Ask the Author: Susan Helene Gottfried
Answered Questions (4)
Susan Helene Gottfried
Hi, Marge. Nope, no Lily Dale books for me, although it sounds like something I need to add to my To Read list. Thanks for the suggestion!
Susan Helene Gottfried
Nothing yet, but I'm trying to read about more diverse characters in my fiction as an overall theme. Since I rely on reviews that I encounter to find books, remember to leave reviews of books you've read! Reviews really do help books find new friends -- and don't be afraid to leave a negative review. Some of us ONLY read the one- and two-star reviews!
If you need help writing a review, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I offer review writing help starting at $5 a review. (Because otherwise, I'd be spending all my time helping you write reviews instead of editing for my clients.)
If you need help writing a review, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I offer review writing help starting at $5 a review. (Because otherwise, I'd be spending all my time helping you write reviews instead of editing for my clients.)
Susan Helene Gottfried
Hi, Cathy! It's been too long!
Expect a lot of books to disappear into the black hole of potential reviewers. There are a million reasons for this, but the top two seem to be that readers take on more books than they can review/life intrudes on reading and reviewing time, and that reviewers often won't post a negative review, which is unfortunate because a well-constructed negative review can be very helpful to a reader... and the author.
I always suggest vetting your potential reviewers very carefully. Read their other reviews and (I'm not kidding!) make sure they are up to your level of literacy. I can't tell you the number of reviews I have solicited for some of my books that were so full of grammatical errors, they were horrifying. (And some of those were from people considered "top reviewers," too!) But also, make certain that you're sending a review copy to someone who actually reads and understands your genre. Don't send a science fiction book to someone who only reads Regency Romances, even if your SF is a romance.
I also maintain that one of the best ways to build a reviewer base is by building your network of readers. Interact with the people who review your books (and who you'd like to review your books) -- but on topics other than your books. Work your network.
Remember to post reviews of books YOU read, too! Not only for books written by those in your network, but if you read something and have something to say about it, speak up. Reviews help authors, as you know. It's an easy way to pay it forward, and you never know where those small efforts will lead.
And, once you have people who are writing reviews for you, contact them first when you have a new book out. Of course, you'll have to keep an eye on who is writing the reviews and maintain a list, but again, it's networking and a way to reach a devoted following. Even if they find a book a mis-step and not up to your usual quality, don't kick them off. Only kick them off if they don't post the review (and how timely that post happens is up to you, but remember that with self-publishing, books don't go out of print, so you're playing the long game now), if they say they are done reading your books, or if their reviews of your books are only negative. At that point, they aren't helping you improve.
Hope all that helps, and good luck! Reviews are so necessary, but at the same time, soliciting them can be a full-time job.
Expect a lot of books to disappear into the black hole of potential reviewers. There are a million reasons for this, but the top two seem to be that readers take on more books than they can review/life intrudes on reading and reviewing time, and that reviewers often won't post a negative review, which is unfortunate because a well-constructed negative review can be very helpful to a reader... and the author.
I always suggest vetting your potential reviewers very carefully. Read their other reviews and (I'm not kidding!) make sure they are up to your level of literacy. I can't tell you the number of reviews I have solicited for some of my books that were so full of grammatical errors, they were horrifying. (And some of those were from people considered "top reviewers," too!) But also, make certain that you're sending a review copy to someone who actually reads and understands your genre. Don't send a science fiction book to someone who only reads Regency Romances, even if your SF is a romance.
I also maintain that one of the best ways to build a reviewer base is by building your network of readers. Interact with the people who review your books (and who you'd like to review your books) -- but on topics other than your books. Work your network.
Remember to post reviews of books YOU read, too! Not only for books written by those in your network, but if you read something and have something to say about it, speak up. Reviews help authors, as you know. It's an easy way to pay it forward, and you never know where those small efforts will lead.
And, once you have people who are writing reviews for you, contact them first when you have a new book out. Of course, you'll have to keep an eye on who is writing the reviews and maintain a list, but again, it's networking and a way to reach a devoted following. Even if they find a book a mis-step and not up to your usual quality, don't kick them off. Only kick them off if they don't post the review (and how timely that post happens is up to you, but remember that with self-publishing, books don't go out of print, so you're playing the long game now), if they say they are done reading your books, or if their reviews of your books are only negative. At that point, they aren't helping you improve.
Hope all that helps, and good luck! Reviews are so necessary, but at the same time, soliciting them can be a full-time job.
Susan Helene Gottfried
Catherine, I have formatters who do the work for me and yes, they format for Smashwords. Contact me directly at Susan@Westofmars.com and we can talk rates and timeframes.
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