Advice for Ethical Requests of Amazon Reviews?

[p_aaron]

On a blog about amazon books, I read that friends and family aren't meant to review e-books, which makes sense. But then I also read that, when requesting a review, the author should not send a free book to the reviewer. So, do I just contact people and ask them to buy my book and review it? I think they'll enjoy it, but I don't want to be pushy. What do you think?

I would love any good suggestions and thanks for your time.

[Dr. Drib]

When an author or publisher contacts someone without his or her consent, then I call that spam and I call the author or publisher a spammer. A spammer is the lowest kind of scum one can imagine. They are bottom-breeders without a conscience.

When it happens here on Mobileread, we ban that author or publisher. And good riddance to anyone who tries it.

Members here are quick to report this type of scum, since our members value the community of which they are a part.

[gmw]

Aaron, some people run blogs where they accept requests from authors and publishers. An example list of such blogs can be found here: http://www.tinahunter.ca/links/ebook-reviewers/

The idea is that you should visit each blog yourself, first, and see what sort of thing they review and whether your work matches what they're looking for. You must also check their review policy - most will have a page stating whether they are currently accepting requests and what they expect to receive. Some of these people will also place their reviews on places like Amazon and/or Goodreads.

I didn't have much luck with it when I tried last. I think my first novel was a bit on the long side and the early (preview visible) chapters are perhaps not as enticing as they could be. It is what it is, and that was my choice.

If you hunt around you should be able to find others as well. The important thing is to try and make certain you are sending people what they are willing to receive or you will get reactions like those eloquently described by Dr Drib.

Other than that, you are really stuck with making graceful requests in obvious places like Facebook (if you have a page, I don't), your own website/blog (I have one of these but requests for reviews would be pretty pointless because it appears to be mainly visited by spammers), and so on.

You may also like to read what I wrote about marketing, and the quote from Hugh Howey, in this recent post.

ETA: Those review blogs noted above will be expecting a free copy of the book - but this isn't to suggest they will necessarily give you a good review.

[mr ploppy]

Most of the blogs that actually get readers will want a real book rather than an ebook (probably so they can sell it later). And none of them will expect to pay for their own copy. I haven't heard about this particular rule on Amazon, but if you have an ebook exclusive to them you could make it free on there for a day and ask for reviews at the end of it. A bit of warning though, when something is free people won't bother reading the description before they grab it, and if it isn't whatever they imagined it might be they will complain.

[mr ploppy]

BTW, reviews don't really sell books. Being on the right also-boughts is what sells books. And as far as I know there's no easy way of manipulating that.

[p_aaron]

Hey all, thanks for your time.

I certainly want to avoid spam, which, as Dr Drib pointed out, is a waste.

That website that you mentioned, gmw, looks like it may have some good leads. I've already contacted a few online book reviewers and they've been positive, but, as you said, it can be hit or miss with them. I'm sure they all get plenty of requests. And with that sort of thing, it's hard to know if an email just got lost in their inbox - maybe it's one of those keep-patiently-trying things.

Also, mr ploppy, thank you for telling me about the also-boughts. That's a good heads-up.

Lastly, what I wrote above was inaccurate - I thought you shouldn't give a reviewer a free copy of a book. But actually you just can't give a reviewer a free bonus book for a review (so, you can't say, "if you'll review volume 1, then I'll send you volume 2 for free"). Anyways, maybe that note will help someone else, too.

Thanks again.

[mrmarlowe]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

When an author or publisher contacts someone without his or her consent, then I call that spam and I call the author or publisher a spammer.

I beg to differ. If an author sends links to his or her ebook in the message (like what the OP says), then yes it is spam. If it is a simple first-time contact, asking if the blogger is interested in reviewing his or her ebook (with NO links included, just book description), then that blanket rule would make most indie authors spammers really, coz unless he is some Stephen King, bloggers or reviewers are NOT going to contact the author on their own; usually the author has to contact them (a lot of creditable review bloggers are too busy anyways to take on new review requests, last time I checked; FB is a much better option).

My 2 cents

[mrmarlowe]

Originally Posted by p_aaron

Hey all, thanks for your time.

I certainly want to avoid spam, which, as Dr Drib pointed out, is a waste.

That website that you mentioned, gmw, looks like it may have some good leads. I've already contacted a few online book reviewers and they've been positive, but, as you said, it can be hit or miss with them. I'm sure they all get plenty of requests. And with that sort of thing, it's hard to know if an email just got lost in their inbox - maybe it's one of those keep-patiently-trying things.

Also, mr ploppy, thank you for telling me about the also-boughts. That's a good heads-up.

Lastly, what I wrote above was inaccurate - I thought you shouldn't give a reviewer a free copy of a book. But actually you just can't give a reviewer a free bonus book for a review (so, you can't say, "if you'll review volume 1, then I'll send you volume 2 for free"). Anyways, maybe that note will help someone else, too.

Thanks again.

The reviewers I know ALWAYS ask for free review copies. Again, it depends on how famous you are. If you are a well known author, then yes, it is far easier to convince others to buy the ebook (in fact you won't even have to do that). vs. if you are just another indie author (no offense meant). If you are looking for honest reviews, Goodreads review exchange group is a great place to start. Expect to get some 1 or 2 star reviews too; happens even to the best of us

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by mrmarlowe

I beg to differ. If an author sends links to his or her ebook in the message (like what the OP says), then yes it is spam. If it is a simple contact, then that blanket rule would make most indie authors spammers really, coz unless he is some Stephen King, bloggers or reviewers are NOT going to contact the author on their own; the author would need to contact them

My 2 cents

Here's my opinion:

I still contend that anyone who contacts me without my consent and without ANY previous contact whatsoever is - as far as I'm concerned - a spammer. And if it happens here on Mobileread, then I've got you and you are gone for good.

Unsolicited, specific email to someone is spam, whether deposited in my email box or made as a harassment to someone else on this site.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Here's my opinion:

I still contend that anyone who contacts me without my consent and without ANY previous contact whatsoever is - as far as I'm concerned - a spammer. And if it happens here on Mobileread, then I've got you and you are gone for good.

Bookbloggers typically aren't being contacted without their consent. They have an information page talking about what sorts of books-for-review they accept. Authors contacting them appropriately after reading their review terms are not spamming.

"Unsolicited, specific email to someone is spam"

Nope. Unsolicited bulk marketing email is spam. Many bookbloggers solicit books for review. And I send unsolicited, specific email to people all the damn time. I sent an enquiry to a company today. They've never heard of me. Oh no!

[Dr. Drib]

I would say that anyone who engages in the practices that I outlined in my previous post would be defined as a spammer, pure and simple, whether it be one unsolicited post where no previous contact in any form occurred, or when a number of unsolicited posts [what you call 'bulk marketing'] is made and also where no previous contact in any form occurred. This is spam in both instances: The person is still a spammer.

And, if what is outlined in my previous paragraph happens here on Mobileread, he or she will be dealt with harshly (when discovered and/or reported by a member), whereupon that individual will be banned from further engagement in our community.

We will simply have to agree to disagree, meera, about our definition of spam and what constitutes a spammer.

[gmw]

I think there is a middle ground here.

Bulk mail-outs are a no brainer. If the recipient didn't sign up for it then it's spam.

External to this forum, individual (and I mean properly personalised, not just fill-in the blanks) emails that may not be directly solicited, but are indirectly solicited via requests on websites and so on, are not spam.

There is considerable grey-area in the previous item that can really only be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Intention counts for a lot.

Internal to this forum the rules are defined in the guidelines as interpreted by the moderators, with the important proviso already given by Dr Drib. "when discovered and/or reported by a member". That's an important proviso. I have received various unsolicited private contact on this forum and I treat them like I do unsolicited emails: if it's individual, courteous, non-intrusive contact, of specific relevance/interest to me, as most have been, then I don't consider the contact to be spam. But I also know that if someone steps too far over that line then I have moderators to receive a complaint - a service that would be so wonderful to have on my email and blog.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

We will simply have to agree to disagree, meera, about our definition of spam and what constitutes a spammer.

You said "Unsolicited, specific email to someone is spam". As I said, I made an enquiry to a company, as a potential customer - how is that spam? It's not. A reasonable, _personalised_ enquiry to a bookblogger at their bookblog contact address, which is what we are talking about here, is also not spam. Sending out ten thousand identical emails to a list of bookblogger contacts you got on the internet is spam. Sending out twenty personalised, appropriate contacts to bookbloggers, having read their pages on how and when to contact them to offer review copies, is also not spam.

I run a blog. We get spam. A lot of it. We also get personalised, appropriate contacts from people we've not had contact with before. Those are not spam. On account of how they're not unsolicited bulk marketing email.

None of these relate in any way to Mobileread PMs, which aren't email, and are obviously subject to whatever policies this site puts in place.

[Hitch]

I would point out that, for example, Amazon Top Reviewers get book review requests ALL the time. They have the option to not make their emails public; one can only assume that the fact that they don't choose that means that they are making themselves effectively available to those seeking reviews. They're under no obligation, presumably, to accept a free book, (or a gift book), or to review same, or for that matter, give it a good review.

Now, here's my perspective on this: in the 90's, when the Web was young and not really GUI, I was a paid professional reviewer of books. No, not on Amazon; for a webzine. Most of my fellow reviewers took the books that they read and then resold them. I didn't do this myself, (I donated them to the local lending library--I could afford that back then), but, I do know, for example, that at MBR (Midwest Book Review) the reviewers do indeed want physical books, because part of what they consider their compensation (MBR reviewers of print books are not paid) is the resale of the books, above and beyond the pleasure of reading the book in the first place. That's why MBR started charging for reviewing eBooks--none of the reviewers would accept them, because they couldn't resell them. (Important note!).

Thus, I think it's hard to say that if Author X writes a book and then goes to all the trouble of finding 100 reviewers that reviewed books like his/hers, and liked books in his genre, and books that are (arguably) similar to his book, and emails them--is that really spam? Let's assume that John Doe, book reviewer, is actually reviewing books and then reselling them, as part of his income. Wouldn't he WANT contacts from willing book authors? It's not like the old days, when you were paid (now, paid reviewing is EVIL. It's mind-boggling to me that this has occurred; that the people who CAN competently review books, no longer MAY review books, because the Vox Populi has decided that somehow, professional reviewing=bad).

That's not the same thing as someone emailing an MR member out of the blue, asking if they want to do X or buy Y or whatever. And, FWIW, I get asked for "favors"--what are effectively donations of my own time--ALL the time here on MR, in PM's. All sorts of things, assessments, reviews (of software), etc. I've never reported anyone to a MOD, for heaven's sake (for that). I agree, letting it go free here would be bad, but...y'know, there's a fine line here.

And I don't think emailing book review blogs/people is spam. If someone says that they are a commercial reviewer, whether paid or unpaid, as a blogger or an "Amazon Top Reviewer," and they have their email in the public view, they are, to me, obviously seeking books. Does that seem nuts? That seems logical to me.

Vis-a-vis free books, etc.: the smart thing would be to GIFT the book. I know that there's a lot of kerfuffle about this out there, but you can GIFT the book, via Amazon, to the reviewer. Now, they can turn right around and use that $0.99 or $2.99 or whatever for something ELSE, if they choose--they are under zero obligation to buy YOUR book. BUT, assuming that they're remotely honest, and they do, the book then shows up as a "verified purchase," rather than an arbitrary review. Offered FWIW.

Hitch

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Vis-a-vis free books, etc.: the smart thing would be to GIFT the book. I know that there's a lot of kerfuffle about this out there, but you can GIFT the book, via Amazon, to the reviewer. Now, they can turn right around and use that $0.99 or $2.99 or whatever for something ELSE, if they choose--they are under zero obligation to buy YOUR book. BUT, assuming that they're remotely honest, and they do, the book then shows up as a "verified purchase," rather than an arbitrary review. Offered FWIW.

That's not necessarily the smart thing anymore, apparently - Amazon has tightened review acceptances, and people have had their reviews rejected because Amazon have decided that a gift certificate means that author & reviewer have a "personal connection".