Sally Altass's Blog
April 30, 2022
My Favourite Books That Have Been Released In April 2022
Buckle up, folks, it’s listicle time!
As we come to the end of the month, it’s always the best time to reflect back upon the things we’ve achieved. Or for the case of this post, the books I’ve read.
Now, I’ve read A LOT of books. I’m currently a Reviewer on Reedsy Discovery, which means that I get a heck of a lot of books to read and review for free. This month alone, I’ve read more than 10 books, even if the reviews won’t be published until the official book publication date. So, for that reason, this list is going to focus on the books I’ve read and that you can actually get hold of this month.
1)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Those who know me, know I adore Helen. I’ve read all of her books to date, and not one of them have disappointed me. The same goes for The Fabric of Chaos.
“Helen takes on a journey through the Lower Realm as the sextet travel through dangerous landscapes and endure terrifying trials. Then there’s the mystery surrounding Roh’s birth, her strange power and her link to the Sea Drake Hatchling. It’s not a straightforward journey from Akoris to Csilla; the companions facing tribulations and horrifying decisions as Roh battles for the Birthstone and the right to sit the throne.
2)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC of this amazing book, the third in the Heir of the Darkmage Series. I’d binged all of Lisa’s books before this was released, and fell in love with her clear, bright style. There’s humour in her writing, as well as sorrow, love and loss. Honestly, Whisper of the Darksong is a triumph.
“Lira is one of those delicious characters who battles with her morality. She desperately wants to shed the cloak of her grandfather’s legacy; just wanting to be seen for who she is. She desires to prove herself to be a person outside of his influence, to be recognised as someone with power, talent and her own beliefs. Trying to shed prejudice is difficult though, and before long, Lira finds herself becoming disillusioned, used and hated just because of her long dead grandfather.”
3)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
I reviewed this Nomads of the Sea as part of the Reedsy Discovery ARC program, and well, what a treat it was. An epic fantasy, of over 200,000 words. He wrote it in four months, during one of the lockdowns. I mean, how incredible is that alone?
“By the time I reached the end of the prologue, I was hooked. I actually snorted out loud at the prologues last line; the wry observation delivered with such dry humour had me thirsting for more. I also found it hard to believe that Zucker is a mere 24 years old and that this is his debut offering.”
4)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Another corker from Reedsy Discovery, and A Signal For Redemption should not have worked. A spaceship from a presumably destroyed earth orbiting a feudal new world populated with people who know nothing about technology? Who’d have thought I would love it this much?
“From the very first page, I was swept into the story, compelled to keep reading. The prologue, even if I didn’t realise it at the time, had plenty of answers and light bulb moments when I hesitantly flipped back to check – always a sign of a well thought out, intricately planned book.”
5)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
And, another from Reedsy Discovery, and A Merry Life was the second book from the program I read. The world as we know it has been ravaged by storms, natural disasters and pandemics, and is now a dangerous place. It might be the typical trope for a dystopian story set in the future, but this one is different on so many levels.
“As the book reached its climax, I was sobbing. A testament to how beautifully written this was. It was a true rollercoaster – with soaring highs, a few belly laughs, true desperation and overwhelming sadness. I sincerely look forward to the next instalment in Kat’s story.
6)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
This was my first book from Reedsy, and don’t let the three stars confuse you. The Lore of the Wind Drivers is superbly written and will make you question your own reality.
“J.T. Stadd has built a world that most people would dream of; a world where people live in beautiful treehouses and children can race down rivers on huge lily pads. A world free of pollution and free of electronics; a peaceful haven with no background noises other than birdsong. But this world holds its own secrets, are the occupants as peaceful and harmless as they seem, or are they darker – hiding their true nature in the deep past? “
7)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
This was a strange one, another beauty from Reedsy Discovery, and one that slightly blew my little mind. The Voyage of the Dream Maker isn’t an ordinary book by any means, and starts with a glossary of sorts.
“We weave in and out of a strange narrative then. Yasha keeps the perspective from the first person, but in some chapters, there’s no way of knowing who the narrator is. It keeps you on your toes in a trope that’s been written a million times before.”
And, that’s it, folks! Although I’ve read many more books this month, only some of them have actually been officially released. So… All I can say is happy reading! You may have noticed that most of these books are available on Kindle Unlimited, which is always a bonus, in my opinion, because the author is paid per page read. Which is cool.
Anyway…
Be sure to come back next month for more reviews (there’s A LOT!), more listicles, and more blog posts. Until then, happy reading!
S. A
As we come to the end of the month, it’s always the best time to reflect back upon the things we’ve achieved. Or for the case of this post, the books I’ve read.
Now, I’ve read A LOT of books. I’m currently a Reviewer on Reedsy Discovery, which means that I get a heck of a lot of books to read and review for free. This month alone, I’ve read more than 10 books, even if the reviews won’t be published until the official book publication date. So, for that reason, this list is going to focus on the books I’ve read and that you can actually get hold of this month.
1)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Those who know me, know I adore Helen. I’ve read all of her books to date, and not one of them have disappointed me. The same goes for The Fabric of Chaos.
“Helen takes on a journey through the Lower Realm as the sextet travel through dangerous landscapes and endure terrifying trials. Then there’s the mystery surrounding Roh’s birth, her strange power and her link to the Sea Drake Hatchling. It’s not a straightforward journey from Akoris to Csilla; the companions facing tribulations and horrifying decisions as Roh battles for the Birthstone and the right to sit the throne.
2)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC of this amazing book, the third in the Heir of the Darkmage Series. I’d binged all of Lisa’s books before this was released, and fell in love with her clear, bright style. There’s humour in her writing, as well as sorrow, love and loss. Honestly, Whisper of the Darksong is a triumph.
“Lira is one of those delicious characters who battles with her morality. She desperately wants to shed the cloak of her grandfather’s legacy; just wanting to be seen for who she is. She desires to prove herself to be a person outside of his influence, to be recognised as someone with power, talent and her own beliefs. Trying to shed prejudice is difficult though, and before long, Lira finds herself becoming disillusioned, used and hated just because of her long dead grandfather.”
3)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
I reviewed this Nomads of the Sea as part of the Reedsy Discovery ARC program, and well, what a treat it was. An epic fantasy, of over 200,000 words. He wrote it in four months, during one of the lockdowns. I mean, how incredible is that alone?
“By the time I reached the end of the prologue, I was hooked. I actually snorted out loud at the prologues last line; the wry observation delivered with such dry humour had me thirsting for more. I also found it hard to believe that Zucker is a mere 24 years old and that this is his debut offering.”
4)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Another corker from Reedsy Discovery, and A Signal For Redemption should not have worked. A spaceship from a presumably destroyed earth orbiting a feudal new world populated with people who know nothing about technology? Who’d have thought I would love it this much?
“From the very first page, I was swept into the story, compelled to keep reading. The prologue, even if I didn’t realise it at the time, had plenty of answers and light bulb moments when I hesitantly flipped back to check – always a sign of a well thought out, intricately planned book.”
5)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
And, another from Reedsy Discovery, and A Merry Life was the second book from the program I read. The world as we know it has been ravaged by storms, natural disasters and pandemics, and is now a dangerous place. It might be the typical trope for a dystopian story set in the future, but this one is different on so many levels.
“As the book reached its climax, I was sobbing. A testament to how beautifully written this was. It was a true rollercoaster – with soaring highs, a few belly laughs, true desperation and overwhelming sadness. I sincerely look forward to the next instalment in Kat’s story.
6)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
This was my first book from Reedsy, and don’t let the three stars confuse you. The Lore of the Wind Drivers is superbly written and will make you question your own reality.
“J.T. Stadd has built a world that most people would dream of; a world where people live in beautiful treehouses and children can race down rivers on huge lily pads. A world free of pollution and free of electronics; a peaceful haven with no background noises other than birdsong. But this world holds its own secrets, are the occupants as peaceful and harmless as they seem, or are they darker – hiding their true nature in the deep past? “
7)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
This was a strange one, another beauty from Reedsy Discovery, and one that slightly blew my little mind. The Voyage of the Dream Maker isn’t an ordinary book by any means, and starts with a glossary of sorts.
“We weave in and out of a strange narrative then. Yasha keeps the perspective from the first person, but in some chapters, there’s no way of knowing who the narrator is. It keeps you on your toes in a trope that’s been written a million times before.”
And, that’s it, folks! Although I’ve read many more books this month, only some of them have actually been officially released. So… All I can say is happy reading! You may have noticed that most of these books are available on Kindle Unlimited, which is always a bonus, in my opinion, because the author is paid per page read. Which is cool.
Anyway…
Be sure to come back next month for more reviews (there’s A LOT!), more listicles, and more blog posts. Until then, happy reading!
S. A
April 29, 2022
What is Reedsy Discovery?
If you’re a regular here on my blog, first of all, THANK YOU, and second of all, you may have noticed that a lot of my book reviews refer to Reedsy Discovery. But what exactly is Reedsy Discovery? Well, that’s a fair question, and I’ll try my best to answer.
So. I came across Reedsy Discovery when I was mooching around the main Reedsy site. I was browsing for editors, and somehow ended up on the Discovery page. I had a gander, as you do, and saw that they were looking for book reviewers. I had already set this site up, after I became a part of Lisa Cassidy’s ‘Street Team’, so thought to my self, ‘why now? What would I have to lose?’ I sent off the application, and promptly forgot all about it as I continued trying to finesse my own book.
Around a month later or so, I received an email from the Discovery team, welcoming me to the ARC/reviewer program. I immediately went onto the site and began hunting through the books available to download. That first book wasn’t great, and I didn’t finish it properly as it was riddled with errors. I messaged the team manager, and she advised me to ‘return the book,’ and that the author would get the feedback I’d drafted out. She also asked me to schedule a video call – kind of like an induction to the ARC/reviewer program and being a reviewer.
In the call, she let me know the ins and outs of what I could and couldn’t write. Asked that whenever I published a review on here, to link in the original review and to not publish it until the book was officially released.
So, what's in it for me, you may well ask.
I mean, apart from being able to download up to three books at once to read? This month (April 2022), I’ve had 18 books. That’s 18 FREE books. So far, (as of the 25th April), I’ve read and reviewed 15 of them. What’s not to love?
In March (discounting the book I returned as unfinished), I reviewed four books – even though I was only accepted onto the program late in the month. I made the top ten reviewers of the month – coming in in eighth place. So far, for April, I’m in second place in the reviewer leaderboard, and for the year, I’m in fourth. That’s completely crazy.
The exciting thing about this month though, is that I reviewed three books, I’d get a $30 gift card, five books, $50 gift card and ten books, $100 gift card. It was an amazing incentive, so I rose to the challenge. It’s an added bonus that Discovery will match the gift card amount and donate it to relief efforts for Ukraine.
Also, if I invite someone to the program, they’re accepted and they write a review, I would earn $50. So far, I’ve not invited anyone; not because I don’t want to get $50, but because I’m always terrible at referrals. Seriously, I’m awful.
What else? Well, so far there’s the free books, offers of gift cards, offers of money for referring someone… Oh, and there’s tips. I set up the tips button on my Discovery profile, and once again, promptly forgot about it. When I published my first review on the site, I was gobsmacked to see that the author had sent me $5. Like… What? I need to be absolutely straight with you here. I do not ask for these tips. I’m delighted with a free book. I get to read amazing books by new authors. I get to write reviews (I’m a trained journalist, for goodness sakes, and I’ve always specialised in writing reviews – whether it’s of a film, book, play, album, gig… I love writing!). That someone actually bothered to thank me by sending me money for doing something that I enjoy anyway, is completely mind-blowing. And, I’m so grateful. The free books will always be my favourite perk of being on the Reedsy Discovery Reviewer Team; the tips are just a much appreciated bonus.
What do I have to do, to review a book?
As silly as it sounds, all you have to do is read it and review it. You’ll get a check box before you agree fully to review it. Just making sure that you have enough time to read the book, that you’ll write an honest review, and that you’ll be fair. It’s not much to ask for, at all. You download the book in your preferred format (PDF, e-pub, mobi), sort it out on your e-reader, and get into it. You can start to write the review on your dashboard, and save it for when you’ve finished. When you’ve finished the book, give it your review.
Start off by giving it a rating out of five stars. Discovery states that a three star review is actually a good review; only offer four or five stars for the truly exceptional books. Two star ratings aren’t necessarily negative, as they come with the tagline ‘Not for me’, which is completely fair. As I’ve already discussed in a recent blog post, not everyone will enjoy the same book – some will love it, some will hate it. One star reviews are rare, and so far, out of almost 20 books read and reviewed, I’ve only offered one one star review.
Once you’ve written your review, checked that it’s grammatically sound and makes sense, you can submit it. It won’t go live until the book is officially published – but the author can see it, and so they get feedback and quotes to publicise their book in the meantime. Once the book is officially on sale, you can then publish your review along with relevant links on your own blog.
Is it worth doing?
I’m gonna say, yeah! Of course it is. If you love reading, especially so.
Not only is there the free books, the bonus perks and the tips, there’s the knowledge that you’re helping someone as they set out on what can only be described as an incomprehensibly scary journey. You’re offering honest, genuine thoughts on their work and providing constructive criticism. I try not to be overly critical in my reviews; I always try to explain why I didn’t particularly enjoy something. I also try to balance it with something positive. And, for a writer, who has just sent their book out into the ether, and is waiting nervously for that review to come back, it’s invaluable. I mean, I know! I’m that writer myself.
Saying that, I’ve not put my own book onto Reedsy Discovery. Not because I’m scared of negative feedback, but because that could be a bit of a weird conflict of interest. I enjoy reading books and writing reviews on there, and don’t want to ruin what I’m enjoying by waiting for someone to review my book. Hypocritical? Maybe, yes. But also, an author has to pay to upload a book to be reviewed, and that’s not something I can budget for, at the moment.
To sum up, Reedsy Discovery is amazing. I honestly do recommend signing up to become a reviewer, I mean, you get a little tick after your name. Which is always nice when it makes you feel all official.
S. A.
So. I came across Reedsy Discovery when I was mooching around the main Reedsy site. I was browsing for editors, and somehow ended up on the Discovery page. I had a gander, as you do, and saw that they were looking for book reviewers. I had already set this site up, after I became a part of Lisa Cassidy’s ‘Street Team’, so thought to my self, ‘why now? What would I have to lose?’ I sent off the application, and promptly forgot all about it as I continued trying to finesse my own book.
Around a month later or so, I received an email from the Discovery team, welcoming me to the ARC/reviewer program. I immediately went onto the site and began hunting through the books available to download. That first book wasn’t great, and I didn’t finish it properly as it was riddled with errors. I messaged the team manager, and she advised me to ‘return the book,’ and that the author would get the feedback I’d drafted out. She also asked me to schedule a video call – kind of like an induction to the ARC/reviewer program and being a reviewer.
In the call, she let me know the ins and outs of what I could and couldn’t write. Asked that whenever I published a review on here, to link in the original review and to not publish it until the book was officially released.
So, what's in it for me, you may well ask.
I mean, apart from being able to download up to three books at once to read? This month (April 2022), I’ve had 18 books. That’s 18 FREE books. So far, (as of the 25th April), I’ve read and reviewed 15 of them. What’s not to love?
In March (discounting the book I returned as unfinished), I reviewed four books – even though I was only accepted onto the program late in the month. I made the top ten reviewers of the month – coming in in eighth place. So far, for April, I’m in second place in the reviewer leaderboard, and for the year, I’m in fourth. That’s completely crazy.
The exciting thing about this month though, is that I reviewed three books, I’d get a $30 gift card, five books, $50 gift card and ten books, $100 gift card. It was an amazing incentive, so I rose to the challenge. It’s an added bonus that Discovery will match the gift card amount and donate it to relief efforts for Ukraine.
Also, if I invite someone to the program, they’re accepted and they write a review, I would earn $50. So far, I’ve not invited anyone; not because I don’t want to get $50, but because I’m always terrible at referrals. Seriously, I’m awful.
What else? Well, so far there’s the free books, offers of gift cards, offers of money for referring someone… Oh, and there’s tips. I set up the tips button on my Discovery profile, and once again, promptly forgot about it. When I published my first review on the site, I was gobsmacked to see that the author had sent me $5. Like… What? I need to be absolutely straight with you here. I do not ask for these tips. I’m delighted with a free book. I get to read amazing books by new authors. I get to write reviews (I’m a trained journalist, for goodness sakes, and I’ve always specialised in writing reviews – whether it’s of a film, book, play, album, gig… I love writing!). That someone actually bothered to thank me by sending me money for doing something that I enjoy anyway, is completely mind-blowing. And, I’m so grateful. The free books will always be my favourite perk of being on the Reedsy Discovery Reviewer Team; the tips are just a much appreciated bonus.
What do I have to do, to review a book?
As silly as it sounds, all you have to do is read it and review it. You’ll get a check box before you agree fully to review it. Just making sure that you have enough time to read the book, that you’ll write an honest review, and that you’ll be fair. It’s not much to ask for, at all. You download the book in your preferred format (PDF, e-pub, mobi), sort it out on your e-reader, and get into it. You can start to write the review on your dashboard, and save it for when you’ve finished. When you’ve finished the book, give it your review.
Start off by giving it a rating out of five stars. Discovery states that a three star review is actually a good review; only offer four or five stars for the truly exceptional books. Two star ratings aren’t necessarily negative, as they come with the tagline ‘Not for me’, which is completely fair. As I’ve already discussed in a recent blog post, not everyone will enjoy the same book – some will love it, some will hate it. One star reviews are rare, and so far, out of almost 20 books read and reviewed, I’ve only offered one one star review.
Once you’ve written your review, checked that it’s grammatically sound and makes sense, you can submit it. It won’t go live until the book is officially published – but the author can see it, and so they get feedback and quotes to publicise their book in the meantime. Once the book is officially on sale, you can then publish your review along with relevant links on your own blog.
Is it worth doing?
I’m gonna say, yeah! Of course it is. If you love reading, especially so.
Not only is there the free books, the bonus perks and the tips, there’s the knowledge that you’re helping someone as they set out on what can only be described as an incomprehensibly scary journey. You’re offering honest, genuine thoughts on their work and providing constructive criticism. I try not to be overly critical in my reviews; I always try to explain why I didn’t particularly enjoy something. I also try to balance it with something positive. And, for a writer, who has just sent their book out into the ether, and is waiting nervously for that review to come back, it’s invaluable. I mean, I know! I’m that writer myself.
Saying that, I’ve not put my own book onto Reedsy Discovery. Not because I’m scared of negative feedback, but because that could be a bit of a weird conflict of interest. I enjoy reading books and writing reviews on there, and don’t want to ruin what I’m enjoying by waiting for someone to review my book. Hypocritical? Maybe, yes. But also, an author has to pay to upload a book to be reviewed, and that’s not something I can budget for, at the moment.
To sum up, Reedsy Discovery is amazing. I honestly do recommend signing up to become a reviewer, I mean, you get a little tick after your name. Which is always nice when it makes you feel all official.
S. A.
April 25, 2022
Nervousness
Sally AltassSally AltassThere’s currently 67 days until my debut novel, The Witch Laws: Book One of The Moon Magic Chronicles is released. To say I’m nervous would be a grave understatement. I’m shaking.
I’m gonna be honest here, I’m so ridiculously scared about this launch. I’ve had positive comments about the book from the lovely Anne (Immersed in Books), but I still have those little knots in my stomach which are floating up to my brain.
Having my debut book out is nerve wracking. I can barely breath when I think that in just over two months, people will be reading what I’ve written on their Kindles. I’ve always been frightened of negative feedback – my brain is hot-wired to zone in on negativity and obsess over it. But, that’s something I’m working on, and by releasing this novel, I think I am finally beginning to accept that not everyone will like it. It’s going to be a ridiculously difficult process, but with the support of my family, I can maybe make it.
Over the last month, I’ve scoured the internet, seeking advice on how to promote a self-published book.
I’ve drafted several different press releases touting the novel, ready to email to publications around the country. Mainly because I’ve got links around the north of England, from where I spent my childhood, the county I attended school, and the place I currently live.
I’ve set up an author profile on Facebook and I’ve even started amassing my own Street Team (which makes me feel incredibly grandiose, even just typing that). I’m being more active than I have been for a long time on Twitter and Instagram (spammy comments for those awful Instagram accounts notwithstanding), and I’ve even become Goodreads Official. I’ve set up a mailing list, I’ve set up a new email address from which I’ll send out any new correspondence. But so far, my only subscribers are, well, myself. Which is, well. It doesn’t feel particularly optimistic.
All my life I’ve tried to be a glass half empty type of person. If you expect the worst, you can never be disappointed. But I’ve always secretly been a glass half full. I get excited about stuff, I expect the best, even while some part is telling me not to. I’ve been trying my absolute hardest not to check the pre-orders tab on my Amazon Author Dashboard, even when knowing that I do and it’s still at ‘6’ that my heart will sink. The first few days after the book went on sale, I was gobsmacked and stunned that I’d had 6 pre-orders already, but almost 3 weeks on, it’s still at the same figure. Does that mean I’ve failed already?
I mean, I know that’s completely irrational. I know that. I’m ridiculously happy that I’ve even pre-sold one book, and that I’ve got one positive review. It’s waaaaaay more than I could have ever dreamed of, and that secret glass half full side of myself is dancing in the street, right now. It’s that other side, the side I’ve been told to portray to the world that is wilting in strange disappointment.
When I was a kid, I was told that to be proud of myself was to be big headed, unattractive and vain. If even five year old me expressed the opinion that I thought I looked pretty, I would be sneered at by my parents and be told that I thought too much of myself. If I expressed pleasure at an exam result, I would be mocked for being too brainy. I was kept down at heel, never allowed to be happy with myself. Made to believe that I had no talent, was ugly and would never exceed at anything. As an adult, it’s not easy reconciling with the fact that, you know what, I am happy with this book. I think it’s decent, that the plot is interesting and the characters engaging. I’m happy with the cover, which I designed on Canva. I’m happy with the maps – which I hand drew and then managed to translate to digital by myself.
The problem is, is that I feel embarrassed by stating I’m happy and pretty proud of the book cover, maps and contents. That’s where my issue lies. I’ve not sent out any of the press releases, because I’m embarrassed that I’m promoting myself. I need to get over that hurdle. I need to get over the embarrassment of promoting the book. That’s why it’s not had any more pre-orders since that first week. Because I’ve not been posting almost half enough as much as I should be doing at this point. All because of a misplaced embarrassment and feeling of shameful guilt for being proud of something I’ve created.
So, that ends now. The embarrassment. The shame. It stops now.
This book is a good book! I should be proud of it, and from now on, I damn well will be.
Sally.
I’m gonna be honest here, I’m so ridiculously scared about this launch. I’ve had positive comments about the book from the lovely Anne (Immersed in Books), but I still have those little knots in my stomach which are floating up to my brain.
Having my debut book out is nerve wracking. I can barely breath when I think that in just over two months, people will be reading what I’ve written on their Kindles. I’ve always been frightened of negative feedback – my brain is hot-wired to zone in on negativity and obsess over it. But, that’s something I’m working on, and by releasing this novel, I think I am finally beginning to accept that not everyone will like it. It’s going to be a ridiculously difficult process, but with the support of my family, I can maybe make it.
Over the last month, I’ve scoured the internet, seeking advice on how to promote a self-published book.
I’ve drafted several different press releases touting the novel, ready to email to publications around the country. Mainly because I’ve got links around the north of England, from where I spent my childhood, the county I attended school, and the place I currently live.
I’ve set up an author profile on Facebook and I’ve even started amassing my own Street Team (which makes me feel incredibly grandiose, even just typing that). I’m being more active than I have been for a long time on Twitter and Instagram (spammy comments for those awful Instagram accounts notwithstanding), and I’ve even become Goodreads Official. I’ve set up a mailing list, I’ve set up a new email address from which I’ll send out any new correspondence. But so far, my only subscribers are, well, myself. Which is, well. It doesn’t feel particularly optimistic.
All my life I’ve tried to be a glass half empty type of person. If you expect the worst, you can never be disappointed. But I’ve always secretly been a glass half full. I get excited about stuff, I expect the best, even while some part is telling me not to. I’ve been trying my absolute hardest not to check the pre-orders tab on my Amazon Author Dashboard, even when knowing that I do and it’s still at ‘6’ that my heart will sink. The first few days after the book went on sale, I was gobsmacked and stunned that I’d had 6 pre-orders already, but almost 3 weeks on, it’s still at the same figure. Does that mean I’ve failed already?
I mean, I know that’s completely irrational. I know that. I’m ridiculously happy that I’ve even pre-sold one book, and that I’ve got one positive review. It’s waaaaaay more than I could have ever dreamed of, and that secret glass half full side of myself is dancing in the street, right now. It’s that other side, the side I’ve been told to portray to the world that is wilting in strange disappointment.
When I was a kid, I was told that to be proud of myself was to be big headed, unattractive and vain. If even five year old me expressed the opinion that I thought I looked pretty, I would be sneered at by my parents and be told that I thought too much of myself. If I expressed pleasure at an exam result, I would be mocked for being too brainy. I was kept down at heel, never allowed to be happy with myself. Made to believe that I had no talent, was ugly and would never exceed at anything. As an adult, it’s not easy reconciling with the fact that, you know what, I am happy with this book. I think it’s decent, that the plot is interesting and the characters engaging. I’m happy with the cover, which I designed on Canva. I’m happy with the maps – which I hand drew and then managed to translate to digital by myself.
The problem is, is that I feel embarrassed by stating I’m happy and pretty proud of the book cover, maps and contents. That’s where my issue lies. I’ve not sent out any of the press releases, because I’m embarrassed that I’m promoting myself. I need to get over that hurdle. I need to get over the embarrassment of promoting the book. That’s why it’s not had any more pre-orders since that first week. Because I’ve not been posting almost half enough as much as I should be doing at this point. All because of a misplaced embarrassment and feeling of shameful guilt for being proud of something I’ve created.
So, that ends now. The embarrassment. The shame. It stops now.
This book is a good book! I should be proud of it, and from now on, I damn well will be.
Sally.
April 22, 2022
When Reviewer's on Instagram aren't actually reviewers.
hen Reviewers On Instagram Aren’t Really Reviewers.
So, I’m new to the world of Self Publishing. Like, I submitted my book on Kindle Unlimited last week! So, when it comes to marketing my debut novel, I’m finding it something of a minefield. Especially on Instagram.
I posted a picture of my cover on all of my Social Media Platforms and then promptly forgot about most of them (mainly because I’ve turned notifications off). That was until one of my Facebook friends sent me a quick DM telling me that he’d tagged someone on my Insta and to check them out. Now, I was on a night out at the time, and the battery on my mobile was somewhat low, so I gave it a cursory glance and thanked him. I peeped on Insta when my husband popped off to the loo, and was gobsmacked. So many people commenting and asking me to contact certain accounts. One was even asking me to check my message requests. I was in a bit of a daze when I checked out their follower numbers, and began to wonder what on earth was happening. I’d had one review, at this point, from the lovely Immersed In Books, and was somewhat shocked at the interest I was getting from one Insta post.
So, later that night when I got home, I popped my phone on charge and began to scroll through the comments and messages. The account which asked me to check my requests had indeed messaged me, and had over 10,000 followers. They seemed interested in reviewing my book, so I replied and asked them to send their email address so that I could pop them over an e-Pub.
That’s when they replied that they charge. 20 USD for a review on Instagram.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m a Journalist. I write reviews for publications, for Reedsy Discovery, on Amazon, Goodreads and this very blog. However, I don’t charge, unless I’m commissioned by a publication for a review. And then, it’s the publication that would pay me a fixed fee. I would never dream of saying to authors ‘yeah, sure. Send me a copy of your book and then pay me for the privilege of sending it to me.’ That’s not an honest review; that’s paid marketing. And that’s something that I, and many other debut novelists can not afford. Not with the outlay of paying for typesetting, cover design, editing, illustrations and marketing on Amazon.
While I was naively waiting for the account to reply back with their email address, I started scrolling through their posts. There were a lot of them, and every single one had above a four star rating. I was a little bit confused, but then, when the reply came back asking for money, I realised what was going on. The authors were basically paying for a positive review. Which, if they’ve got the money to do it, good for them. But I want to do this honestly, on the merit of my work. Will I become a best selling author? I can dream, but I doubt it; purely because I’m skint. No, really. I care for my youngest child who is autistic, for which I have to be here 24/7 and get less than £70 a week to do so. My husband works nights as a stock take admin in a very famous clothes warehouse, and his pay isn’t a mega amount. I’m not complaining, I’m being honest.
Over the next few days, I started receiving similar comments on my Insta posts. “Send it to ______ 3m+”. “Promote it here!” “Send pic to these!”. All of the commenters were either private accounts, had no posts, or were purely promo hunters. I still messaged the accounts they suggested, just to see what they said.
One was strange. I messaged asking if they charged for reviews, and they replied with ‘rates’. I replied I couldn’t afford marketing at the moment, and they offered me cheaper ‘rates’.
Another one at least gave me a straight answer when I asked, with a simple ‘yes’, but still sent me a large amount of text telling me their ‘rates’. I had a quick scroll on both of these pages, and neither were really review sites, even though they stylised themselves as such. One even had a ‘Face of the Week’.
Like I said, this isn’t reviewing, it’s marketing – and by people who have no guarantees. I mean, I know there’s no guarantees with marketing and advertising; but when you advertise through an agency or organisation, you at least know you’re paying for a professional advert. You know that they are governed by strict advertising standards, and you know you’re going to get at least something for your money. These Instagram ‘reviewers’ offer no such standards. In essence, they’re being paid to post – sponsored for each person they ‘promote’. However, not on any single one of these posts is the hashtag AD. There is no mention of ‘paid partnerships’. Nothing. Two of the accounts even turn off comments on the posts – limiting the reach of the paid post. It’s kind of bewildering, slightly unethical and completely against the advertising standards on Instagram. Their accounts are misleading, claiming to be reviewers, but are actually marketing; and not following the marketing rules (#ad or #paidpartnership is noticeably absent).
Anyway.
I kind of wanted to post about these types of Social Media Accounts. They’re undermining genuine reviewers and violating so many rules. For all I know, it could be a scam – taking people’s money and then not providing the product or results they’ve actively promised. They’re certainly not being honest on their pages.
So, I suppose, this slightly longer than I expected it be, blog is finally over. But, I would love to know your thoughts on this strange world of Social Media ‘Martketeers/Reviewers’. Do you think they’re simply trying to make the most out the platform and are earning their way, or are they being dishonest about what they actually do when they get their, I don’t know, employees?minions? to comment on other people’s posts insisting that they can boost their sales/ratings/followers if you pay them the rate for posting a single picture? Let me know, below!
So, I’m new to the world of Self Publishing. Like, I submitted my book on Kindle Unlimited last week! So, when it comes to marketing my debut novel, I’m finding it something of a minefield. Especially on Instagram.
I posted a picture of my cover on all of my Social Media Platforms and then promptly forgot about most of them (mainly because I’ve turned notifications off). That was until one of my Facebook friends sent me a quick DM telling me that he’d tagged someone on my Insta and to check them out. Now, I was on a night out at the time, and the battery on my mobile was somewhat low, so I gave it a cursory glance and thanked him. I peeped on Insta when my husband popped off to the loo, and was gobsmacked. So many people commenting and asking me to contact certain accounts. One was even asking me to check my message requests. I was in a bit of a daze when I checked out their follower numbers, and began to wonder what on earth was happening. I’d had one review, at this point, from the lovely Immersed In Books, and was somewhat shocked at the interest I was getting from one Insta post.
So, later that night when I got home, I popped my phone on charge and began to scroll through the comments and messages. The account which asked me to check my requests had indeed messaged me, and had over 10,000 followers. They seemed interested in reviewing my book, so I replied and asked them to send their email address so that I could pop them over an e-Pub.
That’s when they replied that they charge. 20 USD for a review on Instagram.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m a Journalist. I write reviews for publications, for Reedsy Discovery, on Amazon, Goodreads and this very blog. However, I don’t charge, unless I’m commissioned by a publication for a review. And then, it’s the publication that would pay me a fixed fee. I would never dream of saying to authors ‘yeah, sure. Send me a copy of your book and then pay me for the privilege of sending it to me.’ That’s not an honest review; that’s paid marketing. And that’s something that I, and many other debut novelists can not afford. Not with the outlay of paying for typesetting, cover design, editing, illustrations and marketing on Amazon.
While I was naively waiting for the account to reply back with their email address, I started scrolling through their posts. There were a lot of them, and every single one had above a four star rating. I was a little bit confused, but then, when the reply came back asking for money, I realised what was going on. The authors were basically paying for a positive review. Which, if they’ve got the money to do it, good for them. But I want to do this honestly, on the merit of my work. Will I become a best selling author? I can dream, but I doubt it; purely because I’m skint. No, really. I care for my youngest child who is autistic, for which I have to be here 24/7 and get less than £70 a week to do so. My husband works nights as a stock take admin in a very famous clothes warehouse, and his pay isn’t a mega amount. I’m not complaining, I’m being honest.
Over the next few days, I started receiving similar comments on my Insta posts. “Send it to ______ 3m+”. “Promote it here!” “Send pic to these!”. All of the commenters were either private accounts, had no posts, or were purely promo hunters. I still messaged the accounts they suggested, just to see what they said.
One was strange. I messaged asking if they charged for reviews, and they replied with ‘rates’. I replied I couldn’t afford marketing at the moment, and they offered me cheaper ‘rates’.
Another one at least gave me a straight answer when I asked, with a simple ‘yes’, but still sent me a large amount of text telling me their ‘rates’. I had a quick scroll on both of these pages, and neither were really review sites, even though they stylised themselves as such. One even had a ‘Face of the Week’.
Like I said, this isn’t reviewing, it’s marketing – and by people who have no guarantees. I mean, I know there’s no guarantees with marketing and advertising; but when you advertise through an agency or organisation, you at least know you’re paying for a professional advert. You know that they are governed by strict advertising standards, and you know you’re going to get at least something for your money. These Instagram ‘reviewers’ offer no such standards. In essence, they’re being paid to post – sponsored for each person they ‘promote’. However, not on any single one of these posts is the hashtag AD. There is no mention of ‘paid partnerships’. Nothing. Two of the accounts even turn off comments on the posts – limiting the reach of the paid post. It’s kind of bewildering, slightly unethical and completely against the advertising standards on Instagram. Their accounts are misleading, claiming to be reviewers, but are actually marketing; and not following the marketing rules (#ad or #paidpartnership is noticeably absent).
Anyway.
I kind of wanted to post about these types of Social Media Accounts. They’re undermining genuine reviewers and violating so many rules. For all I know, it could be a scam – taking people’s money and then not providing the product or results they’ve actively promised. They’re certainly not being honest on their pages.
So, I suppose, this slightly longer than I expected it be, blog is finally over. But, I would love to know your thoughts on this strange world of Social Media ‘Martketeers/Reviewers’. Do you think they’re simply trying to make the most out the platform and are earning their way, or are they being dishonest about what they actually do when they get their, I don’t know, employees?minions? to comment on other people’s posts insisting that they can boost their sales/ratings/followers if you pay them the rate for posting a single picture? Let me know, below!
