December 06, 2016

Book Reviews - Authors need your support!


 
I recently asked you my fellow Authors not to sell yourself short by offering your book titles for FREE! I also asked our readers to respect the hard work we put in our books for months or even years.
When you download a book for FREE or for only 0.99 $, the least you can do as a reader is to write a short review. As I always say being kind and respectful won’t kill you. Don’t be afraid of being kind. Trust me it is a wonderful feeling and you won’t regret it! Try it and you will be surprised! :-)
Each one of us has a busy schedule. We all have our daily responsibilities and priorities but saying THANK YOU is the least we can do in our daily lives. So why not saying THANK YOU to the Author? Especially to Indie Authors who offer their hard work for FREE or only 0.99 $!
Honestly, there is no excuse for not writing a review. Not writing a review after reading a book is in my eyes disrespectful and ungrateful. You basically let the Author down instead of encouraging the Author to continue her/his path. Trust me it is extremely hard and challenging to keep on going when you feel you're getting nowhere with your writing. It is a daily struggle. Your Author's mind says: Why am I doing this when no one cares? But your Author's heart says: Keep on writing. The day will come when readers appreciate your work and you will be rewarded. 
So do you understand now how important it is to write a review? Many readers simply read the book for its own sake, and forget that an Author is a person who's trying to be seen in the world. What readers also don’t realize is that writing reviews can be live changing for Authors, especially for Independent Authors.  Often the only way to be seen in the book world is to have reviews & ratings! Catch 22. You don't get the reviews unless people read the reviews and take a chance on the book!

So my message @Readers, @Reviewers and fellow Authors is:
The next time you download an e-book or buy a print book please remember to say THANK YOU to the Author afterward. If you don’t have much time at least score the book with stars! But if you have the time please leave a helpful comment for other readers. If you liked the booklet the Author know. Your Review is your way of applauding the Author. Constructive criticism is more than accepted and appreciated.

Speaking of criticism if you didn’t like what you read, please don’t attack the book or the Author. You are entitled to have an opinion. But remember that everybody is different with different tastes. Just because you didn’t like the book it doesn’t mean that it was a bad book. Leaving negative reviews or insulting the Author with a one-star review makes you look frustrated and unhappy about your own life.

If you are a professional editor or publisher - who was politely asked by the Author to write a review - you know very well how much time and effort an Author invests in his/her baby. So don’t make yourself look like a frustrated human and an unprofessional editor who’s only looking for a platform to express her/his dissatisfaction. If you don’t like a book or find it boring, don’t leave a review at all. Be kind, be professional and most importantly be respectful. Contact the Author privately with your critic, but don’t insult the Authors work publicly with a one-star review.

The reason why I’m mentioning this here is because I recently saw a one-star review for one of my favorite Authors work and I was and still am shocked! I can’t believe how rude some people are. In this case it was a review by a so-called “professional and experienced author, editor and reviewer” who in my eyes behaved totally inappropriate, uncooperative, unprofessional and unkind.

What annoys me the most is that women should always support each other. But this Lady has clearly and sadly never heard the expression “Girl-Power”! She only made a fool of herself by leaving a one-star review! Why? Because all other readers including myself praise the story, the hard work, and the passion of the Author for her amazing book! 

Just recently a female fellow Author send me a message and told me that she was interested in reading my memoir. But she would only buy it and review it if I would buy her memoir and review it as well. Seriously? What is this attitude! I only help you if you help me! This attitude brings us nowhere. I buy and read what I want to read and not what people force me to buy and read just to get reviews for my book. Again being kind and respectful doesn’t kill you. Try it! ;-)

Thank you for your time and please remember to say Thank you to the Author of your current book! Leave a Review on the Website where you purchased your book, but also on Author platforms such as Goodreads and Amazon!
 
Thank you very much for your kindness & Support. Remember being kind is a God given blessing. When you give Love you get back Love!