How To Garner Reviewer Interest - Part Four

Well congratulations!  You've followed this four-part article all the way to the end.  Give yourself a big 'ol pat on the back - if you can reach it.

Thus far we've looked at a day in the life of a reviewer, the wrong way to go about asking for reviews, and then the right way to go about asking for reviews for your glorious masterpiece.  In this final segment, we're going to look at what you need to be prepared for when those yes's to your request start coming in.  Quick response is key.  Do you have print copies available?  Every eReader edition available?  Good.  Now let's spend our final moments together as we take a gander at how to respond to a reviewer who says that special word.

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So you’ve created a clean, concise email template and sent out your request to blogger after blogger searching for takers.  What do you do when the acceptances begin floating in?

Reply to that email ASAP and send them every single, little bitty thing they ask for, exactly how they ask for it.

The worst thing you could do for yourself after working so hard to find reviewers is to be unprepared – the proverbial caught with your pants down moment.  When those acceptances begin coming in, you need to have everything necessary at hand and reply in one email response as quickly as possible.  Do not piecemeal and send a whole bunch of emails with one or two things at a time.  All together in one email please.

You ask – then what will a typical reviewer want?  That’s a good question. 

1.         Copy of your novel:  It’s important to have as many digital forms as possible available for a variety of eReaders.  If your novel is available in print, be sure to keep a few on hand at all times.  Again, check their website before you even send an initial request to ensure what formats they accept.  Some only take Kindle while others only Nook, etc.  Many still only accept print copies.  Do your homework ahead of time to ensure you are prepared to send a reviewer’s individual format preference.  UNLESS otherwise stated, submit this as an attachment.  Second best would be to forward a coupon code and the direct link for said coupon code or gift a copy directly.

2.         Cover photo:  Self-explanatory – but make certain to reduce/compress the size if it is a large file.  Again, include this as an attachment.

3.         Author photo:  Yep, people want to see you.  If you’re going to publish, you’re going to have to be ready with a professional public image.  I know one author who even uses a cute image of his dog with a pair of glasses on while reading a newspaper.  It doesn’t really matter, as long as you consistently utilize the same image everywhere.  It’s called branding.  Just attach it and stop belly-aching.

4.         Book blurb/description/synopsis:  It’s best to utilize the same description for your book as what is on sales channels.  Consistency is the key.  Include either in the body of your email or as an attachment.

5.         Author bio:  Again, utilize the same bio as what is posted on your sales channels.  If you have never written one, then do so.  Make sure it is written in third person.  Garner assistance from someone who has known you awhile if needed.  Just be brief – this isn’t a resume.  Include either in the body of your email or again as an attachment.

6.         Links:  Provide a link to your author website/blog, social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and any or all sales channels where your novel can be located.  Many reviewers are specific about which links they want, so only provide those they ask for.  Otherwise it is carte blanche!  Just don’t overdo it.  Include these links in the body of your email.

Some reviewers may ask for additional items.  The key here is to research and be prepared up front BEFORE beginning your email campaign.  Make the review process as easy on the reviewer as possible.  No unnecessary fodder.  Always include each item as requested in one reply email.  Count ‘em – ONE!

If you haven’t already, be sure and keep good notes when you start that email campaign.  I write it all out on a yellow legal pad and then transfer everything into an Excel file on my computer (backed up to my external hard-drive and flash-drive).  Be sure and notate the website address, the name of the reviewer, the email address of the reviewer, and the date your initial request was sent.  When you get any sort of response, it is easy to go into your template and notate whether you received a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and the date you forwarded the requested items and then the date your review was posted (and the direct link to said review).  This may seem rather elementary, but I receive multiple requests sometimes from the same authors for the same novels over the course of a year, and I suspect it is because they have no idea to whom they’ve already forwarded requests.  Always keep good records because then you’ll be ready to forward the next release to those who enjoyed your first.

And lastly, as an author don’t make the mistake I’ve seen so many times of simply sending an accepting reviewer a bunch of links for them to go out there and gather your bio, photos, descriptions, etc.  Most likely they will email you back and say “thanks, but no thanks” and you’ll have just destroyed an opportunity out of sheer laziness.  It is not the responsibility of the reviewer to go searching out the web for your information.  That’s 100% your job.  It’s your responsibility to make the process as easy on the reviewer as possible.  It’s your responsibility to provide the reviewer with everything exactly as they requested.  Remember – you’re the one asking for a review.

Get it?

Got it?

Good.

***

That's all folks!  Thank you for sharing this journey with me.  I hope you got some useful information out of it, as I've enjoyed sharing this time with you.  If you ever have questions about writing, reviewing, or just plain need to connect with a fellow author, drop me a line.

I always respond.

Happy reading and writing!

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!

***

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!

How To Garner Reviewer Interest - Part Two

Hello again, dear readers, and welcome to part two of our exploration on how authors can find reviewers for their novels.

Last week I discussed the varied differences in expectation between authors and the reality of the life of reviewers.  We looked at what reviewers go through and how we decide on what books to accept into our never-ending TBR piles.  I told you there's the highway (automatic deletion) and the right way (consideration) to approach reviewers when asking them to review your novel.  So guess what we're going to talk about today?

The highway.

Yes, those far too numerous requests that end up being an automatic trash dump.  Reviewers receive so many of these over and over again that we just want to bang our heads against a wall and end it all.  It's all about professionalism and setting the right tone from the greeting to the close.

Remember, you're a published author now - a business - so treat it as such in all respects.

So if you want to know what you and countless others might be doing wrong when approaching reviewers, this post is for you.

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The Highway

1.         The genre:  It’s glaringly obvious when an author sends me a request to read romance that he/she hasn’t taken the time to read my blog review page.  I make it very plain that I’m not interested in reading straight romance, erotica, or horror.  My favorites are thriller, mystery, and suspense followed by occasional fantasy a la Lord of the Rings.  I’m willing to try most genres, but an interesting sounding thriller will always take precedence over YA.  Always check a blogger’s reading likes and dislikes.  We put lists on our sites for a reason.  Don’t waste your time or a reviewer’s by sending flat-out romance to a thriller enthusiast!

2.         Book title:  Missing.  Yes, missing.  Happens more often than you think.  If a reviewer has to spend a bunch of time searching through a five page email trying to discern something that should be in the first paragraph, it’s pretty much going in the trash bin.

3.         Author name/pseudonym:  Yep, missing yet again.  Often!  You’ve no idea how frustrating it is not to have any idea to whom you’re corresponding.  I even try to figure it out from the email address – sadly many are just cutesy ones with no sort of identifier.  If you’re going be an author, create an author dedicated email that is easily identifiable – and remember to reference your name at least once in your email, even if it is only at the close.

4.         Book blurb/synopsis:  Excluded – seriously!  Many authors simply place a link to the novel’s purchase page or back to their website and expect reviewers to click on a link from an unknown person.  Nuh-uh.  Not happening.  Then again, sometimes the blurb is just too darned uninteresting.  This most important element is too often left to chance.  Some use their sales synopsis while others write up loooong and convoluted descriptions that don’t really say anything.  I’ve even seen where someone will have their book blurb and then another section to state what the book is really about.  Seriously?  If you need to describe your description, something’s wrong.  Where’s the element of excitement?  The tension?  The stakes?  Stay tuned for how to write a strong blurb – coming to a chapter near you.

5.         An “honest” review:  Let me make this as clear as I can.  Telling a potential reviewer that you seek an “honest” review is like telling them that all of their reviews up to yours have been less than honest.  You couldn’t wound us anymore than with a statement like that.  We reviewers work hard to keep our opinions straightforward without any outside influences.  Saying you want an “honest” opinion is a HUGE slap in the face.  Just DON’T!

6.         A free book:  Umm, you’re asking me to review your novel.  Of course you are going to give me one.  Stating in a request that you are offering a free or reduced price book basically tells a reviewer how little you know about how the review process works.  It projects an unprofessional image.  I’ve even had authors who, once I’ve accepted their novel for review, simply send me the link to buy their book.  Ain’t gonna happen!  Understand this, if you didn’t already – if you’re requesting a reviewer to spend their personal time to read and write a review of your novel, a free copy is expected.  End of story.

7.         I’m new:  So quick question – would you ever say you’re new to a potential client while in your day job?  I didn’t think so.  It immediately places doubt in the mind of said potential client, and they’re likely to move onto a more experienced employee or firm.  Saying you’re a new author does the exact same thing.  Don’t ever short-change yourself in this manner.  You may have been writing novels for five minutes or five, ten, twenty years and just now decided to take the plunge into the realm of indie publishing.  Approach a reviewer with confidence and project a professional image regardless of how long you’ve been writing.  You’re a legitimate, certified, bonafide author now!

8.         Listing accomplishments:  Good rule of thumb here – if you’ve won a novel writing award for this particular book or a previous novel in your publishing quiver, a reviewer would love to know.  If you’ve won awards for poetry, journalism, employee of the month, etc. (in other words, anything outside of novel writing) don’t mention it.  It won’t mean anything to most reviewers.  Sorry, but that’s the cold truth.  If an accomplishment has absolutely nothing to do with novel writing, leave it out.

9.         Other reviewer excerpts:  Emails pile into my inbox incorporating excerpts of other reviews a particular novelist has received.  It’s always nice to celebrate when someone gives you a glowing review, but share these with family and friends – not potential reviewers.  Better yet, put them up on your sales channels!  It goes back to that thing in number five about avoiding outside influences.  This isn’t going to help you and in fact could hurt in the long run.  Reviews are subjective – the opinion of the individual reviewer.  We really don’t care what someone else thinks of your novel.  Keep repeating this to yourself until the desire to include unnecessary fodder in requests diminishes.

10.       Links, links, links:  UNLESS a reviewer has specifically requested website links to include in your initial correspondence, don’t include any.  None.  Most of us won’t even click on them.

11.       Attachments:     Once again, UNLESS a reviewer’s guidelines specifically state to do so, do not include your book cover, author image, eBook or PDF file as an attachment with your initial email request.  When we want them – if want them – we’ll ask.

12.       Reviewers submission instructions:  Self explanatory.  You just didn’t read them.  Reviewers put instructions up to HELP you and to save everyone time.  Read it.  Do it.  If you choose not to, shame on you because your request is heading for the trash bin.  This leads me to another thing – repeat after me.  Always check to see if a reviewer is currently accepting reviews.  Again.  Always check to see if a reviewer is currently accepting reviews.  A third time.  Always check to see if a reviewer is currently accepting reviews.  Most reviewers will reference if they’re not currently accepting reviews when the reading pile gets too big.  If a reviewer has closed submissions, abide by this please.  It’s a huge time-waster to send requests to reviewers who have closed acceptance.  You’re just another great, big “delete” if you do.

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This segment was short but hopefully not too sweet.  It's just the cold, hard truth most of us need to hear from time-to-time.  You want to know what's really ironic about these don'ts I've shared with you?  I closed out accepting anymore reviews for 2014 on August first, posted it at the top of the review submissions tab on my blog, and every day I still get additional review requests.

It really is amazing how many authors never take even a smidge of their time to check one simple thing.  I get that sometimes we as authors feel that sense of desperation creep over our minds.  I get that it takes far more work to market than most of us ever dreamed when we decided on indie publishing.  But never forget to treat your writing as a business and maintain a professional image and demeanor in regard to said business.

And if you ever need a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on (digitally speaking, of course) touch base.  I'm always willing to help a fellow indie author with advice or encouragement - provided you bring your own tissues to the table.

Stay tuned then next Saturday when I'll discuss with you the right way to submit a novel review request to a potential reviewer.  Until then, happy reading and writing!

How To Garner Reviewer Interest - Part One

Over the summer, I found myself quite frustrated.

The writing of the third book in the Deepest Darkness series wasn't going as I'd planned.  I was painfully behind on my reading pile.  Authors were hammering away at me over perceived slights to their masterpieces after reviews I'd written, while countless others couldn't understand why I wouldn't accept their novel(s) for review.

Sometimes it stinks being a novel reviewer.

So did I simply curl up in the fetal position under my desk and hide out with the kitties?  Not my style.  No, I decided to take said frustration and put it to good use by writing.  For the month of July, I pounded out a "how to" novel about what it means to be an author, the keys to good writing, and how authors can better obtain acceptance from reviewers in their initial approach and throw open the door to better reviews.

Do I intend to publish this body of work?  The jury is still out on that one.  In the meantime, however, I decided to offer up one particular chapter on reviews in a four-part segment here at the blog.  You may find it to be a load of crap, but if it helps even one author, it will all be worth it.

So here it is, in all it's naked glory, the first peek inside the mind of a novel reviewer.

***

It’s true – reviews help sell books. 

Finding them is the hard part.

There are a myriad of ways in which to obtain reviews for your novel once you’ve successfully published as an indie author.  Your goal is fifty or maybe a hundred reviews within the first six months after publishing.  Friends and family members, fellow critique members, beta readers, maybe a few co-workers at that other job. 

But now you’re ready to bite the bullet and spend some time doing real work.  So you hit the internet.  A blog tour here garners a handful of reviews.  A blogger there picks up your novel after sending out a hundred requests.  Six months down the road you’ve got ten, maybe twenty reviews for your book.

If you’re lucky.

And you stare at your computer wondering what went wrong.  You’ve begged until you’re blue in the face, stooping to levels you never thought you’d reach.  Friends and family begin to cower and hide in the shadows when you come near – especially if you’ve got that desperate gleam in your eyes.  At times you feel like young Oliver in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, “Please, sir, I want some more.”

As a professional unpaid novel reviewer (it’s sad I even have to say that), let me give you an insider’s tip when it comes to the initial approach – the do’s and don’ts, if you will.  You might be surprised by what reviewers go through on a daily basis.  Then again, you might not even care.  And that right there might just be part of the problem.

Like I said before, reviews are skewed.  They will always be skewed.  Accept this premise up front before you even consider approaching potential reviewers.  Reviews are subjective and take into account those pesky personal likes and dislikes, experiences or lack thereof, etc.  The reviews you do get aren’t always going to be glowing five and four stars.  But take heart – what one person doesn’t like about your novel may be the very thing the next adores.

The reality also is that you are going to have to work hard, really hard, to garner reviewer interest (and thus, purchaser interest).  Now let me explain why.

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Reason number one:  Most reviewers have personal lives outside their blog.  Family and friends to care for – just like you.  Perhaps young children and the associated lifestyle of running them hither and yon, catching a moment to read while waiting for the crumb crunchers to finish softball practice.  A full-time job – hello?  Do you see the picture I’m vividly painting here?  Their lives are just as busy as yours, and they’re squeezing in reading your novel anywhere they can just like you’re squeezing in writing anywhere you can.  Goes back to chapter three – you really do need to get over yourself and anticipate a reviewer’s life outside of reading your masterpiece.

Reason number two:  A reviewer’s inbox is full of requests EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I’m not joking here – and it’s especially bad on the weekends.  Wading through requests can become quite exhausting, particularly when it appears many didn’t even read the blog page of instructions on how to submit their request.  There’s the right way and the highway, and I’ll get further into this one later in this chapter.

Reason number three:  It’s simple mathematics.  The reality is you will be lucky to get ten percent or less respondents, so the number of positive responses relate back to the number of requests you send.  Think of it in relation to cold calling or mass mailings.  The time and money spent is still worth it to businesses – and that’s how you have to think of yourself now that you’re a published author.  A business.  But there are specific things you can do to increase your chances of acceptance and up that response percentage.

Reason number four:  There are hundreds of thousands of indie authors out there doing the exact same thing you are.  The digital publishing universe has exploded and is changing and expanding every second of every day.  What was popular yesterday isn’t what’s popular today.  Your responsibility?  You’ve gotta stand out from the crowd.  If your request does not grab a reviewer up front, they’re moving on to one that does.  How do you then garner a reviewer’s attention?  We’re first and foremost voracious readers, so make us want to read your novel.  We’ll get into this more in the following chapter on writing a strong blurb.

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That said, there are some important things you can do to increase your chances of reviewer acceptance – but you’ve gotta be smart in your approach.

Reviewers love to read.  They love to help authors promote their work.  It’s addictive.  It makes us feel like we’re doing something important and giving back to others in a small way.  Why else do you think we do what we do?

Reviewers don’t hold an author’s life in their hands.  We don’t think of ourselves as almighty god-like creatures who have the power to make or break a novel.  Most of us simply want to help readers find interesting and entertaining novels.  There are also some of us who take reviews a step further with comprehensive feedback to offer authors insight into why something maybe didn’t work.  You can take it or leave it – goes back to that whole subjective thing.  Just remember to search out the gold nuggets buried within the stone.

Personally, I love to promote indie authors – hey, I’m one myself!  When I get a request, I take the time to look up each one on Amazon, Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble to check several things:  how many books this author has published, how many reviews this author has already received, what kind of sales ranking the novel holds at present, and how much the author is charging for said novel.

The number of books published allows me to make some assumptions.  It tells me I’m potentially dealing with a new or well-established author.  If well-established, probably someone who’s been down this road before and knows what they’re doing.  If new, possibly someone who needs a little hand-holding and might be nervous and unprepared for what’s to come.  These again are only assumptions.  It doesn’t cause me to shy away from anyone but helps me in my general expectations.

Now the number of reviews someone already has does have some impact on whether or not I personally take someone’s book onto my already overflowing plate.  If an author’s novel already has more than a hundred reviews, I typically will not take time to add mine to the mix.  However, if a book blurb has me hooked, I may make an exception.  I promise, we’ll get to the importance of your blurb later.

The sales ranking tells me quite a bit as well, especially when I compare it to the publishing date.  It can say either someone is actively working to pursue sales or has done little up to this point or perhaps not for awhile.  If a sales ranking is really high (say seven-hundred thousand into the millions) it tells me the author may have done little marketing of the novel up to that point.  Couple that with the number of reviews currently and number of books the author has published tells me they’ve finally faced reality of how difficult indie publishing can be – or not.

Pricing – ugh!  There’s already been so much written on this one I’m almost afraid to broach the topic again.  Therefore I’m only approaching this from what it tells me as a reviewer of indie eBooks.  Let me just start out by saying that you price your digital book however high or low you wish.  There.  Done.  However your pricing choice says much to a potential reviewer.  Reality is most indie digital novels are priced between ninety-nine cents and $4.99, with $2.99 being the standard average.  If, as an unknown indie author, you’re pricing your digital novel at $7.99, $8.99, and $9.99, a potential reviewer will look at that as someone who has not done their homework on pricing and assumes said author has probably done little homework on novel writing as well.  Now if you’re selling lots of books at inflated prices – great!  Reality – probably not.  Above market pricing also says to a potential reviewer this person is likely going to be a little touchy to deal with when faced with a possible negative review, and that this author may have delusions of grandeur.  Most reviewers would see this as someone they don’t want to get involved with because they’d be harangued to within an inch of their life.

We really don’t like it when that happens.

Reviewers steer away from complicated authors.  We don’t need someone who’s going to constantly email threats and harass us.  We’re already stressed enough trying to get through our never-ending reading pile as fast as we can.  An author who resorts to digital harassment eventually becomes known throughout the blogosphere.  Don’t cripple yourself in the long run by resorting to absurd tactics.

Understand then that most reviewers are anywhere from two to six months out on reviews.  Sometimes it’s not that far.  Sometimes it’s worse.  Remember our humanness and that life happens to us just as it happens to you.  When planning your initial email campaign, always keep this in mind.  Allow for plenty of time to pass before a reviewer gets to your novel once they’ve accepted it for review.  Be flexible and, above all, be patient.

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Let's start at the beginning.  So you’ve sent out hundreds of emails to various blog reviewers.  You wait.  You wait.  You wait some more.  Months pass.  Impatience grows.  You’re tempted to re-contact those reviewers just to ensure they received your initial request.

Don’t do it.

Once you’ve sent out that initial request, you’re done.  The vast majority of reviewers only contact you in the event they are interested in reading your book – many times months later.  Very few respond otherwise.  It goes back to the enormous flood of daily requests and a day’s limitation of twenty-four hours.  Just cross that one off of your list and move on.

As a fellow author and one who is in the boat with you, I make a point of responding to every review request to avoid leaving others with that hanging feeling.  I don’t like being left in the dark anymore than you do, which is why I always respond with a yes or no.  Yes, my response is usually a simple canned email (and I know yours is too).  Yes, I end up turning down the vast majority of review requests.

Here’s why.

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That's the end of part one, folks.  Stay tuned next Saturday for part two where I'll talk about "the highway", what so many authors do that cause their review requests to end up in the trash bin.  It might just shock you.  I know it still does me every time these things happen.  Throughout this four-part series, let me know if you find anything useful.  It might just spur me on to publish my full work on this subject - or hit delete and send it into my trash bin.  :-)

Regardless, happy reading!