Book Reviews - Part 11

Part 11:
NAKED REVIEW: HOW TO GET BOOK REVIEWS
What to do now that Amazon closed all loopholes (2017)

ADDENDUM

TOOLBOX FOR WRITING BEST REVIEW REQUEST EMAILS

Algorithms are capable of recognizing patterns. If interested, please read some basic information on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_recognition

It is the same for people. Humans are pattern recognition “machines” too. In fact, many people, including maybe you, are very good in recognizing patterns.  Surely, you remember hundreds of occasions when you thought, “Ghee, I know what that guy wants...” because you have heard the same “sales pitch”   before.

Equally, when I received the first silly email stating,

I thought, “Well, that dude isn’t much of a wordsmith, he won’t even tell me anything about his book.” That was it. I didn’t know that either this person created the template or he was the first one to send  me a request email tailored from this particular template.

When four to five weeks later I received another email tailored from the same template, I probably thought, “This email rings a bell,” but I may have been too busy to check it out. By the time I received the third email tailored from the same template, I thought, “Wait a minute... I have read this before!” Still, little did I know that I would receive more than 100 request emails all tailored from the same template. By that time, a first grader would have recognized what’s going on.

There are two lessons to be learned from this story:

Since you will never know how many others tailor the same template of a request email, don’t ever tailor any templates. It’s a waste of time to send out these emails, time which is spent much better writing, reading, or composing a great email.  

Disregard the advice from anybody who advises you to tailor a template. Obviously, this person has no clue how things really work. Also consider, if this person also recommends other easy ways of doing things, these procedures may be equally flawed.

The following chapters explain how to write a “perfect” email from scratch!

Please do not expect a template.

NEVER FORGET – DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR NEEDS

(Previously published in NAKED TRUTHS About Getting Book Reviews)

Every book has its purpose and target audience. Some books are meant to teach, others to entertain, and again others want to keep important memories alive. Some books fulfill all of these objectives. To interest reviewers, authors need to tell reviewers why they wrote their book so others can share their passion. It is most important that authors talk only about their book and/or their cause but not about themselves. Here is an email from an author who missed that mark.

(review request)

Hello

How are you? I have read your review of ...xyz… and found it useful. I am currently promoting one of my books …abc… It is available on several e-book platforms for free-of-charge downloading. I would appreciate if you could support me with the promotion of this book, preferably on Amazon, but, if you so like, also on any of the other platforms. It would be lovely if you could find the time to do a short review. Reviews are just so important to make any product stand out….

***

Though this writer provided various product links, which I have deleted to protect his privacy, he did not give a single reason why I would want to read his book.

Is this book funny?

Does it have an unusual twist?

Additionally, wording like “to do a short review” does not suggest that the writer is a great writer.

Why should any reviewer read this book other than that its author thinks that the reviewer writes good reviews?

• DO talk about why you think the reviewer will like your book
• DO talk about how much others liked your book and why
• DO talk about your book’s mission/purpose/uniqueness
• DO NOT talk about the reviewer’s talents to serve your interests

3 STRATEGIES

(Previously published in NAKED TRUTHS About Getting Book Reviews)

1) TELL ME SOMETHING I HAVEN’T HEARD/READ YET!

Most reviewers get a lot of request emails. Therefore, it helps to compare your book to other books or point out what makes your book different from others. For instance,

“Opposite to …xyz … my book…” or 

“Much better than … xyz … my book also tells….” 

 “Even though you may have read a dozen books about (any skill - nonfiction), my book will show you new tricks...” 

2) USE THE PORTFOLIO STRATEGY

Another great way to approach a reviewer is to treat a review request as creating a portfolio sample of your work.

• Motivational authors could make their emails sound optimistic and positive.
• Mystery writers could word their emails like mysteries (which, in a way, is not such a far stretch; the reviewer does not know if the book is great, or not).
• Authors of historic novels could explain why the time period they are writing about is more interesting than the one we live in  or why the historic epoch they are writing about is important.

It’s all about creativity and showing off your skills.

3) CREATE YOUR BOOK’S "DATING PROFILE"

It is an excellent strategy to pretend that you’re writing a ’dating profile for your book’. The same principles apply.

1. Make your book look exciting.
2. Describe its best features. 
3. Don’t try to attract everybody (if you were trying to find a date you would not go out with the next best guy or girl.)!  
4. Create a meaningful profile, which is neither too long nor too short.
5. Don’t lie (e.g. by calling yourself a bestselling author on your Amazon profile). The truth will come out.

A creative, exciting, funny, and unique ’dating profile’ will attract ’matching’ readers to start a relationship made in ’book heaven’.

*

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 WORDS 2.0: The Effective 157-Word Email
• 73 Ways to Turn a Me-Mail Into an E-mail

• 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

RYX6ZF8QT9YW

Book Reviews - Part 10

Part 10:
NAKED REVIEW: HOW TO GET BOOK REVIEWS
What to do now that Amazon closed all loopholes (2017)

FINALLY – THE BEST STRATEGY TO WRITE A REVIEW REQUEST EMAIL

Sometimes, it seems that even though authors like to write they experience writer’s block when writing emails. Many authors don’t seem to be able to “get themselves in the right mood. ”

Here is one way how to do it:

1. Pull up an empty word document, meaning – start from scratch!

2. Reduce the document’s size so it covers only about 3/4 of the width of your screen and place the document either on the right or left side of your screen, whichever "feels" more comfortable.

3. Search for and save the portrait of a person you truly respect – a college professor, a journalist, or maybe a colleague from work (many of these portraits can be found on Linkedin.) Do not select a picture from a family member or a close friend!

4. Place that picture in the upper corner of the other side of your screen and reduce its size so it does not overlap your word document. This will allow you to type while also keeping the portrait visible on your screen.

5. Then, type your request email and make your case.

6. Imagine that you are explaining to this person who you don’t know too well but who you respect why they should read and review your book.

7. Every time you get stuck with your writing look at the portrait. If indeed you were talking to this person you would know exactly what to say.

8. Keep your email concise! Aim for about 150 words or a screen-ful. If the recipient needs to scroll to see the whole email they’ll “feel” that it is not concise.

9. Save the document. Do NOT send the email right away!

10. The next day, pull up the document and the portrait again and re-read the email “to the respected person (the portrait on the screen).”

11. Does it sound good? Edit the email if needed.

12. Finally, personalize the email by adding the reviewer’s, the blogger’s, or the editor’s name and voila – you probably just wrote a perfect email.

  

THANK YOU

for buying my book NAKED REVIEW: How to Get Book Reviews.

If you liked it please help your fellow readers and leave a review. To succeed indie authors need to know where they can find best practices. There are too many smart-aleck-non-expert bloggers who will blog about any topic so they can collect your email address.

Please also consult the Resources page in the back and see my other books, some of which may be helpful to you.

Hopefully, you’ll connect with me

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Naked_Determina

Web:

http://www.giselahausmann.com/contact.html

LEGAL TIDBITS

As a 29-year industry veteran I notice too many bloggers’ tendencies to simplify processes or leave out important facts or exceptions, probably because they don’t know them.

But, while

• tailoring an email from a template may lead to recipients deleting emails after reading only the first paragraph,
• “making calls to action” may lead Amazon to “discovering” a street team, and
• following incorrect advice on how to obtain reviews may lead to reviews getting deleted,

following flawed advice that ignores laws may result in having to hire a lawyer at a price between $300 and $500 per hour and maybe having to pay for damages.

To find best information about copyright questions you should study intellectual property attorneys’ blogs and Q/A-forums.

Also, the government maintains websites offering excellent advice for free.

https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/index.html

https://www.loc.gov/publish/

Most likely, you are concerned about protecting your own work. Naturally, the same copyright laws that protect your work also apply to others’ works; for instance to pictures you yourself did not create. If you enlist a cover designer, you are the contractor, and they “work for hire.” Do not allow them to use others’ pictures for which they don’t have the usage rights.

Equally, photographers own the copyright right of every picture

they took, just like you own the copyright of every book, article, and blog you wrote. 

Altering a picture is not a way to work around copyright laws. In fact, if somebody publishes a picture they changed without permission, the copyright owner can sue the author/publisher for the costs of using the picture and additionally for “the damage” of “altering” their picture. Lastly, don’t forget to name the copyright owner of every contribution you did not create yourself. 

(Having to ask for permission when we alter things or change situations is typical in our Western society. For instance, even though you gave permission that your child be taught in public school when you enrolled her, the school has to ask your permission when they change the setting, e.g. remove her from the regular setting to take her on a fieldtrip. And, your neighbor isn’t allowed to paint your house in a different color without your permission, even if he pays for it.)

The same laws apply even to music. Though Mozart’s music is not copyrighted anymore, because he died more than 100 years ago, you still cannot grab a recording because recordings are subject to performance and mechanical copyright. Obviously, not every conductor and every orchestra play every piece of music in the same way, hence their “interpretation” is protected by law.

In this century alone, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled

on eleven cases involving copyright law, which goes to show that

this topic is extremely important.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_copyright_case_law

***

Your books are your “babies.” You probably spent a lot of time “rearing” them. Please protect your efforts accordingly.

7 THOUGHTS TO KEEP YOU GOING

1.  You must write the book you wish others will read.

2.  It’s never too late to become an author. The older you get, the more stories you own.

3.  What’s a bestseller? An author is a success if his book changes one person’s life.

4.  Struggle not to write a bestseller but rather a book that matters. Success will follow by itself.

5.  There are bestsellers at the end of the extra mile that still lies ahead!

6.  Don’t count the words, make the words count.

7.  Books have no limitations, except the ones you don’t write.

*

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 WORDS 2.0: The Effective 157-Word Email
• 73 Ways to Turn a Me-Mail Into an E-mail

• 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

RYX6ZF8QT9YW