Orphan (Key to Magic 1) received 4 1/4 stars from Red Adept

As a relatively newly published indie author (first book out on Amazon Kindle in October 2010), I have slowly learned several things about the indie author game.

Perhaps the most important: reviews are an integral part of the promotion process.

I have no concrete data to support my thesis, but my conviction is that many ebook enthusiasts make purchases based primarily on reviews.

Almost all indie ebook authors are virtual unknowns in the general literary world. Even the most successful, those who sell thousands of copies a month, are ciphers to the general public. The average indie author, by default, has no significant reputation or previous sales history to draw new readers.

Many say that covers attract audiences, but what can you really tell about a novel from a thumbnail?

Free samples are available from nearly all ebook outlets, but I believe that many potential buyers will only read a sample as the last step in their shopping process. They must be inclined to buy a book before they will take the trouble to read the sample.

It seems clear to me that the final buying decision for a book by an unknown author is determined by the nature of any reviews available. Nothing else will communicate sufficient information to allow a reader to judge whether a book will suit his taste.

Of course, friends and colleagues review books, but reviews by independent sources of recognized standing must be the Holy Grail of indie authorship.

Unfortunately, there must be literally hundreds of thousands (750,000 ebooks on Amazon Kindle alone) of indie authors in the US and only a handful of reviewers and blogs. Consequently, these Holy Grail reviews are difficult to come by.

Thus, I am, needless to say, ticked pink that Red Adept published a review of Orphan today.

If I wasn't too old, I'd dance a jig.