As authors, we are often asked for advanced
reading copies (ARCs) for reviewers and book bloggers. As a newbie author, I thought I needed to say
yes to all opportunities for a review because it equalled publicity in my
mind. But that’s wrong thinking. Now that I’m more experienced, I know that
not only do we have some control over our professional reviews, we need to own
responsibility for the fact that it’s our name on that front cover.
When asked by a book blogger or reviewer for an
ARC, do your research. Do they have a following or are they just looking for a
free read? What kind of books have they
reviewed in the past and were they like yours? Do you like the way they write?
Yes, this is important because you’re going to use this review to promote
yourself. Look at the reviews they’ve
written and decide if they can articulate themselves---after all, if they’re
judging your writing, you have every right to do the same.
There will be instances where a book reviewer
will get the ARC from your publisher, in which case you’ve been taken out of
the loop. That’s fine, that’s simply how the business works. Just like with reader reviews, your responses
to the review highlight you as either a professional or an amateur.
Never respond to a bad review, especially from a
reader. I know we’re all tempted to go
into defensive mode, but I’m urging you not to do that. Every great book written and every prolific
author gets bad reviews. This business
is highly subjective. In the long haul,
if you’ve written a good book, the positive reviews will outweigh the
negative. Responding in a defensive way
will turn off anyone who may be objective.
Just let it be--rant to your significant other, your friends, your dog,
your Muse, the bartender--but don’t put anything in writing.
On the flip side, always thank a professional
book blogger or reviewer for their time, even if you received a mediocre review
instead of the 5 out of 5 stars you know you deserve. If you intend to be a career novelist, then
every step along the way is building the foundation of your success.
The key here is knowing that we authors do have
some control over who reads our ARCs and who doesn’t. It’s okay to say no to someone who claims to
want to do a review yet only has a following of ten people and writes like
they’re in second grade. This is your career, your work that you’ve labored
over, your name on the cover--own it. We
authors have no control over the general public and what they’ll say, so take
the control we do have and use it to your advantage.
Guest post by Amber Lea Easton, a
multi-published fiction and non-fiction author. For twenty years, she's worked
in the fields of journalism and advertising with a brief detour into the
financial industry. Although she holds a BA in
Communications & Journalism, she is a perpetual student of life who enjoys
taking courses on a wide variety of subjects when time allows. |
| Amber Lea Easton |
Smart is sexy, according to Easton, which is why she writes about strong female
characters who have their flaws and challenges, but who ultimately
persevere. Her romantic suspense novels,
Riptide and Kiss Me Slowly, are currently available on Amazon, Barnes and
Noble, and Bookstrand.com.
Easton currently lives with her two teenagers in the
Colorado Rocky Mountains where she gives thanks daily for the gorgeous view
outside her window. She finds inspiration from traveling, the people she meets,
nature and life’s twists and turns. At
the end of the day, as long as she's writing, she considers herself to be
simply "a lucky lady liv'n the dream."
Follow Author Amber Lea Easton via Twitter
@MtnMoxieGirl, on her Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberLeaEaston
or her blog at http://amberleaeaston.blogspot.com.
