Tag: book reviews

Indies Unlimited Q&A

Q: What is an “indie” author?
A: Because the term is somewhat nebulous, we’re asked from time to time about our definition of an “indie author.” At Indies Unlimited, we support a broad and inclusive definition that encompasses authors whose body of work is not obligated to a single large publishing company. Authors who are exclusively self-published, those who work with small print or regional presses, or small digital publishers, and those who may do some of each, or even have only some work published by traditional publishers are welcome here. The bottom line is that if you consider yourself to be an indie, you most likely qualify.

Q: Are all genres of literature promoted on Indies Unlimited?
A: No. The main genres we promote are listed in the masthead. We also feature some children’s books. As a general rule, we stay away from sex, religion, and politics. We rarely feature poetry or business writing (except as it relates to the business of writing).

Q: Do you do book reviews?
A: We do not do book reviews. We have two contributors who are respected reviewers with their own review sites. Rather than posting reviews here, Cathy and Big Al provide valuable advice and insights to authors from their unique  perspectives.

Q: I have a topic suggestion, how do I get that to you?
A: Submit any suggestions for topics or features you’d like to see by using the contact form. We are always open to suggestions, and want to meet the informational needs of the indie community. In some cases, we may be able to direct you to a previous post on the topic.

The answers to these and other questions can be found on our FAQ page.

Congratulations to Yvonne Hertzberger

Congratulations to author Yvonne Hertzberger on a great review of her book, Back from Chaos.

Klast, loner, assassin and spy, has no idea that his destiny is linked to the maid he is sent to rescue. But even before he can fulfill it he must wrestle with his own demons, and help Lord Gaelen unmask a traitor. Failure will upset the Balance that Earth, goddess, needs to provide good harvests, health and peace.

Earth has shown Liethis, true seer, that unless Klast completes his missions, more catastrophes, like the Red Fever that ravages the population, will follow. Time is short.

Reviewer Cathy Speight says of the book, “A well-constituted cast of characters, a good mix of action and romance, and well written. Yvonne has certainly caused chaos in my preferential order of genres.” Read the whole review at Cath ‘n’ Kindle.

Back from Chaos is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Big Al: What is a Reviewer?

Big Al, the big Kahuna

Last fall Stephen Hise interviewed me, along with several other book reviewers, for his What Reviewers Want series. In the comment section of part 2, Jacqueline Hopkins posed some questions about reviewers:

“ . . . what is a reviewer, do they have to have certain credentials; i.e., a degree in English, or writing/reviewing, what makes a good reviewer, and can just anyone be a reviewer, are there professional reviewers and what makes them professional? Do reviews written by a reader carry more weight than a professional reviewer?”

I volunteered to attempt answering Jacqueline’s questions in two posts. This post will be my thoughts on some of the questions. In a few weeks, a follow-up post will explore the answers further with input from other reviewers and readers.

Since starting my review blog, I’ve been amazed to realize that when interesting questions like those posed by Jacqueline come up, the answers for me are usually the same as the answers a self-published author would (or at least should in my opinion) give if presented with the same basic question. Just like authors, reviewers cover the entire spectrum of possibility and attract different kinds of readers. On one end of the spectrum, you have James Patterson, Stephanie Meyer, and The New York Review of Books. On the other, you have my nine-year-old granddaughter’s authorial debut (published in a very limited pencil and printer paper edition) and the one line, one-star Amazon reader review that says, “This book sucks.” Anyone who is inspired to write a review can do it. All it takes is an account on Amazon – the same minimal requirement to publish an eBook with almost worldwide distribution. However, just as not every reader is going to like every book, not every reader is going to agree or value the opinion of every reviewer. Continue reading “Big Al: What is a Reviewer?”

To pay or not to pay, that is the question

Author Carol Wyer
Author Carol Wyer

When I finished my first novel, I foolishly believed that my work was over. I’d get it published, sit back and wait for the sales and no doubt, the film offer from a top director to turn it into a box office success.

The reality is somewhat different as many of us indie authors and indeed traditionally published authors have discovered.

But just how do we keep people interested in our work, long after it has been published and is gathering virtual dust on Amazon Kindle virtual shelves, or indeed in the garage where there are several cardboard boxes filled with the said novel, next to the barbecue set that comes out once a year?

You may be tempted to try any one of a number of sites to have a ‘professional’ help promote you. Don’t be too disheartened but I have discovered, to my cost, that many of these sites that offer to promote your works are actually pointless. I’ll confess that in my exuberance to become an established and well-recognised writer I have blown my son’s inheritance and tried a lot (yes, I mean a lot) of these sites which promise to get you and your novels exposure.

Now, these guys aren’t exactly ripping you off. They do what they say they will do. They do a decent job of displaying your wares and write nice words about you. They ‘shout out’ about your work on Twitter to their legions of followers or facebook. They promote you as best they can, however, think about it…who are they promoting this stuff to? Probably other muppets like me who signed up to be promoted! Continue reading “To pay or not to pay, that is the question”