Jim Cox Makes Midwest Reviews Easier for Indie Authors

I ran this--with permission of course--in my Sharingwithwriters newsletter and received more thank yous from grateful indie authors for doing it than most anything else I have run.  So thought I'd share it with my blog subscribers and visitors, too.

Midwest Book Review Assures Review for Deserving Books

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This good news from Jim Cox at Midwest Book Reviews is reprinted from the Midwest Newsletter with permission.

 

By Jim Cox

 

It's a new year and I've developed a new policy here at the Midwest Book Review that went into effect on January 1st. It all started a few weeks ago when I was doing some office work and received five phone calls during the morning from five self-published authors wanting a status report on the books they had submitted for review.

 

In each case I had the unfortunate responsibility of informing them that although their books had arrived safely and passed our initial screening process, they were unable to achieve a review assignment in the allotted time (14 to 16 weeks) simply because we had too many books being submitted for review consideration (an average of 2000 a month) and only 81 reviewers.

 

Then with the fifth of those phone calls I got a sudden inspiration. So here's the new policy based on that idea:

 

Any author or publisher who has submitted a book for review consideration to the Midwest Book Review and whose book passed our initial screening and simply did not get reviewed because of "too many books, not enough reviewers", that author or publisher can submit the MBR a review from any other reviewer or review resource, as long as they have that reviewer's permission to do so. We will run the review in our monthly book review publication "Reviewer's Bookwatch" on behalf of that author or publisher, under that reviewer's byline. (Of course, the reviewer retains all copyright and ownership rights to their review, just like any other contributor to the "Reviewer's Bookwatch".)

 

I'm making this policy retroactive, so if you have ever submitted a book to the Midwest Book Review in the past and it failed to achieve a review assignment from us, then this offer is open to you.

 

Here is a link to our "Reviewer Guidelines" that I provide anyone seeking to submit reviews to the Midwest Book Review -- feel free to use it if you are recruiting your own reviewers:

 

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/revinfo.htm

 

So now our online book review 'audience' of booksellers and the general reading public, including our network of libraries and librarians, is open anyone whose book was good enough to pass our screening process but didn't make it all the way through because of our limited reviewer resources.

 

This new policy is in service to our overall goal of promoting literacy, libraries, and small press publishing.

  

All of the previous issues of the "Jim Cox Report" are archived on the Midwest Book Review website. If you'd like to receive the "Jim Cox Report" directly (and for free), just send me an email asking to be signed up for it.

So until next time -- goodbye, good luck, and good reading!

Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI, 53575
http://www.midwestbookreview.com

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Marcia Greer Shares Amazon Reviews Ideas

Thank you to today's guest blogger Marcia Greer. As many of my blog subscribers know, I am big on getting reviews to help market books--but not paid reviews.  You will find more on getting reviews including how to get reviewed by going through the back door of some of the big review journals in The Frugal Book Promoter. And still more information like a list of major review journals on my Web site at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/reviews_and_review_journals.htm.

How to Get Your Book Reviewed On Amazon

As an author who aspires to be successful and well known, there is no better way to gain potential readers than on Amazon. A properly reviewed book on the world's biggest online retailer will give you the publicity you need. However, it can be difficult to get your book reviewed if you’re self-published or don’t have a literary agent. Yet, if you employ the help of some useful little tips, then there is no reason why your book won’t be reviewed well by hundreds on Amazon!

Look at the Top Reviewers on Amazon
One of the best ways to get your book reviewed is to look at the list of top reviewers on the website. These consumers take their "job" very seriously, and many have reviewed upwards of seven thousand products! If you contact several and offer them a copy of your book, then they might be willing to review it. However, keep in mind that they’re not being paid, and that this is an honest program. Top reviewers are the best for a reason. Their trusted and real feedback can influence the average buyer into purchasing a book or product.

2) Contact Book Blogs
Another great way to get your book reviewed on Amazon is to contact top book blogs. You should contact blogs that fit the demographic of your intended readers. Ask the owner of the blog if they would be willing to review it on their website and on Amazon. This is a great way to get additional coverage, and a review from a trusted critic. Be prepared to ask several blogs, as many might not respond. If you’re persistent and polite, then they should eventually say yes if your book appeals to them.

Give it Away!
Why not consider giving your book away for a weekend, or even a whole week? You’ll have an increase of readers who adore finding free things. Anyone who downloads the book could be a potential reviewer. You will be opening up your book to a wider audience, and that can give you the coverage you need. If thousands of people end up positively reviewing the book, then giving it away for free during a limited time is more than worth it.

As you can see, there are several ways to get your book reviewed on Amazon. The key to success is to be creative with your approach. You want your book to be positively reviewed by many people. However, that cannot happen if nobody knows it exists. You need to create buzz if you want your book to become a best seller. Popularity isn’t difficult if you’re willing to seek it out in unexpected places, like the Amazon top reviewer list!

Marcia Greer is an English teacher and writer who writes all about literature and authordom. Her most recent work is a piece for aspiring English teachers on The 10 Best Online Masters in Education Degree Programs For 2014.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Authors, Reviewers, Readers! How To Submit Your Fave Review

I post and edit this The New Book Review blog  at no charge and I do it by myself. I don't even ask for donations. And I love it! Lucky you! 

I outline the submission guidelines in the left column of the blog, but I still get all kinds of unusual submissions that require me to send the author, reviewer, or reader back to the drawing board. The thing is, my guidelines are not an isolated requirement. They are standard throughout the publishing industry and authors who don’t know how to follow them are at a disadvantage with everything from entering a contest to getting a agent.

I, like everyone else, do ask that the submission guidelines be followed exactly. In other words, your favorite review--whether you're an author, a reader, or a reviewer--must be all submitted all in one place--by you--so it's pretty much copy and paste for me. (Though I always have some details to attend to). Dan Poynter actually uses the term “copy and paste ready” in his guidelines for submissions.

I cover tips for submissions to editors, etc. (among hundreds of other tips)  in The Frugal Book Promoter as a way to assure that more of your marketing efforts get used by editors.  I consider these guidelines a bit of a training ground for authors. Find The Frugal Book Promoter at http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo.  

So....your submission to this blog should come all in one e-mail window.

It should be formatted as outlined in the submission guidelines right here at http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com  in the left column. 

And no attachments, please. Many universities, newspapers, etc will NEVER open attachments. In fact, their servers may not even let e-mail with attachments through but send them instead directly to cyberspace--bypassing even the spam folder. 

I hope to hear from you soon! Should you decide to take on this marketing opportunity, let's make it fun, easy, and a wonderful marketing (and learning) experience. (-:

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Get Reviews or Review: Opportunities for Writers

This seemed like an opportunity my subscribers and visitors would want to know about. I haven't tried the program, but I am familiar with the owners of the organization. They are reliable and principled. Having said that, it it important that each writer carefully research any service to be sure it suits their needs.

As the current economic slump causes several reviewers to close up shop, and print reviews become much less frequent, savvy authors are embracing the Internet as the place to market their books. An innovative, newly launched online site, “Review the Book,” is ready to meet the challenge.

“Review the Book,” a new online book review service, has just been launched, and already hundreds of authors are signing up to get their books reviewed. The new service has assembled a team of quality reviewers; many have been reviewing books for other review publications for many years. “Review the Book” provides a simple and effective way to provide a much-in-demand review service for authors to find and connect with their readers.

Authors who wish to submit their books for consideration by “Review the Book” can go to www.ReviewtheBook.com, create a username and password, and then list their book titles. Once titles are posted, reviewers select the books that interest them, and the author is contacted to request a review copy. This process insures review copies are not sent and ignored, and the author is guaranteed a review within three weeks once the review copy is mailed. While a small fee is required per title for administrative costs, discounts exist for listing multiple titles.

Book Reviewers agree to post a 300- to 600-word review to “Review the Book,” Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s websites, as well as seven additional websites of their choice. As many as five reviewers may choose to review the same book, which means the possibility of 50 book reviews across the worldwide web for one book in places where the reviews will gain the attention of interested readers. Studies show that reviews posted online are now a deciding factor for readers in choosing books to read. A good book review can propel book sales for an author, and well-written reviews by the experienced reviewers at “Review the Book” will ensure that quality books get the attention they deserve.

Because reviewers at “Review the Book” receive no compensation, other than a free book, but write reviews from a love of reading, impartiality and honesty are trademarks of the reviews. Reviewers are forbidden to resell books and must pay a deposit to “Review the Book” to ensure they will post reviews. And because reviewers choose the books they want to read, their reviews serve as a fair representation of a book’s reading audience. Interested potential reviewers can apply at www.ReviewtheBook.com

“Review the Book” is the brainchild of Reader Views, based in Austin, TX. Reader Views has been reviewing books and offering author publicity services since 2006. With the decline of many other review services, Reader Views decided to launch a new book review site and assemble a fresh team of reviewers to provide more book review opportunities for authors. More information about Reader Views can be found at www.ReaderViews.com
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
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