tgmiko
Junior Member
Posts: 25
Joined: Oct 12, 2012 9:25:26 GMT -8
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Post by tgmiko on Jan 6, 2013 12:31:13 GMT -8
Hi!
I have been wondering: can we collectively read each others' books, and then post on-line reviews of them at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, iStore, and elsewhere?
I ask this not knowing if this already goes on in some form.
Tom
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Post by Ted on Jan 6, 2013 13:24:42 GMT -8
Tom, I don't encourage authors to review other authors works because it can quickly backfire and cost you readers.
Review swapping or similar attempts to build a long list of reviews in an attempt to sucker readers into buying a work often leads to readers discrediting a work. Let readers review your works.
I have continuing sales of my ebooks and some of them have no ratings or reviews at some retailers. If a reader enjoys the sample then all the great or poor reviews isn't going to change his/her mind about purchasing a work.
Authors reviewing other authors got so out of hand with Kindle authors that Amazon took down reviews by authors.
Amazon updated its Terms and Conditions so that "sentiments by or on behalf of a person or company with a financial interest in the product or a directly competing product (including reviews by publishers, manufacturers, or third-party merchants selling the product) are not allowed."
Why not start writing another work instead of spending that time promoting other authors? Then let the readers write a review if they want.
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tgmiko
Junior Member
Posts: 25
Joined: Oct 12, 2012 9:25:26 GMT -8
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Post by tgmiko on Jan 10, 2013 21:19:50 GMT -8
1. Ah ha! I thought--again--that I have invented the wheel, only to discover that someone else beat me to it! Dang it!
2. I *am* writing. As of January 1st I have met my goal of re-starting "Buran". Right now I am re-reading the whole book (well, the first half, that I have actually written), and one chapter away from where I left off when I suddenly abandoned it to write Roadside Rest.
Re-visiting it has been good. Now I don't feel the rush to finish it for the sake of finishing it, and am going to enjoy putting a lot of effort into this.
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Post by Ted on Jan 13, 2013 9:32:10 GMT -8
Many authors, myself included, put a work aside and return refreshed to it later. I've got a few bits and pieces of stories cluttering my hard drives, some of which may actually become published some day.
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Post by Julie Harris on Jan 13, 2013 12:37:32 GMT -8
Struth, some of my stuff was 'put aside' for many years and some of it can stay there, too!
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alanjames
SWF Writers
Posts: 45
Joined: Apr 28, 2012 9:13:13 GMT -8
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Post by alanjames on Jan 13, 2013 14:04:11 GMT -8
Ted is right. Collective review groups can end up being a real "turn-off." If you believe some of the reviews from some of these people, you'd think that they were the second coming of King, or Clarke. My books are selling (all be it slowly) with only a few, honest reviews.
I also have a piece, currently for sale, that was set aside for 20 years. I'm glad I waited. I think it is now a much better book.
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sully
Junior Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Apr 10, 2012 13:23:07 GMT -8
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Post by sully on Jan 21, 2013 17:23:00 GMT -8
I've had but few reviews of my books, and the one review I had by another author looked more like a workshop critique than a review.
I think authors have a different mindset than readers when it comes to reviewing books. They may not be completely honest, since they may be simply fishing for favorable reviews of their own books.
Sully
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