“Is an Amazon Book Review on Your List of Gifts Writers Like to Give and Receive?” by Joan Y. Edwards
This is December – a month noted for giving and receiving. What are gifts that writers like?
10 Gifts Writers Can Give Themselves
- Confidence
- Faith and belief that your stories will be self-published or published by traditional publishers
- Investment of time, talent, and/or money to educate, write, critique, and revise
- Materials to write: pencil/pen and paper, computer and backup protection, writing software
- Life Experiences to notice emotional impact in yourself and others
- Read best-selling books in their genre
- Study books and/or expert blog posts on the craft of writing; take workshops online or in person
- Study the pitches of best-selling books and movies
- Study possible markets
- Submit work often (Pubsub)
7 Gifts Writers Like to Give and Receive
- Encouragement
- Support
- Education
- Critique
- Hope
- Publication
- Do a Book Review on Amazon
I read that an author needs 25 book reviews on Amazon to influence buyers. If you’re willing to do a review of Flip Flap Floodle on Amazon for me, please email me at joanyedwards1@gmail.com. Tell me you’re willing to do a book review on Amazon and give me your snail mail address. I’ll send you a paperback copy of Flip Flap Floodle. You can keep the copy or give it away as a gift to a child you believe will enjoy it.
Below are many resources with information about reviews, how to write them, why are they important, and where to get them. Be sure to get permission to use the review in your marketing materials: book blurbs, brochures, blog posts, podcasts, webinars, etc.
Resources:
- Amber in Blunderland. “Do Book Bloggers Sell Books?”http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/2011/05/saturday-discussions-7-do-book-bloggers.html
- Book List Online. American Library Association. http://booklistonline.com
- Christian Children’s Book Review. Review of “Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle http://ccbreview.blogspot.com/2010/03/many-waters.html
- Dana Lynn Smith. The Savvy Book Marketer. http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/
- Dana Lynn Smith. BookBuzzr. “7 Reasons Why Reviews Sell Books:” http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/7-reasons-why-reviews-sell-books/
- Darcy Pattison. “How Many Reviews?” http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/how-many-reviews/
- Evan Morrison. “Why Social Media Isn’t the Magic Bullet – Don’t Tweet, Just Write: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jul/30/tweet-about-cats-just-write
- Good Reads.com “How Does Goodreads Work:” https://techboomers.com/t/how-does-goodreads-work
- Gwen. “Why Write Amazon Reviews:” http://gwenperkins.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/qa-why-write-amazon-reviews/
- Jeanie Fritz. Review of “The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evision” http://2manybooks2littletime.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/the-revised-fundamentals-of-caregiving-by-jonathan-evision/#comments
- Library Thing. “How do you decide how many stars to award?” http://www.librarything.com/topic/113348
- Morris Rosenthal “Do Book Reviews Sell Self Published Books?” http://fonerbooks.blogspot.com/2007/10/do-book-reviews-sell-self-published.html
- M. Louisa Locke. “Categories, Key Words, and Tags, Oh My: Why should an Author Care?” http://mlouisalocke.com/2011/10/24/categories-key-words-and-tags-oh-my-why-should-an-author-care/
- Patrick. “Goodreads Stats Show Which Media Outlets Really Sell Books:” http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/232-goodreads-stats-show-which-media-outlets-really-sell-books
- Patrick. “How do books get discovered? A guide for publishers and authors who want their books to find an audience:” http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/343-how-do-books-get-discovered-a-guide-for-publishers-and-authors-who-want
- Rachel Toor. Chronicle of Higher Education.”Why Bother Writing Book Reviews?” http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Bother-Writing-Book/131360/
- Ruth Harris “Amazon Reader Reviews: 12 Things Everybody and His Grandmother Needs to Know” http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-reader-reviews-12-things.html
- Writing Center. University of North Carolina. “Book Reviews:” http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/book-reviews/
Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate you very much. I plan to polish and send off two manuscripts before December 31, 2012. My gift to myself. Each time I finish revising one. I can post a blog. Each time I submit one, I can post a blog.
Let me know what your goals for December are. I’d like to hear them. Comment again when you reach your goals…You accomplish big goals or small goals one step at a time. You can do it. I can do it. We can all do it.
I told stories to my family when I was a little girl. When I was five I bought hot dogs for my sister’s class thinking they’d let me in her class. Did it work? Find out here: Joan Y. Edwards on Linda Andersen’s blog.
Copyright © 2012 Joan Y. Edwards
Hi Joan, best wishes for your December Goals. I would like to finish my last chapter this month. If not, then definitely in Jan.
Dear Susan,
Thanks for your good wishes for my December goals. Good luck with your December goals, too. Enjoy yourself when you’re writing.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Joan,
Merry Christmas! Your blog gives all year long! Congratulations on meeting your goal for blog membership and exceeding it. Polish those manuscripts and send them out. For writers, that’s better than a letter to Santa. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Dear Linda,
Thanks for writing. Thank you for saying that my blog gives all year long! How sweet! Thanks for encouraging me. Good luck with your writing, polishing, and submitting, too.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Dear Joan,
I’d be honored to write a review of your book for Amazon.
Best regards,
Angela
Dear Angela, I am excited that you will write a review of Flip Flap Floodle for me. I’ll email you. Thank you very much.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
nice post, Joan. Only you would think of posting a list of “what writers need” and put encouragement on it! Many writers also need another precious commodity–TIME!
Dear Carol,
Thanks for writing. Thanks for the compliment. I put investment in time as something writers give themselves, but you are right, sometimes others can give us time by doing things that release time for us to write. When I took care of Mother, other caregivers watched Mother for me. This released time for me to go to the library and work on my stories. Time is a gift writers definitely need. Good luck in finding the time you need to write!
Celebrate you and your creativity!
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
I think that one of the greatest gifts a writer can give or receive is patience. Oh, the patience that is needed! Add to that a big old dash of obstinacy and add some chocolate. I mean to say, how else would writers ever survive?
Dear Maureen,
Thanks for writing. You are right. Patience is a great gift for writers to give or receive. I agree that obstinacy and oodles of chocolate are definitely needed for writers to survive! Celebrate your gift of creativity.
Hurray for obstinacy!
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards