I’m not writing this post with the intent to complain…okay maybe I am but here goes anyway. I love to read. I love books of all shapes, sizes, formats and for the most part subject matter. I love new authors and I adore spreading the word about what they have written and helping to promote it. As you can see, there is no advertising on my blog other than the books themselves and where you can find them for sale. I love getting emails from authors that are excited about their work. What I don’t love, are emails like this:
Dear Martin, —Martin is my last name
I saw your name in the list of Amazon Top Reviewers. Okay, no problem there. I’m the one who put my email address in there for people to find me.
I have written a book. You don’t say?
This book what book? is gripping says you?, comes highly recommended by everyone who has read it and those people would be? and is currently available on amazon.com for a discounted price. (usually 8.99 now only 5.99) Okay cool, I buy books too.
If you would purchase my book and leave me a review on amazon.com and good reads that would be great. I bet it would.
Here is the link for the book. Being nice and leaving that out. If it isn’t too much trouble I will need the review to be finished next week as I don’t have very many reviews yet and I know it is important. You’re kidding, you don’t have many reviews? Wow next week is loads of time!
Can’t wait to see your positive feedback! Posssssssitive? hmmm…
What is the book called? What is the book about? Did you just ask me to buy a book with no info and then tell me when to have my review done by? Oh you silly, silly boy!
No Joke, this really happened to me this morning. Wow that was a mess. I would like to use this opportunity to talk about book bloggers and how to submit a query to them for a review request.
At the risk that I might sound like a know-it-all, I love book review requests as much as the next blogger, but I also appreciate it when the person makes it a little more personal.
- Tell your potential reviewer where you discovered them. Was it Twitter, Amazon, their blog, another blog???
- Have you seen other reviews they have done in a similar genre?
- Tell them why you have chosen them Vs. a million other bloggers.
- Tell them what your book is about, but briefly. If they are reading your email for three hours they won’t have time to read your book.
- Offer them a link where they can learn more about your book at their convenience.
- If you have won any awards etc. let them know.
- If you are a first time author, let them know. (This tends to make me want to read the book or at least soften the chip on my shoulder.)
- Try to spell everything right, including the title of your book and the reviewer’s name. There is a stigma about self publishing, and I don’t agree with it, but if your email has misspellings you may decrease your chances of getting a blogger to look at you.
- Be understanding. Thank them for their time and consideration even if they don’t accept your book. Book blogging can keep a person pretty busy.
- Understand that the person you are addressing may be holding a portion of your fate in their hands if they do decide to write a review for your book. Never be rude to a reviewer no matter how long it takes them to respond to you or what they have to say.
- Never assume that a reviewer will buy your book, even at a discounted price. I buy books and review them as well as taking ARC copies, but it is always nice when the person who contacts you is offering you the book as a review copy without expectation. If you are asking them to read your book, then in my opinion that is a fair trade. It takes time to read a book, especially if it isn’t in a genre you would normally choose.
- Expect that it will take them time to get to the other commitments they have made and be patient. Never tell them it has to be done by…blah blah blah date. That only works for publishing house titles and review publications.
- Find the guidelines the reviewer has posted on their site if they have any and read through them carefully. If the blogger only accepts women’s fiction, sending them a book about the war of 1812 probably won’t impress them much.
- Never make the assumption that they will love the book. (I tend to appreciate it when the person inquiring mentions that they understand they are going to get my honest opinion.)
- Finally, when you end your email, be sure to include your pertinent contact info.
You would think that this is all common sense, and for the most part it probably is, but I know I can’t be the only one who gets the first variety of email. I thought I would make an attempt to outline the basics. I used to get all stressed out when I would query a publishing house about my manuscript and I know how terrified I felt. I don’t mean to make book bloggers in general seem unreachable or like an evil entity, I simply wish to point out that no matter what you are trying to sell, a book or whatever, if you are asking someone to do you a favor, you should do it professionally. This is just my opinion and the requirements and expectations of other book bloggers are as a broad a spectrum as the universe.
I would think general politeness should be in any type of communication with someone you’ve never met.
I completely agree, but apparently the memo wasn’t passed to all the employees lol
I am always surprised by the lack of commen sense those who need a favor exhibit to those who can grant it. Nice Post. – John
I think it just surprises me occasionally that this generation seems to have completely forgotten what it means to be polite and grateful. Not everyone of course, but a startling majority.
Ahh people! I love hearing stories like these. You would think that they would at least have included some of the necessary information, but nope. Clear as mud. It does make me want to read the book but for all the wrong reasons and certainly not willing to pay for it!
Totally, the brat part of me wanted to read it and leave him a 20 word review.
Hahaha, yeah, something like: “I read this book, it needs work. One star.”
That would be too funny, lol
I was kind of thinking: “this author is a jerk and his book is only slightly more impressive I just don’t recommend it at all.” hey look! twenty words
Wow….seriously? I don’t mean to be rude (and thank you for not sharing the link to their book or any identifying info of the person in question), but…expecting a reviewer you are contacting to buy the book rather than offering it, telling them how great it is, demanding they have it read and reviewed inside of an extremely stringent time period, and worst of all, hinting that you expect a positive review?
I’ll try to be open-minded — perhaps the person is new to this, in which case they have the opportunity to learn. But still, no matter the intent, that message screams “drop everything you’re doing, read my book right now, and I insist you love it”. I think letters like these are what prompt some review bloggers to put up heavy restrictions on their submissions page. I admit I have passed over a few review blogs because the submissions page was so full of “dont’s” to cover every concievable scenario, that I found wading through and trying to comprehend it all to be too tedious. But this is probably why that happens…bloggers can hardly be blamed for presenting a lot of restrictions up front if these are the sorts of messages they are receiving.
I checked the book out online and it has one review. A five star of course, and the review says and I quote “This is the best book I’ve ever read. You have to read this book. I loved it.” hmmmm….I will keep my opinion to myself for once I think.
I actually do buy books I intend to read and review from indie authors. I like supporting the indie movement and some of my favorite books have been indie titles, but this guy really has a lot to learn about how to approach someone you ask a favor of. I didn’t want to be one of those bloggers that has a mile long list of don’t do this or that, but the more emails I get from people like this guy the more I realize no matter what you say, some people won’t read it anyway. The main thing that really ticked me off about this guy was the idea that I would definitely be offering positive feedback. I never guarantee that, not even for a publishing house. If I think the book stinks, I say so. I don’t include the books I give one or two stars on the blog, because I feel my blog is about promoting the books and authors I would want others to know about and read. To suggest I would just give positive reviews because I was asked to is silliness and obviously comes from the mind of a rather narcissistic and inexperienced person.
Thanks for weighing in! I always value your opinion:)
I’m going to give this a shot. Ahem:
Sup Matin;
I wrote a book and its awesome. U shoudl totes read it. Just gogle it its super easy to find and ull love it I promise. Can please have review 2morrow if not too much trouble? Thx man ,u rock.
Bob
How did I do?
My eyes are bleeding!
No kidding!
HA!!!! That is right on target. I will have your one star review for your book, called “book” tomorrow! I love it!
This is priceless!! Thank you for a few LOL moments this morning. I needed it. My own book project is crap this morning, but I think I can be glad for my place in my life after reading that letter. Poor child. We humans are, well human, aren’t we? I’m still laughing, and grateful for your instruction, too. Yes, it is my experience that so many people have forgotten what it means to be polite and grateful–but it is my own generation that did not teach this. Your post teaches.
Some how I can’t imagine anything you write being “crap” but I am glad I could make you smile! I think it is a sad state of affairs that most people don’t have the slightest idea nowadays how to be polite when dealing with other people, but it’s never too late to learn. I really do wish the guy that sent me that email good luck in learning that lesson!
Other side of the coin: the reviews from readers cut from the same cloth. A few examples:
“I do not give negative reviews lightly.” Uh, yes you do. 6 of 18 book reviews are 1- or 2-stars.
“It took awhile to figure out where the story was going. Accelerated about 3/4 of the way through. Was entertained. I will read the sequel.” This from a 2-star review…
“This was more of a science-ish book. I read the first couple chapters and then stopped and found another book.It seemed to…I’m not sure how to describe it but I wanted an easy ready and didn’t like it almost immediately” Why bother to review a book you don’t read?
On the other hand, some of the negative reviews were specific and thoughtful, if a bit caustic. Didn’t enjoy reading ‘em, but respected them.
I write reviews when I finish the book. Hence, I have a lot of 4- and 5-star reviews.
I would have to agree. Giving people the opportunity to leave reviews when they have no clue about what a review is can be as harmful as helpful. I have seen a lot of book reviews that go something like this: “I downloaded this book and paid for it but never got it, 1 star.” Or “This book arrived with the cover torn and the first page ripped don’t buy from this seller.” Obviously people don’t always understand that the product review section is not the place to take up issue with Amazon or the third party sellers. On multiple occasions I have used the report button to report a review, but nothing seems to get done. The other thing that drives me crazy is when someone says, “I haven’t read this book so I’m leaving it one star for now.” Really?? I have, I must admit, left a low star rating for a book that I didn’t finish, but I stand by that review. It was for a book that was about graphic sexual matters and the blurb never mentioned it at all. I left it two stars, stated that I never finished the book and stated that my reasoning was because I never would have known this was not a book I couldn’t gift to my grandmother. The cover looked innocent and there was no warning that prepared me for what was …under the covers:)