Category: Kelly Speaks

Book Reviews, Kelly Speaks

Paid Review Services, Are They Worth It?

Books reviews are very important in the publishing industry, especially for new and self-published authors. Book reviews help authors promote their work and increase their credibility. In the highly competitive publishing industry, the success of your book depends on positive reviews.

A book published by an unknown author has little chance of gaining attention, while the same book (and the same “unknown” author) with a number of positive reviews can begin to gain momentum.  Those positive reviews can help persuade potential new readers to buy the book and the word-of-mouth continues.

So how do you get reviews?

You can start with friends and colleagues. Just be sure to encourage them to be honest in their reviews. Readers won’t be convinced to read your book just because your mom thinks you are amazing.

Next, there are some free review services where you can send a copy of your book.  These services are a great resource; however, because they are free, the reviewers get inundated with books and can’t review every book they receive.  Their services can also take several months and the reviews are not guaranteed to be good.

In addition to free review services, there are some services available where you can pay to be guaranteed a review.  That said, the review is still not guaranteed to be good, but if you are confident in your book (which you should be, after all you wrote and published it!), you shouldn’t need to worry about that.

Here are three pay-for-review services you can start with:

BLUE INK REVIEW

A Standard Review is $395 for the review to be completed in 7-9 weeks.

A Fast Track Review is $495 for the review to be completed in 4-5 weeks.

BlueInk considers for review any book that has been published (self-published and indie published).  They review e-books, on-demand books, printed books in any format, English translations and English-language submissions from outside the United States, as well as galleys. They do not review manuscripts pre-publication.

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

The cost is $305 and turnaround time is 6-8 weeks.

Open to all books and publishers, Clarion promises an objective 400 – 500 word review/critique with a quick six to eight week turnaround. The review will be posted on the ForeWord website (if the publisher desires), licensed to the three top wholesale databases, and made available to the book’s publisher. This service is ideal for books that haven’t received review attention elsewhere.

KIRKUS INDIE REVIEW

Standard review is completed in 7-9 weeks for $425.

Express review is completed in 3-4 weeks for $575.

The Kirkus Indie program gives independent authors a chance to obtain an unbiased, professional review of their work, written in the same format as a traditional Kirkus review. A book review can be an essential and powerful tool for promoting your book to literary agents, traditional publishing houses, booksellers, and, most importantly, potential readers.

I’d love to know, have you used a paid review service? How was the experience?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 5/13/14

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

 Q&A: IBPA Director Angela Bole on Self-Publishing and the Digital Future

In this article, executive director of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Angela Bole speaks with Digital Book World about her plans for IBPA and how independent presses, self-published authors and digital natives are all reshaping the marketplace.

Kiera Cass on Publishing, Social Media, & Ending ‘The Selection’ Trilogy

Young adult writer Kiera Cass is the author of the trilogy The Selection. The final book, The One, was released on May 6th. In this interview, Cass discusses the differences between self-publishing and working with a traditional publisher, writing, and more.

Outskirts Press Reveals Top 10 Best Selling Books in Self-Publishing for March 2014

Outskirts Press announced its top ten titles for March. It is a good idea to read other successful self-published books to gain useful insight into what works and doesn’t work and to help you improve your own writing.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Why You Should Add Photographs to Your Self-Publishing Project

Imagine you are reading an ordinary book, with page after page of black and white text. The prose is beautifully written and the descriptive language helps you craft images of the characters and settings in your head…

Now, imagine you are reading a book filled with photographs like these…

Farm

mountain

HauntedCastle

These beautiful pictures can make an ordinary book a remarkable reading experience. They can take readers on a vacation without them ever leaving their homes. They can help readers imagine scenes they’d otherwise never dream of, and they can give readers a rare glimpse into worlds they’d otherwise never see.

Photos are a great way to bring life and value to your book. Readers love looking at quality pictures, and the book possibilities are endless. If you are writing a memoir, you can include real photos of yourself, family, and friends. If you are travel writer, you can include images of the places you write about. Even if you write fiction, your book can benefit from a few quality photos.

If you are a photographer and not a “writer,” you can still publish a book showcasing your work. You can collaborate with an author or work with a ghostwriter.

May is National Photograph Month! This is a great opportunity to share your beautiful photos with the world, and start a self-publishing project filled with stunning photographs.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 5/06/14

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

Self-published author sparks bidding war

When Tina Seskis’s book One Step Too Far was rejected by the publishing world four years ago, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She self-published her novel as an e-book and asked a high street newsagent to stock it. Her successful book has now sparked the interests of publishers.

Focus On: Lynchburg chef AJ Richards talks quick cooking, self-publishing and her latest venture

This article shares the story of chef and self-published author AJ Richards. Her unique cookbooks teach readers how to use the microwave and Tupperware to create quick, easy meals. This is an interesting read for all food writers.

My Self-Publishing Journey: Putting Together My A-Team

This article details the journey of self-published author Paige Crutcher. It not only discusses why she decided to self-publish but also her secrets to putting together a great publishing team, including editors and beta readers. This is a must read for all self-publishing authors.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

World Press Freedom Day 2014

“The rights to life and to liberty and integrity and security of person and also to freedom of expression are fundamental human rights that are recognized and guaranteed by international conventions and instruments.” — UNESCO RESOLUTION.

May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day. It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to:

  • celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
  • assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
  • defend the media from attacks on their independence;
  • pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The 2014 Theme is Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda.

An international conference will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on May 5-6.The focus this year is on three inter-related themes: the media’s importance in development; the safety of journalists and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of journalism.

The annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize ceremony will take place on May 2, 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters.

Self-publishing authors can celebrate World Press Freedom Day by exercising their right to use the written word to express themselves, share their stories and opinions, and enlighten our society. If you have yet to self-publish your manuscript, this week is a great time to take the leap. If you have already self-published your book, spend some extra time this week promoting it.

To learn more about World Press Freedom Day, visit http://www.un.org/en/events/pressfreedomday/ and https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Press-Freedom-Day-3-May/349593917163.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.