Want to be part of improving the book community?

[Bob]

Do you review and talk about books online? If so you can help the book community.

I am currently working on my graduating thesis for school. For my thesis I am helping mainly indie authors understand the book market. Due to all the changes with with the book world, authors are no longer sure what their readers want and solving this problem has become quite complex.

By filling out this short questionnaire you would be giving me data which would help me solve this problem, which in the end could mean better books for you!

YEAAAA!!



Please help!




http://wpcareyschool.qualtrics.com/SE...




(Survey is anonymous btw)

[Iscah]

I started to fill it out and then realized you were looking for people more dedicated to reviewing than I am. Good luck.

I do write reviews and talk about books, but not in a dedicated sort of way where I'd accept submissions.

[Bob]

I'm not sure how far you got. Yes, in the beginning my survey appears as you say. But later it gets into other things. The last question addresses your view of not accepting submissions.

At any rate, thank you very much for giving it a go!

[Iscah]

ok, I'll try again then.

[Bob]

I want to thank everyone who has taken my survey.

I am really happy to see the response my survey has gotten. Almost 200 people have already taken it. With everyone's help, my thesis now has much better information and far more credible.

This has really enabled me to better the book world by helping authors better develop and promote their books in a responsible way. And i could not be doing it without all of you!



Thanks so much!!!!!!



If you haven't taken the survey, it'll remain open for a few more weeks. More people taking the survey can only make the findings better!



If you want to get a summary of my findings you can subscribe to my newsletter on my site: (I don't send out much)

www.philosophiesdead.com





Thanks again!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!

[Iscah]

I don't feel the survey quite covered this, but in general, it's bad form to submit your book to people unless they've expressed some kind of interest or are open for submissions (for your type of book).

I got a bit over excited and did this once. The person was polite about it and looked at the sample, but I don't think it impressed them with my professionalism. Later I realized there are quite literally hundreds if not thousands of review blogs out there, and targeting submissions to reviewers looking for my type of book had much better odds.

I'm connected to a lot of Indie authors on LinkedIn. 9 times out of 10 when you see one complain about having trouble getting reviews despite submitting to review blogs the book has basic formatting and editing problems.

What I learned after the fact and wish someone had expressed to me more clearly is you really ought to have your book finished and reasonably polished, so you can send out review copies (ARCs) 3 to 4 months in advance. There are a lot of blogs that will take books after the fact, but many of them and practically all the major print publications (the kind librarians and bookstores read) want them 3 to 4 months before the general public can get them.

[Bob]

that's very true. I wish I'd known this myself in the beginning. It would have made my collection of secondary research much easier.


What you addressed will be part of my product development stage and my pre-launch stage.

Hopefully, I can find enough good data/info for those stages! (mostly pre-launch has to get done at this point)