Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Judith Marshall on January 11, 2010 at 10:27am

Hi Zetta,

As a small publisher with two authors, I start locally for book reviews. I have a personal relationship with a book reviewer from my local newspaper who is highly regarded. Next, I encourage my authors to ask their readers to write reviews on Amazon and, simultaneously, I go out to a number of online review sites. My authors write women's fiction and I think reader reviews are the most valuable. No, there's no need to pay for a review.

Thanks for the list of resources.

Regards,

Judith Marshall
Author of HUSBANDS MAY COME AND GO BUT FRIENDS ARE FOREVER

Permalink Reply by Zetta Brown on January 11, 2010 at 12:35pm

Hi Judith,

In another group I'm in, there's been debate recently about the power of an Amazon review. You can get reviews from those who can write an indepth, insightful review as well as a basic "I loved/hated it" review.

When I first published Messalina, I thought it important to get a few peer reviewed or reviews from actual reviewers as a way to get the ice broken. But I do get encouragement from reader reviews.

We have a few reviewers who have sought out our books, and for the most part, they have been favorable. Some of our authors have been able to establish a readership that's good at leaving their opinions on Amazon.

Places that I know that give unbiased reviews are:

The Compulsive Reader (genre and literary fiction)
Erotica Revealed

BTW, currently on the home page of The Compulsive Reader is a review for THE HOLLOWS by Ben Larken, which is one of the books we've published :)

Permalink Reply by Judith Marshall on January 11, 2010 at 12:52pm

Thanks for the two suggestions. I think reader reviews are similar to moviegoer reviews. The critics may slam a movie, but people may love it. In the end, readers are the ones who are going to suggest the book to others.

Permalink Reply by Kate St. Vincent Vogl on January 29, 2010 at 7:23am

Zetta,
I've had good luck reaching out to the features editors and the books editors of the papers in the cities where I've had readings. Contact them 6 weeks out before you go and let them know your story to see if they'd be interested in a review copy. I've been able to get reviews in papers from the Akron Beacon Journal to the Washington Times that way, and I'm with a small Minnesota press.
Best of luck!
Kate St. Vincent Vogl
author of Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers

Permalink Reply by Zetta Brown on January 29, 2010 at 8:34am

Good advice, Kate.

Some of our authors are keen on doing booksignings and live events so I'll pass this info on to them.

Zetta Brown
LL-Publications