Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion
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what do you do when your reviewers flake out?
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People forget, they're busy, they truly don't know what to say... I think, sometimes, it's okay to drop them an e-mail and just reiterate that you'd very much appreciate it if they'd take the time to post a review. Just the one e-mail though. And if they still don't review - well, don't send them any copies of your next one!And yes, it is frustrating. But that's humans for you.
To be honest, people say they will do a lot of things - then never do. Even people who are your friends/family. It's not a criticism of your work, just a confirmation that for YOU it's a central aspect of your life, but for THEM it's not. They mean no harm. For me, it's kinda like your friends/family showing you yet another picture of their new bouncing baby... yaaaaawwwwnnn... ;)
In my experience friends and family are the worst about following through on reading your (or my) book. I sent mine to a number of friends (not so much for review, just to share with them), but since they just see me as their friend who happens to write on the side very few have seen it as important enough to warrant reading time. Strangers, however, generally only see you in your writers guise and are better about reading a book they pick up or are sent. Having said that we all have to deal with reviewers not following through or taking an eternity to do so. I am both a reader and a writer. I have sent out tons of books and only a fraction have actually written reviews. More may come in eventually, but as of now it's just a small fraction.
Since I started taking review requests I have a much better understanding of the whole system and a lot more patience as a result. Ever since I started accepting ecopies I get roughly 3 requests a day! That's despite stating very clearly that I prefer print books. I can't imagine what the influx would be if I had any type of open door policy. If the people who accepted my book get the same type of volume how could I possibly expect fast turn arounds. It's a waiting game. More than likely the reviewers will get to your book eventually. It might be six months, but if they said they would read it I bet they will. If not, like Jane said, write them off.
Kelly, for years people gushed about reading my books, but on presentation of a manuscript 99% never actually read it. Until I started self-publishing I had had exactly three people out of dozens who had actually read any of my books (they all loved them so I guess the others missed out...!) I learned pretty quick not to expect people to do what they said. However, when it comes to spending money, I'd quickly get salty about it. Paperbacks are expensive, and if I send one to a reviewer nine times out of ten I would expect them to read it, or at least try. Ebooks cost me nothing, so if a reviewer just doesn't bother, that's fine. Garath, you're spot on, and Sadie, I agree with you, which is why I make my friends pay for a copy!
It's frustrating when people let you down, but I shrug it off. I've had a few readers who have tried to rate my book through their Kindle and it's not transferred to Amazon. There are others who I suspect didn't enjoy it and didn't want to hurt my feelings with a bad review. There are a few who I'm sure will get round to writing a review at some point.And there are some who probably just didn't bother reading it.
Whatever the reason, it's unreasonable for me to expect readers or reviewers to care about my book as much as I do. However important a new review might be to me, I don't have a right to it. Reviews aren't for me, they're for readers, and the fact that they might play a part in boosting my sales is neither here nor there.
I try not to have a lot of expectations of follow-through for people because I know what's priority to me is just one sliver of their own, increasingly jam-packed lives.That said, for the most part folks who have agreed to review have been true to their word. It just took some time.
Also, it's turned out people I knew peripherally who were reading weren't silent because they were afraid to tell me they hated the book or anything; in both cases, there were very good personal reasons the reading took a while. And it turned out both of them were really enjoying the book.
As writers, we get such little feedback, we're never quite sure where we stand; we turn potential reasons into elaborate fictions in our own minds. :) So just hang in there, keep moving forward with your projects, and I think you may see over time some surprising response!
I have to say as a reader I do sometimes take a long time to get to a book unless an author specifically asks me to review it quickly (or if I promised to do so). Free review books are just like any other TBR list- things get in the way, life distractions, a beloved author coming out with something new, and some books fall behind on the list. Nothing personal. If you are in need of reviews, I don't think there's anything wrong with contacting people who have asked you for a review copy and seeing if they can help you out. If you just put it out there as a freebie with no strings attached, of course there's nothing you can do.
Melissa wrote: "Hey everyone, I have a question. I was attempting to market my book and did a handful of giveaways and freebies. On the giveaways, I sent print copies to people who promised to do reviews. I think ..."Honestly, you cannot force people to write reviews. Everyone has a different way of prioritizing what books they read. To be honest, while we owe our readers the best product we can possibly give them, they don't owe us much of anything. I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for you, but I can tell you that I've sold a good many books (in the thousands) since 2009, when my first book was published, and had only a handful of reviews.
Melissa wrote: "Haha, so true Gareth. I can see the deadpan look in the eyes of my friends and family when I am brainstorming ways to promote more."My particular hobbyhorse these days is that discoverability is more important than marketing. It really is true; I seldom do marketing of any sort unless it's a new title, and then I do very little billboarding of it (by which I mean blog posts, FB announcement, press release, etc.). If you have your book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBook editions on Smashwords (which gets you outstanding distribution around the world), regular KDP and perhaps some local mom-and-pop booksellers who will promote a local author, you are in a good position.
I think commenting on a negative review is a bad idea for an author. I've seen it happen here on GR. Even the most innocuous comment can & has turned into very poor press.
One fairly new author I know said he used to read every review & turned into a manic-depressive over them, so he quit. Authors are artists & need to grow a very thick skin or live in ignorance, I guess.
To get reviews, you might look up who has good reviews that fit with your style here on GR & then ask if you could get one from them for a free copy of your book. That might garner better returns.
One fairly new author I know said he used to read every review & turned into a manic-depressive over them, so he quit. Authors are artists & need to grow a very thick skin or live in ignorance, I guess.
To get reviews, you might look up who has good reviews that fit with your style here on GR & then ask if you could get one from them for a free copy of your book. That might garner better returns.
Commenting on any review is probably a bad idea for an author. I've had some lovely reviews, and while I've sent a few people private messages or commented in other forums to thank them, I'll personally never leave a comment on the review itself. There are so many ways it can be misconstrued.
Sharon wrote: My particular hobbyhorse these days is that discoverability is more important than marketing..."
That's a very good point Sharon, and discoverability is aided by reviews. I think when it come sto reviews there are two objectives for authors to think about here.
1. Reviews directly back to the author. As a writer you want honest constructive criticism. So for example I dont want people to say "that was great" or "that was rubbish" (especially the latter!) directly to me. I want to know why it was good, why it was bad, what can I do to improve. Authors hardly ever get this sort of feedback because it takes time and effort to give it, no one is going ot provide that unless they have a very strong reason to make the effort to read the work, and then think about and present constructive criticism.
2.Public review. This is almost as hard to get. you are quite right that you might get hundreds of downlaods and one or two public reviews, and then it might seem like one of them is unfair!
Recently I tried to create some small groups of people who would commit to providing a public review of each others work on Amazon. This only really works i think for ebooks. Also, it's difficult enough when the work is free but if you have to pay for it that raises the bar.
That said, I do think getting a couple of good reviews on Amazon (or any of the other ebook platforms) for your work is very valuable. I've only got a short story out there (for 99c) but I'd be more than prepared to join with three or four others, buy their stories (for 99c) read and review them on Amazon - to get the same back for my work.
Horace wrote: "I think commenting on a negative review is a bad idea for an author. I've seen it happen here on GR. Even the most innocuous comment can & has turned into very poor press. One fairly new autho..."
*Never* respond to a negative review. Period.
I agree with you Sharon. Even John Grishalm gets his share of bad reviews.
To be honest with you. I don't think a review sways a reader one way or the other. As my own experience I look at the reviews from someone's objective point of view. It doesn't sway me from reading it.
Michelle wrote: "To be honest with you. I don't think a review sways a reader one way or the other. As my own experience I look at the reviews from someone's objective point of view. It doesn't sway me from reading..."For me it matters what type of review it is. I don't generally pay any attention to 4 and 5 star reviews. I basically just note that they are there, so someone must like the book. What I look into is the poor reviews. I want to know if the person didn't like the story or ending etc. Theses are opinions and don't affect my decision much. On the other hand if they state that the editing was atrocious, grammar unreadable and plot lacklustre I would probably give the book a pass.
This is a great thread . . . seems we all have our stories, though I learned my lesson about asking family to review my books when my older sister responded by saying "I will, if you sit through all my slides from the African safari we took last April."They were gone for a month, so I knew it would be agony . . .
Realizing her interests leaned more towards travel than reading, I focused my review efforts on those who actually enjoyed books. So I searched out book reviewers, bloggers, those who lived for reading. I made requests, courteously trying to pique their interest. Many responded positively, and I've established some great relationships with these hard-working folks. While it may take awhile for one of my books to make it to the top of the que, for me, it's been worth it.
Of course, there are some review site options available for sale. Certainly a consideration, if time and budget permits.
Jaye Frances
Melissa wrote: "Hey everyone, I have a question. I was attempting to market my book and did a handful of giveaways and freebies. On the giveaways, I sent print copies to people who promised to do reviews. I think ..."Hi Melissa,
I've got several books out that I brought to market at the same time. I've managed to get about 30 reviews for them in the first four months .....but that's across seven books, so an average of just four each, and that's with A LOT of solicitation.
Goodreads is actually your best source for reviewers, because people follow through on obligations; if they just download it for free, there is no obligation and it's a total crapshoot. I've had about 2,500 books downloaded for free without a review being set up in advance (KDP Select) and that has garnered a grand total of about five reviews. I kid you not.
The issue to me, in all likelihood, is that we've hit a critical mass of "free" readership where it's starting to lose any "loss leader" value, because people want free, not cheap.
When my first book came out, I sent out a lot of review copies, and received a handful of reviews. Changed tactics with the next releases - I contact/query reviewers and ask them if they want to take the book on. Those who reply get a copy and I gently ask when they plan to up their review so I can cross-promote their site. That's a win-win for us both (even if it's not a glowing review, lol). That usually tickles them to respond with a review.But time is a big factor. I review on the side and find it hard to review books within a month of getting a copy, but within 2-3 months I usually get to it.
I recently wrote a blog post about this but I will paste it here. Just remember that when you send actual paper copies out people are still under NO obligation to write you a review. I have had ZERO friends and family write me a review who received a free book. It's frustrating but at the same time I shrug it off. I also look at a window of 2-3 months for reviews to be posted by reviewers who are a little less busy, and within 6 months for reviewers who seem to be more busy. You don't really want the book reviews all at one time anyway. If there is a slow trickle of reviews that's what you want.
I recommend visiting the page of books that fall in your book's genre and locating the top 5 reviewers for each book. Write down their contact information until you have at least 25 different individuals to send it to. Then personalize the information below with your information and I bet the review responses will be coming in.
I see a lot of readers complaining about authors contacting (spamming!) them on Goodreads with requests to read or review their novels.
I feel for the readers, I really do. While I genuinely WANT readers and reviewers to read and review my novel I believe that there is a tremendous amount of etiquette that needs to go into requesting a review.
1. If you're Goodreads friends with someone and are requesting a review it's a good idea to get to know them first. Don't just be a receiver. Be a giver too. People are people and like others who interact with them. Readers aren't scary. They're just people too.
2. If they have a blog link or website link to their personal review space off of Goodreads CLICK ON IT and read it. They may have a stringent set of things they require in a request.
3. Be professional when you're requesting a review. If you're requesting it directly via Goodreads point out why you want them to review it, and why you think they'd like it.
4. Give information about yourself without sounding like the next baby Jesus. Even if you are.
Here is an example of some things you can put in your request:
Your target market information for the book you are requesting a review for.
Synopsis of the Book.
Short author Bio.
Two or three short blurbs from reviews others have written. If you have no reviews say that, "I'd be honored if you were the first to review my novel!"
A short sentence or two about your novel's awards etc, and whether or not it's part of a series.
Inform them of what types of media you're able to send. If you can only send a pdf, state that.
Link to your website, twitter, goodreads, Facebook fan page, LinkedIn, etc. Tell them where they can find you online.
I always try to include the first chapter of my book. If someone doesn't like the first chapter then I've saved them time by making sure they are able to read a smidgen of it before committing to reading the whole thing.
Lastly, say thank you.
Reviewers don't have to read your book. You as an author have the unique ability to connect on a very intimate basis with someone who may or may not have a direct impact on your sales. Be considerate. Be nice. Don't be a kiss ass, but also don't get crazy if the reviewer doesn't like it.
It's like anything in life, everything is subjective and everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Just be yourself. Your personality will also have an impact on whether or not a reader/reviewer chooses your novel.
Hope this helps!
Hi, all! I'm pretty new to goodreads so I supposes I'll introduce myself. I'm Jessica :) I'm loving Goodreads so far! I'm not a published writer myself but I started writing the occasional review not too long ago. The majority of them are on Amazon; I haven't gotten around to putting all of them on here yet.
My opinion on authors requesting reviews is I'm all for it. I enjoy when an author sends me a copy of their book for a review; Perhaps since I'm still new at it I haven't seen the bad side of a review request. The authors I have reviewed for have been great- both perfessionally and personally. Missy mentioned giving information about yourself to the reviewer and I agree with that. I think it's always a good thing for the reviewer to know a bit about the author they review for and vice versa. That's just my opinion, anyway. Lol.
I feel for the authors sending out a copy and never receiving a review for it. That's gotta be extremely frustrating! I'd rather tell an author I'm honestly not interested in the book than have them send me a copy for nothing. It's not fair to the writer at all.
I know I don't have a lot of experience with this so I hope y'all don't mind me jumping in here :)
Best wishes in all your writing and happy reading!
-Jessica
When trying to get reviews, I query reviewers first whether they would be interested in my book before I send anything. I typically give them a one-to-two sentence summary of the book, and a link to my author site. This way, I'm not wasting their time, and I'm not sending them items they don't want.I also check out what reviewers do and do not accept in terms of reading material. Most book bloggers are really good about being specific on their site about the kinds of books they like, and what formats they prefer things in. My book is a pretty specific genre-- humorous sci-fi-- and I know it's not everyone's taste. Finding the right reviewer who understands the spirit of the genre means the difference between a great review and a "meh" one.
I absolutely don't bother them if my book doesn't fit into their genre favorites. In fact, I have some reviewer friends on Twitter that I won't send a query to because my book genre isn't in their taste preferences, and I don't want to ruin an otherwise enjoyable social media friendship by breaching that.
I also understand from them that they generally HATE getting approached on places like Twitter or Facebook with people requesting book reviews. So it's really good to pay attention to how reviewers want to be approached and be respectful of that.
So far, this has worked out pretty well for me. I'm still learning, but it's been a fun process.
Missy wrote: "I recently wrote a blog post..."Super advice there, Missy. You've got my vote! Whatever it is!
Thanks Missy! Love your advice!
I gave away lots of free e-books of my first title - only a handful replied. I don't giveaway print copies because the mailing expenses from Italy would kill me, but I don't have problems generating Smashwords coupon for reviews.Thing is - like many have said here - you won't always get a review. For many reasons. So I stopped requesting them. This year I have given away free copies only to betas or editors to thank them for their time.
I'm tired of waiting 2 to 4 months for a review that might never come. I'll just write the next book. The best marketing tool is just that, after all! :-)
Oh, and when I read something, I try to post a review as well, especially if it's an indie author (90% of my reading these days is indie) - and I rarely get the free copy (unless I win a giveaway - I try to read the books I win in a timely manner, but I'm also a writer and hours in a day are limited, LOL! Latest blog hop I won 5 e-books, I have managed to read the 3 on my Kindle during last week's vacation, but I still have 2 PDFs to read...).
So, no reviews? Move. On. Write. The. Next. Book.
E-books are forever, your readers will find you.
My other pen-name has no blog, no FB, no GR profile and it sells. One copy a month, maybe, but with no marketing nor advertizing whatsoever. And no reviews either.
Best!
Barb
Sharon wrote: "*Never* respond to a negative review. Period."If you feel you must respond to a negative review, thank the reviewer for sharing their viewpoint, express regret that the story failed to reach them, and then shut up.
Doc
Some are casual acquaintances, some are family - who say they just haven't found time to even start it - and some were people who offered to beta read for me.
It's very frustrating and disheartening. So maybe its not just you. =)