Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

First, I believe that there was a previous forum on this subject, with a long list of messages and comments in it.

Second, contacting a reader because you didn't like her review/rating is a very bad idea. It will make you look like the vindictive type of author and will make many stay away from your books. All authors get both good and bad reviews/ratings on their books during their careers. We simply have to live with it and either learn from them (if the criticism was justified) or ignore the bad reviews which were in your opinion unjustified.

Lastly, I noticed that you gave your own book a five star rating. While not really against rules, I believe that such ratings by an author to his/her own book will be judged as pretty well meaningless and less than honest by many readers, including me.

Hi,
Reader/Reviewer here, not an author. Hope it's okay if I butt in with my opinion. :)
I feel that if the reviewer has listed out her reasons about why she didn't like the book, it is a review to be respected. Far better than simply saying "I hated it" without specifying the reasons. (And you might get a few of those too in future! It's all a part of the package.) Her honest and detailed feedback will prepare other potential readers for the book. Those who don't mind misogynistic characters will still pick it up, and those who don't enjoy such characters will stay away, thereby reducing the chances of your book's getting negative reviews in future.
My advice would be to take the feedback in your stride and move on. If you ask her to reread, it won't be taken the right way. A good book will always have at least a few negative reviews, and I'd rather read such a book than go for one that has only 5 star reviews, which are the first sign of fake reviews.
Good luck!

I am new to goodreads so appreciate the great suggestions so far. Thank you. p.s. I did rank my own work as 5 stars, however what I am really interested in is the comments and ratings of others ;-). I am still learning here.

1. NEVER reply to poor reviews, especially asking the reviewer to change them. This can get you into world of hurt and it is a reviewer's right to say whatever they wish unless they attack you personally.
2. You can comment on your own book, maybe give the readers a little more information, but don't rate it. It comes across as a little desperate and is clearly biased.

I agree with Emma regarding leaving your own review - you wrote it, you obviously loved it! I have posted an Editorial review under my name, specifying the source (Reader's Favorite) since they do not post their Editorial reviews. They have a great review platform, Mark. You need to submit your book to them. I believe they have a paid one, but I submit to the free one and wait. I have been very happy with them.

OK I just unrated my own book. This and the simply ignore a bad review seem to be clear messages. Hopefully more people will review my book as I am looking at these reviews to help guide the second book. I look upon this as a learning curve.

Speaking as an author- do not defend your book. Not everyone has to like it for whatever reason. Dealing with bad reviews should be according to the "never complain, never explain" rule.

When I disagree with the review, I politely thank the reviewer for taking their time and rant about their lack of understanding to my partner at home ;p

Dear Gail , I am somewhat of a newbie here. an editorial review, a review platform? Do you have a link please. One of my aims os to get review feedback on the meaning of it and use it to inform the one I am currently writing

A few bad reviews give credence to the good ones as it shows they are honest reviews.

Mark wrote: "Dear Gail , I am somewhat of a newbie here. an editorial review, a review platform? Do you have a link please. One of my aims os to get review feedback on the meaning of it and use it to inform the..."

Mark, I just requested you as a friend. I had compiled a list of sites I used after a year of publishing my books, and my experiences with each. I have shared it in the past and can send it to you. It's very helpful albeit basic - but a good start:)

Great, look forward reading it Gail. Thank you

Mark wrote: "Should I ask this reader to finish the book and suggest she re reviews it?"

Good grief NO! Stop and go re-read Goodread's author guidelines you agreed to when you signed up. It is against their rules to contact reviewers or to engage in any way with people who didn't enjoy your book. You risk having your account banned if you try and coerce readers into changing their reviews. Nor should you. Is every single book you pick up a 5-star read?

Secondly - STOP reading the reviews. No book is for everybody. I have dozens (if not hundreds!) of 1-star reviews/ratings. All they mean is that person isn't my reader, and I hope the next book they pick up is more to their taste.

Write another book and leave the review space for readers.

Mark,

I do not know if you read books, attended classes or seminars, or performed any research pertaining to the field of writing prior to publishing your first work . If not, you may be unaware of a few basic facts emphasized by the resources mentioned.

1. Very few avid readers, for whatever reason, ever post a rating or review. Those who do are merely expressing their personal, and therefore, subjective opinion. One reader's Best book ever! might very well be another reader's Worst book ever!

2. Ratings and reviews are posted by readers for the benefit of fellow readers, not the author. Many authors do not read reviews of their work, those that choose to do so should never, under any circumstances, attempt to contact the reader or reply to a rating or review.

3. Very few novice authors ever achieve commercial success or even notoriety within this extremely competitive field. That said; some have. If you strive to continuously improve upon your technical writing, narration, and promotional knowledge and skills, there is no reason why you might not eventually become one of the few success stories. I wish your success.

I notice that you have created the standard Goodreads Member Profile. You may want to consider posting a Goodreads Author Profile instead. It will make members aware that you are indeed a published author and draw more attention to you future works.

Ignore bad reviews, unless they are really funny and you're writing a comedic book, then you can use them for advertising.

If the reviews are obviously malicious and not from real customers (say, a political book with the other side just screaming about it), then you can contact the site carrying the reviews and ask them to deal with the fake review bombing.

NEVER RESPOND. Ignore bad reviews, and move on. I know they hurt, especially if they are ignorant or silly, but it hurts you worse to engage or try to defend yourself (even with another name). Just pretend they don't exist.

Hi Mark, I read all kinds of stories and although some books are pretty good, some are pretty bad as well and I write to the author about what went wrong with the stories. One book reviewer who claims that your book wasn't great isn't the end of writing books for you, I'm sure there is a reviewer out there that will be different from the first reviewer.

The Problem with REVIEWS - Let me Count the Ways:

Reviews can be Faked.

Remember how when Elon Musk made an offer to buy Twitter it came out that Twitter is up to 30% BOTS? Reviews can be used the same way, to swing public opinion.

Major publishing companies use `ARCs' to get thousands of 4-5 STAR Reviews. Before the book is even published it's already in the Top Ten of its genre! Quite a feat.

The Tight Rope of Political Correctness - Authors feel compelled to walk it because The Judges might give them a nasty 1 Star. The Irony - a Reviewer sometimes uses a minor detail as an Excuse to downgrade your book when their real gripe is much deeper.

For example - I spelled `ALOT' as one word when it' actually 2 words - A LOT. Horrors! One reviewer raged over this and a couple other minor misspellings in one of my books. This was her only reason given for handing out 1 Star Review.

I am sure a few misspellings were not her real problem with the book. She was offended somehow but was not honest enough to write the truth. Thus leaving the author in limbo...

Reviews can be used as a way to Punish another Writer - Anonymously.

Reviews allow Competing Authors to Anonymously demean another's Amazon Ranking -

Once written that 1 Star stays there forever, bringing down the average, unless an author can get four 5 Star reviews to bring it back to a 4.25 average. And reviews are are to come by let alone 5 Stars.

Reviews are Powerful - Not only can a bad review affect the SALES of your book, they inflict Pain. An Author puts all-consuming effort, time and soul-searching into writing a book. To have it arrogantly kicked to the curb hurts.

BUT Writers have stories to tell. Many have dreamed of tellling stories from childhood. It's part of our Divine Mission...

Keep in mind, the Competition is tremendous. And can be cutthroat. Amazon has 7+ MILLION books on offer. Major publishing houses are dumping their backlists, midlists and front lists on Amazon.

The EBOOK is incredibly profitable. Publishers don't have to actually PRINT A BOOK. There's no storage. No shipping. It's Money out of air.

And with that kind of competition it's stunning how quickly a book can sink to the bottom of the Amazon River. Promotion is KEY.

Authors - Think of That One Reader who loves the mental adventure, the angst, the inspiration in your stories. That One Life you will influence as an author. Someone you will never know, yet you have reached out and touched that person.

That's Something.

Diana wrote: "The Problem with REVIEWS - Let me Count the Ways:

Reviews can be Faked.

Remember how when Elon Musk made an offer to buy Twitter it came out that Twitter is up to 30% BOTS? Reviews can be used t..."

HEAR! HEAR!

30% bots is the low estimate on Twitter, actually.

I would advise consideration that if a well-written, thoughtful review has some constructive criticism on how a book could be better, they're worth at least considering.

When I say ignore bad reviews, I don't mean "never heed any of their concerns" but rather "don't let them get you down." A very good negative review (or concerns in a positive one) can help you become a better writer and we all want to be that, I think.

I recently received a 1 star rating for each of my first two books almost simultaneously, without any review. Suspicious and hurtful.

I definitely wouldn't reach out. This is actually good news because it means you actually did an AMAZING job creating that detestable character you were aiming to lol. Keep up the good work. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You just keep pushing forward

When I give a review, I give the reason. I once gave an author a 3 star rating and she contacted me in a nice manner and understood. I got tired of all the fighting. The first book I read by her was a 5 star.
I am reading a book for my local library challenge and I will give it a 3 star rating (I do not give 1 or 2) just because of the language. Enough of the f word is enough. I will finish for the challenge but it is a struggle. It is getting 4 and 5 star ratings when I read the reviews.

Some great advice on here Mark so I won't add to it, save to say that at present I would be content to receive any reviews. Even a 1 star review if a genuine appraisal is something to learn from, though it is vital to remember it is only that one person's opinion.
Onwards and upwards, my friend.
Best wishes.

90% of readers never leave reviews on the book they have read, so when an reader takes the time out to write a review it doesn't mean that they are trying to tank the author. (Unless they are a petty person). Most of the time, reviewer review books to enlighten fellow potential readers. They review the book, not the author. This author can have a lot of bad reviews on this book and their next book is a bestseller. Not every person that reads your book is going to love it.

Reviews with explanation helps other readers to make a choice of whether or not they want to pick up your book. This helps to save the author's book from another person like the previous 1-starred rater. Persons who likes the sort of protagonist you created will pick up your book.

If a review comments on grammatical errors, it essential to take that into consideration. No one is perfect. Authors and editors are human. They make mistakes. However, when the author corrects those errors, it also saves them from getting another review like that.

I have seen where authors grow from negative reviews and that same reviewer starts recommending the authors books. Bad reviews can hurt. But, they are there to help authors grow and attract readers who are into that kind of book.

Side Note: Most readers prefer a book with bad reviews to one with 5 star reviews. Books like that tend to be more authentic in their eyes.

Chantie wrote: "Side Note: Most readers prefer a book with bad reviews to one with 5 star reviews. Books like that tend to be more authentic in their eyes."
Or, you know, we're interested to see why everyone is saying it's so bad ;) but yes, a lot of five-stars doesn't seem real - 'bad' ratings level it out, so to speak. It makes me, as a reviewer and bookworm, think 'well, this author probably bought reviews or bribed the reviewer in some way, so...there's something off here.'
Like everyone said earlier, just don't respond to bad reviews & learn from them, then you'll be good.

Those last two comments actually make perfect sense. Reviews of any kind are helpful when you think about it.

I was guilty of taking everything to heart when I began writing. I made just about every mistake an author could make. I stupidly engaged with reviewers and, though I had the best of intentions, my words were twisted, misinterpreted and used as weapons against me. I came off looking petty and precious. It was all my fault and I should never have become involved. I put my work out there and consequently every reader has the right to voice their opinion.
Learn from my mistakes.
I'm happy to say I'm older and wiser now by the way. Rubbish me and my work all you want. Just read it first. :-)

Beware Paid Review SCAMMERS.

After receiving multiple solicitations over the years, I went with a paid reviewer. She presented herself as a `European college student' who thought she might really like my new book. But you know...$$$

I was shocked at the published review. The English was broken and barely understandable. But the Scammer's English had been good. Apparently the front person passed on the book to her team mate to do the actual review. That person had much weaker English.

It was obvious the reviewer had read just the first and last chapters. Gotta get it done quick. Keep the money rolling in.

Then to really stir the pot this person slapped on a 3 Star Review, which lowered the book's ranking. Gasp. I PAID for That?

When I complained about the broken English, etc, I was arrogantly told it was an `Honest Review'. Then she lowered it to a 1 Star to punish me for daring to speak out.

Diana wrote: "Beware Paid Review SCAMMERS..."

Paid reviews violates Amazon’s (and Goodreads) TOS. If you were scammed, then perhaps there is a lesson in that about not trying to manipulate reviews/ratings.

The only paid reviews that allowed, are editorial reviews such as Kirkus, which must be posted in the editorial review section of a book page, they CANNOT be posted as consumer reviews.

It’s interesting how many authors seem to rely on reviews for “feedback” which would indicate they aren’t using critique partners, beta readers or editors - who all give feedback prior to publication.

Mellie wrote: "Diana wrote: "Beware Paid Review SCAMMERS..."

Paid reviews violates Amazon’s (and Goodreads) TOS. If you were scammed, then perhaps there is a lesson in that about not trying to manipulate reviews..."

I kinda agree with you but indie authors look for reviews as so much more than just 'feedback.' They are the best advertisement we can muster with our (by comparison) paltry marketing resources. They are indicators as to whether you have produced an interesting, believable, commercially viable product. They are the best (and possibly only) way to reach members on sites such as this en mass, given that we can not advertise or mention our own books in any thread other than promotion ones, which we have no way of knowing are actually visited by readers in any great numbers. Moreover, it is essentially the only way we can realistically connect with readers. To reach the masses otherwise, we would have to be chained to a computer 24/7. And a review from a respected reader carries Sooooo much more weight than the author extolling the virtues of his/her own book. It is posted on many feeds etc.
I do not agree with paid reviews. I try to seek reviews by offering free copies but in this regard I am failing on a grand scale. The more I post, the more I seem desperate and the worse the reputation I am forging. So, how do I (or any of us) seek the reviews we need for the reasons stated above? That is why many turn to paid options.
We have no publicity machine etc. as stated, and I think that's why we place so much importance on reviews. And why they hurt when they are bad.

I'm sorry if I state the obvious. All of the above does not detract however from my other posts. An author HAS to learn to let go and accept whatever the reviewer believes and writes. It is unbelievably hard to do so sometimes, but it is essential. I have learned that the hard way.

Leona wrote: "When I give a review, I give the reason. I once gave an author a 3 star rating and she contacted me in a nice manner and understood. I got tired of all the fighting. The first book I read by her wa..."

I take it back. I stopped reading a book and gave it a 1 star. It woud have been a fairly good mystery if the author had used better language. Enough of the f word on almost every page and when that was not used, he found other words to use.

Leona wrote: "Leona wrote: "When I give a review, I give the reason. I once gave an author a 3 star rating and she contacted me in a nice manner and understood. I got tired of all the fighting. The first book I ..."

Sounds fair enough. That is an honest opinion and if the use of expletives was something you abhorred, that is valuable critique.

Diana wrote: "Beware Paid Review SCAMMERS.

After receiving multiple solicitations over the years, I went with a paid reviewer. She presented herself as a `European college student' who thought she might really ..."

Well, you paid for an honest review. You got an honest review. You can't be mad at a reviewer for having the audacity (sarcasm) to give their honest opinion. Look, I know it probably sucks to get a bad review especially when you paid for it, and the fact that the reviewer handed your book to her teammate to review it isn't that great. Add that to the fact that you complained about the broken english (which I think isn't a valid complaint - so what if their english isn't that great?) I think I can understand why you would be frustrated. But if you paid for an honest review, you got what you paid for.

I wouldn't contact the reviewer and ask them to finish the book. As 'snarky' as people are these days, they'd likely say ok, wait a couple of weeks, and then write a more scathing review than the first.

It's a shame society has come to this. Not everything is everybody's' cup of tea, but we seem to have lost our civility to say "this didn't work for me, but feel free to give it a try if it sounds more like your thing."

On the other hand, a bad review could actually help. If there's a reader out there who doesn't mind misogynistic and violent characters, then it might appeal to a reader who sees that review and says "good, here's an author who isn't afraid to go there. I'll give them a try." I'll admit that as a reader, I have been drawn to read some books because a bad review hit on an element they hated, but I liked. A perfect case in point is when a reviewer complained that "all that scifi made my head hurt" and I thought "not me, that's exactly what I'm looking for!"

Dan wrote: "Yasmine wrote: "Well, you paid for an honest review. You got an honest review. "

I doubt that she received an honest review. Paying a review mill to have their people do a cookie cutter read of th..."

Good point; I didn't think of that bit. My bad :D

A truly professional author focuses upon striving to continuously improve upon their basic writing and marketing skills and taking advantage of support resources such as copy and concptual editing, and layout design.

Overt requests for or purchasing reviews are amateurish and unproductive.

Contrary what some believe, sales drive reviews, not the other way around.

If Reviews don't help drive Sales, why do mainstream publishers send out hundreds even thousands of ARCs to their private lists?

Can anyone tell me how an UNpublished book on Preorder gets 1,770 ratings/reviews with a 4.5 star average?
(can't have a 5 star average that would look sus).

Diana wrote: "If Reviews don't help drive Sales, why do mainstream publishers send out hundreds even thousands of ARCs to their private lists?"

You are failing to take into account the effect of anticipation/buzz. Publishers send ARCs out to people with a following (it used to be bloggers, these days I understand many are sent to Instagram and BookTok influencers) to generate buzz or that crucial word of mouth, which drives sales. It's not the reviews which increases sales, but when the influencer hypes up the book to their platform.


Diana wrote: "Can anyone tell me how an UNpublished book on Preorder gets 1,770 ratings/reviews with a 4.5 star average?"

It could have been a Prime Read. There is a book I have on preorder which doesn't release until November 7 and it already has 2,652 reviews with a 4.5 average because it was a Prime Read. And I don't see anything "suss" about that book having a high average over that many ratings, because the author is amazing, writes fantastic books and she's sold millions of copies.

My coping mechanism usually involves beer and bitter tears. Not necessarily in that order.

Jim wrote: "A truly professional author focuses upon striving to continuously improve upon their basic writing and marketing skils and taking advantage of support resources such as copy and concptual editing, ..."

Surely that's like saying, 'What came first, the chicken or the egg?'

Unless you are an established author or throw mountains of cash at it, sales will not magically appear upon release of your novel (unfortunately). You have to spread the word as best you can and in that regard, there is nothing better than a batch of honest reviews, is there?
Marketing is often seen for what it is; complete bias designed to sell. But reviews by respected group members reach/target the exact audience an author is striving to impress.

'Overt requests for or purchasing reviews are amateurish and unproductive.'

I agree wholeheartedly here but fail to see how any author without established contacts can obtain that all-important impetus and initial interest without requesting reviews? I'm trying at present and would love to know if there is an alternative to my frequent posts? Am I supposed to simply wait and hope? Or would you advise marketing agencies, who appear to be numerous and costly?

Of course, one always takes the risk that readers will not like your work and that is the game we play, is it not? If they read it, they have earned the right to be honest, though I also agree that a little empathy and tact would be appreciated.

Good debate.

M.J. wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly here but fail to see how any author without established contacts can obtain that all-important impetus and initial interest without requesting reviews? I'm trying at present and would love to know if there is an alternative to my frequent posts? Am I supposed to simply wait and hope?..."

I say, let time for the word of mouth to do its work. Pursuing sales by soliciting reviews (including paying for them) will not help you, as most readers don't trust what paid-for reviews say. Even the most celebrated authors normally take years to break through and become bestselling authors. Sure, there are authors who got sales via spending big money on advertising but you are obviously not in that category, so show some patience. By wanting results quickly, you may only end up with your book being stolen by scammers. Personally, I have no interest or patience for authors who keep repeatedly asking for reviews. Write for the pleasure of writing, not for it to become a money-making machine and the quality of your books will only improve from that.

Michel wrote: "M.J. wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly here but fail to see how any author without established contacts can obtain that all-important impetus and initial interest without requesting reviews? I'm tryin..."

Thanks Michel, though to be honest the success and money is not what drives me. I'd just like to know what people think. That is all good advice and I suppose I have been impatient, but not for the reasons above.

I will back off now and hope some kind soul gives it a go. As you say, any more posts and I risk becoming a pest. Which will not do.

Mellie wrote: "Diana wrote: "If Reviews don't help drive Sales, why do mainstream publishers send out hundreds even thousands of ARCs to their private lists?"

You are failing to take into account the effect of a..."

The `Influencer' still (should have?) read an ARC copy of said book on Preorder. Their ARMY of followers still have to receive an ARC in order to Review this as yet Unpublished book.

As far as Prime Reads go - you said you have a book on preorder which has received thousands of reviews BUT have you received said book yet?

Again that's where the ARC lists come in.

Google/Amazon doesn't say anything about allowing authors to put Unpublished books on Prime Reads -

"How do I get my book in Prime Reading? - To access the collection, simply log into your Prime account and head to the Prime Reading page. You'll need to download Amazon's free Kindle app, which you can set up on your Kindle, tablet, or cell phone — no Amazon device required."

A strange response. The question is very clear, but the answer is the opposite. It simply informs a READER how to read books on Prime. Nor does it say anything about allowing Preorder books on Prime.

How does an AUTHOR get an UNpublished book on Prime Reads? Asking for a friend.

Its usually easy to tell when a review is from a paid person and when its from a reader. Most buyers of books will disregard paid reviews and may even view the author with suspicion if they have a bunch of 5 star reviews that say nothing except positive things in a short sentence.

Diana wrote: "...BUT have you received said book..."

No - I haven't received it. As I said, the book is on preorder and won't appear on my kindle until Nov 7. Prime Reads are only available to prime members, and I don't have a prime membership.


Diana wrote: "...Their ARMY of followers still have to receive an ARC..."

No, they don't. That's not how it works. I follow many of the bookstagrammers and BookTokers and we don't receive an ARC for following them, only the influencer receives an ARC. If you follow the book related hashtags on TikTok and Instagram, you will see the influencer will post videos of receiving the book (these are all physical copies BTW, not ebooks and often hardbacks) showing the cover, interior details, reading an exerpt and giving their review. As a follower of influencers, we add books to our TBR and buy on release if we like what we have heard about it (ie: buzz/WOM) and that is how ARCs drive sales.

Diana wrote: "...How does an AUTHOR get an UNpublished book on Prime Reads? Asking for a friend..."

Well firstly it's not an unpublished book. These are preorders, which are published but not released.

I don't have a Prime membership so if anyone does, please correct me as to how this works. From my understanding, Amazon selects 2 (preorder) titles per month which are then made available to Prime members. Your friend needs to ask their agent about Amazon's process for considering titles and what pool of books they are looking at. There might be a submission process, or possibly they might ony select aPub titles. The book I have on preorder is an aPub, but since I don't have a Prime membership, I don't know if ALL picks are aPubs. I only knew about this one being made available prior to release because I follow the author and she mentioned it on social media a month ago.

M.J. wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly here but fail to see how any author without established contacts can obtain that all-important impetus and initial interest without requesting reviews?"

There are legitimate services you can pay to make a title (prior to release) available to a pool of readers for an honest review. These services comply with retailer/Amazon TOS and do not risk your account being banned, nor are they paid reviews, as you are not paying a reviewer.

The ones I know of are: NetGalley, HiddenGems, BookSprout, BookSirens.

I believe there are other services but they veer into a grey area or outright violate TOS as the author is paying for a fake positive review from suspicious accounts.

Mellie wrote: "M.J. wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly here but fail to see how any author without established contacts can obtain that all-important impetus and initial interest without requesting reviews?"

There a..."
Yes, thank you. I did not know of these paid sites until I had published. To be honest, I was ill-prepared and should have done due diligence.

Thanks for highlighting this.

Mellie wrote: "Diana wrote: "...BUT have you received said book..."

No - I haven't received it. As I said, the book is on preorder and won't appear on my kindle until Nov 7. Prime Reads are only available to pri..."

So a Preorder can be `Published' months in advance, but not `Released', but still be available on Prime Reads which is NOT available to the majority of Amazon readers? Have I got that right?

I questioned Amazon on this but all they said was that Prime Reads enables a KUL member (which I am) to borrow MORE than the usual limit of 10 books. Nothing about access to books on Preorder. I would think Amazon would mention that as an added benefit.

It would be very interesting to see Amazon's rules on access to Preorder books for Prime Reads.

With Humor. Ignoring the reviewer is tempting, safe, and probably the wisest course, but confronting that reviewer can reap benefits, though sometimes they might come much later. Two contrary examples:
1. Matt Groening dropped a bad review of an Oingo Boingo show for which he admitted he'd only seen the encores. Danny Elfman's reply: "Fuck Off! I mean, if you’re gonna say what you’re gonna say … that’s fine, but you gotta sit through the show if you’re gonna write … the damn review.” Years later, Matt Groening created the Life In Hell comic and later still, The Simpsons, for which he asked Danny Elfman to write the theme song. Both remembered their earlier (written) encounter, for which Groening apologized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X26YU... (5:56)
2. Harlan Ellison, the SF writer: "Thank your readers and the critics who praise you, and then ignore them. Write for the most intelligent, wittiest, wisest audience in the universe: Write to please yourself."

Diana wrote: "So a Preorder can be `Published' months in advance, but not `Released'..."

Yes. Authors have been able to make a preorder live up to a year in advance for...years. Indies used to be limited to a 3 month preorder on Amazon (all other retailers allow 1 year preorders), then some years ago Amazon extended it to 12 months.


Diana wrote: "...be available on Prime Reads which is NOT available to the majority of Amazon readers..."

It's a perk of Prime membership. Just like next day delivery is not available to the majority of Amazon shoppers.

Diana wrote: "...Nothing about access to books on Preorder. I would think Amazon would mention that as an added benefit...."

You seem to be confusing preorders with Prime reads. Prime membership does not give a reader blanket access to preorders early. What it does give them is a pick from one of the two Prime reads each month. I have no idea if Amazon selects preorders every month, as I don't have a Prime membership. I only noticed one was a preorder as the author announced it to her followers and I was miffed I couldn't read the book early but have to wait until the official release date.

I'm not sure this will help but type into Google the following:

Nominate Your eBook for a Promotion (Beta)

Now look through the first two results and go from there, or even down the list of returns. I'd just give you the URL but Goodreads won't allow me to do that.

Hi, I want to say there are a lot of great inputs here, and I shamelessly picked the ones that I like. Thank you, they are all well-written with the intention to give constructive criticism, which is something many, including me, appreciate the most.

Although it's 'healthy' not to expect one, as some members said, it's a chicken and egg situation. When I finished my book, I had no idea whether someone other than me would like it, and I didn't know how to find out other than from reviews. I have non-existent social media presences; I can't rely on acquaintances as well for a couple of reasons: reading is not their forte/language barrier/different genre preferences, and most of them actually have no idea that I do this because I am too reserve, which is not good but it's hard to change.

Getting a review, especially a good one, can put a weird smile on my face for at least a whole day. Book bloggers who are genuine avid readers are great, I am amazed at their passion to read and always appreciate their feedback whether it's good or back, but most try to help. At the very least, they provide honest opinions as genuine readers.
I heard social media is a good source too, too bad I suck at it. Suck is an understatement, I have no idea what to do there.

But I always try to remind myself that it's my passion, something I enjoy, and the mental satisfaction matters the most, although it doesn't pay the bill.
Can anyone write a SciFi or something about how mental satisfaction actually pays the bills? No? Dang it!