Tips for Self Promotion, Sales, and Advertising discussion

Hello to all goodreads readers and authors,
Like many of you, I'm an author, and after much thought and research I've come to the conclusion that we need to start a review exchange between new authors. Why? Simple. Waiting for readers to review our books doesn't result in reviews.

My first book sold nearly a thousand copies, many to libraries. It's been read by thousands across the US and still has only a handfull of reviews on amazon. No one's to blame. It's just the facts of life. People are busy. People don't want to review a book by an unknown author. Whatever. The result is no reviews and an amazon page that feels like a mausoleum. Bad, right?

How to deal with it?
I suggest we review each other's books---honestly, of course. Personally, I'd rather have dozens of reviews on amazon averaging 3 stars than 3 five star reviews. Wouldn't you? Each review could cite both positives and negatives about the book.

Many will suggest this is unscrupulous. How can it be wrong for one reader to honestly review a book he has read? I've even thought of setting up a site to make this happen. Consider this market research. Okay then, your thoughts?

I think there is nothing unscrupulous about it, really. After all fellow authors are readers also who have their likes and dislikes like just about anyone else.

I think it is a good idea.

Hell Dw

I think it is a great idea, no different then mailing out review copies to amazon's top reviewers.

I would be open to reviewing most books in the non-fiction personal development genre.

-Jason

Hi DW,

I would be interested in a review exchange. I see you have published four books, and I would like to read the one you are most proud of!

If you are interested in reading my book send me a direct message and we could arrange the details.

Would you prefer exchanging real books, or e-books?

Warm and fuzzies to you all and thanks for your contributions. Wouldn't it be great if there were a site where authors could post their books under a classification and reader/reviewers could offer to review emailed files of books of a certain genre? The ground rules could be if you couldn't All free? Any thoughts pro or con? be well now.

D.W.

I love that idea!

D.W. wrote: "Warm and fuzzies to you all and thanks for your contributions. Wouldn't it be great if there were a site where authors could post their books under a classification and reader/reviewers could offer..."

It sounds good to me