Monday, April 24, 2017

Why Getting Great Reviews Is Your Job - Carolyn Howard-Johnson


Today we have the honor of hosting a special excerpt from Carolyn Howard-Johnson's new book. Getting great book reviews is something we all want to know how to do, right? Well, Carolyn is here to tell us why it's our job to get them.

Take it away, Carolyn!


**Excerpted from Carolyn’s new How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically: The ins and outs of using free reviews to build and sustain a writing career



You need this article! Here’s why:


In spite of a contract or even an advance your publisher may not be a true publisher. True publishing includes the marketing of a book, Think big names like HarperCollins, Knopf, and Writers’ Digest, the publisher of Nina Amir’s new Creative Visualization. They assign a marketing budget to your book and an actual marketing department complete with actual human-type marketers who are trained in the specialized field of not just marketing, but marketing books. Except for those who write only for pleasure, there is no reason to publish a book that doesn’t get read.

The sad part is: Even those big publishers need the authors’ help. There is no free lunch when it comes to the marketing of a book—including the getting of reviews.

Some publishers—even traditional publishers—may not respect tradition, be uncooperative or goof. One of my writing critique partners was published with a fine press. When she learned they had not sent advance review copies of her literary novel to the most prestigious review journals before their strict sixteen-week deadline, she was naturally upset. They explained it was a snafu that could not be fixed. That was no comfort at all. It did help her to know that because thousands of galleys sent to the important review publications lie fallow in slush piles, the chances of having a book reviewed by a major journal—even one published traditionally let alone getting a glowing review—is remote. Because she had me to nag her, she moved on to alternative marketing and review-getting strategies found in Chapter Six of this book. Using those methods, she was still able to schedule several major bookstore appearances that tend to favor established names and rely on big-journal reviews in their decision-making process. Nevertheless, it’s not the kind of loss any author wants to face.

These days most small publishers have no marketing department—or marketing plan. In fact, many admit that when it comes to marketing, you are on your own. No offense, publishers. I know many of you do a terrific job considering the profit margin in publishing these days. Let’s face it, you can use help, and you don’t need to deal with disappointed (irate?) authors. And, authors! We are ultimately responsible for our own careers. Sometimes when we wait to take responsibility, it is too late in the publishing game.

Some publishers charge the author an additional or separate fee for marketing. Many who offer marketing packages do not offer a review-getting package. If they do, the review their authors get is a paid-for review, which is definitely not the route you want to go. More on that later in this chapter.

Many publishers do not even have lists of people to contact who might help your marketing with endorsements or reviews. Further, many big publishers are relying on bloggers for their review process more and more as print journals and newspaper book sections shrink or disappear and as they begin to understand that grassroots publicity—reviews or otherwise—can produce a very green crop. And bloggers? Well, that’s a resource pool you can easily plumb yourself.

My first publisher supplied review copies only upon written request from individual reviewers. They did not honor requests generated by their authors’ initiatives. This meant that I could not count on them to supply books to reviewers I had successfully queried for a review. Unless the reviewer accepted e-copies (and many reviewers don’t!), I had to order copiesdirectly from the publisher and then reship them to my reviewers. This method is slow, cumbersome, unnecessarily expensive, unprofessional, and discourages authors from trying to get reviews on their own.

Publishers should offer review copies to a list of reviewers—even unestablished grassroots bloggers—who have been responsive to their authors in the past. And they certainly should not charge an author for review copies. Publishers have a profit margin and publicity obtained by their authors (including reviews) affects their bottom line, too. They should send their author a thank you (or a red rose!) along with encouragement to keep up the good work

Publishers should also market their books. That means that even if they are too small or underfunded to have a marketing department, they should have a list of reviewers to query for reviews, a list of influential people to provide blurbs for your cover, access to book cover designers (not just great graphic designers) who know what sells books, and a whole lot more. Ask potential publishers about their marketing process before you sign, but—even if you feel assured after having that conversation—it’s best to assume you may be on your own.

And here’s more: Big publishers are relying on bloggers for their review process as print journals and newspaper book sections shrink or disappear and as they begin to understand that grassroots publicity—reviews or otherwise—can produce a very green crop. Bloggers, you say? Well, that’s a resource pool you can easily plumb yourself

So, the marketing part of your book that includes finding the right reviewers to read and comment on your book will—in most cases—be up to you and well within your skill set after reading this book. And even when you have the luxury of a marketing department behind you, those authors who know how to get reviews on their own can keep a book alive for an infinite amount of time after their publishers relegate their books to a backlist or their contract expires. 
Note: If it is too late to apply this information to the process you use in choosing a publisher, tactfully take hold and guide the publisher you have through the review process. There are lots of ways to do that in this book. I love Nike’s advice to “Just do it!” only I add “yourself” to the motto. Many publishers are in your employ. You may be paying them for services. At the very least, when your book sells, it makes money for the publisher. You don’t have to ask for permission (though it never hurts to listen to their reasoning before you make a decision).


Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes both the first and second editions ofThe Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. Her next book in the HowToDoItFrugally series for writers will be How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

Multi award-winning novelist, poet, and author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

Twitter: @FrugalBookPromo
E-mail: hojonews@aol.com


Thank you for sharing your insight on book reviews and how to get them, Carolyn!

Please leave Carolyn a comment. :)


17 comments:

nashvillecats2 said...

A very good subject for a book and excellently written.
Great review Chrys.

Yvonne.

Natalie Aguirre said...

So true that publishers--even big ones--rely on authors to promote their books. It is part of the job of being an author now. Thanks for the great posst.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

DLP relies on authors for marketing, but I can't imagine not sending out review copies to every possible source. Or having a list at the ready.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Chrys and Carolyn - I know Carolyn has a wealth of experience and is highly regarded ...great post for us to refer to and to note - cheers Hilary

http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/t-is-for-turkey.html

Christine Rains said...

Reviews are so important, and they're not so easy to get these days. Even if you do submit to reviewers, there's no guarantee they'll post a review. When I had a publisher, they didn't do any marketing for me. Wonderful article!

H.R. Bennett said...

Fantastic bits of information. I'm currently self-publishing my next book and I've been chewing on this very subject. I might need to give it more than a cursory read before I try to launch. :)

Pat Hatt said...

Can be a whole can of worms indeed. Big publishers at least have the dough to send out advanced copies. But yeah, they can screw up too.

Sandee said...

If it's your work, then it's your responsibility. I agree.

Have a fabulous day. ☺

cleemckenzie said...

Getting reviews is like digging trenches for me. However, I know it has to be done and I try.

J.L. Campbell said...

Great article. I found out how much work was involved in marketing after I signed a publishing contract and realized it was on me.

Juneta key said...

'Enjoyed reading. Happy A to Z Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Marketing is the bane of authors no matter how they're published. Even the big presses spend most of their marketing budget on their big name authors.

Lux G. said...

I get invites to review from authors themselves so I agree on this tip. There's so much work involved but I think in the end it's worth it.

Jemi Fraser said...

There is always so much to do when you're an author!! We can probably all use marketing tips - thanks!

Sharon Himsl said...

Good advice, thank you. I really need to do my homework. Just signed with Evernight Teen. They have a marketing plan and DO send to reviewers but it's clear I also need to do my part. And I can't begin to express how afraid I am of reviews. First novel, first time. I wish I could clone myself and hide out somewhere!

Michelle Wallace said...

As a writer who has yet to publish a book AND because I know that reviews are so important, I always try to leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon.
Thank you for the informative post, Carolyn!

Karen Baldwin said...

Great info, and timely for me. Thanks. I just ordered your book.