Authors of self-published books face unique challenges8480068

Authors of self-published books face unique challenges. You pay for your own review copies, so you need to use them wisely. You don't always have access to top distributors and magazine reviewers.

However, there is no reason to be discouraged, if you know you have a book that satisfies the needs of at least one market. It is important to plan your marketing campaign carefully. Ideally you will start marketing even before publishing your book.

At any stage, it is easy to be tempted to invest funds in tactics that seem to promise fast, easy results. For example, new authors usually realize that they need to get their books reviewed in online venues, such as Amazon. Yet they don't know how to find reviewers who can write credible reviews for their own book.

Therefore, it is tempting for a new author to hire a service to review his or her book. When you Google "book reviews" you will discover this sources readily. These services promise they will write a positive review of your book for a modest fee, ranging from $15 to $50. Some sites also promise to publish the reviews on an article marketing site.

Your fee may give you access to a single reviewer or arrange with a panel of reviewers to provide one or multiple reviews. The reviewers may get paid in dollars or they may get Starbucks cards.

There is no reason to use any of these services. When a review appears from a paid source, typically the review discloses that the reviewer is associated with a paid service. Readers know the reviewer was paid to write not just a review, but a positive review.

"But," an author may ask, "don't reviewers get rewarded with copies of books? Amazon's own Vine program sends books to selected reviewers every month."

True. However, these reviewers are free to write positive or negative reviews. Some observers conclude that Vine reviewers and other prolific reviewers tend to be more critical than ordinary reviewers.

Readers of online book reviews tend to be savvy and sophisticated. They feel they are members of a community, not simply purchasers in a store. They will detect puffy reviews, whether written by a paid service or by an author's friend or family member.boot reviews

Reviews from paid book review services tend to be short and often are poorly written. They are unlikely to play a strong, effective role in your book marketing. Instead, focus on writing a good book. When it comes to book publishing, a good book isn't just well written. It's also marketable.