book reviews – Page 5 – Self Publishing Advisor

Book Reviews, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, outskirts press, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Putting the Pieces Together

Figuring out how to navigate the world of book marketing can be a hazardous task, with many unmarked dangers–and shortcuts to safe passage–awaiting the self-publishing author. Over the last three weeks, I have introduced some of those campaign components which I happen to think are vital and important:

generating credible book reviews;
putting together a polished press release; and–
crafting an impactful and easily shared book video trailer.

The problem, of course, is that while all of these probably sound like good ideas, they also require a lot of work. And by “a lot of work,” I mean they require both time and a fairly discrete set of skills––each. That is, the skills and even equipment required to craft that polished press release may have very little natural overlap with the skills and equipment required to craft an impactful video trailer.

“Well, what about Google?” you ask, and fairly. “What about YouTube? Can’t I look up some tutorials and put something together myself?”

Yes, yes you can! And there are some really fantastic free guides out there. I always recommend looking to the “making-related” articles in peer-reviewed periodicals like Publisher’s Weekly and WIRED throughout the year, even when you’re not working on a specific project, to see what sorts of new ideas and tools are being put out there. And the quality of instruction on YouTube videos has improved greatly! I’m not going to lie: the Internet is my go-to place when I need to learn how to do something for the first time, whether it’s to refine my (practically nonexistent) origami skills or how to snake my toilet. (Don’t ask.)

But some of the “barriers to entry,” as we like to call them, are still up–even with the Internet and YouTube and Google in play. I successfully snaked my toilet … after an hour of “practicing.” (Read: “flailing wildly.”) I know I didn’t have an hour to burn that day, but the toilet needed to be done. And snaking is a relatively simple task compared to some of the many involved in, say, acquiring the rights to an audio file you want to play behind your book trailer video. Or tracking down email addresses for booksellers, reviewers, and other industry influencers to create an email distribution list. Templates and virtual instructions can sometimes fail us at crucial moments–or inflate the time required to accomplish what needs accomplishing beyond what we can spare.

If only there was somewhere we could turn that provided professional insight and assistance with our marketing campaigns! Okay, okay, I know it’s a little on the nose, but I really do recommend paying for at least one consultation with a PR Publicist when you’re looking to put out a press release, a graphic designer or videographer when you’re crafting your book trailer video, and someone on the inside–with real experience–when it comes to tracking down credible book reviewers.

There are, as always, several ways you can go about this–you can contact these people individually, or you can opt to pay for a bundle of services that put all of these professionals under one roof (digitally speaking, at least). Do your research, shop around for the best deals, and weigh your priorities against your marketing budget. (Yes, you need one of those!) Do what needs to be done to get you back to what you really love–writing–and cuts down on the time you spend fumbling around with that toilet snake.

You are not alone. ♣︎

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Dream World”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Bookjunkie’s Book Blog:

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20th Century

by William Charles Krebs

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478745396

Synopsis:

The Andersons are in Ocorlampa, Florida to look at the college for their daughter Liz. They saw their daughter move into a family home of the Wilsons. At the same time a young man, Willie, has come to Florida to settle in so he can go to the local college. He finds a room with an elderly widow. Both of these young people find jobs at “Dream World” where they are destined to meet. Therefore Liz and Willie begin dating. Neither are very experienced in dating, so it is new for them. They fall in love, but Willie gets scared as he is not ready for marriage yet, so he drops Liz without any explanation. Sue, who fancies herself ‘the complete woman,’ pursues Willie. She does not think Liz is right for Willie and they have heated relationship. Liz is puzzled. Willie does not love Sue, and by Christmas has broken up with her, and then sets out to get Liz back. This takes some maneuvering to get Liz back, and he signs up to be in the same class in the new term. Another young man, Mike, is in the class becomes competition for Willie. The three of them end up going to lunch together. There is much lively discussion in class. Mike also gets to know Sue. Willie and Mike get into a fight, and Sue claims they were fighting over her. Read the book to see how it turns out.

Critique:

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20^th Century by William Charles Kreb is a story about two young college students who are entering a world without their parents’ watchful eye and into the world of love, lust and expectations in marriage.

The story opens with Liz Anderson, 17, who dreams of going to college in another state and her parents make her wait. It isn’t until her 19^th birthday that she decides to go to Lake Shore College in Florida and assert her independence. The summer before school starts she gets a job as a tour guide at Dream World, an amusement park, which many students from Lake Shore work. It is there she meets, Willie Johnson, a young man who comes to Florida for spring break and decides to come back for college. He soon gets a job at Dream World. Liz and Willie casually date during that summer when something happens which leaves Liz hurt and Willie dating someone else. Willie soon realizes his mistake about breaking up with Liz and now he must fight to win back her affections as a new man enters her life. Both Liz and Willie struggle to find their place in the world, to form their own ideals and forge their own paths in life. Will Willie be able to win Liz back? Will someone win her heart?

I liked this book. I enjoyed the sparing between characters about life, love and marriage. Willie is the frugal man who wants love and marriage and Liz doesn’t know what she wants. The new man, Mike, is the typical egoistical pig who thinks he can get any woman because of his money. I love the scene where Liz gives Mike a speech which shows him that she is not the kind of woman who falls in love (and bed) with any man just because he flashes money and a handsome smile her way. I love how she poked holes in his proposal when basically points out that he wanted a wife without the legal bidding marriage. She also shows Willie that if he wants her back, he will have to work hard to win her heart. I also loved how the ending leaves the reader without a definitive answer if Willie and Liz get back together.

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara of Observations From a Simple Life ]

Here’s what another reviewer is saying:

This is the first offering by William Charles Krebs. The novel was very long and rather drawn out. I finished reading it; however, it took me almost a third of the book to actually start caring about what happened to the various characters present in the story. It was well written but the pace was inconsistent and choppy, and for most of the book it was relatively slow and hard to keep up with due to the slowness. The story is that about a group of young people in what ends up becoming a love square instead of just a triangle. The back if the book indicates that there are future novels possible, this would not be a bad thing unless they are over 500 pages as this one was. I feel like it could have been about 200 pages shorter and left with a minor cliffhanger so to speak and it would have been a much smoother enjoyable read. I know this seems to be a rather negative review and I do not mean for it to be so; I just was unable to derive nearly as much pleasure as I had anticipated. I will gladly read another book by this author especially if it is a continuation of this story.

The Good: The characters, the premise of the story as a whole.

The Not So Good: The pacing of the story at times.

The Bad: The overall length of the book.

Rating 6/10

Recommendation: Literary fiction fans that like a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

– Blogger Victoria Roberts of Bookjunkie’s Book Blog

Book Trailer

Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

Book Reviews, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : The Crimes & Good Times of Book Review World

So, what exactly is the big deal about book reviews? Why are they so important to self-publishing authors like you and me? Everyone who’s every published, self-published, or thought about writing a book seems to have an opinion, but I’m interested in facts. And the facts are in! As it turns out, readers turn to the book reviews on websites like Amazon and Goodreads for help in choosing between the dozens upon dozens upon millions of books they might purchase. And after looking at the hundreds of newly published books in the Biography or Romance genre just last month, it’s easy to understand why a five-star review on your Amazon book page might sway readers to purchase it over different book with only two or three stars. Which leads me to another vital question: how do you get those reviews?

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One option is to ask for them–and to ask for them direct from the source. There are all kinds of excellent ways to make use of your existing social connections–on or offline–and you should definitely use them to contact potential reviewers on Facebook, Twitter, and your other social media platforms. (Authors hang out on Snapchat and Tumblr too, you know!)

You’ve probably heard that some websites even offer free reviews in return for copies of your book, but just how good are they at reaching new readers? The answer in most cases happens to be not very. Readers can quickly and easily get a glimpse of what their friends and the general public thinks about a certain book by taking a look on Amazon and Goodreads, both of which combine the sum total of posted reviews together into one single one-to-five-star average, and pick out particularly popular reviews to highlight. Accessing these snapshots of a book’s success or struggle is as simple as a few basic keystrokes on Google.

Many readers, however, are looking for something more reputable and more thorough than a blindly-given and blindly-received two-sentence review on a website geared entirely towards pushing product. These readers are looking for reputability, reliability, and the kind of insightful observations that only the very best reviewers offer. And as a self-publishing author or someone who works with indie authors–I’m talking to myself every bit as much as I’m talking to you at this point–nothing quite equals an impartial book review from a credible source. Getting your hands on these vitally important reviews can also pose a significant challenge for a self-publishing author who may lack the resources to sift these credible sources from common shysters, and the confidence to approach the most highly-acclaimed reviewers.

There are, of course, options: companies like my employer, Outskirts Press, offer packages that can quite literally save your bacon when it comes to gathering in the creme de la creme of book reviews. Our package is called the “Book Blast,” and it should save the aspiring author untold time, effort, and potential disappointment in pursuing the right kind of reviews. The effective kind of reviews. But don’t get me wrong! I love Outskirts and its author-centered company ethic, but I’m not just here to hawk a sales promotion on unsuspecting readers. You have to find the path that best suits your needs, help or no help, cost or no cost–but the fact remains you’ll need reviews, a lot of reviews and the best kind of reviews–in order to boost your book’s visibility and drive your sales. Do your research, and dig deep to find those credible, highly-rated reviewers who have a guaranteed interest in reviewing self-published titles–and sit back to watch as your confidence blossom as your book finds its final audience.