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Blogs by Regina Pounds
Reviews and Contests
3/24/2013 11:56:50 AM
A brief take on writers' contests and on reviews of books
OK...I want to take a brief detour from my About the Author blogs because I noticed AD is working on a review plan for the authors, which would affect readers too, of course.
This merits an article, but for today I'd like you to know this:
as author of a book, you are urged to send your work out to reviewers and any outlet that will get your name in front of the reading public...for traditionally published authors that is easy enough..they have the name of their publisher behind them.
For the self-published or the Print-on-demand published author it is entirely a different game.
Why?
Because when you deal with people doing business on the internet rather than with well known reviewers who work for newspapers or the TV, you do not know what to expect. You may send out a copy of your book to a person doing reviews for a writer's website...only After you had an email eschanged! and were promised a reading, only to find that review never happens...someone scammed you out of the book and will sell it...by the way, it is common practice for reviewers to sell the books they receive...then there is the reviewer who will read your book and write about it..usually a brief summary and a one or two sentence opinion and maybe a rating of three coffee cups out of five...so that would be a non-committal review. posted on the internet, and you got your name out there and the title of your book. Not bad.
This may happen, especially if you chose a review type website that has been around for a while and you like the reviews already posted on it...still, even that website can go down one day soon.
You may also find that a reviewer gives away your carefully plotted surprises...even a well-meaning writer pal can be guilty of that. Happened to me.
They say there is no such thing as bad PR as long as you get your name out there.
I strongly disagree.
Now about the quality of the review..oh man! if a person reads the book and hates it, you're a sitting duck...but you need to take any review with that grain of salt. A good reviewer will not publish a review about a poorly written book...that should be a given...an opinion that is not favorable or points to a flaw that could be corrected or that might turn off a potential reader is possible..be prepared for that. !
Also, if you send digital text, it will make the rounds and you'll lose control...same as above...also happened to me.
That is the A and O of print-on-deman publishing as well..once the book file leaves the publisher's house, anyone can print a book off that file and offer it for sale...the pubnlisher loses control and the author will not see royalties...it is definitely part of the deal.
Then there are contests run by writers or small press publishers who started as writers...you pay to enter and you send x numbers of copies of your book...
The other contest was more along the lines of small company looking to grow and make money...I don't really have anything against that, but I don't know whether that sort of thing really halps you sell your book...
Now, when a contest also is a way of getting critiques...you may find that useful..I learned a lot that way and met a few wonderful author/judges...
Back to reviews..before you agree to write or accept a review, please be sure the reviewer doesn't just flatter you (that is a way of losing credibility), doesn't indulge in personal likes and dislikes, and doesn't just want his or her own name out there on an ego trip...has knowledge of the field in which you are writing, but does not stick to those dratted genre rules..unless we are talking about a purchasing editor of a publishing house, you don't want to accept any critical review without giving the verdict some serious thought.
All in all, a good review as well as a contest in which judges offer detailed critiques can be very helpful and well worth the cost...just remember to keep that sack flled with grains of salt on hand.
All right, I am not editing this fast written blog...too tired to do this now..it is snowing out there and getting dark, and I need to do my domestic chores...
so please forgive typos and incomplete thoughts
I introduced this as brief... :)))..ah, there uis always so much to tell
stay warm
Gina
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More Blogs by Regina Pounds
• Reviews and Contests - Sunday, March 24, 2013
• About the Author - Tuesday, March 12, 2013
• Just a few tidbits - Friday, February 22, 2013
• Today's News Flash - Sunday, April 01, 2012
• Clonk clonk - Tuesday, October 18, 2011
• Of Mice and Me - Saturday, October 08, 2011
• My Goof - Friday, July 22, 2011
• An artificial Wall - Thursday, July 21, 2011
• Record setting... - Monday, June 06, 2011
• Nuts and glitches - Monday, May 23, 2011
• Spring has sprung - Monday, March 21, 2011
• This and That - Wednesday, February 09, 2011
• Fan Stuff - Tuesday, February 08, 2011
• 20 years - a brief look back and yes, at this moment - Friday, January 28, 2011
• The Any Agency - Wednesday, June 02, 2010
• Castle still strong - Tuesday, January 12, 2010
• The Sleuthing Principle - Sunday, March 29, 2009
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