by
Nicholas Maze
How do you get reviews?
When it comes to books, reviews are partial gold. Reviews
spark a person’s interest. If you are new to the writing scene and have no
reviews you can easily be overlooked: an individual will not take the time to
read about your book, even if it is a genre that they love.
Although you spent months or years writing, that two-paragraphed
review could hold the life of your book in its hands.
At the same time, you can have great reviews, but no
one ever sees them. Being unknown can stop you from being noticed all together.
So, a long list of great reviews can mean nothing. Reviews are a gamble, but
definitely worth the risk.
I also utilize book review services, such as *bookrooster.com
and *bookplex.com. These organizations locate reviewers for you, who turnaround
and submit their reviews to various online sites. By submitting reviews to
various online stores, they are increasing your presence and certifying you as
a worthy writer.
*Louise Wise: I haven’t checked these out, but be expected to pay.
How do you deal with bad ones?
In my world, a bad review is excellent!
I’ll give two key reasons why I enjoy bad reviews.
First, a bad review helps you to grow. When you receive a poor review, you have
the opportunity to see where you might have made a mistake or maybe missed some
information. Bad reviews help you to grow as a writer.
My second benefit is reality. When a curious reader is
going through your reviews, they will come across that negative review. Of
course they will wonder if the book is terrible, but they will also see that
real people reviewed your work. And, if you have good or great reviews to go
along with it, they can weigh their options.
About a week ago, I received my lowest review for my
latest work (EXIT: How to Leave Debt Forever). The reviewer titled the review,
“I didn’t find anything new here.”
Although, the title stated how my book was just like
any other financial book, the reviewer yet pointed out that they learned
something in the book. This type of review is even better, because I not only
received a “lower than average” review, but I also received good remarks on my
work. So, a curious reader will be led to read the negative review and find a
positive spin on it.
One thing you have to remember is that you will not
please everyone, so write from your heart and find the good in all your reviews
and comments.
The Exit