Greetings, all. I hope everybody is enjoying this day--or evening, morning, or night, depending on your location.

If you're on this site, chances are you've written something of which you're extremely proud. It might be poetry, short stories, essays, or even a book or two. Maybe you just love to read. But if you've written something you're trying to share with the world, well then, this is the place to be.

I've said in previous postings that the difficult part isn't in writing the story, it's in getting word out about this labor of love that is our creation. Check out all that minute-by-minute tweeting, telling anybody who's following you on Twitter to BUY THIS BOOK! It works, sure, to an extent. I've moved a few copies through the use of the Twitterverse. And it's really raised my profile as a writer. One tweet can send a dozen new readers to my homepage for a quick read of a short story I've just posted. We see the increase in traffic at the site. But what about the bigger picture? How do we expand on this notion of moving even more copies of our work? How can we make our name stand out beyond those 140 characters we're limited to on Twitter? Facebook is fine--if you have the friends.

What every good writer needs, though, is reviews. That's what I'm getting at. REVIEWS! Having a site like Goodreads is fantastic for scoring reviews. We writers often trade them like kids trading baseball cards on a hot summer day. These reviews are vital. They give potential readers an educated opinion on whether the book at hand is worth the money or not--if the review is truthful. But what about reviews that aren't bartered? How do we score those?

Sometimes reviewers come looking for us, as has happened to me twice in the previous few weeks. (A couple of reviews and interviews can be found at http://www.tinyurl.com/cd7ptt4 and http://www.prideseries.com/blog.html )

However, as indie authors, we can't sit around waiting for the emails to fill our in-boxes. I can't afford a publicist to do the footwork for me, so I have to solicit these reviews myself. And this is the tough part, tracking down reviewers that possess a strong following and a good reputation. There aren't any trades involved this way, which means the review will certainly be honest, maybe even negative. But don't be afraid of a bad review--those WILL come, no doubt about it. Nobody has written that perfect novel, a work that's enjoyed by every soul who's read it. Even the greats get bad ink from time to time.

What we must do is take those reviews and pay attention to what's been pointed out as a fault in the story. If the reviewer found the lead character lacking credibility, make the protagonist in your next story more human. Add flaws and irritations. Learn from these criticisms. Don't just scan for the superlatives and disregard the rest. How will you ever become a better writer? Be proud of the good reviews, though. Post those links on Twitter, your blogs, Facebook, and your website. Let the world know what other people are saying about your work.

So, then, where do we find these reviewers? How do we convince them to give our work a chance? We could beg, I suppose. If that worked, I'd be a begging fool. But there's an easier way. My publisher sent me a link to a site that lists dozens of review blogs. I've only just started using this list so I can't give a progress report yet. I'm not a professional at this publicity stuff, either. I'm learning as I go along. What have I learned so far? If you're self-published or working with a small publisher, don't waste the time, money, or effort on getting your work to mainstream newspapers. I sent 35 copies to newspapers around the United States and have yet to hear a word back--not even a rejection. Besides, the internet is where the real action is these days.

I've also learned patience. If the work being promoted is good, a few readers is all it takes to get the publicity ball rolling. Word of mouth these days utilizes the internet, reaches worldwide, and remains out there long after it's been posted.

One last thing on the idea of trading reviews: This is a GREAT way to get your work in front of potential readers. I highly recommend this route. You'll discover some really amazing writers who'll quickly become favorites. However, if you agree to trade reviews with a fellow author, hold up your end of the deal. There's nothing as rude and inconsiderate as one writer stiffing another. I speak from experience. I took the time to BUY a writer's novel, read it, posted reviews on a couple of sites, and I haven't heard a peep from the other guy in over a month. (He promised to have my book finished and reviews posted by the end of February.) I won't remove those reviews; he earned them. But I won't buy his work again, either. So now I give to you a link. Use it to it's fullest potential. Chase those reviewers down and ask for some recognition. Have fun with the process, because if it's not fun, it's not worth doing!
http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/