Hey, all -
Well, this is certainly a long-running thread! LOL!
First, I've got a question for UnclePete: what retailer discount do you normally apply to the titles you publish through LSI?
I'd also like to offer an observation or two about reviewers of self-published books. There certainly are quite a few reviewers who won't touch SP books, period, and I certainly understand where they're coming from. But there are still quite a few who will, but there are some things that may be worth keeping in mind:
- Aim for reviewers who are specifically focused on your book's genre or sub-genre. While that may seem obvious to those who have gone down this road already, I suspect many first-time authors such as myself tend to cast the net wider in hopes of getting as many reviews as possible (or any, for that matter: few reviewers will guarantee that they'll review your book). While all of the reviews my novel (In Her Name) has received thus far have been positive (at least a 3 on a 1-5 scale), the reviewers who specialized in epic fantasy (with a 'minor' in sci-fi, you might say) gave it much more glowing reviews than reviewers who were generalists or focused on other sub-genres.
- Send candidate reviewers a sample of your book - perhaps the first few chapters - in a brief email query, rather than just dumping a copy of your book on them (unless they have a stated policy otherwise). If the reviewer takes the time to read the sample and requests that you go ahead and send your book, that's a very good sign. On the flip side, even if they decide not to review your book for whatever reason, taking this approach - helping the reviewer save time and storage space - can sometimes lead to side benefits. For example, one reviewer who decided not to review my book was kind enough to point it out to people in an article in her blog, when she certainly didn't have to.
- Make sure you read some of the reviewer's work on books that are as close as possible to your book's genre. See if they seem to enjoy the sort of book that you've written, and if the review is more than just a brief synopsis of the book. That's helpful to potential readers, of course, but the reviewer should also offer substantive opinions on your work in a reasoned and balanced manner. Just as with authors, not all reviewers are necessarily skilled at their craft.
- Most importantly, though, make sure that you've done everything you can to make your book a good quality product. Do everything you can to eliminate typographical and grammatical mistakes, and if possible get someone who really knows how to edit (beyond proofreading) to go over your story to help polish it. My book has been dinged a bit in that it could benefit from an editor (which is hard on a shoestring budget and 325,000 word novel! LOL!), but that has generally been a minor complaint against a backdrop of overall praise for the book. Having had to do the entire thing myself, I'll happily take that criticism with a satisfied smile.
Anyway, there's my two bits, for what it might be worth!
Cheers,
Mike
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel available on Amazon and Mobipocket. Click here for a free excerpt!
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