Book Reviews - Part 6

Part 6:
NAKED REVIEW: HOW TO GET BOOK REVIEWS
What to do now that Amazon closed all loopholes (2017)

STEP 4: ACQUIRING REVIEWS FROM REAL LIFE READERS, YOUR NEW FANS

If, in the “days of yore” about twenty years ago, somebody self-published a book, the author could expect that all his friends purchased the book. Then, self-publishing was rare because of the associated costs. Today, almost everybody knows a few people who self-publish. Consequently, when thinking about who might want to buy and read your book you have to think beyond your circle of friends and acquaintances.

An excellent but undervalued opportunity is attending “live (not online)” author groups. One reason why this option is so enticing is that the group’s activities cannot be tracked online. Many authors’ problems arise out of the fact that they seek readers only in online groups where they are connected to some author-readers who push too hard.

How not to ask

Karen and I aren’t really best friends; I met her less than half a dozen times at local author events. Once we went for a long, three hour brunch and chatted about book marketing. Of course, we are also friends on Facebook. I haven’t read her two books and as far as I know she hasn’t read any of mine.

Recently, to my utter surprise, Karen contacted me a few days after she published her third book. She didn’t really ask but kind of told me to read and review it, in a light-hearted tone that was supposed to make it sound as if reading a 400-page book takes no time and effort.

“Karen, ” I said, “you know that I don’t read YA.”

“Yes,” she giggled, “I just had to ask.”

“No,” I wanted to say, “DON’T JUST ASK... Instead – LISTEN! Listen to what your friends are telling you.”

I read my last YA book when I was in middle school, my children are grown, and my first grandchild is on the way but not born yet. Asking me to read a YA book is a waste of time. It’s the equivalent to convincing a vegan that he should eat a steak.

Asking just about anybody you know to read your book just doesn’t work unless the book is a memoir. (At least I believe that real friends should be interested in reading their friends’ life stories.)

A much better way to find reader-reviewers is:

Listen to what your friends tell you. Always ask follow-up question when they tell you about things they did or will do. Think of yourself as Sherlock Holmes listening for clues.

• Do some of your friends have children or grandchildren who are in the right age group?

• Is any of your friends buying a house and might need  a book about home improvement (genre nonfiction)?
• Do any of your friends mention that they’ll attend a friend’s wedding, which might be a perfect moment to suggest your romance novel with a personal dedication from the author as a gift?
• Is any of your friends moving to a region in which your book plays out?
• Does one of your friends mention that their teenage grandchild is going to visit during the summer? (There are always rainy days.)
• Did one of your friends mention that they loved a Sci-Fi movie or a Dystopian drama?
• Do any of your friends like the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones? In 2016, the sixth season of this series was watched by an average of 7.69 million viewers.

If you listen for clues, not only will you have an easier time selling books to your acquaintances, they will also write much better reviews.

GETTING REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO ATTEND BOOK SIGNINGS

Considering that today many people buy books online instead of attending book signings at bookstores, every author is lucky to have a good crowd show up at his book signing. Those of us who have been publishing for a long time may remember the 90’s fondly, when book signings drew crowds of two to three dozen people. Then it was customary that local newspapers featured event calendars, which also listed book signings.

Today it is a whole new situation. Authors create online events, which in part replace traditional book signings. Many of the voracious readers who attend these events don’t even consider going to book store events; they handle everything from meeting authors to buying their books online.  

However, today people show up at book signings by chance. They may really visit the store to have a cup of coffee there. While I do not remember any small, independent bookstore offering coffee in the 90’s, today almost all of them do. Thus, visitors dropping in at your book signing may not know anything about it; they could be people who want to support a local business versus a global coffeehouse chain.

This changes how authors need to communicate with people at book signings.

1. Bring double-sided business cards that also feature one excerpt from a review. Give a card to everybody you meet.
2. Show interest in people who don’t seem to know anything about your book signing.
3. Don’t hold long speeches; some guests may visit there for some quiet time (that does not mean they won’t buy your book; all it means is that they did not come for a lecture about your book.)
4. Ask people who buy your book to review it. Explain briefly that reviews are especially important for indie authors. Readers who attend book signings instead of buying online, and people who drink coffee at an independent bookstores instead of visiting a global coffee house chain, will understand your needs. People who support small businesses will also support indie authors. If you don’t want to mention Amazon’s name in an independent store, ask for a review on Goodreads.
5. Be grateful for every visitor and show it.
6. Be charming and smile as much as you can! You never know who is visiting.

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Here is how one author missed these marks.

It was an extremely rainy day; actually, it had been raining for days. I knew that one of the local bookstores I like a lot had an author signing. The store’s owner had emailed me a reminder. I decided to support the bookstore and show up. On this day, their chance of having a decent crowd was almost zero. I did not know the featured author.

At the shop I found what I had suspected. The author was talking to the only other visitor. I said hello and went to order a cup of coffee. Then I joined the author at his table. The other guest seemed to take my arrival as a cue to leave rather abruptly. Without greeting me, the author proceeded to present a thirty-minute sermon about the greatness of his book. Of course, he could not know that I was going to buy the book anyway because I wanted to support the bookstore. Toward the end of his speech, I took a copy of his book and leafed through it, indicating that I was going to buy it. The author stopped talking right away and I got a chance to ask him one question. He answered it as briefly as possible and left parts of the question unanswered. Then he thanked me and added that he had to leave because he needed to be somewhere else.

Book signings are really wonderful opportunities to

• engage into a dialog with readers, whether they buy books or not,
• make new fans and even new friends,
• ask buyers to review the book,
• maybe even post selfies on social media platforms during the event. (Always ask the customer for permission)

Never mind how advanced our society’s technical capabilities will become, personal interaction cannot really be replaced. Book signings are wonderful opportunities to connect with future fans.

You might ask yourself if the hard work arranging a few book signings is worth it. Especially, since buyers’ won’t be able to post verified reviews on Amazon.

Nielsen, a global information, data, and measurement company, estimates that approximately eighty-five percent of bookstores report their sales to BookScan. Hence, every book you sell at a bookstore that reports to BookScan goes to show how popular your book is.

The U.S. Nielsen BookScan lists sale numbers of paperback and hardcover copies by U.S. state and regions within. It is being published weekly. It does not list e-book sales because it was created to help bookstore buyers and the media. If a book seller does not report to Nielsen (e.g. you yourself sell books at a speaking engagement), sales won’t show up in the Nielsen BookScan.

Comparison of sales channels:

Here is a simple calculation of a typical priced book (excluding shipping costs because they vary depending on where you live.):

Createspace price of the book  $4.00.

Retail price of the book  $14.00

*****

Book sales at Amazon:

• You receive approximately $6.00 per copy.
• Benefit of this sales channel: The buyer can leave a verified review and your sales are recorded  by BookScan.
• Disadvantage of this sales channel: The buyer might not buy from Amazon but instead from a third-party-vendor; you receive only about $3.50.

*****

Book sales at a personal speaking engagement or a book fair:

• Since you do not have to share the earnings with an ecommerce store or a bookstore, you receive $10.00 per copy (unless you have to pay for the venue, for instance, for a stand at a book fair)
• Benefit of this sales channel: You make more money and you get to meet your fans in person.
• Disadvantage of this sales channel: The buyer cannot post a verified review and your sales are not recorded by BookScan.

*****

Book sales at a book signing at a chain bookstore like Barnes & Noble:

• Barnes and Noble will buy your books at the expanded distribution price; you earn approximately $3.50 per copy the store orders (not copies that are sold).
• Benefit of this sales channel: a) Your sales are recorded by BookScan, b) you get to meet your fans, c) buyers  can review your book on B&N’s website, d) there is no danger of third-party-sellers making the sales. Additional benefit: Having a book signing at a Barnes & Noble store is considered a quality mark.
• Disadvantage of this sales channel: You earn the least money per copy.

Book sales at a book signing at an independent bookstore:

• The bookstore takes a 40% share (of the retail price $14.00) per sold copy which equates to $5.60 per copy. You need to supply the books which costs $4.00 per copy. Your earnings are $4.40 per copy sold during the event.
• Benefit of this sales channel: Your sales are probably recorded by BookScan and you get to meet your fans. Additional benefit: There is no danger of third-party-sellers making the sales.
• Disadvantage of this sales channel: The buyer cannot post a verified review.

Summing it up, $4.40 per copy is still more money than you earn from selling one ebook plus your book looks more attractive on BookScan where bookstores and libraries check it out.

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Gisela Hausmann dares to write what others' won't say or don't know. Her work has been featured in regional, national, and international publications including Success magazine and Entrepreneur, and on Bloomberg's podcast "Decrypted."

Gisela tweets @Naked_Determina.
Her books are available at Amazon and other fine book stores.

• Naked News for Indie Authors How NOT to Invest Your Marketing $$$

• BOOK MARKETING: The Funnel Factor: Including 100 Media Pitches (paperback only)

• The Little Blue Book for Authors: 53 Dos & Don’ts Nobody Is Telling You
• The Little Blue Book for Authors: 101 Clues to Get More Out of Facebook
• The Little Blue Book for Authors: Essential Manners for the Modern Author

• NAKED TRUTHS About Getting Book Reviews 2018
• BAT SHIT CRAZY Review Requests: Email Humor (paperback only)

© 2017 by Gisela Hausmann

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