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Getting reviewed by a Best Selling Big Name Author...
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I didn't know that Tolkein was still alive???
Presuming the review is overwhelmingly positive, it would surely help.Good publicity is unequivocally good for a writer seeking popularity.
I don't think there is a direct relationship between editorial reviews and sales but there certainly is an indirect one. If everything else grabs the readers attention then a stellar review from a respected source gives your book the sheen of acceptability and quality that helps make up a wavering reader's mind. It's like word of mouth but with a megaphone.
Tara wrote: "It's like word of mouth but with a megaphone."excellent metaphor!
a well-known author would be an "influencer" for you.
if the author is very well-known, then being outside of your genre would still make a positive impact. in fact, it could be a pretty big boon. some examples would be Stephen King, Suzanne Collins, the author of Divergent (of course, you'd always mention the movie w/the author's name). definitely having their book made into a movie creates an even bigger megaphone than an author w/o a movie.
so you got such a review, Michael? that's great!
High profile reviews usually place a book on a ride of fame. The same as a NY times review or Guardian, I would imagine. However, that's not to say that reviews from authors who don't make a name should be underrated. Theirs can be just as perceptive too.
I think this can backfire, too. I once picked up a book from a newbie that had been endorsed by one of my fave authors. That book was one of the crappiest stories I'd ever read - I didn't DNF because I thought 'my' author saw something in there and so I chugged along.Ended up losing respect for 'my' author in the process. Then a little later, I read how big houses get their big names to simply give a quote sometimes with no clue what the book is even about, so I hardly put any stock in a big name review now because most of the time, it's a marketing gimmick.
Zee wrote: "I think this can backfire, too. I once picked up a book from a newbie that had been endorsed by one of my fave authors. That book was one of the crappiest stories I'd ever read - I didn't DNF becau..."I think what really boosts sales is what the majority of readers are saying as opposed to a few big wigs. If most people say there is a fire, then it is likely that there is a fire.
First of all, what have you got to lose? I don't see any negative side to it, only potentially huge positive one.Second, there are things you can integrate as 'contributors' on Amazon, so the name will appear near yours. From memory you have options for 'editors', 'illustrators'' 'foreword by' and some more. If you can get a foreword for example and place a BIG name near yours, I think it's very advantageous, as people search these big names and your book will pop up often..
Also renowned authors have vast followships, so any such endorsement should immediately echo through thousands of people. Excellent exposure.
I say, take it and bargain a few sentences for me too -:)
Well the downside is he/she could hate it and I will have lost any future chances. This is my first book. I would hope that #2 and #3 will be better. They might not be, but I would hope I would improve. Perhaps I should wait until later in my "writing" career. Anyone searching for this author's books, probably wont be interested in reading mine, so I dont think that his name will increase sales. And Im not looking for a publishing house or agent.
Ultimately, it would take "pulling a favor." Not something I particularly enjoy doing. So before I do it, it better be worthwhile.
I was wondering if any of you knew/heard of a situation where a major author's endorsement lead to some very positive results.
The only one I am aware of is Stephen King's endorsement/forward of Jack Ketchum's "The Girl Next Door." Just going by reviews, it seems as though that particular novel out sold all of Ketchum's 20 other novels (combined). Perhaps it was due to King's endorsement. Maybe is was just a better story. I dont know. They are both horror writers. But it doesnt seem like it made Ketchum a household name.
Michael wrote: "Well the downside is he/she could hate it and I will have lost any future chances. This is my first book. I would hope that #2 and #3 will be better. They might not be, but I would hope I would imp..."If it were me I would wait if for no other reason then it would be better to have him endorse the entire series.
Michael wrote: "Well the downside is he/she could hate it and I will have lost any future chances. ..."I guess he/she can like or hate any given book. Don't know whether it'll be Ok to ask him/her read book #3, for example, without providing the entire series. Then the favor will be bigger -:). But maybe you can wait some time to see how the first book is accepted and then apply or not..
Publishers seek as much endorsement as they can for their debut authors. I guess they believe it works.. After all guys of King's, Grisham's, etc caliber have some weight and reputation in readers' eyes..
Michael wrote: "I would hope that #2 and #3 will be better. They might not be, but I would hope I would improve. Perhaps I should wait until later in my "writing" career... Ultimately, it would take "pulling a favor." Not something I particularly enjoy doing. So before I do it, it better be worthwhile. "It seems like you already made up your mind. ;)
To answer your question if I've heard of a major author's endorsement lead to some very positive results," I refer you to the following articles/quotes.
(I think that we might be conflating a "review" with an "endorsement", but in the end, it would turn out to be similar in effect in that if it was a positive review then you'd be able to at least direct readers to it or (with permission) quote it.)
Michael wrote: "Anyone searching for this author's books, probably wont be interested in reading mine, so I dont think that his name will increase sales. And Im not looking for a publishing house or agent."
and to confirm your aforementioned statement and argue against my previous contrary statement, here's an opinion from a guest article on Friedman's website (scroll down to "Endorsements--or Not")--but, of course, if the endorsement is from a really big author or celebrity, then you can pretty much throw out all of these statements b/c then then the situation becomes an outlier:
https://janefriedman.com/writing-back...
"Don’t make the mistake of reeling in just anyone to write an endorsement for you. It truly does need to be a recognized name in your genre or field."
Also, here, a children's author guest article on the same website, states:
"Just like for traditional publishers, the marketing tool of endorsements has a spotty record of success. It depends on the book, the audience, the person giving the endorsement, how the endorsement is used, and so on. It’s merely one of the marketing tools available."
To all this I would add that uber promoter Bookbub recommends editorial reviews to help with approval from them.
Michael, If you are in the position of "pulling a favor" I would ask that author because I don't think you should have any worry whatsoever that he/she would write a bad review. Authors who have that much success would just not be mean to someone who is starting out, if at the very least, because it would damage their image with their own fans. And they have nothing to gain by being mean to a newbie. Not like you're going to take away from their sales. If he/she really hated it, what he/she would probably say is something like "I didn't have time to finish it, sorry I was on deadline with my own book." And perhaps, let you take the hint that it wasn't that great so far as he/she was concerned.
Then, you can say : well perhaps you'll have more time when I've gotten further with the series....etc etc
In the best possible world he/she might give you some constructive criticism that you haven't heard from your beta readers.
I kinda agree with what Alex posted. I dont know if it will make a huge difference in sales since he/she is not in my genre. Joanna - I dont think he/she would write a bad review. I think he/she would just pass on writing anything and then Ive lost a chance that maybe would have been better received once I honed my skills more. I am not a writer. So its a bit daunting to have a critically acclaimed writer review your work.
Then I would fall back on an old journalistic mantra that stood me in good stead on several occasions: "When in doubt, leave out."
Early on, I had one for a sci-fi novel. A Pulitzer nominee, what he wrote wasn't in that genre, but he read a lot of sci-fi. I can't say I saw a huge jump in sales.I recently featured two of my books at a local show, one a mystery/thriller and the other sci-fi. I sold a lot of books, but the even confirmed again what I've observed before: the mystery/thriller genre is "more popular" than the sci-fi genre, the latter seeming to be saturated (maybe too many films and TV shows?). In that sense, and in retrospect, the response to that "famous" author's review wasn't surprising.
r/Steve
I would think it'd be more about bragging rights than anything. "Hey, so-and-so loves my book!" That said, Michael Byrnes said he would read my book (we both have novels titled Bounty... slightly awkward, but more common than you'd think), so I'm anxious to see what a bestseller thinks of my work.
Even if that author isnt known in your particular genre?
This is an author that received critical acclaim. Movies were made of his/her books though recently he hasnt had a best seller.
Thoughts?