THE Group for Authors! discussion

How does an author go about inviting friends to consider reviewing a book or books? Direct messages are out. Chance meetings on threads are possible but sporadic. There is a link that says 'Invite friends' but that just goes to other friends outside Goodreads. There are quite a few authors on this site and I am fairly new and I accept not everyone will be interested, friend or not, but there must be some way of asking people who have befriended you to perhaps consider reading and reviewing.

Hi David - it's probably best to ask book bloggers to review your book, as they will post the review to their websites, Amazon and other sites. There are various threads here on Goodreads where you can ask for reviews, but I have had most success by using various online lists of reviewers to ask for free reviews.

http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/
http://indiebookreviewer.wordpress.com/index/
http://www.simon-royle.com/indie-reviewers/
http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/
http://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm
http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/
http://www.tinahunter.ca/links/ebook-reviewers/
http://robinmizell.wordpress.com/book-reviewers/ - great list by genres
http://www.complete-review.com/links/links.html#linksb
http://blogs.botw.org/Arts/Literature/Book_Reviews/ - vast list, some good, some not.
- fantasy

Thank you, George
That's very helpful. I can add these to my growing list of seemingly never ending book review blogs but these sound really good. It's a shame though that there is no easier way on this site for authors to talk to friends without the dreaded risk of appearing to be a spammer. I suppose people would be inundated with requests and would have to say no to quite a few. Of course, it could work the other way around. If friends were just made aware that an author was keen to be read and maybe reviewed via some kind of alert then they could decide for themselves and be in control of the situation.

I have a mailing list of over one thousand names - all friends or acquaintances. Whenever I have news about a book (release, review, award, etc.) I send a newsletter to that list, along with a link to the book online.

We also usually hold a book launch party with the release of each new title and invite all our friends.

I post links to the books, awards, reviews, etc. on Twitter and Facebook, and here on Goodreads.

Hi Lorna - that's good email marketing. I need to build up a list of possible book buyers and people interested in what I am doing generally. I don't have a list of friends and acquaintances in your league and most people I know personally are not too interested hence the need to make friends in places like Goodreads.

David,

This list took quite a few years to compile. It includes family, friends, neighbors, church members, and fellow employees from most of the places we've worked over the years. I don't concentrate only on book buyers since even those who are non-readers sometimes buy books as gifts. Whenever I do a mailing, I always include an opt-out option.

I still like the idea of having a book launch party and book signing. Again, if you plan it well, like before the holidays, even those who don't want to keep the books themselves may buy them for friends. and they can get them personally dedicated by the author.

If you haven't already, have business cards printed. You can get them free and pay only for the shipping on Vistaprint. In addition to the ones with our names on them, we make cards for each new book we release. It took Larry a while, but now he carries them with him and passes them out EVERYWHERE. (Like in the grocery store and other businesses, to his surfing acquaintances, and other places where he can strike up a conversation.) Since I talk to EVERYONE, I have no problem giving them out. My only problem is running out.

We carry a box of our books (and cards and a receipt book) in each of our cars. It's amazing how often someone will be interested in buying one on the spot. We're always prepared to make a sale.

Whenever we take part in a community event, we hold a drawing of several small items. In order to enter the drawing, we have people fill out a card with their name, phone number and email address. We tell them they'll also receive updates on our books. That's how we got some of our names.

I'm sure you have a website. Make sure there's a way for people to contact you through it. We've sold books that way as well.

Finally, be sure you're on Facebook and Twitter. Create a page for yourself as a writer (separate from your profile) and invite all your friends to like the page. Then post all your news and updates there.

Writing is the easy part. Marketing is the hard part.

Good luck to you!

Thank you, Lorna
That's a very impressive roster of activities. I have spent many years in PR so I am familiar with many promotional techniques and I am doing some of things you are but by no means all. I only have ebooks so I need to channel buyers/readers either directly to Amazon/B&N etc) or via my website sales links.

My real question is - how to maximise Goodreads without overkill or spamming (both of which I detest). I've seen interviews - how do I get one?; I've seen reviews - how do I get them? I have friends I would like to invite to my website/blog/FB/Twitter pages etc but how do I do this?

You've probably had vastly more experience than me on this site so I am very grateful for any advice on this last point.

Look for groups for the kinds of books you write and join them. Then look for discussions pertinent to your books and contribute. Never pass up an opportunity to mention your titles. For instance, we write cozy mysteries and there is a cozy mystery group. Occasionally someone will post a discussion asking for recommended reads. I always mention our books by name and add links.

Look for others in the group who seem to share an interest in your kinds of books and add them as friends. Also, look for other authors who write in your genre and add them. They sometimes post valuable suggestions.

Through Goodreads, we have acquired a couple of superfans who love everything we write for some reason. We notify them whenever a new book comes out.

Just a few suggestions. But with your PR background you know that marketing is what it's all about.

Do you have an author page on Amazon? If not, you should.

Also, you should always have CDs of your books available. If they are packaged well with the cover on the front, you can always sign those.

Since you are published in ebook format, are you a member of EPIC? If not, JOIN! (www.epicorg.com) We have gotten more out of belonging to this organization than anywhere else. The conference this year is in San Antonio in March. We have attended all of them since 2006 when our first book was a finalist. We've made some wonderful friends (who are also part of our mailing list).

Keep at it and good luck!

I've had a wonderful review of my book by a commercial reviewer, and they've posted it on Amazon but not on Goodreads. Is there any way for an author to list it on goodreads? I was thinking of putting it in the "description" but then saw the instructions which tell you explicitly not to do that. So is there anywhere I can post it?

Thanks

Ray

You can link to it and/or quote it in your blog.

OK - I guess I ought to start a blog! :) But most casual readers skimming through reviews on a book wont bother going into a blog - isn't there somewhere more obvious in the book description where a review can be placed?

Thanks

Ray

Book reviews don't belong in descriptions.

You can have just a single blog post, if you want. It will stay the featured one, that way!