Mastering the Art of Self-Promotion: Tips for Independent Authors to Get More Reviews

Indie Author Reviews Best Practices

Gathering reviews for your indie book can be challenging, especially on Amazon, but it's essential for building credibility and driving sales. Here are some honest tips for independent authors to get more reviews and keep the Amazon dogs from your heels:

1. Reach Out to Family, Friends, and Coworkers: Start by reaching out to your close network of family and friends who have read your book. Ask them to leave honest reviews on Amazon. Make sure they understand the importance of honest and unbiased reviews.

2. Build an Author Platform Everywhere: Before you release your book, build an online presence through a website, blog, and social media. Engage with potential readers and build a community of people interested in your genre or niche. This can help you find early readers and reviewers.

3. Send Out Advance Review Copies (ARCs): Offer free advance review copies to readers in exchange for honest reviews. You can distribute ARCs to your email list, social media followers, or through platforms like NetGalley or Goodreads. These fine folks are often avid readers and would love a book to devour!

4. Book Bloggers and Reviewers: Reach out to book bloggers, podcasters, and reviewers in your genre and ask if they would be interested in reviewing your book. Contacting those who specialize in your genre will increase your chances of a positive review.

5. Find Author Groups: Participate in online author communities and forums, such as Goodreads groups and Facebook groups, where authors and readers interact. Engage with these communities, build relationships, and politely ask for reviews when appropriate.

6. Author Review Exchanges: Connect with other independent authors and consider doing review exchanges. You review their books, and they review yours. However, ensure that the reviews are genuine and not artificially inflated.

7. Amazon Vine: You'll need an invitation to join, but Amazon Vine allows trusted reviewers to receive products in exchange for reviews. Free Stuff! While you can't directly request reviews on Vine, once your book gains traction, Amazon might invite Vine reviewers to review your book. Win-Win!

8. Book Review Services: There is some controversy within the indie author ranks as far as these reviews are concerned. While some paid services can help you connect with readers who may be willing to review your book for a fee, some are sketchy, and Amazon WILL slap you down if they discover you paid for reviews on their site. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk, but some writers do, so there's my take on it. Jus' sayin'... 🤷‍♀️

9. Request Reviews INSIDE Your Book: At the end of your book, kindly ask readers to leave a review if they enjoyed it. You can also include a link to your Amazon book page to make it easier for them. I made stickers that I apply inside the back cover to remind readers to leave reviews.

10. Leverage Social Media and Email Marketing: I'm not an emailer myself but I am subscribed to several authors who are, and I enjoy their updates and newsletters. A consistent emailed newsletter is a great way to promote your book and ask for reviews on social media. Offering incentives like contests, giveaways, or exclusive content to encourage reviews can sweeten the deal.

Since Amazon owns the lion's share of book sales in the world, it's critical that we adhere to their review policies. In other words, "DONT POKE THE AMAZON PUBLISHING BEAR!" Amazon's review policies are very clear. They prohibit paid reviews and require reviews to be honest and unbiased. Getting reviews can take time, so be patient and persistent. Focus on writing quality books and building a loyal reader base, and the reviews will come over time.

Breaking the Writer's Block: Fact or Fiction?

Is writer's block real? How can writer's move on?

Ah, the ageless question: Is Writer's Block real? Some would say yes. Because of that perspective, and because I needed a blog post this month, we're going to assume that writer's block is a real phenomenon and that it happens to both novice and experienced authors alike. Writer's Block refers to a condition in which a writer struggles to produce new written work despite the desire or need to do so. Writer's Block can manifest in various ways. Writers may suffer from lack of interest, difficulty starting or completing new work, or a general feeling of apathy and being blocked... like a clogged toilet. 🫤😂

Some authors experience:

1. Lack of Inspiration: Struggling to come up with ideas or find inspiration for their work despite their best efforts.

2. Perfectionism: The desire to write so perfectly from the start that a mental barrier forms, preventing writers from getting words on the page.

3. Fear of Failure: This is a big one! Writers may fear that their work won't meet their own or others' expectations, leading to procrastination and avoidance.

4. Overthinking: Overanalyzing every letter, every sentence, and every little word can hinder the writing process.

5. Outside Pressures: Deadlines, external expectations, and pressure to perform can also contribute to writer's block.

6. Personal Issues: Another big one! Stress, anxiety, or personal challenges can interfere with a writer's ability to focus and create.

But how do we break through Writer's Block? Try setting realistic goals, creating a daily writing schedule, allowing yourself to write badly (make sure you revise later), seeking inspiration from other writers (natural settings are good, too), and managing stress and self-doubt. Different techniques work for different people, so finding what works best for you and your personal needs is vital.

#writersworld

#writersblock

#overcomingwritersblock

#indieauthors

My Indie Author Website and The Wonderful Wizards of Wix

Wix CMS for Indie Author Websites

Last week we discussed the need (my opinion, but still…) for indie authors to have their own website/ Content Management System (CMS). That topic prompted discussions on which CMS would best serve the needs of an indie author who may have limited website knowledge but who desires future growth in their publishing endeavors. While I’ve used WordPress, Webs, Weebly, and corporate CMS sites, I always go back to Wix. Other indie authors and small business owners may have their preferences, but mine is Wix, and so I'm crowing about it here.😊 Wix offers an intuitive and user-friendly platform for building, customizing, and managing indie author websites without the need for coding or extensive technical knowledge.

Wix Offers:

Ease of Use

What I love most about Wix, is its intuitive drag-and-drop editor. A user-friendly interface that allows novice users to design their websites with ease. Indie authors can choose from a wide selection of customizable templates and easily drag (or Copy/Paste) elements onto the canvas to create personalized layouts. This flexibility allows for quick experimentation and enables beginners to build professional-looking websites effortlessly.

Versatile Template Collection

Wix offers an extensive library of templates, catering to various industries and website types. Whether you're creating an indie author blog, an online bookstore, a portfolio of characters, or details on your world-building, Wix will have a template that suits your need. Each template is customizable, allowing you to change colors, fonts, images, and layouts to match your brand and vision.

Mobile Optimization

This is important so read closely. Everyone uses their phone to net-surf now, and having a mobile-responsive website is vital. Most of my site visitors (at least 80%) are on mobile devices. All Wix templates are optimized for mobile devices, automatically adjusting the design to fit various screen sizes. While it can be a little glitchy (hiding elements works better than deleting them for some reason) this responsiveness not only enhances the user experience but also boosts your website's search engine rankings, as search engines favor mobile-friendly sites.

App Market for Enhanced Functionality

Wix offers an App Market! From contact forms and social media integrations to e-commerce tools and booking systems, the App Market provides a range of add-ons to enhance your indie author website's capabilities without the need for coding. Some are free, some cost, so research first.

SEO Features and Analytics

This is the best part! Wix comes with essential SEO (Search Engine Optimization) features that enable you to optimize your indie author website for search engines. With easy-to-follow prompts and checklists, indie authors can customize meta tags, URLs, and headings, giving you better control over how your website appears in search results. Additionally, Wix provides built-in analytics. These analytics provide insights into website traffic, visitor behavior, and other performance indicators, helping indie authors make data-driven decisions to improve their website's effectiveness.

Secure Hosting and Backups

Back in the day, finding reliable webhosting was a nightmare. With Wix, indie authors don't have to worry about that. The platform handles hosting, ensuring your indie author website remains accessible and performs well. In the decade I’ve been using Wix, I’ve only had one site go down, and that was my own. It went dead overnight. I contacted Wix support, and the site was up and running again within the hour. Regular backups are performed automatically, protecting your data in case of any unforeseen events.

E-commerce Pages for Sales

For indie authors looking to sell their works on their own terms, Wix provides seamless e-commerce integration. You can create an online store with book listings, shopping carts, secure payment gateways, and various shipping options, all within the Wix platform. I’ve sold several books on my site, and it’s seamless!

The Wix website creator offers benefits that cater to indie authors seeking a user-friendly website solution. From its AMAZINGLY intuitive drag-and-drop editor to its multiple templates, SEO features, and e-commerce options, Wix empowers indie authors to create stunning websites that resonate with their readers. Whether you have one book or twenty, Wix provides the tools and features you need to succeed in a growing indie author landscape.