Things Every Writer Should Know

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Many authors, both new and the more experienced, get discouraged when hunting for knowledgeable readers to do advance reviews for new books. It’s all part of the marketing package that authors are expected to develop on their own: Finding folks to read and review their new book “baby.” It’s enough to prod some of us into the fetal position!

I inwardly cringe when I see a fairly new release wallowing on Amazon with a handful of reviews. It makes me want to buy their book and pray I can give it a four or five star review to show the author that I understand all the work that went into birthing their release. There are not enough hours in my day, however, to rescue all the forgotten books destined for an early demise. Readers like to see reviews, and lots of them.

So what’s an author to do? There is really no magic here. It takes planning months ahead—long before your book releases—to gather potential supporters who will help you out. Think of it this way: You would not wait to announce the upcoming birth of your newborn a couple of days before the due date. You would send out notes, allow your friends to give you baby showers, and rev up enthusiasm for the long awaited arrival.

And so it is with a book release. Invite your friends and others to be in on the celebration.

Caution: Do not allow your cat to post reviews on Amazon

Start with your social media contacts, who are already excited about your writing. Expand your list to include other authors who write in a similar genre. Gather experts in the field of your topic. Think outside the box.

Private message them (or email them if you know their address) to see if they are interested in reading and reviewing, possibly endorsing your upcoming release. Give them a brief synopsis of the book and tell them the genre. If they say “yes,” ask them for their email address so you can send the PDF to them. Never send a PDF to someone who has not agreed to read and review. Unsolicited PDF’s in my inbox = rudeness. Be polite and gracious.

If there are any edit issues because you are sending it early (before final final edits!) be sure to apprise them of that.

Next month I will do Part 2 of gathering reviewers early. Come back in March for a very important letter that you should include with your PDF. In the meantime, start gathering your list of potential reviewers.

Green Typewriter courtesy of Just2Shutter via freedigitalphotos.net

How to Make Sure Your Writing is Unique

You’re a lover of books and in you burns a desire which you cannot ignore. You want to write! At the same time you think, “There’s a gazillion authors out there. What makes me think my writing would be good enough? How will my writing stand out among so many? How do I write in a unique enough way to set me apart from other writers and successfully grab reader attention?” Before I answer with a do, here’s a vital don’t.

Don’t try to be unique.

It doesn’t work! You’ll end up with a bland and boring – generic, story. So don’t try to be unique. I assure you that every writer has their own special voice and style of writing. That includes you! Yes, we must submit to editorial changes (a topic for another day), but your voice should never be taken out of your story. Think about this for a moment: If each of us were to write a story with the same starting line, would we all write the same story? No. Everyone would write very different stories. Why?

Every writer’s story is unique.

Our personalities, our life experiences, our family and local cultures, and even our belief systems vary in so many ways. These factor in to our writing, giving each voice it’s own distinct flavor. So as you sit down to write, let the words flow and I guarantee your story will be unique.

Just for fun:

Start with the line below and write a short in the comment section. Let’s see just how unique everyone is.

Vance Scaggs stumbled in the dark. …

Have fun with that!

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