The Difference Between a Writing Problem, and a “Not for Me” Issue

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Sometimes the problem is with the reviewer, not the book.

Not every book is for every reader. Readers have topics they dislike no matter how well written a book is, and nothing you do is going to change that. Sometimes, the problem with a book isn't the quality—it's just a "not for me" issue. 

This is an important distinction in writing. I’ve read many a novel that was a “good novel,” even if it did things I don’t particularly care for as a reader. I didn’t like it, but I could see that others would. 

For example, I’m not fond of distant narrators. It’s nearly impossible for me to connect with a distant third-person omniscient narrator, because I never feel like I’m in the protagonist’s head. I just can’t lose myself in the story.

5 Tips for Scoring More Book Reviews

By Veronica Mixon

Part of The Indie Author Series

JH: Reviews can make or break a book. Veronica Mixon shares tips on how to encourage more reviews.

Veronica’s just a Florida girl living in a Georgia world. More specifically, in Savannah’s Low Country, where if your ancestry doesn’t go back four-generations you’re tagged as a TT (temporary transplant).

She began storytelling at a young age, somewhere around three, when a host of imaginary friends lived in her bedroom closet and encouraged her penchant for spinning tales. A career in marketing, twenty years of world travel, and a large and boisterous family supply her with ample material for the mysteries she loves to write. She lives on the Georgia coast with her husband and her nine-year-old Standard Poodle, Jasper.

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | YouTube 

Take it away Veronica…

How My Self-Published Book Got a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly

By Jenn Gott, @gottwords

Part of The Indie Authors Series

JH: Getting reviewed by the Big Reviewers is a challenge for indie authors. Jenn Gott shares her experience (and tips) on getting reviewed by the industry trade publications. 

Jenn Gott is an indie author and a writer with Reedsy, so she basically spends all her time either writing books, or helping people learn how to write books. She firmly believes there is no writing skill you cannot learn with practice and the right guidance. When she’s not working, she enjoys keeping up with the latest superhero movies, reading, and swimming.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Take it away Jenn...

Dealing With Reviews Both Bueno and No Bueno

By James R. Tuck, @JamesTuckwriter

Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly contributor)

You can't control what your reviews say, but you can control how you react to them. 

In the sane week, I got two new reviews, one on a book that was about to come out and one on me as a writer (yes some would say it's the same thing, but I choose to not for sanity's sake).

The one on the upcoming book was one of the most brutal reviews I have ever received. They savaged my book like a pack of starving wolves on a side of raw meat. The term “. . .underwhelming, sloppy novel,” was one of the nicest things in the whole review.

Bad Reviews, An AWOL Muse, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers

By Bonnie Randall 

Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor)

So, bad reviews suck. That’s a fact. Whether it’s from a book blogger, an anonymous Amazon customer, or even a beta-reader, a bad review can drill a hole through our Muse and scare the poor little sprite into hiding amidst the laundry pile or even diving into the dirty toilet—taking us with them, sorting clothes, scrubbing nasties, anything to avoid writing, which we automatically decide we’re no longer good at because…bad reviews suck and when we get one it is easy to lose perspective.

And perspective is everything.

How to Drive Yourself Crazy as a Writer: Read Reviews

By Alex Hughes, @ahugheswriter

Part of the Indie Authors Series

Being a writer can make you crazy (or maybe that's a prerequisite to being a writer?), and never is that more apparent than in how reviews can make us feel. To celebrate the release of her new book, How to Drive Yourself Crazy As a Writer, Alex Hughes returns to the lecture hall today with a fun and helpful look on how (and why) reading reviews is a great way to make you lose your mind.

Alex, the author of the award-winning Mindspace Investigations series from Roc, has lived in the Atlanta area since the age of eight. Her short fiction has been published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction, Thunder on the Battlefield and White Cat Magazine. Her latest book, How to Drive Yourself Crazy As a Writer, is a humorous look at the things we writers can do to avoid being sane. She is an avid cook and foodie, a trivia buff, and a science geek, and loves to talk about neuroscience, the Food Network, and writing craft—but not necessarily all at the same time! For all the latest news and free short stories, join Alex’s email list.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

Take it away Alex...

The Indie Author’s Review Dilemma

By Dario Ciriello

Part of the Indie Author Series 

Every author will, at some point, find themselves in a position of having to review or blurb another author’s work. Even trad pubbed authors with a hard no-review, no-blurb policy occasionally, sometimes at the insistence of their publisher, find themselves forced to pass an opinion in public on another author’s novel. For authors in the self- and indie-pub community, where online reviews are often the only kind they get, the pressure to blurb, endorse, review, or otherwise pass judgment comes even more frequently.

A couple of years ago during the Amazon sock-puppet review flap, there was a flurry of panic when it seemed Amazon was going to apply a policy of disallowing and deleting all author reviews, presumably on the assumption that authors were five-starring one another’s books like crazy. Although I’m sure there’ve been, and probably still are instances of this, I doubt it’s common; it’s also a really good way to torpedo your own credibility and, ultimately, your career.

5 Guidelines for Approaching Book Review Bloggers

By Marcy Kennedy, @MarcyKennedy

Part of the Indie Author Series

Book review bloggers can help promote your book, so make sure you approach them in the right way.

Last time I talked about self-published book awards as one means to help build word of mouth and credibility for your book. Today I want to talk about another important method for letting readers know our book exists and (hopefully) that they’ll enjoy it—blog reviews.

I know blog tours have become a debated topic of late. Are they worth it? Aren’t they worth it?

I’m not talking about you running a blog tour where you do interviews and guest posts. I’m talking about approaching book review blogs to have them review your book.

Let Go of the Lone Star Review

By Dani Collins, @DaniCollinsBook

No one likes bad reviews, especially the one-star kind. 

It's even worse when a bad review is based on something that isn't related to the novel--like bad service from the bookseller or shipping company. Dani Collins is here today so share some thoughts on dealing with one-star reviews and how you can learn to let go and let them be.

Dani spent twenty-five years dreaming of writing full time and finally made her first sale to Harlequin Mills & Boon in May of 2012. She’s still dreaming of making Romance Author her day job, but for now she writes around work, family, and enough exercise to keep her out of traction. For more information about Dani, you can visit her website at www.danicollins.com, listen to her interview with Nice Girls Reading Naughty Books, or watch her interview on GFTV.

Take it away Dani...

On the Rebound: The Key to the Reader's Mind

I'm back at A Life Bound By Books chatting about the things I look for in reviews, and what I take away from them when I write the next book.  Come on over and say hello!

Reviews: The Key to the Reader’s Mind

Reviews are a mixed blessing for me. I admit I get excited when an alert for one pops up in my e-mail, but I also click on it with trepidation. Did they like my book? Did they say nice things? Did they hate it and the review is terrible? I never know and anything can be waiting for me.

Naturally, I wish every review was filled with glowing praise, but a book can’t please every reader. And negative comments in reviews can be useful if you know what to look for. Good or bad, I try to understand why someone felt as they did -- and what I might want to do about that:

Read the full article here.