Reviews! All authors want & need them to gain & maintain a following for their work. Knowing the importance of book reviews, most authors who read, also tend to leave reviews. But could leaving a review for another author jeopardize your brand?
Face it. A lot of authors are just like any other artist, “We’re sensitive about our sh*t!” Of course, most, if not ALL authors think the verbal babies they’ve birthed from the depths of their soul’s imagination deserve 5 star reviews. Why would anyone bother to publish a book if they thought anything less of it, right?
Many authors are also avid readers and may have even become authors because their love of reading inspired them to write too. Because some authors can be fickle, or dare I say PETTY…attaching your name to a not so flattering book review could unwittingly put your own work at risk.
Here’s how:
Vindictive authors may seek out your work and rate it poorly as a form of revenge.
Readers & other authors may see your review as too harsh and/or think you feel your work is superior.
Networking within the publishing industry is very important and you can create bad blood without even knowing it.
Even when posting good reviews, readers and other authors may see your perspective as biased.
Be careful with Amazon! They remove reviews and penalize authors at the drop of a hat. They actually have rules against authors reviewing works in their own genres. (Sad, but true)
For these reasons alone, I would suggest using an alias when leaving book reviews on book retailer sites, social media, or even on your personal blog sites. Remember that when you are reviewing a book you’ve read, you’re just another reader; and your reviews should be seen as such.
What do you think?
Networking:
Website: http://www.kfjohnsonbooks.com
Email: oneironwomanllc@gmail.com
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Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/KFJohnson