A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 89
June 22, 2020
New Release – Rainbow Romance Bundle #LGBTRomance #Romance
Rainbow Romance – A collection of LGBT tales celebrating same-sex love.
From fairy tale retellings, lesbian sword and sorcery, to gay vampires and lonely witches fantasy tales of same-sex adventure and devotion.
From holiday romance and sexy roommates to crime drama, and short tales of female fun bring romance and raunchin[image error]ess.
Grab yourself a whole lot of Rainbow Romance – Proud to support love in all its forms.
Adults only!
https://books2read.com/Rainbowromance1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BKWYPVS/?tag=kydala-20
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/rainbow-romance-volume-i
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1519368788
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rainbow-romance-volume-i-a-l-butcher/1137196593
https://bundlerabbit.com/b/rainbow-romance-volume-i
Doors of Shores Meyari McFarland
Witches of London – Lars Aleksandr Voinov
Flux Olivette Devaux
Out of Disaster Meyari McFarland
The Gay Vampire Next Door Rod Mandelli
Rainmaker Miriam F. Martin
Sidekick Devyn Morgan
Kiss Me Again Andrea Dale
Falling For His Roommate Devyn Morgan
First Time with the Gay Vampire Mark Pace
Finding Love On Christmas Eve Devyn Morgan
Bobby and the Beast: A Gay Twink Romance Fairy Tale Mark Pace[image error]
June 20, 2020
Annals of Alasia – Book Tour and Giveaway
In the Double Agent’s Service
Annals of Alasia Book 6
by Annie Douglas Lima
Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure
Erik would give his life to protect King Jaymin. However, when an old enemy shows up with new schemes, that may not be enough.
Anya longs to be noticed by the king’s handsome bodyguard. But as she finally gains Erik’s attention, the notorious spy and double agent Dannel blackmails her into fulfilling a favor she has owed him for years. Anya is forced into a terrible choice: save Erik’s life, or protect her homeland.
Can Erik and Anya thwart an assassin and prevent a war before Dannel destroys everything that matters to them and to the kingdom?
Goodreads * Amazon
King of Malorn
Annals of Alasia Book 5
Life as the king’s younger sister should be exciting.
Not for Princess Kalendria. She’s sick of the dissent and of constantly having her family undermined by those who think they could rule Malorn better than King Korram.
Hoping to lighten the mood in the palace, Kalendria plans a ball to celebrate her seventeenth birthday. It doesn’t hurt that their handsome Alasian ally King Jaymin has promised to attend, and she’s been waiting for him to notice her for as long as she can remember.
But unfriendly forces have their own party plans. When Kalendria, Korram, and Jaymin barely survive an assassination attempt, their only recourse is to flee into the wilderness. Tracked by unknown assassins, they must figure out whom they can trust and who is behind the plot. Can Kalendria help her brother reclaim his throne – oh, and catch Jaymin’s attention while she’s at it – before they are all killed and war destroys both kingdoms?
Goodreads * Amazon
The Nameless Soldier
Annals of Alasia Book 4
What do you do when you’re the only survivor?
Nineteen-year-old Tarvic bears the name of a mighty hero from Alasia’s past. However, the young soldier feels anything but heroic when he regains consciousness to find himself the lone survivor of a brutal attack by invaders from the neighboring kingdom.
Forced to leave his identity behind, Tarvic is thrust into civilian life in the role of protector to three war orphans. When the four of them encounter a mysterious stranger, he must choose between keeping the young girls safe and taking on a mission that could help free his kingdom. Can Tarvic live up to his noble name and find a way to balance his duty and his dreams?
The Nameless Soldier is the fourth book in the Annals of Alasia, but the first four books can be read in any order, and each one can stand on its own.
* Amazon
Prince of Malorn
Annals of Alasia Book 3
Prince Korram is heir to the throne of Malorn, but Regent Rampus is determined to stay in power. Can Korram find a way to overthrow him before Rampus strikes him down?
One major obstacle stands between seventeen-year-old Prince Korram and the throne that is his birthright: Regent Rampus. Temporary ruler of Malorn, Rampus has no intention of giving up his position when the crown prince comes of age – or of allowing the prince to live long enough to reach that age.
Desperate to build an army of his own to stand against the regent, Korram treks into the Impassable Mountains to try to recruit the one segment of Malornian society not under Rampus’s control. But can he lead a band of untrained hunters and gatherers to victory against the full might of the Malornian military? Or will they all be crushed by the grasping hand of the regent before the prince can claim his rightful throne?
Prince of Malorn is the third action and adventure novel in the Annals of Alasia fantasy series, but the first four books can be read in any order, and each can stand on its own. If you like superb world-building, finely crafted fantasy cultures, and gripping survival stories, you’ll love Annie Douglass Lima’s coming-of-age saga. Download Prince of Malorn now to start the adventure today!
Goodreads * Amazon
In the Enemy’s Service
Annals of Alasia Book 2
Enslaved when invaders take over Alasia, ten-year-old Anya discovers ways to spy on the enemy and slip information to the resistance. But then she uncovers a disturbing reference to her own family and is confronted by a stranger who seems to know her secrets. Holding her life in his hands, he claims to have proof that Anya’s father was involved in the betrayal that led to the Invasion itself. Can Anya help save her kingdom without putting her father in danger … and can she learn the truth about what happened before it’s too late?
In the Enemy’s Service is the second book in the Annals of Alasia, but the first four in the series can be read in any order, and each book can stand on its own.
Goodreads * Amazon
Prince of Alasia
Annals of Alasia Book 1
Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin, heir to the throne of Alasia, barely escapes with his life when invaders from neighboring Malorn attack. Accompanied by his young bodyguard, Jaymin flees to a nearby town to live in hiding. There, surrounded by the enemy soldiers searching for the missing prince, his life depends on his ability to maintain his disguise.
As the danger intensifies and the Malornians’ suspicions grow, Jaymin seeks desperately for a way to save his kingdom and himself. Then he stumbles upon a startling discovery that will challenge his assumptions and forever change his view of Malorn and the events that altered his life.
Prince of Alasia is the first book in the Annals of Alasia, but the first four in the series can be read in any order, and each book can stand on its own.
Goodreads * Amazon
Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, Bible verse coloring and activity books, and now a cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter
$10 Amazon gift card; ebooks of the first 5 books in the series
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Guest Post – Desiree Villena – How to Market a Book Without Breaking the Bank #Bookmarketing #Books
You know what they say: you have to spend money to make money. Or, as the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus put it in the original Latin, Necesse est facere sumptum qui quaerit lucrum.
That’s right: the financial mind behind this maxim wasn’t some Daddy Warbucks wannabe — it was a writer. And though Plautus wasn’t selling ebooks on the web’s best self-publishing companies, his wisdom still applies to indie authors working today.
Fortunately, investing in your writing career doesn’t have to mean emptying your savings account. Giving your book the perfect, professional cover might require a decent payout up front, but promoting your book is a different story. When it comes to getting your work in front of readers’ eyes, a little DIY can go a long way.
Not sure where to start? Here are three ways to market your book without breaking the bank.
1. Set up an author website
First thing’s first: you need a home base for all your marketing efforts. And that means setting up a killer author website.
You don’t have to get fancy, with all manner of flashy animations and mini-apps. In fact, you should keep in simple, paring away all the distractions so your most essential content stands out. That means putting your work — and links to buy your work — front and center, along with an author bio so readers can get to know the person behind the stories.
In addition to compelling descriptions of all your books, make sure to feature some high-res images of your cover art too. Not only will they lend some visual interest to your site without distracting from your most important content, they’ll help you ensure your books are recognizable right from the thumbnail. Just think of The Great Gatsby, with its lipsticked mouth and glossy eyes, projected in an inky sky over a glowing cityscape. Or The Catcher in the Rye, with its iconic, burnt-orange carousel horse. That’s the level of brand recognition you want for your cover art. And to get there, you’ll have to start by giving it pride of place on your website.
How much will all this cost you? Well, you can set up a no-frills website for free on WordPress. It’s best to register a domain name, though, so you can set up your shop on, say, AnneAuthor.com instead of AnneAuthor.wordpress.com. Don’t worry — a domain name will only cost you .
2. Build out your mailing list
After you fill out your site with tantalizing tidbits about your book — and yourself — there’s one more thing you should make sure to add: a place to collect your visitors’ emails. Once you have them, you can feed them into an email marketing platform like MailerLite to promote your books through newsletters.
Of course, not everyone who stumbles across your website will want to give you their contact information for free. That’s why you should entice them a little with a lead magnet. Think of this as a freebie that will draw them in like iron to, well, a magnet. Offer to send something interesting to anyone who signs up — maybe a short story you wrote, or the spreadsheet that took you from brainstorm to publication when you were first writing your book.
Every email you collect with this bait is marketing gold. Those are all people you can woo over time, so that they’re eager to preorder when your next book is set to launch. And best of all, growing your mailing list won’t require dipping into your bank account, at least at first. MailerLite lets you collect up to 1,000 contacts for free. Once you’ve broken past that barrier, you can move up to a paid subscription tier for $15.00 a month, which will let you handle 2,500 emails. But until you hit that benchmark, all you’re investing is the time it takes to craft your lead magnet.
3. Get more eyes on your site with a blog tour
Now, let’s talk about how to feed more names into your mailing list — for free.
During pre-COVID days, one of the most glamorous (and most expensive) book marketing tactics was the book tour. We can’t all be like sci-fi phenom John Scalzi, hitting up 24 cities in five weeks. We can, however, try to replicate that whirlwind dynamic with a blog tour.
On a blog tour, you’ll write guest posts for a wide range of websites frequented by readers in your genre. In exchange for providing your “hosts” with intriguing content, they’ll give you a platform to promote your work. Just make sure to link out to your website — and tell your visitors there’s something in it for them if they offer up their emails.
Unlike a traditional book tour, with its nightmarish tangle of logistical considerations, a blog tour isn’t hard to set up. Just look for book blogs that specialize in your genre, and see if they’re open to guest submissions. Then, get in touch with any promising candidates and pitch something you’d like to contribute. For a craft-focused blog, that could be an inside look into your writing process. For a book reviewer, you could offer a free copy of your latest title in exchange for their honest impressions. The key is to pitch something each blog’s readers would love to read.
The best thing about this promotional hack? It’s completely free! Now, get out there and start connecting with your future fans.
June 15, 2020
Ivy’s Hot Shots – Book Tour – #Romance #Erotica
Ivy’s Hot Shots
by Dana Littlejohn
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Erotic Romance
Ivy York had always been a hot commodity among the young pilots. She tried not to date them, but having an air force general for a father gave her a challenging social life. Her mother’s only goal in life seemed to be to get her to settle her down with the next available pilot and birth as many babies as possible. Just as Ivy let her mother set her up with an extremely handsome tech sergeant name Steven Jones, she met Jonathan Hayes.
Having spent time with both men, Ivy can’t help but wonder if her mother finally got lucky in choosing Tech Sergeant Jones…or is Jonathan Hayes a better match for her after all?
Goodreads * Purchase Links
Where sensual erotic romance is always waiting for you.
I am Dana Littlejohn, author of sensual erotic romance. You will find that I write contemporary romances with just a hint of another genre to take it away from the ordinary. My stories will touch your heart and your soul and make your body feel like it’s being touched, too.
Imagination will take you places your money can not. I invite you into my world with open arms to see my imagination run wild…
Come along for the ride as I go on an imaginary trip into my world. You’ll enjoy every minute of this wild ride.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads
$5 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 12, 2020
Vampyre Theatre & Wild Hunt Blog Tour #DarkFantasy
Vampyre Theatre
by Nancy Kilpatrick
Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy
New vampire Cheryl and century-old vampire Nightshade both have had a relationship with the one who turned them into otherworldly blooddrinkers. These two are engaged in emotional and physical battles, charged by hidden agendas, laced with attraction and repulsion, all of it amorous, amusing, dramatic and deadly. The crucible that completes the triangle brings them together but also keeps them apart: Aleron, who is MIA, or is he?
**On sale for 99 cents !!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Indigo
Wild Hunt: a vampire novella
by Nancy Kilpatrick
Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy
A sassy, legally-blind psychic.
A three centuries-old Transylvanian vampire.
Enemies. Each with their own endgame. Compelled to form a fragile alliance where every encounter crackles with as much attraction as repulsion. This fast-paced, modern vampire novella vibrates with danger, treachery and Dark Romance. The plot twists and turns, the stakes are the highest, and nothing is as it seems.
**On sale for 99 cents !!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N * Kobo
Nancy Kilpatrick is an award-winning author. Her publishing credits include 22 novels, over 220 short stories, 6 collections of her stories, 1 graphic novel, 1 non-fiction book and, as well, she has edited 15 anthologies. She lives in Montreal and her work is published in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and has been translated into 8 languages. These are the genres in which she has published: dark fantasy, horror, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, erotica. Details can be found on her website below.
Website * Blog * Facebook Author * Facebook Profile * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Nancy Kilpatrick reads 2-minute excerpts:
https://carosoles.wordpress.com/nancy-kilpatrick-tells-a-story/?preview_id=1427&preview_nonce=6b760350a0&_thumbnail_id=-1&preview=true
5 eBook copies of one of the novels in my series Power of the Blood
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 11, 2020
Christmas in July Fete – Cross post
NN Light Book Heaven is having a Christmas in July event – see the details here if you want to sign up.
We’re pleased to announce sign-ups are open for our 4th annual Christmas in July Fete. It’s a month-long series of book spotlights (like the Spring Break Bookapalooza and Celebrate Audiobook Month events) in July 2020 where readers can get their fill of Christmas-themed genre books (new releases or backlist) plus enter to win one of five Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift cards.
Note: Your book does not need to be a specific holiday fiction/romance/genre-fiction but as long as part of your book takes place in December, you’re eligible. To see examples from last year, please click here:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/bookpromos/categories/christmas-in-july-fete
The price is $11 USD per book and all heat levels are welcome. As an added bonus, you can purchase social media follower add-ons for $6 per platform. Your options are website, newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bookbub, Amazon, Goodreads, YouTube, Book + Main and Snapchat. This is an inexpensive way to gain followers the organic way.
When signing up for an add-on, please make sure you already have an account. We don’t create an account for you. The entrants will need to sign up voluntarily, as per GDPR and CAN-SPAM. We don’t collect email addresses and hand them out to you in an Excel spreadsheet. Each book spotlight will be posted on N. N. Light’s Book Heaven on a scheduled day.
Like all of our promotions, the Christmas in July Fete event will be promoted every day and we will hand out promotional materials (like we do for our monthly giveaway program).
The Christmas in July Fete event will go live July 1 so sign-up today. These author events are very popular and there’s a limited number of spots so don’t delay. I don’t want you to miss out on this inexpensive and successful avenue to market your holiday books.
Click the link below to be taken to our general contact page. Put “July Author Event” in the subject line so I know which event you’re signing up for. Please be sure to include: author name, book title(s), how many book spots you want to secure, how many social media follower add-ons you’d like along with which platforms and your Paypal address.
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/contact
Please share with your author groups and friends. We’d love to have them join us for this Christmas in July event.
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June 10, 2020
Gods of the Earth Series Blog Tour #Fantasy
Influence of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 1
by Nina R. Schluntz
Genre: LGBTQ SciFi Fantasy Romance
Jesse has a type-the heartbroken. He doesn’t hide this fact, he’s even tattooed a damaged heart on his chest. His partners love the people who left them, which means there’s no fear of them getting attached to him. He showers them with the affection they have been deprived of and in return, he gets no string attached hook-ups.
Except for Ben.
No matter what Jesse does, when he gets drunk, its always Ben’s porch he ends up on. Which is fine, because Ben is still deeply in love with his ex-wife, even though she’s already remarried.
It might have all stayed fine, if Ben hadn’t met Cooper, the twelve-year-old stepson of Ben’s ex. He knows things he shouldn’t. He has a weird quirk of disappearing for hours. He even predicts future events with uncanny luck. And Cooper has a plan for Jesse. He wants himself and Ben’s daughter to live with Jesse and Ben. Which is a problem, because Jesse doesn’t do relationships.
To Cooper that just means Jesse needs to learn things the hard way.
Goodreads * Amazon
Prophet of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 2
Isaiah has heard voices in his head his entire life, so it’s ironic when his brother declares that he has been chosen as a prophet for a god. Isaiah assists his brother in his search for the messiah and quickly discovers the god chose his brother in an effort to get closer to Isaiah.
The messiah isn’t shy at all in declaring that Isaiah is fated to be with him. But the voice in Isaiah’s head is skeptical and easily finds errors in the god’s claims.
Cooper is a god, one of many on Earth, but he is approved to pose as a messiah. He warps the path he’s supposed to follow in an effort to get closer to a man that is supposed to be his lover for only one night. Doing so has consequences, because Isaiah is not the man he expected. For one, he cuts himself in an effort to deal with the darkness of his past. And second, there’s the pesky sprite that loiters on Isaiah’s shoulder, whispering advice that Cooper would rather it didn’t.
Goodreads * Amazon
Muse of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 3
Lawrence, who prefers to go by Laurie, is one of those gifted performers that everyone envies because he always gets the lead role.
Carter is a god with a shaded past. He created a planet… and then helped parasite type symbiotes destroy it. His current time on Earth is to prove he is rehabilitated.
He isn’t.
But he is good at manipulation. He wants to stay close to the two scientists who will discover a means to save Earth once Carter brings the symbiotes to it. One of them is Laurie’s roommate in college. Which means Laurie is Carter’s best means to befriending the scientists.
A not so chance encounter and some mocking, gets Laurie to join the lacrosse team Carter is on. Seducing him is easy enough, but Laurie quickly proves refreshingly unpredictable and his quick tongue makes Carter reconsider his choices to stay loyal to his previous love who controls the symbiotes.
But can Carter’s growing affection toward Laurie be enough to convince him to save Earth rather than destroy it?
Goodreads * Amazon
Enemy of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 4
The world is ending and the gods are abandoning Earth. A strange woman arrives at the same time the parasite symbiotes do. She has no memory of who she is and the question remains, is she an ally to save earth or the enemy of the gods here to destroy them?
Jayson is the first to find her and he forms an immediate friendship with her. They are both outcasts with a dark past. He makes a deal with a god, Cooper, in an attempt to learn more about his alien friend. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with Cooper and worse, learn that his alien friend must die in order to save Earth.
Goodreads * Amazon
Symbiote of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 5
Stephen, Nick, and Lawrence have been best friends since college. Stephen and Nick are scientists, tasked with finding a cure to the symbiotes which have invaded Earth and use humans as hosts. Removing the symbiote kills the human, and a human doesn’t live long once infected.
Months after the initial invasion, Lawrence becomes infected and seeks the help of his friends. The rush to find a cure is now paramount, but something is strange about Lawrence’s infection. He is still in control of his body, and he can now understand the symbiotes. Nick and Stephen realize he may hold the cure to finally ridding the world of the symbiotes.
Goodreads * Amazon
Resurrection of a God
Gods of Earth Series Book 6
Earth is the second planet Carter has created, and now the same symbiotes that destroyed his first planet, are here, destroying Earth. Afraid he will only aide in Earth’s destruction, since it’s his soulmate and lover behind the invasion, he goes into hiding.
Jayson knows Carter is the only god who can save Earth and he is done waiting for him to come back. He resurrects the god and saves the planet, but its something not just any human can do. Jayson realizes there’s more to his relationship with Carter than he thought. He’d assumed he was Cooper’s soulmate, he loves Cooper, but when he keeps running into Carter he realizes the truth. A god has a different soulmate on every planet, and on Earth, he is Carter’s soulmate.
But Carter doesn’t want him. His soulmate from his first planet was destructive and Carter fears what Jayson will become if he bonds with him. Jayson has to convince the god that he is different, and that your past does not determine your future.
Goodreads * Amazon
Nina Schluntz is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.
Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves in the science fiction and fantasy realm. And their kitty, a rescued Abyssinian, is always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration.
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads
$10 Amazon gift card – 3 winners!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
June 8, 2020
Guardians of Erin – Blog Tour
The Cauldron Stirred
Guardians of Erin, Book One
by Judith Sterling
Genre: YA Fantasy, Paranormal
Ashling Donoghue never dreamed moving to Ireland would rock her perception of reality and plunge her into a mystery that brings legend to life.
At seventeen, she’s never had a boyfriend, but she feels an immediate connection to Aengus Breasal, the son of the wealthy Irishman who’s invited her family to stay at his Killarney estate. For the first time in her life, a guy she likes seems attracted to her.
But Aengus is secretive, with good reason. He and his family are the Tuatha Dé Danann, ageless, mythical guardians adept at shifting between this reality and the magical dimension known as the Otherworld. Evil forces from that world threaten the Breasals, the Donoghues, and all of Ireland. Ashling must open her heart, face her fears, and embrace a destiny greater than she could ever have imagined.
**On Sale for only .99cents June 1st – 25th!!**
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo
The Stone Awakened
Guardians of Erin, Book Two
Since moving to Ireland, Ashling Donoghue has tackled one challenge after another. Now the mystery of her parents’ disappearance seems unsolvable. Are they dead or only missing? No one—not even the godlike Breasals—has a clue. Hope and fear war inside her, but she’s determined to find answers and stay strong for her siblings. Even as she hones newfound powers, her banshee-in-training sister Deirdre needs her support.
Ashling could use a little help herself. She’s struggling to navigate her first romance, and while Aengus Breasal stirs her body, mind, and soul, his nemesis Lorcan does too. Both men harbor secrets about her past life as Caer. One has ties to Aoife, the scheming wind demon whose influence is on the rise.
As the Stone of Destiny awakens, so does the conflict within.
**On Sale for only .99cents June 1st – 25th!!**
Add to Goodreads
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The Sword Unsheathed
Guardians of Erin, Book Three
Ashling Donoghue is no closer to finding her parents than she was the night they disappeared. But hope returns as her brother Kian channels the Sword of Light, revealing past-life secrets and truths long suppressed.
The more she learns, the greater she fears the darkness that drowns the Netherworld also drives her. Is Aengus her true love, or is it Lorcan? Does her future wait in shadow or the light?
One point is clear: the threads of her past-self are woven inextricably into the tapestry of her soul. An impossible choice looms before her, and all the while, evil is poised to strike.
Add to Goodreads
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Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Whether penning medieval romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) or young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), her favorite themes include true love, destiny, time travel, healing, redemption, and finding the hidden magic which exists all around us. She loves to share that magic with readers and whisk them far away from their troubles, particularly to locations in the British Isles. Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.
Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * The Wild Rose Press * The Captivating Quill
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Noobs’ Guide to Self-Publishing – Reviews on KDP/Amazon
I haven’t done a Noob’s Guide article for ages, but during lockdown I’ve spent a lot of time on the KDP forums. If you’re unaware of these they’re the forums for Kindle Direct Publishing and offer guidance from other author/publishers to their kindred souls. There’s a corps of veterans (including myself) who have been around long enough to answer most of the questions – Hitch runs a service for newbies and knows a lot about formatting, Booknookbiz, Notjohn and Levi’s Companion are always willing to help out.
That said there are dozens of newbie authors who simply don’t read the help pages. Most of the answers to the regular questions can be found there, or a simple check on the forum pages – for the hundreds of similar questions asked every month.
READ THE DAMN FAQ AND HELP PAGES! Seriously. It will save a lot of bother.
One of the recurring questions is about reviews. An author posts up that review he or she knows about can’t be posted or has been taken down. Why?
Let’s start with a bit of history: several years ago a whole host of authors were gaming the system. Getting reviews by paying people to leave dozens of fabulous five-star reviews, and other rather underhand methods. It caused a storm. After that the big bad Zon got a little sensitive about product reviews, particularly in relation to e-books.
A review is only of value to the customer looking at it (and hence to Amazon) if it is impartial. A review from your mother is NOT impartial. A review from your mate Dave who thinks your book is great is NOT seen as impartial.
Think about it. You go to buy a product and all the reviews say it’s the most awesome thing ever created do you stop and think, ‘Really?’ There will ALWAYS be someone who doesn’t like a product, and that is especially true of books. Most books, if they have been reviewed, have a mix – some readers will love the book, some will be meh, and some will hate it. All are perfectly valid opinions. Do you love every book you read or movie you see? No, of course not. And that’s the other thing – what I like in a book is great worldbuilding and awesome characters. I can overlook the odd typo or editing issue. Some readers will hate a book with technical problems. Some readers will like a book with juicy sex scenes, and some won’t. Some readers will not mind violence, and some will put the book down for this.
How much is too much? That’s subjective.
Would you buy a product if you thought those reviews might be a bit dodgy? Maybe? Probably not?
Amazon changed their review process in 2017 as a result of this scandal (see link for the official guidelines).
A customer has to have spent $50 (or equivalent) in the last 12 months to leave a review.
Persons who share a household or are well known to the author cannot leave a review
The author cannot review his/her own book (although I’ve had a few emails suggesting I review my own books – well done bots).
The guidelines state that social media friends or followers are allowed to leave a review. In reality, this is a very grey area. There are several posts a week from people who say follower so and so has told the author they cannot leave a review for book X. Where is the degree of separation on such relationships?
How do you define a friend on Facebook? Someone who is in the same groups as you and you comment on their posts? Do you chat to them in messenger? Do you share links? You can bet Amazon tracks this stuff and pulls reviews if it feels there is too much of a relationship there.
Personally, I’d say if a reader contacts you to say they can’t post it may be BECAUSE they feel they know you well enough to do so that they cannot post.
Reviews are for customers – not for authors. It is NOT an author’s job to contact KDP, or whine on the forum that a review doesn’t post. Advise the customer to email community-help@amazon.com and ask why. If an author does it the likelihood is Amazon will take a hard look at the other reviews on that author’s book.
Amazon does, in theory, allow review copies to be given out – but you cannot demand a review. If any incentive is offered it invalidates the review and reviewers are supposed to state they had a free copy for an unbiased review.
‘You may provide free or discounted copies of your books to readers. However, you may not demand a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review. Offering anything other than a free or discounted copy of the book—including gift cards—will invalidate a review, and we’ll have to remove it. To learn more, see our Community Guidelines.’
‘Additional Guidelines for Customer Reviews
The following guidelines apply to Customer Reviews in addition to the other guidelines given above:
If your review is removed or rejected because it does not comply with our guidelines concerning promotional content, you may not resubmit a review on the same product, even if the resubmitted review includes different content.
Reviews may only include URLs or links to other products sold on Amazon.
Customers in the same household may not post multiple reviews of the same product.
We may restrict the ability to submit a review when we detect unusual reviewing behavior, or to maintain the best possible shopping experience.
You may not manipulate the Amazon Verified Purchase badge, such as by offering special pricing to reviewers or reimbursing reviewers.
To learn more about Amazon Verified Purchase views refer to About Amazon Verified Purchase Reviews.’
Customers can remove or amend their own reviews (and I have done this).
‘We remove reviews that violate our Community Guidelines. We also remove reviews if we unlink two titles that were incorrectly linked. The reviews will only appear on the detail page of the book for which they were first posted. To protect our customers’ privacy, we only share information about specific reviews with the customer who posted the review. If a customer contacts you about their missing review, ask them to write to community-help@amazon.com. Customers can also remove their own reviews.
In short – it is NOT the author’s job or business to deal with reviews that can’t be posted.
Do not expect reviews just because a reader has bought your book. Reviews on books are about 1%.
As a reader I don’t review every book I read. I doubt many readers do. Do you?
Ratings can be left without a text review.
If the review is not complementary – tough luck. Not everyone is going to like your book. Move on. Do not react, do not comment. It’s none of your business.
Other useful links about the review process on KDP and some of the articles on the issues of dodgy reviews.
Other products have been subject to these shenanigans:
https://www.authorimprints.com/amazon-book-review-policy-authors/
https://www.lovemoney.com/news/52275/amazons-battle-with-unbiased-product-reviews
Phone Chargers https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/01/which-uncovers-fake-five-star-reviews-flooding-amazon/
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/07/exposed-the-tricks-sellers-use-to-post-fake-reviews-on-amazon/
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-bad-review-practices-crackdown-2018-4?r=US&IR=T
June 7, 2020
Contos de Erana – Tales of Erana Portuguese Edition
Em um mundo onde a magia é ilegal, e os elfos escravizados se atrevem a ouvir as histórias da antiguidade? Cinco contos de mito, magia e monstros
A lua na água: o conto do amor entre uma deusa e um guerreiro e a terrível maldição que ele trouxe.
O Conto de Treyna, a Amada: Quando uma mulher mortal é perseguida por dois deuses rivais, até os céus são forjados por magia.
Nascido na Tempestade: Um mágico solitário encontra companhia de uma criatura da tempestade, mas a magia exige um preço, que preço será?
O Frasco Azul: Uma lição para ouvir atentamente as instruções, para que ninguém cometa um erro embaraçoso.
A Lenda de Oeliana: Uma história de ninfa e sapo, magia ciumenta e dívidas pagas.
https://books2read.com/ContosdeErana
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