Book Review Secrets -- What to Do and Not to Do in Getting Them Today

In the U.S., over 70% of books are sold through the Amazon channels. Book reviews are considered “essential” to have, yet Amazon has taken an aggressive posture in removing many that are posted: many from legitimate book buyers/owners and some from phony “reviewers”.

What happens when a posted book review has been zapped by the Amazon bots (or many); is there a path to getting reviews that stick; are perplexed about which type of reviews to seek and how to get them; or are there rules, and unwritten rules, for authors to know when seeking book reviews?

Amazon has new guidelines and authors need to be aware of them ... effective time was October of 2016.

From it's website:

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Community Guidelines

Amazon.com wants your voice to be heard! The Amazon Community provides various forums for engaging other users and sharing authentic feedback about products and services - positive or negative. These Community Guidelines will help you use Community features, including Customer Reviews, Customer Questions & Answers, Amazon Follow, Profile pages, Registries, and Lists.

Eligibility

To post Customer Reviews or Customer Answers, post on Customer Discussion Forums, or submit content to followers, you must have spent at least $50 on Amazon.com using a valid credit or debit card. Prime subscriptions and promotional discounts don't qualify towards the $50 minimum. You do not need to meet this requirement to post Customer Questions, create or modify Profile pages, Lists, or Registries, or to read content posted by other customers.

Be Helpful and Relevant

The Community is intended to provide helpful, relevant content to customers. The content you submit should be relevant and based on your own honest opinions and experience.

• For Community features focused on a specific topic, you should only submit content related to that topic.

• Customer Reviews and Questions and Answers should be about the product. Feedback about the seller, your shipment experience, or packaging can be shared at amazon.com/feedback or www.amazon.com/packaging. Comments about pricing, product availability or alternate ordering options are also not about the product should not be posted.

Respect Others

Amazon values diverse opinions, so you may disagree with some content that you come across. Please keep in mind that something that may be disagreeable to you may not violate our Guidelines. In order to maintain a welcoming environment for all users, your participation in the Community must always be respectful of others. In particular:

• Don't post content that is libelous, defamatory, harassing, threatening, or inflammatory. For example, don't use obscenities or profanity, and don't express hatred or intolerance for people on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability, including by promoting organizations with such views.

• Don't post content that invades others' privacy. For example, don't post other people's phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, or other personal information, and don't post links to phishing or other malware sites.

• Don't impersonate other people or organizations or pretend to be someone or something you're not.

• Don't repeatedly send messages or requests to other people.

• Don't attempt to drown out other people's opinions, including by posting from multiple accounts or coordinating with others.

• Don't engage in name-calling or attack people based on whether you agree with them.

• You may question the beliefs and expertise of others as long as it is relevant and done in a respectful and non-threatening manner.

Promotions and Commercial Solicitations

In order to preserve the integrity of Community content, content and activities consisting of advertising, promotion, or solicitation (whether direct or indirect) are not allowed, including:

• Creating, modifying, or posting content regarding your (or your relative's, close friend's, business associate's, or employer's) products or services.
• Creating, modifying, or posting content regarding your competitors' products or services.
• Creating, modifying, or posting content in exchange for compensation of any kind (including free or discounted products) or on behalf of anyone else.
• Offering compensation or requesting compensation (including free or discounted products) in exchange for creating, modifying, or posting content.
• Posting advertisements or solicitations, including URLs with referrer tags or affiliate codes.

The only exceptions are:

• You may post content requested by Amazon (such as Customer Reviews of products you purchased on Amazon or received through the Vine program, and answers requested through Questions and Answers). In those cases, your content must comply with any additional guidelines specified by Amazon.

• You may post an answer to a question asked through the Questions and Answers feature (but not a question itself) regarding products or services for which you have a financial or close personal connection to the brand, seller, author, or artist, but only if you clearly and conspicuously disclose the connection (e.g., "I represent the brand for this product."). We automatically label some answers from sellers or manufacturers, in which case additional disclosure is not necessary.

• You may post content other than Customer Reviews and Questions and Answers regarding products or services for which you have a financial or close personal connection to the brand, seller, author, or artist, but only if you clearly and conspicuously disclose the connection (e.g., "I was paid for this post."). However, no brand or business may participate in the Community in a way (including by advertising, special offers, or any other "call to action") that diverts Amazon customers to another non-Amazon website, service, application, or channel for the purpose of conducting marketing or sales transactions. Content posted through brand, seller, author, or artist accounts regarding their own products or services does not require additional labeling.

Book authors and publishers may continue to provide free or discounted copies of their books to readers, as long as the author or publisher does not require a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review.

Infringing Content

Don't post content or interact with other members of the Community in a way that infringes the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others. Only post your own content or content that you have permission to use.

Illegal Activity

Don't post content that encourages or supports behavior that is illegal, including violence, fraud, illegal drug use, underage drinking, or child or animal abuse. Examples of prohibited content include:

• Content advocating or threatening physical or financial harm to others, including terrorism.
• Content offering fraudulent goods, services, schemes, or promotions (e.g., make-money-fast schemes, pyramid schemes).

Additional Guidelines for Customer Reviews

The following guidelines apply to Customer Reviews in addition to the other guidelines set forth above:

• If your review is removed or rejected because it does not comply with our guidelines concerning promotional content, you may not resubmit a review on the same product, even if the resubmitted review includes different content.
• Reviews may only include URLs or links to other products sold on Amazon.
• Customers in the same household may not post multiple reviews of the same product.

Reporting Abuse

For some types of content, including Customer Reviews, Customer Answers, and Discussion Boards, you can report possible violations of these Guidelines by clicking the "Report abuse" link near the content and entering the reason you believe it violates these Guidelines. If no "Report abuse" link is available, you may email community-help@amazon.com, specifying the location of the content and the reason you believe it violates these Guidelines.

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What does this mean for you? It means ...

• You can’t get paid Reviews … period.
• If you are participating in a “paid for” type of book Blog Tour, any book reviews generated from it could get the boot.
• There is a "closet type" of  Amazon “black list” … bloggers who get some type of remuneration (whether in money or product) are being identified and reviews pulled.
• If you are an Amazon Affiliate, your Review won’t be posted.
• If you offer discounts, sweepstakes, any type of “stuff”, coupons, your Review won’t be posted.
• Service providers can’t Review client’s or books that they are connected with

So ... breathe here. There are options and some types of workarounds. In future blogs, I'll share them. In Saturday's AuthorU program, I revealed many. Suggest you get the video.

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #35 was published this summer: The How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. Get your copy now.

Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three-day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2017, the dates are June 22-24th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for "AuthorU – Your Guide to Book Publishing" on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen

Beware of Publishing Pitch Fests

Be careful of what is known as a “pitch fest.” Pitched to newbie authors as education, they are really designed to lure them in (and their credit cards) to buy, buy, buy and buy some more. What are they buying? Products, services, trainings—you name it.  Pitch fests are big business for the promoters. Authors want a quick fix to whatever ails them … or they are on the hunt to the “wonder cure” for quick marketing success … quick ways to get on TV … quick fill in the blank.

Typically, the person running the conference gets half of the moneys. Such a deal … for them. The truth is, is that too many attendees get emotionally hooked in the hype of the moment and buy with the herd when they shouldn’t.

Suggestion: never pay for anything without using a credit card. When the “hype of the moment” cools down and you are back home and realize you got roped in, that whatever you did is a wrong fit or not the right time for you, contact whoever hooked you and withdraw. Most likely you have a brief window to do this, such as three days.  If that doesn’t work, contact the credit card company and merely say that what you had initially bought was misrepresented to you and you want your money back. Companies like American Express and Bank of America move fairly quickly on their customer’s behalf (that’s you) and reverse the charges.

Tip: If you do land at a Pitch Fest, go in with a budget for yourself. I’ve seen some shell out mega-thousands with the deer-glazed look in their eyes. PitchFests will make you feel like the turkey “done” popper has popped up along with getting fannyitis as you sit through one pitch after another. It’s a hype. Author Beware.

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen

Get Ready for Write Your Book in 4 Week

Next month, I start up my “How to Write a Book in 4 Weeks” in person course  … if you want to participate … get registered pronto on TheBookShepherd.com website.  Online is April 5, 12, 19, 26 and in-person May 3, 10, 17, 24. All info is posted on the The Book Shepherd site under Events.

Keep two things as a driving factor: Short is the new black … what you will produce is not designed to be the ultimate guide, a mothership or a tome—it’s a read that can be done on an airplane trip (and I’m not talking about from Hong Kong to Denver); and Don’t do well what you have no business doing … it’s easy to get sucked into things that don’t move you forward. Your new book will do that.

I love that Rhondda Hartman, Richard Rieman, Jill Christensen and Philippa Burgess all have books in hand and are selling them to exactly the audiences they envisioned in our first session.

I believe in practicing what I preach. I did the same process and exercises throughout the four weeks that my “students” did. Originally, I planned on doing 50 snafus that authors get themselves into … it grew as the process developed and ended up being a bigger book than I had originally planned. After all, we authors need some flexibility in our DNA. The title morphed as well. Knowing what my topic was, I had my illustrator do the cover art as a vision for me to keep in sight. As I write this, the finishing touches are in place, the book is out for endorsements and I will be making my first presentation on it in Austin, Texas at the Texas Authors annual conference. How cool is that? This is my Ta-dah!

 The first session will be all about GETTING READY and GO … 

To Do Before You Start My Intensive (and very fun!) Course:

Start noodling …

• ID your topic
• ID  “the pain” that your reader is experiencing … I want you to start thinking the 4 components of your book
  1. Problem
  2. Cause
  3. Effect
  4. Solution
• ID a working title – we will have a Title Exercise before the first session is done to cheer you on or refocus the effort.
• Do a Google search on your topic (is there anything late breaking?) … do the copy / paste / download into a folder on your laptop – one that you can easily access and won’t forget.
• If it makes sense to print out, do so. Highlight, put into slotted folders and bring.
• Bring anything that you have written in articles, blogs, etc., on topic.

Get ready to get your book DONE … if that sounds like something you want to do before summer starts, get signed up NOW. AND here's a bonus-- the first FIVE that register will get a $100 refund from me. Questions? Call me … 303-885-2207 

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen

2016 Tech Toolboxes: Blogs, Pinterest, Media Pages, Technology

Kick off your planning for this NEW YEAR by participating in AuthorU's unique Tech Toolboxes.

As a GOLD or BESTSELLER member of AuthorU, you have the ability to attend the monthly Tech Toolboxes. Designed for in-person or remote participation, they are limited in size to 8 participants so that each AuthorU member experiences one-on-one coachingthroughout the three-hour session. Both Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles are your guides.

The first four months of this year will focus on some of the Basics of author success and then take you “beyond” what you can do to position your Pinterest Boards, your Blog visibility and marketing strategies for it, the fine tuning that Technology requires for author ease, and using your Media possibilities.

If you attend in-person, you will meet at the offices of Judith Briles: 14160 E Bellewood Dr., Aurora CO  80015. Beverage and snacks are always included.

All sessions are held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain Time. A few days prior to the Tech Toolbox, you will get a reminder email of what to do pre and what to bring or have available to use as the workshop progresses during the three hours.

You must register under the Events tab on the AuthorU.org website. Cost is $59 per session or $199 for all four sessions.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Resolving Questions and How to Implement Ideas with Technology

We’re ready to hit the ground running and start off a new year with a bang!

Let’s make sure you have a plan in place to get – and keep – your momentum going.

Bring your laptop and questions regarding various aspects of technology:
(ex: MailChimp, WordPress, Hootsuite, blogs, 1ShoppingCart, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, to name a few).

We’ll work to help answer questions and discuss how to implement your plans for programs and products technically.
This is also an opportunity to review how to use the tools that have been taught in past Tech Toolbox topics.

Bring the log in details for your accounts.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Shine the Spotlight on your Media Page

Authors – when was the last time you shined the spotlight on the media page on your website?
Interested in speaking engagements and media exposure?
The marketing of your book and business should include a media page on your site.

Join us for this Tech Toolbox to learn must-have items for your media page, bios (yes, plural!) to have posted, and review author one sheets. After this workshop, the spotlight will be so bright on your media page, you’ll have to wear shades!

Bring the log in details for your website, your headshots, book cover images, and a copy of your book.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

 

Renew, Review, Revamp and Repair Your Blog

Blogs give authors a great outlet for expressing their thoughts, expanding on ideas in their books, and generating discussions. To help ensure that your thoughts and ideas are “getting out there” to your target audience, you need to review and implement best practices when writing and posting your blogs.

In this Tech Toolbox, we will have participants log into their blog dashboards to review techniques on best methods for posting images & content, look at blogging tools, getting ideas for posts, best practices for comments/commenting and more - give your blog some TLC!

Bring the log in details to access the dashboard of your blog.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The Power of Pinterest

Are You Stuck on Pinning … or just getting started?
Pinterest is a huge resource for building traffic to your site and book sales.

Learn how to build a powerful presence on Pinterest, discover Pinterest apps
and gain some new ideas for promoting your expertise and marketing your programs and books.

If you haven’t got a Pinterest account yet, please create it before the Tech ToolBox begins. Bring the log in details for your Pinterest account.

Tech Toolboxes are one of AuthorU’s unique benefits to members. They are fast, in-depth and fun. There is always a take-away handout to support all teaching/coaching points. It’s laptop intense—power yours up and be ready “to go” to levels and places you didn’t think you could. 

AND ... a Huge PS ... tomorrow is the last day to register at a discount for the Denver program Saturday   Mornings gathering of How to Launch (or Relaunch) Your Book. Info here.

Get registered now under the Events tab on the AuthorU.org website.

Judith Briles is book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen.

The Author’s Tweak

Authors should always have the final say; the final pass through; the final anything on their books. The question though is: what is the final-final? When is that final tweak really the final-final … or is it just another “tweak” in the author letting go? This “tweak” is the direct opposite of the RTP syndrome—the rush to publish wiz who pushes through without giving any thought for one more read, another set of eyes to check the book over.

Yep … letting go is hard to do.

Authors get tired. So do their consultants, advisors and designers. Yet there is “something” that keeps pulling everybody back for one more look; one more fine-tuning. It’s a good thing .. but it also can become not-so good. Sometimes the self-doubting gremlins surface: is the book good enough; did I really explain myself; do my characters make sense; will the reader like (or hate) them; is the storyline trite; are the colors right on the cover; what if no one buys it; what if … what if … what if.

Self-doubt is a book and author killer. What seemed like a good—no great idea— starts to lose its sizzle. The fizzle surfaces. The last twirl, the final phase is exhausting. It’s when all the possible reasons why it could lose its—the author’s and book’s—steam boils over.

STOP 
And ask: why did you start writing? Was it because you had a story that was gripping, gritty, entertaining, funny, thrilling … what? Was it because you had an idea, concept, solution to the relief of a “pain” that others could use … that they need? If yes, get it out there. What form you choose to take—be it pint, “e” or audio is up to you. Whether you print lots of copies or start with a POD format will be a personal, and usually financial choice. How you plan on marketing it brings in another choice of options.

The Truthiness
We authors are always fine-tuning. It’s the truthiness in us. What we must do is “let go” … to decide that there is merit in what we have created … that changes can be done in the next version; the next book. Otherwise … it’s going to evolve to the Author Procrastination Dance that starts: one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready … three to get ready … three to get ready and GO never happens.

Is that what you want?  I didn’t think so.

The Author’s Tweak … of course you should do it … but there is a limit. Of and for time. Of and for energy. Of and for support. 

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching ... call in to Judith's Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 ... have your questions ready--there's a full hour to ask and listen.