One month until the release of, Deadly Kisses! The countdown has started, and many things are happening behind the scenes. Right now, I'm at the stage where I need to send my story off to reviewers. It has me feeling nervous, and questions keep filling my head, making me doubt myself. It's important to believe in your story, and push those inner demons down, and just enjoy the publishing experience. It's to late to say "Don't publish my book!" So the only thing left to do is go with the flow, riding the waves of ups and downs. You need to remind yourself that everyone's tastes in books are different. Not everyone will like your story, but others will love it.
As I reflect on the journey to publication, I'll tell you that I'm going to miss editing (I know, I'm weird). I enjoyed the process, and WiDo Publishing has been so wonderful to work with. Btw-I highly recommend them if you're considering a smaller press. Alas, my editing time has passed though. It's time to launch my book into the world. Off to reviewers it goes. *waves goodbye*
To find reviewers I recommend the website stepbystepselfpublishing.net. They have a fantastic list of reviewers listed with genres. You can also do a Google search on review lists. There are many.
How do you know a reviewer is right for you?
Research. Don't ask a reviewer to read your paranormal romance if they like to only read Thrillers. Time is precious and why waste it--for you and the person reading your e-mail.
Look for blogs that have a review policy. It will outline what to expect, and where they will post their review. Many will want to join your book launch blog tour, and that will be included in their policy.
Personalize your e-mail instead of sending a mass e-mail. Reviewers do this for us authors out of their love for reading, and they don't get paid.
Don't be offended if a reviewer passes on your story. They're busy too, or maybe it just doesn't interest them. Move on to someone else.
Which leads me to...
What would I do different the next time I needed to send a book to a reviewer? I would start to find reviewers at least four months before I even get the ARC. Blog spaces fill up quickly (like super speed fast), and reviewers need time to read your book.
If this task seems daunting, another option would be to hire someone to organize a review tour for you. I'm using Xpresso Book Tours to help me out. CLICK HERE if you would like to be a part of the Deadly Kisses tour scheduled for April.
So as I wait for reviews to trickle in, I'm going to concentrate on others tasks-- like a launch party. Let the planning begin.
If anyone would like to add tips about finding reviewers, feel free to comment.
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