Confessions and Secrets of the Avid Book Reviews Blogger: Book Bloggers Sell Books offers book authors some helpful tips on how book bloggers promote and sell books.
The author tells a fascinating story about how she started book blogging. Her mother taught her to love books when she was a child. She has always been an avid reader. Ms. Phillips worked to earn a living but she yearned to have more time to read her beloved books. She advised us to be careful what we wish for because she later broke both her ankles! She had plenty of time to read during her recovery.
She started a book blog and specializes in promoting the works of independent authors. Here are a few tips that Ms. Phillips provides to authors who are looking for book bloggers;
- Know the difference between copy editing, proofreading and what an editor does. It is not acceptable to publish a book with misspelled words or grammatical errors. I cringe when I find errors in published books.
- When you find a book blog, be sure to read their review policy. Many bloggers specialize in specific genres and will not review books outside their expertise.
- The author should send the book blogger an inquiry email introducing himself and briefly telling about his book. He should also offer the blogger a copy of the book.
- The author shoud ask the book blogger if they will post a copy of their review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Book bloggers have the potential of reaching thousands of readers.
- The author should check to see if the book blogger will provide a link to his website or blog. It is also important for the blogger to include locations where the book can be purchased.
I want to emphasize that this is a short article, it is NOT a book. I did find it very interesting because Ms. Phillips has had many of the same experiences that I have had. She learned that sometimes you find some real gems but you also find some books that should never have been published. Ms. Phillips has shared some valuable information that she has learned from first-hand experience.
I totally agree that book bloggers sell books. I have purchased many books to read after reading the dynamic reviews of my fellow book bloggers. I also think that book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are very influential. Book bloggers are gaining the respect of authors, publicists and publishers because they really DO SELL BOOKS!
Do you read book reviews before you purchase a new book? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
