply love books. With over three million sales in e-book reading devices (e-book readers) it's surprising to me that I don't see people using them in the general public. You'd think I'd catch people reading in restaurants on their lunch break, in the doctor's office, or at a bus stop. But although e-book sales represent the fastest growing proportion of the publishing market, they still only represent about 5% of total book sales, according to Motoko Rich. Rich also says that even though e-book sales occupy a lot of mind space and are the leading cause of anxiety among publishers, it isn't the way the majority of the world reads. In fact, three million e-book readers is small potatoes compared to the forty plus million print sales.

So what's the attraction to e-book readers anyway?
Author Dora Levy Mossanen talked about how she loved the ease and speed of the kindle--being able to carry twenty books with her at all times to fill the small pockets of her day by reading, being able to download a book within 30 seconds from any location, and having her newspapers delivered to her each morning. On the downside, she missed having a book cover and an author photo, which she often sought out in her local bookstore.


Will kindle stay on top?
While kindle is the industry leader, Peter Kafka argues that a multi-purpose devise (such as Apple's forthcoming iPad)--with its ability for web browsing and video in addition to book reading--will eventually displace a single-purpose device (such as the kindle). But for readers, committing to one e-reading product is pretty much the only option we have right now. There are many e-book readers--Barnes & Noble's Nook, Sony's Reader, Amazon's kindle, Apple's iPad--but as far as I know, they have format issues and aren't truly compatible with one another.

As far as reading quality, the kindle seems to be far superior except for the fact that it doesn't have a backlight option, like some others, which would be ideal for reading at night, say, in bed, where you'd still need additional lighting without waking up your hubby.

Publishers, Pricing Wars, and Consumers
For the book-buying audience, purchasing a new book at $9.99 as opposed to a hardcover print book at $24.95 is an attractive option. According to Motoko Rich, Amazon was actually losing money because they currently pay publishers a wholesale price that is about half the list price of a hardcover book, which typically ranges from $25-$35. So, Amazon was losing about $2.50-$4 every time they sold one of those $9.99 books. That freaked publishers out because they thought the $9.99 price was an eroding of value of what a new book was worth. NY publishing houses were concerned that they couldn't sustain the current business model that requires editing, copyediting, marketing, overhead, author advances, etc., so they wanted to take control of pricing. But they came to an agreement with Apple so that when the new iPad comes out in March '10, publishers will be able to set the consumer price according to hardcover book pricing. What that means to the book-buying public is that books bought on the iPad will most likely be a little more expensive than the kindle--approximately $12.99-$14.99. It's still less expensive than buying a new print book, but it will be interesting to see how current e-book buyers react to the increase.

From an author and writer's standpoint, Dora Levy Mossanen says, with price points and publishing wars, she feels the pain for her writer friends who have a hard time finding a publisher in an industry that's turned upside down, but at the same time she recognizes the value of e-books and knows that the trend cannot be stopped. She feels that the new digital trends and formats allow authors to tap into an audience they might not otherwise reach.

Another good point for authors and publishers is that with e-books they have very low overhead and no worry of book damage or returns, so that may make up for the reduction in price in the end.

My take?
The e-book revolution is here and in full swing! I'm happy to be on the verge of a change in publishing and can't wait to see the advances in technology. Like anything, there will be a standard model set in place soon and e-book reading devices will become synchronized in formats in the future and, hopefully, will continue to offer low prices and eco-friendly options to hungry book lovers.

Now, I want to know: do you read e-books? Do you have a kindle or another e-book reader? What's your preferred reading device?

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6 comments Amazon, e-book revolution, ebook, ebook publishing, kindle, price wars