An Open Letter To Book Bloggers

Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. As a writer- I love you. After all we have so much in common. We both love books. I write books. You read books. It’s like a match made in heaven. Most writers know you have stacks of books to choose from, so we really appreciate you choosing to spend your time with ours.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let’s get down to business:

Do you have to say nice things?
I’m often asked if I get annoyed at book bloggers who write negative reviews. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I want you to like the book. I wrote it because I want people to like reading it. However, if you don’t like it, that’s okay. It’s my job to write the best book I can. It’s your job to write the review. Your readers count on your honest opinion. I respect that, even if I wish it had been a positive review.

What if the blogger says really snarky things?
There are some bloggers who write reviews that might be described as blistering, snarky, and mean. As a writer it feels a bit like someone peeling your skin off with a rusty potato peeler and then sprinkling you with salt. If you want my honest opinion I wish these reviews weren’t out there, I don’t think they add anything. Writers are people too. With feelings. But at the end of the day it’s your blog, write what you want.

Why don’t we send everyone a free book?
The great secret of publishing is that authors don’t have stacks and stacks of free books to give away. We’d love to give everyone who asks for one a book, but that’s not an option. It’s not you- it’s us. If you can’t afford to buy a book consider asking your library to order a copy for you. Libraries love suggestions from the community and the writer will love you for asking the library. Think of a it as a win-win.

How can a blogger increase their chance of getting a free book?
It never hurts to personalize the request. Let the author know why you’re interested in THEIR book. Have you read our other books? Be sure to include a link to your site and if you know the numbers of people who come to your site share that too. Is your blog focused on the genre we write or do you cover everything from non-fiction to YA to adult murder mysteries? Because there’s a limit to how many review copies we can give out, we’re hoping to maximize our exposure.

What about interviews?
I can’t speak for every writer, but I love doing interviews. It helps if you don’t send 15 questions and then say you need it back in 48 hours. Other than that most writers appreciate your interest in our books. Feel free to target your questions to your audience. If you have teen readers who visit your blog ask us what our tips for young writers might be. We love talking about our books so fire off the questions.

What if you want to start a book blog?
Ask yourself if you really want a blog of your own or if you would rather join an existing blog. Doing a blog is a lot of work and requires you to do regular posts. If you do want to write one be active on Facebook or Twitter to share your new posts. Sharing a love of books is a great thing. Even if you don’t want to do a blog be sure to tell your friends about any books you love. Word of mouth makes a real difference.

Huge thanks to everyone who came last week to my book launch party for THE ALMOST TRUTH. I’m excited to have this book out there and I’m crossing fingers that you all like it.

December 17th, 2012