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Old 08-15-2010, 12:27 AM   #31
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Originally Posted by Kurt View Post
I'm not sure i understand this

you are doing reviews of "Smashwords" listed books on a blog?

why not on smashwords site itself where it would be more useful - or are you doing this too - i realize there are a lot of books and your reviews might be seen by very few if sone on their site only

it looks like you have to buy them from smashwords to review them on the site - is that the problem?

i myself have yet to see a reviewed book on smashwords - pity
Um, if you look, you'll see that Ficbot posts a capsule review on Smashword as well. This is pretty common practice among reviewers. And IMHO, a blog is often a better place to post a review, because it creates more exposure.

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Old 08-15-2010, 07:29 AM   #32
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I agree Smashwords needs promoting more and more traffic.

And this has nothing to do with the fact my books is currently rated 4.6 stars and has several five stars reviews ... oh no. Not at all.

Props to ficbot for doing this with no agenda other than to review self published stuff and sort the quality stuff from the dreck. Hope you get round to reading my book sooner or later. Dont let the 4.6 rating influence your decision in any way. Not at all.
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Old 08-15-2010, 08:06 AM   #33
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Just a suggestion for reviewers from a writer: Blog reviews are terrific, but might I suggest that you also post reviews for books that you are most enthusiastic about (your 4 and 5 star reviews) on not only Smashwords but Amazon as well and if the book is available at Kobo, B&E, Diesel, etc. then at those sites too? That would really help readers to find your finds.
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Old 08-15-2010, 11:44 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marioninyc View Post
Just a suggestion for reviewers from a writer: Blog reviews are terrific, but might I suggest that you also post reviews for books that you are most enthusiastic about (your 4 and 5 star reviews) on not only Smashwords but Amazon as well and if the book is available at Kobo, B&E, Diesel, etc. then at those sites too? That would really help readers to find your finds.
Now you're getting greedy!!!

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Old 08-15-2010, 11:46 AM   #35
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Marion, you're turning this almost into a full-time job Such promo, imho, is the author's job. I can't possibly keep track of every site where the author may have put their book. I review on the blog, and a shorter one at the site where I purchase it. If the author wants to leverage my review to other uses, that is their call.
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Old 08-15-2010, 01:09 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ficbot View Post
Marion, you're turning this almost into a full-time job Such promo, imho, is the author's job. I can't possibly keep track of every site where the author may have put their book. I review on the blog, and a shorter one at the site where I purchase it. If the author wants to leverage my review to other uses, that is their call.
Ficbot hit the nail on the head. Most authors I know tend to have a google alert set up, and if his blog is indexed, then the chances of it popping up in an alert are pretty good.

And at that point, the author should take the ball and run with it. Seriously. Even if it's a low/medium exposure blog, it's someone else posting a positive review on a published medium.

And that's good for a cover blurb! Or at least a point in the sales copy!!! And if the author fails to capitalize on the positive press, well then, that's their own damn fault

Plus, you have to keep in mind that many sites only allow "confirmed purchases" to have reviews posted. So, to expect a reviewer to buy six copies of a book to be sure that he posts the same highlights from one review is pretty ballsy, imo. The fact that he does quick blurbs and/or star reviews on Smashwords (where he purchased the book to begin with) is good enough.

Soon as I get some more time and money, fic, I'll be looking to join you in reviewing the slush pile

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Old 08-17-2010, 09:03 AM   #37
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Ficbot, I'm really glad you're doing this. Anything to help readers of ebooks (like myself) separate the wheat from the chaff on Smashwords would be much appreciated!

Pat
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Old 08-17-2010, 06:57 PM   #38
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Yes, thank you, ficbot. We indies need all the help we can get. But as far as not being able to tell the wheat from the chaff, I would think with the 50% samples they give, that wouldn't be a problem. Hope you get a chance to review mine someday. I'll be checking you blog and your current reviews as soon as I leave here. Thanks again.

Joyce
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Old 08-17-2010, 10:58 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by ficbot View Post
A few issues with reviewing on Smashwords...

I am doing this to help *customers* buy and choose books, so I am not interested on posting reviews just because I know an author or something.
This is the thing I most want to thank you for Ficbot. I think we as authors often forget that the kind of reviews that do the most good are those that are focused on the reader.

The most valuable sites to a reader are going to be those where the reviewer has a point of view and standards, and doesn't waste the reader's time with anything outside of that. Readers with the same point of view and taste can trust a site like that to tell them about books they will love.

That's the kind of thing that creates passion, and it means so much more to a book than just about anything.

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Old 08-17-2010, 11:01 PM   #40
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Thanks for the comments, everyone. New review will be up prob the day after tomorrow. It's "Prestwick" by David Hough. Pretty good so far---not 'Radium Halos' good (pacing is a bit sloggy and some of the disaster movie parts are a bit overly graphic) but not bad overall.
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Old 08-18-2010, 02:42 AM   #41
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Yes, thank you, ficbot. We indies need all the help we can get. But as far as not being able to tell the wheat from the chaff, I would think with the 50% samples they give, that wouldn't be a problem. Hope you get a chance to review mine someday. I'll be checking you blog and your current reviews as soon as I leave here. Thanks again.

Joyce
Some of us, myself included, are not sample readers. I'm either going to buy a book or not and don't want to read half the book as a teaser. What am I going to do, just stop at 50% because I didn't think it was great? Once I've invested that much in a book I want to finish it. It takes something pretty horrible to get me not to finish something.

In fact, almost every book I haven't finished has been non-fiction that turned out to be too dry to bear. I can't recall the last fiction book I didn't finish, even if I did feel like throwing it at the fireplace afterward screaming, "I wasted 3 hours of my life on this!!".

-Marcy
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Old 08-18-2010, 09:40 AM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcy View Post
Some of us, myself included, are not sample readers. I'm either going to buy a book or not and don't want to read half the book as a teaser. What am I going to do, just stop at 50% because I didn't think it was great? Once I've invested that much in a book I want to finish it. It takes something pretty horrible to get me not to finish something.

In fact, almost every book I haven't finished has been non-fiction that turned out to be too dry to bear. I can't recall the last fiction book I didn't finish, even if I did feel like throwing it at the fireplace afterward screaming, "I wasted 3 hours of my life on this!!".

-Marcy
Karen McQuestion has some funny essays that are non-fiction "Lies I told my Children." It's short and pithy.

I have started "Learn me Good" by John McPhearson (which ficbot reviewed and didn't like too much). And I don't know how much of it is "nonfiction." It's more an exaggeration/funny kind of piece, but I happen to like that sort of thing.

I also read a very good book on Einstein that I found fascinating.

But I'm also not much of a non-fiction reader.

Well, unless it travel related, in which case I devour all kinds of travel info!

Last edited by BearMountainBooks; 08-20-2010 at 09:50 AM.
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Old 08-19-2010, 10:17 PM   #43
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Books I've purchased:
Boomerang, Lucifer's Calling, Shades of Gray, The Second Coming, Under the Amoral Bridge, 2184, Shard Mountain, To Speak for the Dead, The Kinshield Legacy, Portrait of the Past.

I'm going to start working on reviews for 'em this weekend, have to finish a bunch first. but ya know..
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Old 08-20-2010, 04:28 AM   #44
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Books I've purchased:
Boomerang, Lucifer's Calling, Shades of Gray, The Second Coming, Under the Amoral Bridge, 2184, Shard Mountain, To Speak for the Dead, The Kinshield Legacy, Portrait of the Past.

I'm going to start working on reviews for 'em this weekend, have to finish a bunch first. but ya know..
Oh, wow. That looks like part of my MR authors on smashwords file.

Read and loved: Boomerang, The Second Coming, 2184

TBR: Under the Amoral Bridge, Shard Mountain, To Speak for the Dead, The Kinshield Legacy, Portrait of the Past
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Old 08-20-2010, 11:30 PM   #45
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Review is up for Prestwick by David Hough.
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