Comments on: Do Reviews Make A Difference? http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/ What goes on the POD and Ebook publishing industry, written by someone who owns a POD and Ebook publishing company. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:34:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kevin Murphy http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Kevin Murphy Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:28:36 +0000 http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/#comment-15 I think that there is truth in both observations, but the more fundamental truth is that aggressive marketing by the publisher, and reviews in a non-cyber publication are strong factors in Mr. Self's experience. I received 5-star reviews in electronic publications for my POD book, but the publisher (me) was (is) not very skilled in marketing, and my experience supports Ms. Hein's comments. Ultimately, we have to find ways to let people know that we are there and that our books are intriguing enough to stimulate purchases. I'm still struggling with that issue. My POD book, "Degrees of Murder," is always well-received--when I get it out there. My downloadable screenplay, "Something Bright and Alien," is, for all practical purposes, invisible. But the fault is mine--I have yet to figure out how to make it visible and attractive to potential purchasers. With self-publishing the bad news is the good news: we have no one to blame but ourselves if we don't achieve the readership we desire. I think that there is truth in both observations, but the more fundamental truth is that aggressive marketing by the publisher, and reviews in a non-cyber publication are strong factors in Mr. Self’s experience. I received 5-star reviews in electronic publications for my POD book, but the publisher (me) was (is) not very skilled in marketing, and my experience supports Ms. Hein’s comments.

Ultimately, we have to find ways to let people know that we are there and that our books are intriguing enough to stimulate purchases. I’m still struggling with that issue. My POD book, “Degrees of Murder,” is always well-received–when I get it out there. My downloadable screenplay, “Something Bright and Alien,” is, for all practical purposes, invisible. But the fault is mine–I have yet to figure out how to make it visible and attractive to potential purchasers.

With self-publishing the bad news is the good news: we have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t achieve the readership we desire.

]]> By: Charlie Self http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Charlie Self Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:05:01 +0000 http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/#comment-14 Lori Hein's response is a head scratcher for me. While I've done no POD or ebooks yet, I've written about 42 trade books. As a single example of a book helped by a review, my Woodworker's Reference Book showed an appreciable leap--a couple hundred copies--the month the Woodworker's Journal review came out, while it bumped upwards another 50 or so copies the month Woodcentral.com reviewed it. Yes, most of the 13,000 first year sales were attributable to aggressive advertising by my publisher, and his very good sales force, not to mention some wonderful editorial work. But, yes, reviews did help boost that total, by at least 250 directly attributable copies. Lori Hein’s response is a head scratcher for me. While I’ve done no POD or ebooks yet, I’ve written about 42 trade books. As a single example of a book helped by a review, my Woodworker’s Reference Book showed an appreciable leap–a couple hundred copies–the month the Woodworker’s Journal review came out, while it bumped upwards another 50 or so copies the month Woodcentral.com reviewed it.

Yes, most of the 13,000 first year sales were attributable to aggressive advertising by my publisher, and his very good sales force, not to mention some wonderful editorial work. But, yes, reviews did help boost that total, by at least 250 directly attributable copies.

]]> By: Lori Hein http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Lori Hein Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:42:09 +0000 http://publishing.booklocker.com/2007/01/23/do-reviews-make-a-difference/#comment-3 Don't expect book reviews to move your books. Your marketing efforts, Web presence, personal appearances and reputation as a niche expert will move books, but someone else's review won't. When your book first comes out, nab one or two good reviews for use as positive copy/quotes/testimonials on your Web site. This is important. After that, stop sending out review copies. A lot of them will end up as used books on Amazon, and you earn nothing when readers buy those, so don't help feed that universe. "Ribbons of Highway: A Mother-Child Journey Across America" has sold because of my direct, hands-on effort or through word of mouth. Book reviews make useful marketing copy, but they don't sell books. Don’t expect book reviews to move your books. Your marketing efforts, Web presence, personal appearances and reputation as a niche expert will move books, but someone else’s review won’t. When your book first comes out, nab one or two good reviews for use as positive copy/quotes/testimonials on your Web site. This is important. After that, stop sending out review copies. A lot of them will end up as used books on Amazon, and you earn nothing when readers buy those, so don’t help feed that universe. “Ribbons of Highway: A Mother-Child Journey Across America” has sold because of my direct, hands-on effort or through word of mouth. Book reviews make useful marketing copy, but they don’t sell books.

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