The Suspense of It All! discussion

Have a book you'd like to get reviews for? Offer it up here.

How does it work exactly? I jumped in to my first publication with high hopes, but a family tragedy has set me back leaving me feeling more defeated. If you've got some tips or insight, I'm open for the advice.

This particular that is for authors to offer readers a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't done one in this group yet, but I would hope you would get a decent response. We're still pretty small.

In our sister group, Some Like It Hot!, I gave away about 50 e copies between both my books and got about 15 reviews, which I thought was a pretty good return.
When I have a little more time, I'll send you a message with some of the other marketing tools I've learned. It is a time consuming prospect. (I'm trying to do it while driving truck over the road with my hubby. We are delivering a load of glass right now. ...)

That's great and very encouraging! Thank you.

I already offer review copies of my first book, Reprobate: A Katla Novel, but if someone has reviewed Reprobate and wants to tackle Peccadillo: A Katla Novel, before the third novel, Rogue, which is due out in a few more days, I will supply free review copies to anyone who sends me an email at katlasieltjes@yahoo.com with a link to their review...

I'm behind (haven't read any, yet) but I will be home with more time to read soon. I'll keep you posted, Martyn.

I have found it difficult to get reviews even with free books. Not sure if that's a review in itself.... I somewhat believe it takes a certain type of person to leave a review. I think for some it 's very difficult, for others it 's easy.

H.d. wrote: "I have found it difficult to get reviews even with free books. Not sure if that's a review in itself.... I somewhat believe it takes a certain type of person to leave a review. I think for some it ..."

I'm starting to change my ways, seeing how I appreciate reviews myself. I always figured 'someone else will leave one' and left it at that. But I'm trying to leave more reviews, now, even when it isn't a book. I mean, my eye doctor asked me to leave a review, so I did. :-)

For a non-book item or service, I'm not as likely to leave one, unless asked, but I'm trying to write book reviews on everything I read. Except, you know, menus and TV guides. ;-)

I need to get better at that too. I know there's been a lot of talk about reviews vs. ratings, but I think even a rating is better than nothing.

Yeah, I'm most likely to look at star ratings than to read all the reviews on an item that I am interested in, so even a star rating help.

I do take in account that people are more likely to give a poor rating than a favorable one, and so I often take a sampling of reviews to find out what they don't like about something, be it a book or something else.

I've also had to adjust my thinking a bit. I got a two star rating on one of my books, with no review, and I was bummed, but then I remembered that here on GR, 2 stars means "It's okay." And I thought, I can live with that.

Promoting is my biggest challenge. I'm trying to up my online presence, but I find it hard to just natter away if I don't have anything to say. So I only post when it is something that matters.

Think I'm going to try handing out samples of my book at the Holiday Market in town. You know, teasers of the first couple chapters of each, and then my eStore's URL. I have a few paperbacks I will bring in case someone wants to buy on site, but I can even walk them through the ordering and download process for an eBook copy. Being that forward will be a big challenge for me. I'm really an introvert. But as long as there is no long term commitment, I think I can handle it.

What do you all do to promote?

I'm the same way about promoting. My blog goes without a post for weeks. There are times when I have something to say, but don't get around to writing anything. I joined Twitter yesterday. I joined Wattpad several weeks ago, but haven't been back there enough.

I'm getting postcards from VistaPrint this week. I'll leave them everywhere. They were having a big sale. I'm going to post them on the bulletin board at work. Since your husband is a truck driver he could leave yours all over the place.

I'm also a member of Sisters in Crime. I need to find out if a mailing can be done. I remember receiving a postcard announcing a book release from a member last year.

I also heard about Author Marketing Club and checked that out. I'll let you know how that goes.

I haven't figured out promoting yet. I got my book featured on a blog but that has been the extent besides GR. My hubby posts on Facebook. I think the most successful tool has been Amazon price match. My book broke the top 100 in the mystery category for a day. That moved a lot of books!

Hey everyone. I’m an author in the group. For a limited time I'm currently giving out free advance copies of my new suspense thriller, Elixir, to Goodreads members in exchange for ratings/reviews. It's a story about a teenage genius who goes on a suspenseful adventure to cure his girlfriend of a mysterious illness:

Elixir



If you'd like a free copy please message me and provide an email address for a digital version or a mailing address for a hard copy. For more on Elixir, including the trailer and three-chapter preview, check out the official website: www.elixirthebook.com.

Ted, I've sent you a message.

Hello, everyone. I released the first book in my new Thorne's Thorns series, Killing Secrets, April 2014 and would love to find reviewers here.

Blurb:

Some secrets are better left dead.

Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.

Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.

There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.

(A Thorne's Thorns Novel, @110,000 words)

If you want to take a peek inside the book: Amazon: goo.gl/BzGZLc

I'm happy to give you a complimentary copy (Smashwords code in a variety of formats) in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful group. I'm happy to be here!

Karen
www.karendocter.com