Tip: Following a Smart Publisher's Lead

(From Carolyn's  Sharing with Writers newsletter)

The Southern Review reports that one author offered to give free review copies of his books to bloggers who promise to post a review of at least 200 words on both their blogs and on Amazon. Smart publisher, that guy! He's smart 'cause:

*Even though the book may be given to a couple of people who would otherwise buy one, the percentage would probably be very small.

*You're after inundation of the net in a few short weeks to propel sales in a given time frame.

*Giving away a book plus postage is very cheap exposure compared to advertising (advertising is by its nature paid-for exposure).

*Bloggers talk to people and word-of-mouth is the best sales tool around. Once someone has blogged about a book, they may talk up your book in other ways, especially if you follow up with a great thank you letter afterward (even if you weren't crazy about the review!). If the review was favorable you could ask the reviewer to include the book on a reading list (if he or she is a teacher), to recommend it on his Web site, or even add it to another Web site like BN.com--all after you've complimented him on how much you loved it, of course!

*People who accept the offer become part of your network if you save their e-mail addresses.

Individual authors often give lots copies to friends and relatives who often never read our books anyway, right? How could it hurt them to suggest those loyal friends commit to reviews, too. Or we could make an offer to the general public and limit the number of books we offer.

Think about this before you do it, though. You must be comfortable with the idea that a review is an opinion and the reviewer is welcome to voice it. If they hate your book and say so, what then? As a professional, you can't go back and ask them to withdraw their review or change it. It is against journalism ethics. Having said that, I never suggest a reviewer do a complete slash and burn of a book. A tactfully worded letter to the author that the reviewer is reneging on his or her offer to review because it appears the reviewer and book are not well matched is far kinder--and also more professional.

PS: This classified advertising page is a perfect place to advertise your book-for-review program.  

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Mini Biography for Carolyn Howard-Johnson

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Check out the links on this page for an assortment of focused media kits.)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This Is the Place, won eight awards. Her second book, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, creative nonfiction, won three. An instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program, her book The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t is recommended reading for her classes, was named USA Book News’ Best Professional Book, and was given the Irwin Award. Her second book in the How To Do It Frugally series for writers is The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. It won USA Book News and Reader Views Literary Awards and the campaign for it won New Generations Marketing Award. Her chapbook of poetry Tracings, was named to the Compulsive Reader's Ten Best Reads list and was given the Military Writers' Society of America's Silver Award of Excellence. She is also the author of a series of chapbooks in the Celebration Series. They were coauthored with Magdalena Ball and include Cherished Pulse, Imagining the Future and She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood. She is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award; her community's Character and Ethics Committee awarded her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly's list of 14 "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen." She blogs at Writer's Digest 101 Best Website pick, www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com.

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Buy Links for Carolyn's Books

Great Fiction
Purchase THIS IS THE PLACE
and HARKENING at Amazon.

Great Poetry
Purchase TRACINGS (Finishing LIne Press) at Amazon.

Give the gift of poetry with a chapbook from Magdalena Ball's and
My Celebration Series
CHERISHED PULSE: Unconventional Love Poetry
IMAGINING THE FUTURE: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions
SHE WORE EMERALD THEN: Reflections on Motherhood
BLOOMING RED: Christmas Poetry for the Rational (Coming soon!)

HowToDoItFrugally Series for Writers
Purchase
THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER
THE FRUGAL EDITOR
GREAT LITTLE LAST MINUTE EDITING TIPS FOR WRITERS
THE GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION BOOK PROPOSAL

Survive and Thrive Series of HowToDoItFrugally Books for Retailers
A RETAILER'S GUIDE TO FRUGAL IN-STORE PROMOTION
FRUTAL AND FOCUSED TWEETING FOR RETAILERS
YOUR BLOG, YOUR BUSINESS

Purchase audios for writers at Tri-Studio.

Most of Carolyn's books are also available for the Kindle reader.