Book Promo Central discussion

Hi everyone: great to be here and see how the community is growing. Is anyone interested in a review swap? I've got two weeks before school starts and the Kindle app on my iPad...

Drop me a message or email if you'd like to swap reads.
I will post an honest review or be in touch if there are concerns.

Have a great weekend everyone.

I would love to swap reviews. I can send you a coupon for smashwords for my latest novel which has not been reviewed yet. It's called GREED!!

Eileen I've started your book. And Peggy, I'd love to have a look at Greed. Can you message me the Smashwords coupon? Let me know what address I can send a mobi, epub, or Kindle gift to you.
mohana

Mohanalakshmi wrote: "Eileen I've started your book. And Peggy, I'd love to have a look at Greed. Can you message me the Smashwords coupon? Let me know what address I can send a mobi, epub, or Kindle gift to you.
mohana" Coupon code is JF94R and is good until 8/22. [email protected].

Mohanalakshmi wrote: "Eileen I've started your book. And Peggy, I'd love to have a look at Greed. Can you message me the Smashwords coupon? Let me know what address I can send a mobi, epub, or Kindle gift to you.
mohana"
Thanks, by the way!!

Downloaded... and sent you mine :).

for which of your books are you looking to have reviewed?

Hi Ahmad: any of them. What about you?

To Self-Published Authors

I have met people who are energized by their own genuine enthusiasms here on Goodreads, as well as in other online communities. I have a deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness for the correspondence that has been established between us, and still continues. But in terms of Goodreads, a community now having reached ten million members if I have read correctly, there is an even larger confusion of purpose.

Being an indie author is not cute. Nor is it clever or respectable. It is not enough to think an idea followed through to a bound book makes one a serious writer. In reality, to be an indie author is to be prepared to wallow in not only the malaise and self-doubt that comes with authorship, but the general belief in your uselessness and irrelevance from the publishing world, which includes readers. Ever hear the phrase “If you can’t do, coach?” It’s unfair but no different. Ever hear “No one wanted to publish your work, so you published it yourself?”

I am an indie author, but I wish to rescind the label. And I know, above all and before anything else, I am looked down on because I put money and effort into producing my debut novel. Perhaps I’ve earned a modicum of respect for the financial and temporal sacrifice, which is in its own right a generosity of spirit from people as frustrated as myself, people who could easily have not offered that. And I knew this ahead of time. I knew it would be a gamble, of perception, reception and reward. But I did it because of my understanding of two things:

1. I believe in the relevance and importance of my novel.
2. With the evolution of the publishing industry, I recognized the level of difficulty in convincing an agent or editor to consider a debut novelist who can not guarantee a return on initial investment, as well as a marketing plan that is to be handled mostly by the author. Most good books...hell...most amazing books, spend their time in slush piles before seeing the light of day. I understand established writers and their contention when it comes to self-published authors perverting the system. (And it should not be a system. But because it’s become a system, a tacky machine of superfluous words, the indie authors’ negative reactions to being shoved off in to the margins as not being “true writers” are NOT valid. So prove yourself!)

But just don’t try to prove yourself by engaging in some factory of Likes, Tags and Reviews being exchanged for those who don’t even read your writing. Recently, I commented on a thread here in Goodreads about kindness, humility and gratitude. Someone responded, adding to the end of his/her comment that he/she wasn’t promoting his/her own work before doing it a few hours later in the same thread. And what has pushed me toward this conversation is that today, when corresponding with a show host for books and authors in Canada, the host told me he’d be interested in my book, but mostly he feels self-publishing is a hustle. A hustle. And he isn’t wrong, especially when I see something like what I saw last night on Goodreads: a “writer” was actually asking for help with plot lines for the book. And people were lining up to share their two cents.

Pathetic.

And so, we are not writers here. We are salespersons. And I see fully, now, what is wrong with self-publishing. I am proud of my book, inside and out, and pleased with the company I’ve paid to produce it with me. Not for me. But I am also completely satisfied with one person a month falling in love with my story, indefinitely, rather than one hundred thousand readers “liking” it temporarily just so I will follow their blog.

Wrong.

WOW! This guy sounds angry!!

Peggy, I'm sad more than anything else.

Damon: I hear what you're saying. You out your heart and soul into something that is still misunderstood by others. Yes some people engage in swaps that are not productive. For every review I've done, I've given only honest feedback and some to the writer about additional behind the scenes work that needs to happen.

Self published writers have a stigma but we will have to keep on doing what we do for the love of a story, as you've said.

Incidentally, It's not only indies who are hacks (according to the definition used by your host). See the link below on blurbs for commercial books.

Books are a business.... Whether anyone wants to admit it or not. How do they pay for those corner offices? Why do they say no to some? What does 50 Shades tell us about humanity, book writing or readings?

We need thick skin for these times....

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/boo...

It's so true that books, like other products, need to find their niche, and that is done through research and networking.

I don't have Michael Phelps or Peyton Manning to endorse my books, but I have many friends in the Cyberworld and Indie authors, who spread the word.

And I have also sent books back with no review but suggestions about editing and improving before publishing. Badly edited books hurt all of us, and I wouldn't endorse something I don't believe in.

I hope that helps you understand this thread is not for a random "you go girl" review, Damon. There's too much of that all over the place.

Damon, I hear you.This liking and tagging thing is ridiculous to me--especially if the people tagging aren't even reading the book! I don't engage in it. But as in every other industry there is good and bad about being an Indy author. and to repeat a well-worn saying--don't throw the baby out with the bathwater...without self-publishing many many books would never be read and as you said, you've written a good one--would you want it languishing for years in a drawer? And yes, we as authors struggle with our new job of marketing and there are many writers who are just beginning, and so they ask for help. I made the decision to self-publish after sending my work off to over 50 agents. I don't think my rejections were a result of a badly written book, I think the industry is saturated and agents don't want to take a chance on new authors. If I were younger I might continue to send it off but I don't have the time to wait--would it be marketed better by a publisher? maybe, but what I've heard is that they also expect the author to do the leg work--so why not get higher royalties and do the whole thing yourself?

Hi my new friends,
My name Gary Markwick and I have just brought out my first book called "Now it Begins" which is a practical and spiritual self help book. www.garymarkwick.com. I have read everyone's comments with great interest and I know through my short experience how it is so hard to get other people to review your book or even answer you for that matter.
Before I joined Goodreads I wrote to approx 20 people who were reviews for new age writing and not one person replied to me, not even to say no thank you were really busy etc.
Twitter has been good and I have had 2 really lovely reviews from meeting people there, although I know now they are members of Goodreads.
If there is anyone who is into reading Self help books I would really appreciate a review, let me know and I can send the download to you. I am very happy to do an exchange, my girlfriend will also read any mystery books, or anything on the level of Da Vinchi Code, I am into most things that are spiritual or good for learning.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Love and light
Gary
www.palmistryinhand.com

I have been contacted about a chart of who reads what.Could someone direct me to that link of the discussion, please? eg

Damon - Marketing is a large part of it I'm afraid to say. I'm lucky to have two publishing contracts, although I started as self-published. I'm published in non-fiction, somewhat easier territory. Even then, I have to put my shoulder to whatever metaphor applies. Trying to get a review for a stats book is just so difficult. So I also pull out all the stops and make compromises. So I too am a salesperson.

The idea of being a writer true and studious, with a nice big marketing department to do everything is a pipedream. Want to know what annoys me? I get the usual 8%, while the publishers who are supposed to do the job still mess up manuscripts and expect Johnny Author to proofread the blasted thing, against a deadline.

I think the game is to try to stave off depression and look at probability (not talking about my stats book, honest). Most people will not succeed. Many excellent books remain on the slushpile. Some mediocre books get published on the names of their authors (how Will Self's Umbrella got onto the Booker shortlist I'll never know).

(By the way, I have been pushing another book on the strength of my 'published author' status but because it doesn't hit the gap in the market, agents and publishers are sympathetic but won't go with it. That is life.)

So, get others' comments and come to some sort of judgement about your work, but don't feel the need to beat yourself up or your peers for doing what they feel they have to do. That way lies misery. And if at the end of it, you have to start another book, then you have to start another book. And if you decide the whole thing isn't for you, then find a new, different, non-literary project.

I hope that this helps. It was not meant to be disrespectful, but it is my gut feeling about what you have written on this forum and is based on my experience of some years of bashing away.

I would be interested in doing a review swap. My eBook "The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Teachings of Siduri and How Siduri's Ancient Advice Can Help Guide Us to a Happier Life" is available for free at:
http://www.EpicOfGilgamesh.webs.com

Please email me a PDF of your book to [email protected] if you'd like to arrange a review swap.

Best,
Peter George