The Importance of Reviews
A few weeks ago, I discovered that Amazon will only feature/ recommend a novel if it has received at least eighty reviews. This is particular for indie authors who have used their KDP system.
So far, The Beaumont Egalitarian Society is sitting at just two reviews (one of which is from my dearest brother who, to be fair, had already read the novel before posting).
I am not usually one to ask anything of my readers, but with advice recently given on LinkedIn, I feel it can’t hurt to try. If anyone has read the book and wouldn’t mind leaving a review on Amazon (or Goodreads), I would greatly appreciate it. I ask for honest reviews, so even if you hated the entire thing, I’d like to know in order to improve my work; the last thing I want is for someone to purchase my novel and think it’s a waste of their money.
Do I have faith in my novel? Absolutely (and a little more thanks to a new friend who recently read and enjoyed it, encouraging me to continue writing!). It is why the novel is now published, rather than remaining hidden in the many computer files I still need to organise into folders—the modern author no longer has a desk covered in stacks of papers (okay, we do), but a desktop riddled with overlapping files often left unnamed. I truly believe that readers (not just the teens it was aimed at) will enjoy the premise and the characters.
One thing I absolutely refuse to do is pay for a review, good or bad. I understand that there are people who have formed businesses based on professionally reviewing books. I have no intention of diminishing their work (there are some who actually take the time to read and give honest feedback worthy of attention). If it is something you are interested in, I will not mock your decision.
However, for me personally, it just doesn’t sit right. I want honest reviews that come from readers who have picked up my book for a little entertainment. Readers who have no subconscious motivations to analyse each word, becoming lost in technicalities rather than the storyline. Readers for whom the book was intended, including the many adult readers who have given the book a chance.
I am under no illusion that my work is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. I will not be the next Rowling, Tolkien, or Austen. My main aim is to provide an escape for my readers, to offer a few hours/ days break from the real world and the problems it brings. If that is only for one or two readers, than that is enough for me. On that note, my aim is also to never give up, to keep improving my writing skills each and every day. I aim to secure an agent I trust, to break into the traditional publishing world and get my work out there on a grander scale. I want to reach more readers and bring more smiles.
But to do that, paying for reviews is not the pathway I intend to use; I will seek out editors and proofreaders, and the opinions of true readers.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://jennifereglynnauthor.com/wp-c..." data-large-file="https://jennifereglynnauthor.com/wp-c..." tabindex="0" role="button" src="https://jennifereglynnauthor.com/wp-c..." alt="" class="wp-image-1078" style="width:289px;height:auto" />If you have read my novel and can spare a few minutes to please leave a review (whether you loved it or hated it), you will be assisting me in not only improving my work, but allowing the novel to get the exposure it deserves. Absolutely no pressure, though! Your endless support already has been enough to keep me going.
On that note, if you are a lover of indie (self-published) novels, I highly encourage you to leave reviews on those books as well. Many of us are in the same boat, so just a few little words can go a long way to not only helping me achieve my dream, but helping them as well! There are some truly incredible novels out there that are worth the read.
I hope your Thursday is going well!
~Jennifer x
