Create If Writing

For the summer, I'm doing short episode answering community questions! This week's question: 

Should you pay to promote your first book? 

In short: yes. But also: it depends. 

Listen to find out more! This week is fiction. The next episode will be nonfiction. 

Join the community to ask questions: http://createifwriting.com/community

Social media is an ever-changing beast. We are over the hype of social media and maybe a little burned out. But it's still important. So how should you  handle social media in 2019? 

I want to put a big caveat into this post. I'm writing it from a place of social media privilege. I have a solid following on several platforms. When I'm not locked out of my account, I have just shy of 10k followers on Twitter. I have something like that also on Pinterest, last I looked. (Note: I haven't looked in months.) 

I don't remember how many Facebook page likes I have on my two pages. It's something in the thousands on one and a few hundred on another. My Facebook group is around 2500. Instagram (which I never use) is something over 1000. 

To some of you, those numbers will look small. To others, big. 

I bring it up because you need to know where I'm coming from. These numbers matter because they could make you discount my attitude about social media, which is: chill out and stop freaking out about your numbers.

Sure, you might think. Easy for you to say with your 10,000 Twitter followers. 

I get it. But to that, I say: Those 10,000 followers do NOTHING for me. Nothing. I sometimes talk to people on there. But it does not sell books. It does not drive traffic. It may make me look more legit and people might find me there. But it does NOT MATTER OVERALL TO ANYTHING WITH MY BUSINESS. 

Actually, I've been locked out of my account daily on Twitter for much of the last year, due to some glitch on their end that tells them I'm suspicious. 

So, as we get into this and I tell you not to worry about social media, I'm not resting on my laurels. I'm telling you this because I've got followers and for the most part, it does very little to help my bottom line and overall goals. 

Wow. How's that for a caveat?? 

Let's get into how to handle social media in 2019. 

When it comes to handling social media in 2019 (or 2091 if it's still a thing), first you need to step back and look at your big goals. What is your big goal? 

Even beyond your specific goal, take a moment to realize that your overarching, general goal is to grow an audience that will support whatever content you are creating. You want buyers and readers and supporters for your creative work. 

The audience will look different based on your specific goals.  If I need someone to buy 99 cent books, it's different than needing people to buy a $1000 course. You may have some crossover, but generally, those are different audiences. That will impact where you hang out on social and what kind of content you create, but in general, we are all looking for an audience for our bigger work. 

That means that social media is NOT the goal. It's not the finish line. It is a tool. Social media is a conduit. It's a means to an end. It is not the be-all, end-all, but a way to find your audience, to connect with them, and to allow that audience to support you.

(The exception is if your goal is to be a social media influencer, which means you'll be getting sponsored posts and money based directly on the number of Instagram or other followers you have. Still, though, you'll want to have some other way of connecting and reaching your audience. Cough. Email. Cough.) 

We get caught up in the numbers, and it CAN be about that--whether it's Instagram followers or pageviews or podcast downloads. But more than the numbers, it's about cultivating the right audience to connect with the content you're creating. Yes, those numbers represent people. But we should think of them as people, not as followers or numbers or likes. That's where you start. 

Here are my recommendations for building your social media profile: 

• Pick a platform you enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, this will all be harder. If you don't enjoy it at all, try to find one you can learn to enjoy. Or tolerate cheerfully. Don't be a grinch. It's not that bad!!
• For tips on how to use the platforms, look for people who are experts in the space. There are a LOT of them in every space. Find a few. Follow them to see whose advice rings true for you. Do what they're doing.
• Create interesting content related to your overall goals. Be consistent. 

Oh, and above all this: Build your email list. When social media has burned and gone away, email will still be there. (You should really listen to the podcast to hear my analogy for this, by the way...) Email is more permanent and can be more powerful. It won't change the way social platforms do and is a direct line to them, whereas on social platforms, that platform "owns" your followers. 

In 2019 when it comes to social media, I think we're all over the hype. We're a little tired of chasing numbers and the hamster wheel of working to do that.

Let's get back to basics. Find the platform that feels right to you. Find the one that allows you to connect with people. Follow experts on those platforms to see how best to use it and keep up with changes. 

Overall: keep your eyes on the prize. And that prize is NOT your Twitter followers. 

This is a topic that comes up every week day in Facebook groups: What do you do when you get a one-star review? (Especially on Goodreads...) So, what's the answer? I'm not going to give you ONE, but a few options when you're dealing with low reviews on your books.  

We've all been there. And if you haven't yet, you WILL. Even great classics have one-star reviews. I promise. Just for funsies, here are some screenshots of actual reviews of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte:

Oookay, then. Feel better? That's a classic. (If you ever need a boost, just go read the one-star reviews on great classics. It's therapeutic.) Point made: we all get one-star reviews. The end. 

But knowing that doesn't always take away the sting. You know you're in good company, but what should you DO about those pesky low reviews?

There are basically two main options when it comes to reviews: Read them or don't read them. When authors talk about their bad reviews, the advice often comes hard and fast to avoid reviews at all costs. Especially on Goodreads. (The culture there just seems a little more harsh and reviews tend to be lower.) I want to give you some reaasons why avoiding your reviews can be healthy, but also why you might want to read your bad reviews. 

There may be a time and a place to read bad reviews, but there is also a time and place to avoid all reviews. You might need some emotional space because you're having a bad day/week/year. You might be easily wounded and find yourself falling too quickly into despair over things like this. 

If you feel like your reviews are having too much of a negative impact on your writing or your person, STEP AWAY. Give it a rest. Don't read the reviews. Pretend they aren't there. 

Even if it's just for a short period of time, ignore them. Step away. Give yourself permission to have some space. 

I think it can be very helpful to read through your bad reviews. Yes, it can also stink. It can be discouraging. But you might learn something about your writing OR your readers. Maybe both. 

Read through your bad reviews with an open mind, doing your best NOT to get emotional about the content. (Yeah, I know that's not super possible. Just try.) Take a few minutes to let things sink in and then maybe give yourself a day or two (or a few hours or a week--just depends!) and let the critique sink in. 

Come back when you're less emotional about it. Then think about the words and what the reviewer is saying. Ask yourself some questions and try to answer honestly. 

• Is there anything constructive in the review? 
• Does anything ring true to you? 
• Are there any repeated themes/words/critiques in the bad reviews? 
• Can you identify an expectation that readers had that you didn't fulfill? 
• Is there any room for you to grow as a writer from the reviews? 

You may not find anything helpful in your low reviews. (Just scroll back up to the Jane Eyre ones!) Sometimes people just won't jive with your style or your characters. 

BUT. If all the low reviews say the same thing, you should really take some time to think about the validity of what they're saying. You might have missed a genre expectation or you might have some editing issues that need attention or you may need to work on giving your characters more depth. 

As an example, when I first started writing as Emma St. Clair, I wrote a Christmas short without having read in my genre. (Don't do that!) I then wrote a second short that was to connect with a full-length novel to release in the spring. I learned from my reviews that I made a few BIG mistakes. I might not have realized as quickly or been able to examine what I could do better if I hadn't read those reviews. 

I'm not saying you should take every review and change your writing or book. But if the reviews have merit, you can change things going forward OR edit your current work to be a better and stronger work. 

I rarely say never. I usually say that you should do what works for you. But in this case, there are a few important things that you should never do. I mean it!

Do not engage. I repeat: do not engage. 

As an author, you cannot spend your time going around responding to bad reviews, explaining yourself, or arguing with reviewers. You will not win. You will just look like a jerk and turn off readers. Resist that urge!

Also, do not get your followers to engage with bad reviews. 

We are living in a time where the mob mentality online is strong. Too often I've seen authors or influencers online enlist their followers to take an action that quickly gets out of hand. You do not want to ask all your followers to try to get bad reviews taken down or to otherwise attack or engage with people who don't like your writing. 

Again, it makes you look bad. It also is like bullying. I don't like the mob mentality in general. It's damaging and can be dangerous. Be careful that you aren't abusing your influence. 

I want to circle back and remind you that we will all have bad reviews. You might be able to learn something from them or you might need to ignore them. But you definitely shouldn't spend time getting emotionally invested in them or getting your readers to join in the ganging-up mob culture that happens sometimes online. If you can learn something, learn it. Then move on and keep writing. 

What do YOU do with bad reviews? Read? Ignore? Something else? 

When you start creating content, whether that's writing a book, blog, podcast, or something else, you may not think about your reasons beforehand. But you should. Most importantly, you need to think about whether you are creating content for love or for money. Let's explore why that matters!

I don't have one single reason why I do the things I do. My reasons why are many and sometimes my reasons switch in the middle. That's probably true for you as well.

But it's hugely important to stop and think about whether you are creating content for love or for money. If not BEFORE you start, definitely DURING the process. It's also a question that you should return to over time, as your reasons may shift.

Why does this matter so much? Knowing whether you are creating content for love or for money will help you make a ton of decisions along the way and likely keep you from suffering from decision fatigue and overwhelm.

When you are creating content for love, that means you have an idea or passion that fuels your creative drive. You want to do something, so you are doing it. Your decisions are based on what you like and don't like and what you feel like doing.

This is not a bad thing. (Please know that I am placing no judgment on whether it's best to do something for love or for money!) But, when you are following your dreams and creating your passion, you should realize that you may not find success.

We hear a lot of the stories about people pursuing passions and becoming wealthy doing so or growing a huge Instagram following or email list or blog by accident. I sometimes see people who have done this trying to teach this to people or selling courses on this and I want to tell you to ignore that.

If you find success following your passion, it is likely a happy accident.

You might happen to tap into something that there is a need for and no one filling that need. You might accidentally have started something just as it became trendy. But when your primary reason is creating content for love, you are not TRYING to build a giant audience or make millions. Your passion was your reason. Any success you find is a happy by-product.

Creating content for money gets a bad rap among creatives. It shouldn't. Being able to pay your bills from book sales or ads on your blog is just as valid as getting a paycheck as a teacher or doctor or mechanic. You work and you get paid. That work just happens to be creative.

Sure, some people do sell out. But only the content creator can know for sure if they have done that. I can FEEL it when considering decisions that I don't want, but would pay well. We all have to decide where we stand on that and no one can say that for you.

When your primary goal is to make money, passion takes a backseat. You aren't making decisions any longer based on what you WANT or what you LIKE, but on what your AUDIENCE likes and what other people will PAY for. You will need to do more research and look for trends and what's working now and find where you can fill a gap in customer need, whether that "customer" is a blog reader or a podcast listener or an avid fiction reader.

Creating content for money means being more intentional. Sometimes it may mean choosing something practical over something you like. It could mean choosing a book cover that might sell better than the book cover you happened to personally LOVE.

If you find success while creating content for money, it is an intentional result of your research and hard work.

You may not find success, which is important to know. I've tried a lot of things and not had the success I wanted or needed, even with all my research and intention. Just doing it for the money doesn't ensure success.

For creatives, the sweet spot is to find something that you can do that you love and also makes money. It won't happen for all of us and it may not always be sustainable. But if you can identify a passion and a way to monetize that, then you are in a place many would envy.

Even still, there will always need to be one or the other--love or money--driving the boat. When you have to make a decision about something like blog design or a book cover, you may need to pick one or the other. It's important to think about which of those two things is your driving or primary factor at any given time.

I've seen some authors write multiple series at a time--one series for love and one for money. You may not always find both in the same time. If you are creating content just for money, sometimes that can lead to burnout or selling out or just unhappiness. If you are creating content just for love, you may have to get a day job or you may not be able to bring in a sustainable income.

While you may find that you're doing a little of both, it's incredibly important that you consider which one is the primary--love or money. As you have to make decisions about the various aspects of how you promote and create, your timeline, your marketing, and all of those things, this will be vitally important to know. It can make the difference between finding success or not.

And always be aware of whether advice and teaching you're listening to comes from someone who accidentally found a profitable niche or someone who researched and intentionally set out to find it. Don't let someone who stumbled upon success try to teach you how to accidentally make money through your passion. If the goal is to make money and be intentional, then take the time to research and learn from those who have done the same.

Give yourself the freedom to change up what you're doing. I would create SOMETHING for the love just because. I will always do that in my life. But how much time and money I invest totally depends on whether or not I'm doing it for the money or just for fun.

Consider your big goals as you are making your creative decisions! You'll find that making decisions comes easier when you know WHY you're doing what you do.

The question I get asked most is something along the lines of: How do you write with five kids? Sometimes I ask myself this question too! The specific ways that work for me may not work for you, but I'll share some tips to help you learn how to find time to write.

Whether you have small children, a job, or any number of other things going on, finding time to write is HARD. Writing is an art, but it's also a practice. A skill. It takes brain power, energy, and time. In my experience, it's also very life-giving.

What do you have going on in this particular season of life? Not just in terms of things that take up your time, but emotional things. Maybe you're caring for a baby and are exhausted or have someone in your family with chronic illness. You might be depressed. Take into account all the things that are present in your life.

Once you've considered what's going on in your life, come up with a plan. Realize that  your first plan may not work, but you have to start with one, try it, and then you can adjust. You'll probably need to adjust. Don't feel defeated if the first plan doesn't work. Ex: my 10pm - midnight office hours. Trying to write with kids.

You may not always have a choice in how you work, but try to find out what's ideal for you. This means everything from the specifics of when to work, where you work, and how. I like working better in the mornings, but I used to only have the option for nighttime. I also really hate having a firm deadline and need to finish way ahead of time if I have something like a preorder or I freak out. This matters a lot, especially when you don't have a lot of time. If you aren't working the way you work best, you'll e slower.

It's very easy to compare yourselves to other people and try to measure yourself against that. It's not going to help you write more or better or faster. There's a difference between watching others and learning from them and watching others and trying to shove yourself into their mold. I'm a fast writer. That's just me. You can't look at me putting out a book a month and think you can do it because I am. Maybe you can; maybe you can't. Either way? That's okay! You can always challenge yourself and work to get better at your craft or increase your speed, but that may not be the best for you. I didn't know I could write a book a month until I did it. Now it's easier because I know I can.

Listening to what has worked for other people might help you find what works for you. In a Facebook group for moms, one mom mentioned joining two gyms. She couldn't afford a full-time (or part-time) daycare, but was working for home. So she joined two gyms and used one in the morning for two hours and one in the afternoon for two hours. When I heard this, I thought it was genius. Then immediately felt a rush of mom guilt, until I did the math on that and realized that those were just four hours out of the day when I still had like nine others I was with my kids. This was (and is) a huge help to me. I don't always use both, but I regularly work at the YMCA, which is $75 a month for me and all five kids. Collect tips and then see what ones can work for you.

That's how I work... have any tips or ideas to add?

I've shared a lot about my publishing experiences over the last year, and just in case I've made it sound like a walk in the park, today I'm sharing book launch disasters. Though I'm sharing things I've experienced, I think many of these are common, so hope that they will help you when you face book launch disasters of your own!

This post contains affiliate links! At no extra cost to you, I may make a commission on purchases made after clicking links. 

The biggest part of this post deals with Amazon. MOST of these have happened to me. USUALLY the answer is going to be: contact Amazon. And the result of that will be: SOMETIMES they might do something. (But as I say in the podcast episode, "Most of the time, they're too busy making money to care.") Here are some things that might go wrong on Amazon--or another publishing channel.

Not publishing the book at the right time -  I did have a delay with one book of over three days when my book got flagged by Amazon (more on that in a sec). A big-time author this week tried to release the sequel to a series and people freaked out when it wasn't on time. The author was scurrying around Facebook groups sharing that Amazon hadn't published the book yet, but it should have been out.

• If this happens: contact Amazon. It may or may not help.

Making you prove you wrote the book - I had a delay on my third Emma St. Clair billionaire book, The Billionaire Benefactor. Amazon says it may take up to 72 hours to publish, but usually it's hours. After a day, I contacted them. After three days, they emailed me asking me to prove that I had the rights to publish the book. I had to send an email from my domain name email address. It took a few days and messed up my launch timeline. I had swaps and ads set up, so had to email people and the companies I'd paid to try and switch dates.

• If this happens: Contact Amazon. Contact any people you have newsletter swaps with, any companies you've paid for promos, and let your fans know if you've said the book will be out on a certain date.

Publishing the wrong version of your book - Amazon recently switched up preorders and how they are set up. This resulted in a TON of books being published with the draft version, not the final. Typos everywhere! Angry reviews! It was a mess.

• If this happens: Contact amazon. You can ask them to replace the file, but often they'll want documentation. It's a really stinky situation for them and for you. Double-check the files before you send because things have changed.

Not changing the price - With my Billionaire Surprise Box Set, Amazon didn't change the price in the US until three days AFTER I changed it. For whatever reason, it dropped in Canada and outside the US, but my main promos I had scheduled were IN the US. So I lost money on the promos where they cancelled my book since it wasn't marked down as it was supposed to. One promo site rescheduled (thanks, Book Cave!). The others? I just lost money. Argh.

• If this happens: Contact Amazon. Usually you'll just have to wait it out. If you need to, contact any people you're swapping newsletters with or any paid promos.

Disconnecting your series page - Masquerade Ball. When you have a series, Amazon will make a series page for them and show the others in the series at the bottom of the description. I had this set up and when I published the fifth book, they removed it. (Also had trouble getting them to add book #3 to the page when it published.) I don't know why they did this, but I simply had to call or email and get them to fix it.

• If this happens: Contact Amazon. They gave me a hard time once, but normally, they are fine and restore it quickly.

Taking away your reviews - this is just something that happens. Usually there's nothing you can do other than get organic reviews from people. Make sure your reviews are legit, but otherwise, email Amazon if they ALL go. If it's a few, probably nothing you can do.

• If this happens: Unless it's ALL your reviews, there's nothing you can do. If ALL your reviews disappear, it's probably a glitch and will restore itself. Make sure you're not reviewing your own books, asking family to do this, and that your ARC readers aren't using phrases like "in exchange for" that make it sound like they got a free book in EXCHANGE for review. Those are no-nos.

Removing your book - There was a glitch this weekend where al ton of books were removed from Amazon. It was just a glitch, but that doesn't help you feel better when you lose ranking because of your book being GONE. A few friends had this happen and it tanked their climb in the ranks.

If this happens: It's probably a glitch. If Amazon contacts you and it's related to the content in your book, you can do your best to comply. I've seen that, but RARELY.

Sometimes you launch and it just feels like your book isn't selling the way it SHOULD. Don't mistake that for the way you WANT. Chances are, you'll always WANT it to sell more. But if you check the ranking of your book compared to other similar books in the genre you're aiming for and things like that, you'll get a more realistic idea. (I also use the tool KDSPY to check on fun details within categories. You can check that out HERE.)

If your book is not selling like it SHOULD, here are some things that might be going on. (Again, make sure your expectations are realistic. Mine sometimes aren't.)

Your cover doesn't fit the genre - With my book, The Billionaire Love Match, I had a handsome, grumpy guy, perfect for billionaires, I thought. I didn't realize (duh) that EVERY billionaire is in a suit. (Almost.) My cover was okay, but he didn't look rich and it was dark. I've now gone through a few transformations. It mattered! Whether or not you think covers matter, they DO. Make sure yours is genre specific. Don't get emotionally attached or go with what you love. It matters more if your READERS will love it.

Your blurb doesn't hook the readers - I have been testing Facebook ads with The Billionaire's Secret Heir and found that my ads were getting people to the page, but it wasn't selling like it should. The cover is fine and genre-appropriate and I asked around to get feedback. It all centered around my blurb. I wrote four revisions, bought a book, and wrote another one. I think it's much better and the ads converted better. You need to hook those readers who get to your page! Study other blurbs in your genre as they vary from genre to genre. Then study copywriting. I did and it helped!

• Related book: Mastering Amazon Descriptions by Brian D. Meeks

Your ads aren't working - If this is the case, first check your cover and blurb. If that's not the issue, you may have a targeting issue with your audience or you may not understand how to run ads. This is a BIG reason I recommend email promo sites to start with, not Facebook, Bookbub, or Amazon ads. They have a learning curve.

Sometimes your book just doesn't sell the way you want OR the way it should. Sometimes it's because of #1 or #2, but sometimes it's not something you can pinpoint. Until you grow your own fan base of people hungry for your book, which takes TIME, this can be slow going. Try to identify any problems and then just do your best.

• If this happens: Ask for help in a critique group. Check the other similar books in your genre and authors at your level (as in, don't compare your first book to an author with fifty). Be ready to respond to that feedback in a non-emotional way. :)

I saved this one for last because I think it's the hardest. It's not external; it's your mind. I am HARD on myself. I set big goals and I want to accomplish them.

I shouldn't be disappointed in what happened this past year. I've reached my goals and then some. But I'm never NOT thinking about the next step. I always want to write better, sell better, and make more money. That's the goal-- not to get stagnant, but to get better. that means, though, that I can be super hard on myself.

I also suffer from book envy. I see other authors doing what I'm doing, writing what I'm writing, and it's SO hard not to think, "Why isn't that me?" That is so unhelpful. Unless you are studying what they are doing to see how it might benefit you, that comparison is only going to leave you sad.

Sometimes people want to read bland, vanilla, boring books. I've seen some selling really well in my genre. Sometimes you don't know why someone else's book with a bad cover is outselling yours with a to-genre cover. You can't compare. It's not healthy.

Any book launch disasters? Share in the comments or in the Facebook community!

This post deals with something super important: how to get book reviews for your book. I don't have a magic formula or some ninja trick for this. It's a long game, over time. Are you ready? Let's dive in.  

Getting book reviews sometimes seems like a ninja trick. It's a struggle in the beginning and feels like a chicken and egg problem. Reviews help you sell books (and secure some of the paid promos), but you can't get reviews without selling books.

If you're frustrated, you aren't alone! But you CAN do this.

No duh, right? Here's the thing: we all think that we've written a good book. But what you really need to know is if your book is well-written and suits the reader expectations for the genre. If you are not writing in a specific genre according to that genre's conventions and you're just choosing to write what you want, getting reviews will be harder. Unless you write a unicorn book. (Not an actual book about unicorns, but a book that just HAPPENS to find success.)

To help make sure you've got a good book, get some other eyes on it. Find some beta readers or ask other authors in your genre. Make sure you've read the successful books in your genre. Above all, make sure your books meets reader expectations. The cover, blurb, and the contents in the book should all line up together and should all be what the reader expects.

This is the basic foundation for getting reviews. Don't miss this! If you aren't sure about how to write to a particular genre, check out my post on niching down.

It's hard to grow an audience as you start. This is slow work, but it's work that you should be continually doing. Growing an audience is something you'll do for your whole author career. You may be using social media, but your main focus should be your email list.

Do newsletter swaps with authors who are in the same genre. Run ads targeted to the right people. You need eyes on you book to get reviews. As I launched my Emma St. Clair pen name last year, my reviews grew as I continued to write books. My earlier books had less reviews in the first thirty days than the books I write now.

While growing your audience, also grow your review team. I've talked about the difference between ARC readers and a launch team--you might have one or the other or both. But as you grow your overall audience, continue to build this team of people who see your book first and will review for you.

Different people handle this different ways. Some ask for proof of reviews form the members and remove people from the team. This seems like a lot of work for me, and technically Amazon could take you to task. You are not allowed to incentivize reviews or require them in exchange for your free book. (More from Amazon on this.)

Something realistic to realize: it is a SMALL percentage who leave reviews. As far as I can tell (without doing more work than I want to), about half of my current team leave reviews. When you're looking OUTSIDE your review team, it will be less. As an example, I've sold and given away over 6k copies of my most-reviewed book and it has had 1.5 million pages read. It's just shy of 100 reviews.

To get more reviews, you DO have to ask. This is a place where authors sometimes get uncomfortable and then awkward. Let's avoid that. You don't need to feel bad asking for reviews and you also don't want to make READERS feel bad if they don't.

Somewhere in the back matter of your book, ask for reviews in a simple, clear way that isn't emotionally manipulative or apologetic. I normally don't review because an author asks, but because I like them book and then am reminded to review when I finish a book on the app and Amazon asks for a review. It may not be the author asking, but the fact that I AM asked gets me taking action. Calls to action work. Don't miss this simple step.

As for the wording, keep the tone light. You can explain why reviews matter, but don't go on too long about it. Ask for an honest review if they liked the book. Don't make people feel bad or like they HAVE to leave a review. Try not to come across as needy or whiny or demanding. Don't beg. Check to see how some of your favorite authors do this and then find a way to ask in your own words.

If authors don't like asking for reviews, they DEFINITELY don't love reminding readers. This feels like nagging. But nothing is wrong with reminding your email list or your Facebook page to leave a review. You don't have to ask overtly, but that's fine too. One way I've found to remind people is to post a screenshot or quote of a review and share how thankful you are for it. That gets people thinking, "Oh yeah-- I mean to leave a review!" It also shows that you appreciate your reviewers.

With your review team, you can do more overt reminding. You should email them at least twice, maybe more, about reviews. After all, they signed up for this. You aren't annoying them, but reminding them that they signed up to do this.

If you've gotten this far, obviously these are slow, long-term strategies. They aren't quick wins or fast ways to get hundreds of reviews. There ARE some other ways to get reviews if you want to try other things. I just don't recommend them as much. BUT if you're just starting out, some of these might help you with that. 

There are services where you can pay them to connect you with readers and reviewers. This is NOT buying reviews, but giving away your book through a paid service to their audience with the hopes of getting reviews. I have never used these (other than Shifted Sheets, which worked well and grew my email list by 50 or so), but have seen other authors recommend them. 

• Happy Book Reviews
• Shifted Sheets (mailing list builder option)
• Booksprout
• Hidden Gem
• Book Sirens
• Xpresso Services

Some authors have used Net Galley, but this seems to be a more expensive option with very harsh reviewers. I've not seen any authors recommending this. 

I've seen the advice (and even courses) about manually going in (or using a data scraping tool like Import.io) to get email addresses from Amazon reviewers, then emailing them offering a free book for a review. I'm not a fan of this for a few reasons, though I think it CAN be done well. Some Amazon reviewers WANT free books to review. They do this all day long. Amazon did remove the ability to SEE the email addresses when you click on a reviewer, so now it takes more work to click on a webiste or blog and find their email address. 

I did try this once. It took hours. I should have been writing more books instead. :)

Some people suggest that you shouldn't read your bad reviews. That's not bad advice. Sometimes it's healthy to just step away. But you also might find something really helpful to you as an author in those bad reviews. I say read them. Learn from them if you can. Don't let them negatively impact you. Then move on.

There isn't magic in getting more reviews on your book. If someone tells you there is a quick way to get lots of reviews, they are probably selling something or violating Amazon's terms somehow. Write good books. Grow your audience. Ask for reviews. And then repeat. 

Questions? Tips or other resources for getting reviews? 

In the last post/podcast episode, I talked about beta and ARC readers, but didn't touch on the launch team. There are slight differences in the ARC team and the launch team, so I wanted to fully address what a launch team is and why authors might (or might not) want one.

To refresh, I want to go over terms. When I talk about beta readers, these are a handful of readers who see the book in its finished, but not yet proofread form. They help catch errors, but also let me know if anything about the pacing or story needs work.

ARC or advance readers get the book after the betas and my proofreader have been through the book. They get a fully-edited and formatted copy of the book and are encouraged (but not required, per Amazon terms of service) to leave a review. 

A launch team is a little different. The fact that authors have started calling these Scream Teams gives you an idea what they do. They don't just review books, but go out and tell the world. As in, word-of-mouth marketing. Typically authors use a group like Facebook or Slack to communicate with the group, rather than just email (which is how I communicate with beta and ARC readers). This helps you build excitement because your readers can talk to each other. 

Launch teams are often made up ARC readers, but the expectation is for more than an advance read and a review. Usually launch teams work to get the word out, whether through blog posts, emails to friends and family, social media posts, or even in-person events. The goal is word-of-mouth marketing, like a grassroots campaign. 

Because I've seen so many different authors handle these differently, I think the most important thing is to be clear on expectations. Most of the time, there is an application of sorts. Sometimes authors require that the launch team actually BUY the book and sometimes it's given as an ARC. There might be requirements for the launch team members to post a certain number of times about the book. However you want to run your team, make that very clear from the start. 

The main thing you should remember is that a launch is exciting. This should be like a party, not like an obligation of some kind. When you treat your launch like a party that all your launch team members are invited to, then you are going to have a contagious excitement--that's the goal! 

If YOU are excited about your book, that feeds your LAUNCH TEAM'S excitement about the book, which feeds the excitement of their FRIENDS AND FAMILY that they share with. 

Ideas for launch teams: 

• Exclusive content for launch team members
• Giveaways (NOT in exchange for reviews, per Amazon's terms of service)
• Live video
• Swag
• In-person events (check out my post on how to have a launch party!) 

The sky is the limit for how you handle your launch team. Let your personality shine through. Find things that are fun for YOU and will be fun for your readers. 

I've mentioned before that I'm publishing a book a month right now. Running a launch team EVERY MONTH would be exhausting. For me and all the members. It would burn them out. I do have some whale readers and superfans, so this might be something I consider as I grow my audience and as I stop publishing as frequently, but for now, it doesn't make sense. If you are publishing monthly, a scream team or launch team will be hard.

If you really can't stand being personal, this is not the thing for you. The launch team works best when the author is involved, not a publishing company or personal assistant. I think these work best with an author who is all-hands-on-deck.

If this doesn't sound like your jam, DON'T DO IT. it also seems to work better when you've built up an audience of superfans, so this may take some time. Word-of-mouth marketing is amazing, so if you can take the time to build up a team of superfans who have your back and want to tell the world about your books, then you will have a great team of people backing you up!

Other links and resources: 

Guide to creating a launch team

Using an ARC Team to launch your book

A Simple Book Launch Framework

I'm continuing on a fluid series on book launching and publishing with this post on how to find bet and ARC readers for your book. To read more of the series, click HERE. 

One of the important parts of a book launch is sending out your book to beta and ARC readers. Not sure what those terms mean? You aren't alone! Let's break that down.

Note: Different people may use these terms interchangeably and in different ways. The definitions I'm sharing are the ones that I use and what I think are most commonly used by authors. 

To see the post on my main blog, click HERE. 

To join my free Facebook community, click HERE. 

Who are they?

My beta readers are superfans who love the genre I write in and get a chance to look at my manuscript before it's even been to the proofreader. I send it to them as soon as I'm done editing. 

How many do you have? 

I have less than ten beta readers.

What you send them?

I send them a Word doc or, by request, another type of file. They will either email a list of corrections or notes (if they aren't using Word) or will use the feature to make comments and track changes in Word.

What they do for you?

My beta readers look for things like plot holes, typos and other errors, or anything in the story that might trip them up, not make sense, or that slows down the overarching story. They help me get secure in the story and often they pick up things the paid proofreader misses. 

When do I send them a book? 

I send the book as soon as it's done with my final edits. I am on a super-tight schedule. I send them the book usually less than two weeks before publication. This is VERY SHORT and most people recommend longer. But for me and the readers I have, it works. 

Who are they?

My beta readers get my books in the final form--after the betas and after the proofreaders and after I've made my corrections. The book is fully formatted and should be as close to perfect as possible. 

What you send them?

I send a .mobi or .epub file through Bookfunnel. 

What they do for you?

They read in advance and write the first set of reviews. If they happen to find any typos or have suggestions, I always welcome them, but I do let them know these are my final edits and I'm not looking for story suggestions.

When do I send them a book? 

I send them the book after I've made the final corrections after the betas and proofreaders have looked at it. Because I'm publishing on a super tight schedule, they usually get the book a week or a few days in advance of publication. 

This can be good or bad and you may not know until you try it. Friends and family might not be great readers because they want to encourage you. OR they might feel so close to you that they will say whatever they think. 

I've had bad experiences with friends and family reading books and telling me how much they hated things. It's really hard to come back from that. You may not want to. 

Friends and family may not be the ideal readers for your genre. If you find someone who is a good reader, reads your genre, and you think would give you an honest (but kind) response, go for it!

I have not personally used paid services to find beta and ARC readers. I'm a little hesitant to recommend this, though I'd love for someone to weigh in who has had a good experience. 

First of all, I think that an organic approach may yield better results. I've heard some horror stories about the paid services, but again-- it's not firsthand. The more I wrote and grew my audience, the more I had people requesting to be a part of my ARC teams. Paying for betas and ARCs might be your only option in the beginning, but I would work to organically build readers as early as you can. 

I've seen authors teaming up to grow their ARC and beta reader. This would look like one author offering to give their own readers the signup form for another author. I think this can be great and I've personally done this for authors, but you don't want to do this too frequently, unless you want your readers stretched really thin. 

I write a book a month, so I want readers who can keep up. If you're publishing less often, you might be more able to do this often. This is a great way to get in front of the right readers and another reason you want to be building relationships with other authors. 

I haven't had great luck with this, mostly because I think all the other authors are busy being authors. But I know many authors do use other authors in their genre as beta readers or as ARC readers for their books. If you are just starting out and have no direction, but do have author friends, this is another thing you could do--read for them and they read for you. 

Be clear in your expectations. I've had people do way more than I wanted or asked. 

Don't let everyone on your beta team. You don't want a lot of beta readers. I have almost ten and they are epic. But some people only have a few other people look. 

Find a timeline that works. My publication schedule is very fast. I have found people to work fast with me. That may not work for your genre or readers. You'll need to plan out the time you NEED for this to work for you. 

BE THANKFUL. I've been a beta reader for some authors before, given great feedback, and gotten nothing in return. Not even a thanks. I will never beta for someone again who does that. If you find someone willing to read your book or write a review or share with friends, you better show them how much you appreciate them. 

All writers struggle with insecurities. A few this week who are at various stages of their writing and publishing and even blogging careers feeling like a failure or feeling scared or just struggling with doubts. 

We have all been there! I hope this post can be an encouragement to you if and when you're feeling insecure about your writing or creative work.

Can you find out what is causing those feelings of doubt? I've struggled with and still struggle with depression. When I'm having a low day, I put it on the calendar. It helps me identify if something happened to trigger it. There isn't always something, but for you maybe it's reviews or a particular Facebook group that makes you feel unhealthy. Try to find the cause. 

If you are able to avoid or remove that thing from your life, even temporarily, do it! If not, see if you can find a way to adjust. I've left groups that made me doubt myself, disconnected from Facebook friends who weren't positive, and I've taken breaks from writing altogether as needed. 

We all need other creatives and to know that they are right there with us. Look for a group that makes you feel your worth. I don't mean a group of people who tell you what you want to hear. But find a group that will speak the truth to you kindly and that will share in your struggles. 

Focus on what you KNOW to be true, not how you FEEL. In January I had my best month ever. Then in February...I didn't. I was really low. When I talked to my husband about my income that month, he reminded me that though my income was lower than January, it was still my third-highest-grossing month. I got caught up in feelings, not facts. 

I've learned that I hit a low point at the time I finish a book. I am filled with self-doubt and even self-loathing. I think my book is the worst thing I've ever written. I want to quit. Once I identified that as a trigger, I learned to take an action: I start a new book. As soon as the finished book is with my proofreader, I open the next Word doc and start typing. 

You are not alone in your doubt! 

Every so often I've heard someone try to say that if you have doubts that it's just imposter syndrome or a sign of immaturity in your career. Just say NO to that nonsense. 

At some point, you DO have to get out of your head and take action. You can't allow these doubts and hardships to hold you back. But having them is NOT a sign that you don't know what you're doing or that you have a lot to learn. 

I've experienced doubt every single month for the last year, even though on paper I've gone from making under $100 a month to a healthy four-figure income. 

You're in good company!