Authors Lounge discussion

Well...god, this is going to sound pompous, but can I send you to my profile? (Sorry...) I love reviewing and do it for many.

Amy, please post your contact info here. I think you will get a number of requests.

The "other" Amy

HI the other Amy :) People can write to amylignor@hotmail.com

Amy One: Do you have a blog we can follow?

"Other" Amy

P.S. when I was in Middle School there were three "Amy"s in the band. We were all in the flute section.

I'm telling you - Amy's rule :)

My blog is on my company's site - www.thewritecompanion.com.

Also...Facebook and Twitter, as well.

Hi Amy..you guys better number yourself ;)

My next novel is coming out in December, love to have you review it. Are you intersested?

You can see the reviews for Beatrice Munson my first novel on my page.

Lorena

Carroll wrote: "This is where you can reccomend reviewer's. Start a topic using the reviewer's name and genre. We want to make sure we get the right reviewer for the right genre. Supply a link to the reviewer's Go..."

Hey Carroll, great job creating this place. Good for info!!

LOL. Thanks alot Carroll...No, I'm kidding. Lorena, you can write to me at amylignor@hotmail.com if you'd like.

Pefect..I will!

Lorena

I think I will email you too, Amy!

Okay Rebecca LOL. And I will write you back :)

Amy wrote: "Well...god, this is going to sound pompous, but can I send you to my profile? (Sorry...) I love reviewing and do it for many."

Amy, what genre do you like to review?

My favorites is YA and historical fiction. But I also do many for Random House and Scribner's that are outside those parameters.

Here is a list of Book Review blogs with massive followings http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blo...

I don't really know Carroll. I know that some sites list certain dates they have to give you the review back by...but, yes, there are some out there who I just don;t understand very well.

Oh...God, that is not good. Um, I would send an email to both regarding the review and when to expect. and if I didn't receive anything back, I would have to put that on here to save another author the $ for the book and shipping...

As a book blogger, I know that for me sometimes things get overwelming. I have requests from back in March that I haven't got around to yet. I had a lot of things come up over that time period and caused me to get very behind. I'm still behind.

However, if an author emailed me about it, I let them know what was going on. Eventually, I made a post on my blog about the medical issues I was dealing with and stated that any reviews accepted would be posted in 2012. Also, I used the post to let the authors know that their book would be reviewed by the end of the year.

I'm not sure about these girls, but sometimes things do come up. As for giving no reason, some do. Some don't. I, for instance, will let the author know that basically the book didn't work for me. I usually don't go into further detail. BUT that is only if I can't finish the book. If I finish the book, there will be a review, good or bad.

Hope this helps give you a view from a blogger's perspective. :)

Sometimes, there is just a bad apple in the tree.

Amen, Lindsay. Maybe it's a test

Carroll wrote: "I think I will post them in a few days. I won't speak bad about them, just post a warning about giving free reads to them in exchange for reviews/interviews. I have to pass on my encounters (good o..."

Carroll,
Yes, we authors are free to give thinking that there is good faith that what the other person says they will follow through on. I have sent printed books to supposed reviewers and never have seen the reviews. I do believe in karma so if this is their ploy somehow it will come back around.

That is why I much prefer to send eBooks as there is minimal cost involved.

But, it is disheartening as we authors work hard to get the word out there about our work and others take advantage.

Lorena

Hello Carroll
Thanks for the group! I think it would be fine to just post saying something along the lines of - I have sent books for review to such-and-such and so-and-so blog 5 months ago and have not heard anything back yet. That way, we'll all get the message!
Cheers,
Leila

I have half-compiled a list of book bloggers and although I can't recommend any of them, I thought I'd share the list as it stands here for those of you who might be interested. I tried to add genres -

http://kristisbooknook.blogspot.com/p... - children’s books
http://michellesramblins.blogspot.com...
http://themodpodgebookshelf.blogspot.... fiction, fantasy, twisted fairy tales, teen memoirs, sci-fi, and most other YA genre’s
http://bookgeekcentral.blogspot.com/2... YA, paranormal, fantasy, romance, chick lit, contemporary fiction, mysteries/thrillers, historical fiction
http://lovez2read.blogspot.com/p/upco... Christian and clean fiction
http://www.abakedcreation.com/ cookbooks, food writing, chef biographies, and fiction featuring food
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.co...
http://www.whatthe4h.com/2009/03/guid... children’s, YA, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, parenting (clean)
http://ellsey.blogspot.com/p/review-p... almost any genre with a soft spot for fantasy
http://www.capriciousreader.com/?page... Fiction, YA, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Books, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Parenting (clean)
http://age30books.blogspot.com/p/revi... literary fiction, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, literary non-fiction, science fiction, fantasy
http://www.ingasilbergbooks.com/p/aut... Paranormal and Fantasy, Romance, Mystery and Thrillers, Poetry
http://www.lovlivlifereviews.com/p/po... Children’s picture books, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, SteamPunk Romance and Sci-Fi Romance.
http://www.bookhookedblog.com/ a wide range of genres
http://books4linda.blogspot.com/p/rev... all types of fiction, biographies, poetry, and self help books
http://awornpath.blogspot.com/p/revie... books by female authors, modern lit, southern lit, mysteries, crime fiction, memoirs, and some foodie writings
http://asiturnthepages.blogspot.com/p... literary fiction, chick lit, memoirs, mysteries, historical fiction and contemporary YA

Wow, Leila! Thanks! :)

That's awesome, Leila.
I'm on the book reviewer hunt as my new novle is coming out in December. Any reviews interested in reading and reviewing my novel, let me know.

Here's a short blurb:

Phoebe Bertram is boring, bland, and unexciting. She works a job that is inadequate of her abilities. She has a boyfriend that is tolerable but mostly a dud. She is on the treadmill of her life and doesn’t know how to get off.

With changes in her job and her apartment going condo she must find a new place to live. Her friend Meghan brings her the perfect apartment and the moment Phoebe steps in the door she knows there is something special and atypical about this perspective residence.

What she never expects are the three ghosts that arrive on her couch to teach her how life is really meant to be lived.

Hi Lorena
It sounds great! I wish I could say yes I'll do it, but unfortunately I live in South Africa and the postage is too expensive and takes so long that I haven't requested any books to be fair. I'm getting a Kindle for Xmas, so next year, I'll be able to say yes to do reviews - I can't wait!

@Leila, that list is amazing, thank you so much for posting!

That's cool Leila. If anyone needs another, www.thewritecompanion.com (and I) do alot of reviews and interviews for all sites.

Lots of good information here! As someone very new to thism can I ask a few questions that have been vexing?

How far in advance of the official release are review copies generally sent? Or do most wait until the book is complete? Is print book or e-book the normal?

And hoe long does the review process take? I'm a little concerned about people that have contacted me directly, asking to do an advance review. My thinking is that if someon does this as a business, then they might tend to give rave reviews, even undeserved. I'm hoping to be an author for a while, and I am delighted to recieve criticism if it will help me improve. I worry being reviewed by blogs and such might chip away at the validity of the process.
Does that make sense at all? I'm new, so I might be very confused on how it works.

Thanks!

Has anyone used this website (in the paragraph below) to connect with potential reviewers? You have to pay the webmaster $10 for the post, but it may be worth it. She seems to be connecting authors with reviewers for this fee. She explains how it works:

A Review Request like the one you can see here (http://kateevangelistarandr.blogspot....) is $10 payable through PayPal. If you're interested, I can put the post together and once I've received the payment, I will post the request. How it works is readers will request to review your book by leaving their name and email address in the comments section and you can contact them for their review copy. Whether it is in paperback or ebook form, it will be between you and the reader. These are sure reviews, meaning readers who request your book will review them and post them on their blog and other social media networks such as Amazon and Goodreads. The number of requests vary from as low as 5 readers to as much as 30 readers. And if you want to close the post, you just need to email me and I will close the post for you. If not, it will remain open for you to check as often as you want, collecting as many reviewers as you want.

For what it's worth:

I review a lot of books for several reasons, but I'm not a "professional" reviewer and I won't accept free books except through the GR Giveaways program. My reasons for writing reviews:
1. If the author is well known, then the people who follow my reviews (hundreds) are entitled to my opinion, good or bad.
2. If the author is a GR Indie and I think the book has merit, then I want to help promote the book by writing a review.
3. I hope other GR authors will read, like and review my books.

I don't accept gift books because if I don't find the book's description sufficiently interesting to move me to pay money for the book, I don't want to waste my precious time reading it. Of course, I've been fooled into buying books I didn't finish, but that used to happen anyway in the days I bought books in bookstores.

Because reviewing free books has become something of a racket, I don't give books in return for reviews. I do giveaways through the GR program to get the word out (it seems to work) and I give a few copies to family and friends.

I think if you're going to invest money in promoting your books, you're better off with advertising than book reviews.

I read somewhere that book reviews are the number 1 marketing tool. I think I agree with this. If a friend of mine, or someone I have connected with online, recommends a book, I'll definitely go and check it out. Promotion is all about spreading the word and one of the best ways to get your book out there is via reviews... now just to figure out how to get lots of legitimate reviews...

@Amy, after reading and researching these kinds of websites, I have to say that I am wary. I signed up for one that cost $25 for admin fee and so far, no one has requested my book. On closer inspection, the site seems dormant! I'm living and learning.

Thanks, Leila. This site may be legitimate, but it does make me wonder why they can't pay for the site with ads instead of charging authors.

Oh, boy. Leila I do understand. A marketing or a branding packge is one thing where they charge a small amount and then do lots for you, not just reviews but interviews and postings on other sites, but when it comes to simple reading and enjoyment, that shouldn;t ever cost. I like things like the Romantic Times Magazine, because they get their money through advertising.

Leila wrote: "Hi Lorena
It sounds great! I wish I could say yes I'll do it, but unfortunately I live in South Africa and the postage is too expensive and takes so long that I haven't requested any books to be fa..."

Leila,
My book comes out in December so once you have your kindle, let me know. I like to have lots of reviews read the books and time frame isn't important to me. The more the book gets out there the better.

Lorena

Leila wrote: "I read somewhere that book reviews are the number 1 marketing tool. I think I agree with this. If a friend of mine, or someone I have connected with online, recommends a book, I'll definitely go an..."

I love book reviewers via blog. They are the best. I have found some amazing people to work with long term and most have been terrific on time frames and follow up.

I have had a few that got my book and I never heard from them again...that's unfortunate but I don't think it's something that doesn't happen. Since I believe in karma, I'm gonna hope that this will work in my favor someday.

But I have found that not putting a strict time limit on the reviewers gives me the opportunity to get many more reviews. And I also do Author Interviews, guest spots, and giveaways. This gets the word out even more and also puts me on the Google searchs too.

I have to say I have been severely disappointed with Independent bookstores. The ones I have worked with have made me chase them down for money. And they are not willing to work with you. I find this so odd on a few levels, one because we're both Indie so supporting each other should be the easiest thing. And two, because as the author you not only do most of the work, but they make money for pretty much doing nothing.

It's odd and one of the reason I spend more time on social marketing. If I need to do events I do them at this time of year when everyone is gearing up for the holidays. It's a great way to get the word out.

Carroll wrote: "You have to be careful about paying monies. Not that they are all scams or anything, but as it is with anything, it's a coin flip. Thanks for sharing, Leila."

I really don't think you ever need to pay money for a reveiw or to get someone to review. I simply go to twitter and put in book reveiw and there are tons of people. Contact them directly and you're ready to go.

Same with most social media, there are people out there always getting started or loving new books. Just do a google search for book review bloggers and you'll be astounded.

Oh, I know. There are tons of good people out there!

That's why I love this group. There are always bad eggs out there in any indsutry, but with friends who stand by each other, they can be put out to pasture!

Carroll wrote: "Now you have me contemplating Twitter, Lorena."

Seriously Carroll, it is worth your time. I then follow them on Facebook and it really bumps up you being seen. Plus I have developed relationships with several of them who now want to read my next book.

I find it invaluable.

Hey guys, I review all books except political and biographies.
When I agree to review a book I put it at the top of my reading list so it will be reviewed and read in less than a month.

You can contact me through my website or right here on Goodreads! http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com/p...

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Also, it's been really hard for me to find a reviewer willing to review my non-fiction ebook
Having Fun While Saving Money
If there is a reviewer here who would like to read it I would be happy to provide you with a copy.

Thank you Caroll!

I forgot to mention I also do author interviews so anyone can contact me about that as well!

Janiera wrote: "Hey guys, I review all books except political and biographies.
When I agree to review a book I put it at the top of my reading list so it will be reviewed and read in less than a month.

You can c..."

Cool! I'm trying to help a friend promote his book, so I'm going to e-mail you right now. :)

Oh, and for anyone who has a YA book, I'm finding this list of YA book blogs extremely helpful: http://yabookblogdirectory.blogspot.c...

Thank you so much S - great info!

I need someone interested in reading/reviewing TABOO fiction. I get calls, emails, text messages, tweets, and FB posts about how much people are enjoying my novel SHAMEFUL, but I'm having difficulty getting them to write thorough reviews for it. The ones who disagree with the subject matter go straight to giving it a low star rating without even reading.

Any suggestions?

Dicey wrote: "I need someone interested in reading/reviewing TABOO fiction. I get calls, emails, text messages, tweets, and FB posts about how much people are enjoying my novel SHAMEFUL, but I'm having difficult..."

Dicey, try this blogger - she reads a variety of things including erotica: http://musingsfromanaddictedreader.bl...

Thanks, Amy! I just viewed her blog. I'll send her a message and see if she'd be interested in reading something that's not "Young Adult, Paranormal, Erotica, Thriller, Fantasy, Contemporary, Suspense, Historical" since she reads all types.

im reviewer too

Blog:www.mybookloverscafe.blogspot.com
email:chanelle10@rocketmail.com

I would also like to add my name in the hat for reviewing. I love reviewing books! In addition to writing thoughtful, honest reviews on GR and Amazon, I also post all reviews to my blog (http://lavenderironside.blogspot.com) and I am a staff reviewer at Historial Novel Review. If a book fits the criteria for HNR, I will post its review there, too.

However, I am not only interested in reading and reviewing historical fiction. My tastes are very broad and just about anything might spark my interest. The exceptions are horror, thrillers, mysteries, and spy novels -- I have found over the years that they're just not my cup of tea and it's hard for me to be fair in reviewing them.

Everything else is fair game, including poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction.

Thanks!