My new blog pledge: one Smashwords review per week - Page 5

BearMountainBooks · 09-03-2010, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke King

I don't think you can rely on them to grade the slushpile. How many one star reviews can you give before you grow tired of it and complain? Smashwords has published 2500 books in the last 30 days. Heaven knows how many Amazon has published.

What percentage of those are readable?

Of course I want access. I just fear it will be taken away, the way Apple took it away from app developers.

If there isn't some means of telling a reasonable indie book from one that is simply nonsense, then I believe that will happen.

There are very reasonable ways for readers to tell what they want to read--they sample. There are also ways writers can help--start reading the piles and reviewing. Tell people when you come across books you love. Don't worry about what isn't readable--go find what is and tell the world.

ficbot · 09-03-2010, 03:18 PM

New review is up! Dragonverse by Doug Farren. I have also set up a tag set so you can at any time pull up a list of all the reviews. Here is the link.

Scott Nicholson · 09-04-2010, 09:48 AM

Glad you are spreading the word. I added your link to our "Indie FriendlY" list at http://indiebooksblog.blogspot.com

jamesread · 09-09-2010, 02:00 AM

Great idea, Ficbot. An invaluable service to those who are wading through Smashwords looking for the self-published books worth our time, our money, as well as the overlooked diamonds in the rough.

thinkpad · 09-09-2010, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

New review is up! Dragonverse by Doug Farren. I have also set up a tag set so you can at any time pull up a list of all the reviews. Here is the link.

Your review got me interested so I bought the book. I'll let you know what I think when I've read it.

ficbot · 09-11-2010, 09:08 PM

New review is up. The Seventh Compass Point of Death by Richard Sanders. Enjoy!

JSWolf · 09-14-2010, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

New review is up. The Seventh Compass Point of Death by Richard Sanders. Enjoy!

Very nice review. And the author said he would fix things up. I hope he fixed the story flaws as well as the errors because it sounds like it could be good.

ficbot · 09-14-2010, 10:22 PM

Thanks, JSWolf! Next review will be up probably by Thursday or Friday. I am really enjoying writing these.

M T McGuire · 09-17-2010, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

New review is up. The Seventh Compass Point of Death by Richard Sanders. Enjoy!

That's an excellent review. I reckon the point of reviewing is that people get to know your style and can tell whether they'll like what you do (or even the things you don't enjoy). To me you're doing pretty well there and I just wanted to say because I could imagine this can be a bit like pouring water into a well, things happen but you're never quite sure what. Will book mark your site and keep visiting.

Cheers

MTM

Richard Herley · 09-17-2010, 05:15 AM

ficbot, I have just started a blog of my own:

http://herleys-ebook-filter.blogspot.com/

It's for Smashwords titles. I don't review the books, merely filter them. That is, if a sample looks literate and interesting, I'll post about it. I also post samples of books I've seen recommended elsewhere (and with permission will start scouring your blog, as it's not easy to find good new work at SW).

I'm doing this (a) as a service to readers, (b) to promote good SW authors, and (c) to make a little dough, as I have signed up to the SW affiliates scheme.

If anyone else wants to do the same, it's easy and free to set up a Blogger blog. All you need is a Google account. Oh, and lots of patience with sampling

ficbot, I have put you on my blogroll and will happily do the same for anyone setting up a filter/review blog. If you're not a SW affiliate, do consider joining. Your share is paid by the author, not the reader, which I think is reasonable. (Authors can opt out of the scheme; typical referral fee is about 11% of the net book-price.)

The nice thing about using a blog is that readers who are on your wavelength can simply subscribe via RSS and painlessly get news of worthwhile books, as and when they appear.

ficbot · 09-17-2010, 07:22 AM

Thanks for the info, Richard. I will add your blog to my bookmarks. I am considering the SW affiliates program; not sure I have the traffic for it, but we'll see

kcmay · 09-17-2010, 08:47 AM

Cool idea! I appreciate y'all who review indies. Maybe in a few years, being indie won't curl people's lips as much as it does now (or maybe it'll curl 'em more!), but having folks willing to dedicate so much of their time to helping indies is beyond cool. I've decided that every other book I read will be an indie book. I'm reading A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish now. If any of you bloggers like fantasy, I suggest sampling that one to see if it's up your alley.

Richard Herley · 09-17-2010, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Thanks for the info, Richard. I will add your blog to my bookmarks. I am considering the SW affiliates program; not sure I have the traffic for it, but we'll see

Steven Lake · 09-17-2010, 10:48 AM

Hey, silly question, but how does an author get reviewed on these blogs? Yes, I'm not currently available on Smashwords for technical reasons (we're fixing that, so be patient everyone!), but when I am again I'd love to have someone review my books.

ficbot · 09-17-2010, 01:44 PM

If a book interests me, I review it. Some are books I had already, but now that I have worked through many of those, I am hearing from authors, and reading recommendations here in search of new stuff. Bear in mind though, we all have personal tastes and I won't review one just because

An author emailed me today and I am going to say no because I just don't enjoy that genre, don't read books of that type and a) don't feel qualified to comment and b) would rather spend my time reading a book I am more likely to enjoy.

09-04-2010, 09:48 AM	#63
Scott Nicholson Scott Nicholson, author Posts: 363 Karma: 2029337 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Boone NC Device: Kindle	thanks! Glad you are spreading the word. I added your link to our "Indie FriendlY" list at http://indiebooksblog.blogspot.com

09-17-2010, 01:44 PM	#75
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	If a book interests me, I review it. Some are books I had already, but now that I have worked through many of those, I am hearing from authors, and reading recommendations here in search of new stuff. Bear in mind though, we all have personal tastes and I won't review one just because An author emailed me today and I am going to say no because I just don't enjoy that genre, don't read books of that type and a) don't feel qualified to comment and b) would rather spend my time reading a book I am more likely to enjoy. Last edited by ficbot; 09-17-2010 at 09:13 PM.

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09-03-2010, 03:18 PM	#62
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	New review is up! Dragonverse by Doug Farren. I have also set up a tag set so you can at any time pull up a list of all the reviews. Here is the link.

09-09-2010, 02:00 AM	#64
jamesread Banned Posts: 59 Karma: 22 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	Great idea, Ficbot. An invaluable service to those who are wading through Smashwords looking for the self-published books worth our time, our money, as well as the overlooked diamonds in the rough.

09-11-2010, 09:08 PM	#66
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	New review is up. The Seventh Compass Point of Death by Richard Sanders. Enjoy!

09-14-2010, 10:22 PM	#68
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Thanks, JSWolf! Next review will be up probably by Thursday or Friday. I am really enjoying writing these.

09-17-2010, 05:15 AM	#70
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	ficbot, I have just started a blog of my own: http://herleys-ebook-filter.blogspot.com/ It's for Smashwords titles. I don't review the books, merely filter them. That is, if a sample looks literate and interesting, I'll post about it. I also post samples of books I've seen recommended elsewhere (and with permission will start scouring your blog, as it's not easy to find good new work at SW). I'm doing this (a) as a service to readers, (b) to promote good SW authors, and (c) to make a little dough, as I have signed up to the SW affiliates scheme. If anyone else wants to do the same, it's easy and free to set up a Blogger blog. All you need is a Google account. Oh, and lots of patience with sampling ficbot, I have put you on my blogroll and will happily do the same for anyone setting up a filter/review blog. If you're not a SW affiliate, do consider joining. Your share is paid by the author, not the reader, which I think is reasonable. (Authors can opt out of the scheme; typical referral fee is about 11% of the net book-price.) The nice thing about using a blog is that readers who are on your wavelength can simply subscribe via RSS and painlessly get news of worthwhile books, as and when they appear.

09-17-2010, 07:22 AM	#71
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Thanks for the info, Richard. I will add your blog to my bookmarks. I am considering the SW affiliates program; not sure I have the traffic for it, but we'll see

09-17-2010, 08:47 AM	#72
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	Cool idea! I appreciate y'all who review indies. Maybe in a few years, being indie won't curl people's lips as much as it does now (or maybe it'll curl 'em more!), but having folks willing to dedicate so much of their time to helping indies is beyond cool. I've decided that every other book I read will be an indie book. I'm reading A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish now. If any of you bloggers like fantasy, I suggest sampling that one to see if it's up your alley.

09-17-2010, 10:48 AM	#74
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	Hey, silly question, but how does an author get reviewed on these blogs? Yes, I'm not currently available on Smashwords for technical reasons (we're fixing that, so be patient everyone!), but when I am again I'd love to have someone review my books.