Interview with Kristin Anders from Ravishing Romances
Today I welcome Kristin Anders with Ravishing Romances (see her full bio below). She was gracious enough to answer all of my questions and share the wealth of her knowledge with fellow authors.
What role do you believe book bloggers can play in an author’s career?
Ha. This question is as broad as a writer asking how they become a good author. Oh, let me count the ways… It ultimately depends upon the blogger, and some blogs can potentially harm their career.
If an author wants general publicity they should consider the large blogs: USA Today’s Happily Ever After, RT Book Reviews (more of a site, not a blog), Smart Bitches, Dear Author, Joyfully Reviewed and The Romance Man.
If an author wants to develop readership they should consider the blogs who host giveaways, are active in social media and attend romance conventions: Under the Covers, Bitten by Books, Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance, The Jeep Diva, The Romance Dish, Between the Bind, Kindles and Wine and many, many more. These are also the blogs who participate in blog tours hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions and Author’s Angels.
If an author is searching for a book blog tomake other romance contacts they should consider bloggers who also have romance-related jobs: Seductive Musings (graphic design artist), Two Chicks on Books (publicist), Petit Fours and Hot Tamales (authors), Ms. Romantic Reads (graphic design artist) and, ahm, well the blog I co-run, Ravishing Romances (I double as a freelance editor exclusively in the romance genre).
The blogs that can hurt book sales are littered with typos, formatting errors and ask questions that have nothing to do with the author’s novel. No one is encouraged to buy a novel when the blog post looks crappy.
Do you feel book bloggers are more for the readers or the authors?
Again, that depends on the blog. Most blogs are for the readers. Many blogs are written to gain themselves readers, and not readers for the authors. Great blogs are tailored to do both, but any appearance on a decent blog can only help an author. (Unless the author is exclusively blogging and not writing when it’s not the month after their new release…but I digress.)
Personally, Ravishing Romances is for authors and reading connoisseurs. My reviews always referenced plots/character arcs, believability, world-building and effective dark moments in hopes of showcasing my editing skills.
If you could give a new author (one who has yet to be published) one piece of advice, what would it be?
One? Impossible.But here are five. Six. Eight. I’m done at eight:
1. You will never hurt your career by helping another author. Julia Quinn had it right when she said this at Georgia Romance Writers’ 2012 Moonlight & Magnolias convention.
2. Join Facebook for readers, Twitter for industry knowledge and connections, and only use Pinterest if you don’t pin copyrighted material. Use them daily, effectively, professionally, but not obsessively.
3. Finishing your manuscript is just the first step. Do not self-publish or shop it to agents and publishing companies just yet. Read it again. Revise. Give it to betas. Revise. Hire an editor. Revise. Choose your publishing company. Revise to fit the line you are submitting to. Possibly receive rejection letter. Revise. Submit to a different company.
Beware: Once a publisher rejects a manuscript they usually do not allow re-submissions. Be confident in your story.
4. If self-publishing, pay for a professional cover. Make sure the cover is attractive in thumbnail size, because that’s how small it is when readers are viewing it from Amazon and other retailers.
5. Pay for a professional website and keep it current. Readers want to be interactive and feel they know you. A website (and effective social media) accomplishes this.
6. Yes, you need an author photo. Until people are familiar with you that photo needs to be on all your social media accounts. It can be fun, sexy, attractive and flirty. It cannot be older than five years, someone other than you, show your two-year-old bra straps or have a toilet in the background. (You laugh, but I’ve seen it…)
…and after you’re published.
7. Reserve the month after your book release for promotion and at least an hour for it every day thereafter. Promotion is not spamming social media. Promotion is book blogs, blogging on Goodreads, commenting on blogs with heavy readership, responding to fan mail and like things. Do not mention your books and career on a different author’s blog post.
8. Writing new books sells your old ones. Any author will confirm this, especially those who are self-published. If self-published, advertise your books in the back of your other books. Publishing companies do this because it works. Only have one book? Reach out to like authors and cross-promote.
What are the most prevalent mistakes you see in books that have earned less than stellar reviews?
Unattractive romance covers, adverbs, passive voice, unresolved plot lines, plot lines purposefully left unresolved and the author forgets to write that intention into their novel, weak motivations and minimal conflict.
Can you give us a quick do and don’t list for contacting a book blogger?
Do spell their name correctly, read their site and submission guidelines, like/follow their social media and type a personalized email. Also send them links to your novel and social media in your review/interview request. If they accept your request, send them your novel, bio, author photo, novel cover, buy links and social media links. If you make it easy for them to pimp you, they more than likely will.
Do not email every blogger on the blog, ask if they review your subgenre when their site states they do not or type “I haven’t read your site, but…”
Could you tell us the best way, in your opinion, for an author to react to a negative review if at all?
Log offline, shut down your computer and call your friends, your betas, your editors and every person in your support group to vent. Readers believe authors are too busy living their fabulous lives and rolling in their book money to care about a negative review. Do not change that. You will scare them and possibly gain a restraining order or a stalker of your very own.
Do not let your friends respond to these either. It’s unprofessional and insults the romance industry. Let it go.
And finally, what is one thing that will make you not finish reading a book?
Exclamation points, all caps writing, repetitive tag lines and sentence structure, no conflict and unbelievable plots/characters/reactions.If your book has a plethora of these things, see Advice #3 in the above question. Or, you know, email me.
Thanks for having me, Rachel. I’m very flattered and hope my long-winded tidbits are useful to your authors.
Kristin Anders has six years’ paralegal experience in the entertainment industry and litigation. Her work focused on copyright, communicative/persuasive writing, legal editing, grammar corrections, writing within word counts and topic specifications. She has an Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies and occasionally takes university courses to earn her Bachelors. Kristin interned for Entangled Publishing, beta reads for published romance authors, and freelance edits. Her resume can be viewed here, and references are given upon request.
Website: www.RavishingRomances.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristinAnders1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KristinAnders11
