Be careful who you seek out for Reviews

While venturing out in search of reviews recently, I have learned quite a lot about what not to do.  I wanted to list some of the dont's, before I get to the do's which will be in the next post.

First and foremost, it would be a great idea if you find an editor to look over your book for grammar, punctuation and any plot issues that you may have overlooked when you initially finished your book. Because there are reviewers that will say, "This book was great, I could not put it down, etc."  But there are ALSO reviewers who will treat your hard work like its Loki, and they are the Incredible Hulk slamming it over and over again with relish, into Tony Starks condo floor.  Many readers appreciate a book simply for the storyline, plot, action and emotion of the book.  The vast majority of readers are kind and generous with their praise.  Interact with your readers, comment on their reviews, and get back to their emails quickly.

And then, there are the English Majors from Harvard, Oxford and Yale, who will sift through your book better than a 49er panning for gold in the Yukon and declare it complete tripe, not worthy of one star.  Just remember, all Authors receive some negative reviews, it is not the end of the world.  Good criticism will help you become a better writer, so you should take the reviewers words and learn from them.  If they are a pin head, fuck 'em.  Sometimes people just won't get your writing.  You just keep writing the great American novel.

Now that you put your best foot forward, be sure to ask for a review in your book foreward and at the end of your book in your dedication.   Ask friends who have made at least one purchase on Amazon.com to purchase your book and leave a review.  Amazon will disallow reviews from close family.  You can also gift books for a review on Amazon (you have to pay for them, so make sure you allow loaning for your book when you set up your EBook on KDP, then you can loan them if you purchase your own book.  Note, you will not be able to read the book during the loan period, so loan wisely).  An Amazon Verified Purchase holds a little more weight than a free book.

I will caution you about buying reviewers or going into forums that offer reviews in exchange for you doing a review.  I learned the hard way, you may get a reviewer that knows little or nothing about your genre, when you do the rotational reviewer route on Goodreads.  And never review a book, then let that same author review your book. Know before you ask someone to review you, do you want a heart review, or a mind review?  Do you want to know about how good your story was, or get a critique from a tenured English Professor...or worse, a wannabe professor?  Make a decision before you post to any of the different forums out there.  What you receive may not be what you expected.

Make certain that you have the option not to have the review posted without your permission ahead of time, not just to Amazon, but to any forum.  I recently was told that you should not just have glowing reviews, they should be balanced, as there are many points of views.

Getting a bad review is not the end of the world. Just keep writing, you will get better and better with every word you put to paper.