Would anyone like to review my crime thriller, THE OTHER?

This should be the cry of every author. The life sustenance of a writer is arguably reviews…good ones, that is. In the final analysis the author needs folks to read his/her book and then comment on it, pass it along, or in some way help it to proliferate.

Reviews do this. And the reviewer who commands the largest readership will ultimately assist an author the most. But we shouldn’t neglect the small blog or the reviewer just starting out. Very few reviewer platforms are harmful and some may have unexpected results. And any on-line mention of a work renders it more Google-visible.

A caution, however. The book must be of a quality to contrast favorably with 50% of others of its kind. No one should expect magic from a reviewer – the magic originates with the writer. And seek reviews only from those who appreciate and understand the genre that you write. My worst reviews have come from those who found their way to my book by mistake, thinking it was something it is not.

How do you get reviews? The same way everything else in marketing is obtained – through persistent effort. Make a list of the reviewers who are right for your work, then request a review. Work through that list and then create another list if necessary. Build your own momentum.

There can be nothing more frustrating than to having written the greatest book  never read.  Particularly when you know that if people read it, they will love it. And who among us doesn’t know that?