Episode 031 / If you want to increase the number of reviews on your books, check out the tips and ideas from Jami and Sara in this episode. They discuss reviews in depth: the difference between reader and professional reviews, how to get reviews, and how to use the reviews for promotion after you have them. 

Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com.

In their personal updates, Jami shared that she’s writing on her new book and working on backlist sales. Sara has a book launch coming up. It’s the fifth book in the series, so it’s a lower-key launch than Jami’s recent Book One in a new series. To promote the launch, Sara’s emailing her list and running paperback giveaways.

Jami’s branding her office with wood-cut letters of her author name. Head over to show notes on the WIKT website to see a photo.

Jami Office branding

Reader questions:

Allison: Indie market for middle grade and children’s books

Children’s author Karen Inglis on The Creative Penn Podcast

Children’s author Karen Inglis on the Self Publishing Formula 

Several people asked what classes/courses/books  recommendations:

Nicholas Erik 

Write Naked by Jennifer Probst 

Build-a-Book Erika Kelly

David Gaughran’s blog post – How to Sell Books in 2020

Amazon Ads for Authors: Tips and Strategies to Sell Your Books by Deb Potter

Bookbub Ads Experts by David Gaughran

Self Publishing Formula  (Affiliate link)

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

You Can Write a Mystery by Gillian Roberts

Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Alexandra Sokoloff

Something Startling Happens by Todd Klick

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies byLeslie Wainger 

Anita: What would you do differently? Anything that’s less effective?

Luna: What’s the best way you’ve found to connect with other writers?

Juliet: Editing – how do we do it?

All about reviews

  • Difference between reader reviews and professional reviews
  • Review sites – pay for an opportunity for your book to be reviewed
  • ACR teams – different ways to set them up 
  • Blog tours
  • Bookstagrammers
  • What Jami and Sara wish they’d known about reviews
  • How “bad” reviews sell books
  • Pros and cons of professional review sites
  • Professional review sites: 
  • Professional review – also look for genre specific sites, such as:
  • How to use reviews: 
    • Ad copy
    • Editorial reviews
    • Add to your book cover
    • Create images and post on social media
    • Add quotes to newsletter to generate interest for launch
  • How to keep track of reviews that you want to use later