How To Score That Book Review

If you want people to read your books, you need the get the right individuals to review them. I don’t mean your friends and family. I’m referring to book blog reviewers. I recently interviewed Laura Carter of Bookish Treasures to gain insight on how to increase the odds that your book will be reviewed on a blog. While not everyone will buy your book based on these reviews alone, it will get them thinking about your book.

Laura, what are some of your pet peeves for when authors approach you to review their book?

When people start with “Dear Reviewer.” It may be a bit petty but I really don’t like that as it seems a little like they can’t be bothered to find out my name.

What increases the chance that you will agree to review a book on your blog?

First of all, it actually being a book that I would be interested in. I get quite a few review requests for books that are nothing like what I feature on my blog and sometimes even are genres that I specifically state I won’t review.

A little extra explanation helps too as sometimes the synopsis may not cover the aspects of the book that makes it the sort of thing I read.

[Remember, querying a book reviewer is much like querying an agent or editor. The same etiquette that is expected when querying an agent or editor applies to book reviewers.]

What advice would you give to authors whose book is reviewed on a blog? Is it okay to respond to a positive review, or is it better not to comment at all?

As a reviewer when I give a positive review I really like it when the author comments thanking me for the review, especially if they requested it. If you didn’t request the review I think most people wouldn’t have a problem with you commenting.

If you ever plan to comment on a negative review be very careful. I personally wouldn’t have any problem with an author saying something along the lines of “thank you for your honest thoughts.”

What is the scariest thing that has happened to you (or that you’ve heard happening  to another blogger) when you’ve turned down a request for a review or gave a negative review?

Luckily I have never had anything bad happen over turning down a review request but I remember not too long ago a reviewer replied to a review request with a link to her review policy which stated that she was closed to review. The author then replies with a link to some sort of website or discussion which was about ways to commit suicide. I can’t remember who this happened to but she did write a blog post which you can probably find if you care to search. You also often hear about authors who verbally attack people who gave them negative reviews and often get their fans to do the same. Luckily that has never happened to me so far.

What can a self-published author do to increase the odds of her book being reviewed?

Make sure your synopsis sounds amazing. The majority of reviewers only accept a small amount of requests they receive so the better you sell your book with the request the more likely you are to get acceptances. Make sure the reviewer knows why you think they will like your book, if you have researched the people you plan on sending requests to this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Some authors use PR companies that organize blog tours. How have you found it working with these groups?

As a blogger I love working with PR companies though I am not more likely to accept a request if it has come through a PR company. In fact it is harder to say no directly to the author so I am more likely to accept direct requests.

You’re also an administer for a Goodreads New Adult Book Club. Do authors approach you to be included or is it something you choose on your own (or a combination of both)?

We set up a discussion thread where people suggest the books that they want to read. We then create a poll that has all the books that were suggested (unless they aren't NA or have already been a group read) and the group members then vote on which books they want to read.

When we created the group we decided that would be the fairest way to do it :)

[I’ve heard of authors trying to spam in these groups and being kicked out. This is not the best way to promote your book. It’s a great way to damage your reputation.]

If you decide to approach book blogs for reviews, remember that you won’t be the only one. A lot of other authors will be doing the same, especially with the most popular blogs. This means the sooner you contact the reviewers the better. Don’t wait until the week before your book is released and hope the reviewer can fit you in.

Have you tried querying book bloggers for a review?

Laura is a university student from the UK who loves books and anything related to them. She loves to lose herself in great stories that stay with you long after you have finished the last page. Whilst her current obsession is New Adult, her tastes in books are varied and she believes great books can be found in any genre. When she is not reading or studying Laura can usually be found spreading her love of books through blogging, helping authors and managing the Goodreads New Adult book club.  Laura is currently looking forwards to finishing her degree when she will then hopefully manage to fight her way into a career in publishing.

Queries: They Aren’t Just For Agents Anymore

Whether or not you decide to approach an agent for representation, there is no denying a simple fact: you need to learn how to query, and to query well.

I am talking to everyone here, even the folks who say “I choose to self-publish and will not be querying an agent.”  In fact, those are precisely the writers whom I’m addressing today.

Every writer, regardless of which philosophy (self-publish or traditional publishing) needs to learn the proper techniques for writing an arresting query. The success of our books depends upon it.

Obviously, a writer who wants to become represented by a literary agency needs to learn how to query in order to get “discovered.” By comparison, writers have far less opportunity to pitch in person, such as at a conference or in an informal blog contest—and, even then, proper follow-up is needed to seal the deal.

Learning to write a query letter teaches us 1) business etiquette 2) how to pitch 3) patience. All three things are absolutely key if we want to make the jump from writer to author with the help of an agent.

There are a lot of writers who aren’t seeking the assistance of a literary agency. Yet, they still need to learn how to write an effective query. Authors who approach a small press (as I did) still need to query the house editors. Same query, same rules, same lessons. I can’t imagine an editor being happy to find an unsolicited manuscript, wrapped in string, shoved into a box without a cover letter. (That’s why a query satisfies the good business etiquette aspect.)

I still can hear many self-publishing and potential-self-publishing writers protesting my assertion. “Self-publishing doesn’t mean small press,” you may be saying. “Still don’t need a query.”

And my response is “Oh, you most certainly do.” After all, how else will you approach strangers for book reviews?

All books subsist on the meat of reviews for survival. Traditionally published authors (small press included) often have the power of their houses—and their marketing departments—behind them. There are teams who send out review copies in order to secure reviews for new books. Those people are essentially querying book reviewers, pitching books to them in the hopes they can generate some interest and word-of-mouth.

Many self-publishers do not have their own marketing departments to send out requests. In fact, I’m willing to skip the research and postulate that many self-publishers are solo venturists who operate with a team of one. I myself have self-published, and I can count the number of people on my staff on one finger. (Me.)

That means one very important thing—I need to know how to query if I want to get my book reviewed. Querying a book reviewer is pretty much the same thing as querying an agent.

First, there is the business etiquette. Book bloggers are business people—they set forth guidelines for preferred genres, they have rules for submitting requests, and they should be approached with the same care and respect as any literary agent. I’m trying to resist sounding Darth Vaderish by saying BEHOLD THE POWER but, really, they are a powerful lot. Many book bloggers have massive followings, readers who trust their reactions and their recommendations. Being received well by a book blogger can mean a surge in readership for your book. Query them with dignity and respect, so that they may return the respect to your book.

There are many great book touring companies who will organize review tours for your book, for a fee. I’ve used a few such companies, myself, and appreciated the time and energy I was able to re-direct into writing. However, good tours are pricey and a debut author may not feel comfortable with the expense. All the more reason to make sure you can do it by yourself.  

When I sold my Demimonde series to Pink Narcissus Press, I thought my querying days were over. In actuality, I got a mere vacation from it, that’s all. Although my publisher sent review copies to the big review sites, it was up to me to create my blog tour and to secure reviews by book blogs. My previous experience in querying made me an old pro at writing those letters.

And I need to be an old pro, if I’m going to continue seeking reviews for my books. Of course, my query evolves with every project: a single novel has turned into a series and I’ve gone from a debut writer to a multi-published author. But the essentials are still there. The need for proper business etiquette. The necessity for an unforgettable pitch.

And the third element, patience—unfortunately, that’s part of the querying game, no matter who you are or to whom you’re sending a query. That’s still the hardest lesson to learn.

 

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Why every single writer needs to learn how to query well...

 

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Queries: They Aren’t Just For Agents Anymore

For more tips on querying reviewers, check out Lisa Shea (of BellaOnline) and her article "Common Mistakes When Seeking Reviews" or Laura Pepper Wu's "How To Get Amazon's Top Customer Reviewers to Review Your Book". 

And don't forget: the Query Tracker Blog has an archive full of great articles on how to write that killer query...and the Query Tracker forum is full of friendly folk who are willing to read over your query for feedback.






Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer who, despite having a Time Turner under her couch and three different sonic screwdrivers in her purse, still encounters difficulty with time management. Visit Ash's blog at www.ash-krafton.blogspot.com for news on her urban fantasy series The Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press); "Blood Rush (Demimonde #2)" was released May 2013. Additionally, her urban fantasy novella "Stranger at the Hell Gate" (The Wild Rose Press) was released in July 2013.