How To Garner Reviewer Interest - Part Three

After spending the day with a house full of family, I'm a little late in the day with the third segment on what it takes to find reviews.  My apologies, oh patient authors!

Last week we talked about the myriad ways in which review requests end up in the trash bin - the highway, as it were.  From forgetting to include vital information in a request to not following the reviewers submission instructions, we covered a lot of tough ground.  So if you're still hanging with me, this week's entry is about how to get it right.

So join me as we explore part three in how to approach a potential reviewer - the right way!

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The Right Way

So you’ve read this far.  Congratulations!  You’re one step closer to increasing the number of yes’s to your review requests.  There’s no reason to pile on and make your email an epic read – that’s what your novel is for.  When approaching a reviewer keep your request short and to the point.  Give each potential reviewer exactly what they ask for – no more, no less.  Remember, we get a lot of emails each day and the easier you make it for us, the greater your chances of acceptance.  Here’s what should always be included.

1.         Reviewer’s name:  Yes, it’s there on the blog site.  Guess what?  You may actually have to read through the blog a little bit to find the name.  It isn’t hidden on purpose, but it may not be as obvious as mine.  Check contact information.  Read all the way to the bottom of the submission guidelines.  It’s there.  Now use it and address your email request to an actual person.  Do not write a generic salutation like “To whom it may concern” or “Madam” or “Sir” or other such nonsense.  Personalize it like, “Hi, D” or “Ms. Bale” – start your request using a smidge of professionalism.  A little goes a long way.

2.         Your name:  It’s a good idea to state this in your first sentence and again at close.  Something like, “My name is Wendy Woman, author of Windy Woods, and…” sign off with “Sincerely, Wendy/Ms. Woman” – you get the drift.  If you start and end professionally, you show respect for yourself and reviewers.

3.         Book title:  Again, include this in paragraph numero uno similar to the example given for #2 above. 

4.         Word count:  If your request is for a digital eBook, then include the word count.  If for a print copy, then reference the page count.  A reviewer needs to have an idea of the time investment required, and word/page counts tell us this.

5.         Genre:  Thriller, Mystery, etc.  In a world of crossovers and subgenres it can be difficult to accurately classify your novel’s niche.  It may have elements of several categories, but try and focus on the main thematic element.  Is it something taking place in a galaxy far, far away?  Probably Science Fiction is for you.  Does it take place in a post-apocalyptic world?  Probably Dystopian.  Are the main characters teenagers/college aged dealing with teenaged angst and situations?  Young Adult.  Does it ask the question of who done it?  Mystery.  Fast-paced, high stakes?  Thriller.  Even if your novel has elements of romance, action, or mystery, classify it under one main heading and then you can choose the underlying classifications to further identify it, such as Romantic Suspense – a Romance novel with elements of Suspense.  The worst thing you could do is misclassify the genre.  As a reviewer, if I’m told a novel is a Thriller then I expect a fast-paced read.  If it ends up being plodding and drags, my review will reflect this perceived negative due to deviation from the Thriller genre’s norms.  But if this same book was referenced as say a Fantasy, I’d expect a more character-based journey and the slower or uneven pace would fit – therefore my review would not perceive this as a negative.  Simply put – KNOW YOUR GENRE – and know it well.

6.         Time frame:  If you have a hard and fast date or range for which a review needs posting (like a release party, tour, campaign), tell a potential reviewer this up front.  Otherwise, don’t even mention a time frame in any way, shape, or form.  If a hard and fast date is the case, always give a minimum of a couple of months lead time when you begin your email campaign.  This allows a reviewer to decide if they will be able to meet your deadline when considering your novel for review.  We really try to meet a hard and fast date if you give us that consideration.  Just don’t email a week or two before said date.  We may not even get to your email within that time, and if the date is already looming or passed it’s an automatic trash dump.  Conversely, if you are like most authors and have no established date by which you need said review, don’t say anything about a timeline – please!  Referencing you want a “timely” review goes back to the slap in the face moment mentioned earlier.  We try so hard to make our reviews timely – but timely to an author and timely to a reviewer are two very different things.  Authors are happy when a review is posted the following day or week.  Reviewers are happy when we post the following month (or two, three, four…).

7.         Book blurb/synopsis:  Sell the reviewer on your book.  Make it sound like something they’ve just gotta read ASAP.  Need help?  See the next chapter.  Again – don’t do the lazy thing and simply copy/paste a link for a reviewer to follow.  Trash bin!  Copy/paste your description/synopsis/blurb into the email body.  Make it easy for a reviewer to take a chance on you, an unknown indie, to want to read your novel.

8.         Subject line:  Keep it simple and just state, “Review Request” or “Book Review”.  Don’t get all flowery or funky or make the email subject line long and convoluted.  Anything longer won’t show up in a condensed line anyway.

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Like I’ve already said – read each reviewer’s individual submission guidelines and follow them!  Some may ask for an excerpt or the first chapter in their instructions.  Include this in your email body.  Some may ask for your cover.  Remember to attach it.  Some may only accept print copies while yours is only available digitally.  Some may want everything submitted up front.  Most won’t.

So to keep it simple, here’s an example to consider:

Ms. Bale,

My name is Wendy Woman, and I’m the author of WINDY WOODS, book one of a planned four-part series.  This 72,000 word mystery follows twenty-four year old April Cameron as she explores the unnerving deaths of her parents and subsequent inheritance of a ramshackle manor she never knew existed – much less that they’d owned.  When April uproots from the urban jungle and transplants deep into Oregon’s wooded territory to restore the old place, questions multiply.

And danger increases.

First the old caretaker – who looks and smells like a descendent of sasquatch – attempts to chase April off of the property upon her arrival.  Then the crumbling carriage house nearly goes up in flames.  A horse is brutally slain in it’s stall.  All events point toward the mad caretaker, but April can’t get rid of him.  Even the local sheriff won’t touch him.

The tiny town of Inderia, five miles from the manor as the crow flies, appears as if time stopped a hundred years before.  The inhabitants stare in suspicion every time April drives her shiny Honda CRV along the dirt-packed roads.  Or she tries to pay for goods with a debit card.  She’s the outsider and no one wants her to stay.

No wonder April’s parents neither spoke of the old place nor visited it.  She is sorely tempted to follow their example and leave.

Until she discovers the secret no one wanted found.

If you are interested in reading WINDY WOODS, I’m prepared to forward a Kindle version and anything else needed for a review.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Wendy Woman

Here’s another format to provide food for thought:

Hi D,

My name is Wendy Woman, and I’d like to request a review of my upcoming novel.

Title:                Windy Woods – first in a series

Genre:             Mystery

Word Count:   72,000 eBook

Review Date:   Anytime during the week of January 16^th for the release party

Synopsis:         Twenty-four year old April Cameron is stuck.  Regardless of age, the sudden shock of becoming an orphan is difficult to overcome – especially with secrets involved.  While exploring the unnerving deaths of her parents, April discovers she’s inherited  a ramshackle manor she never knew existed.  When April uproots from the urban jungle and transplants deep into Oregon’s wooded territory to restore the old place, questions multiply.

And danger increases.

First the old caretaker – who looks and smells like a descendent of sasquatch – attempts to chase April off of the property upon her arrival.  Days later the crumbling carriage house nearly goes up in flames.  A horse is brutally slain in it’s stall.  All events point toward the mad caretaker, but April can’t get rid of him.  Even the local sheriff won’t touch him.

The tiny town of Inderia, five miles from the manor as the crow flies, appears as if time stopped a hundred years before.  The inhabitants stare in suspicion every time April drives her shiny Honda CRV along the dirt-packed roads.  Or she tries to pay for goods with a debit card.  She’s the outsider and no one wants her to stay.

No wonder April’s parents neither spoke of the old place nor visited it.  She is sorely tempted to follow their example and leave.

Until she discovers the secret no one wanted found.

I’m prepared to forward an ARC in any eReader format if you can fit WINDY WOODS  into your reading schedule.  Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you.

Best Wishes,

Wendy Woman

See?  It isn’t difficult to put together a concise request that lays out the basic details of a novel.  You don’t need to write another manuscript to get your point across about your book.  You don’t need to brow-beat a reviewer or blow sunshine up dark places.  You don’t need to denigrate or conversely puff yourself up to get a point across.  If a reviewer specifically wants more than this, simply go off of their submission guidelines – follow a reviewer’s guidelines first and foremost. 

Otherwise, lean on the side of KISS – Keep It Simple, Silly!

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Ta-da!  There you have it folks - and no, you can't make fun of my silly little blurbs.  I just threw those together right on the spot.  Hmmm, it might make an interesting story after all.  Now I'm intrigued.

While I'm off figuring out how to use these blurbs for another story idea, spend some time perfecting your email template for your next review request email blast.  Spend a little time up front to get it right the first time, and you might just find yourself with plenty of takers out there in cyberspace.  

Next week is the final installment, where I'll wrap up what we've learned thus far and what you'll need handy to be prepared for all of those reviewer acceptances.  Let me know what you think in the meantime.

Keep writing and I'll keep reading!