“Maria sucked me in right from the first page of this one. Her brilliant descriptions and gripping narrative tell a well laid out story that won`t let you go.”
or
“An amazing debut novel. You’ve never read anything like this before.”
Or even
“Heart-pounding romantic adventure "I am officially a Vivian fan! The story flowed so well, the characters were so remarkable, and I felt like I was experiencing everything by their side. I couldn't stop reading, I had to know what happened next.”
Who writes these “reviews”? The author of the book, a family member or a friend? Either way, if no name is mentioned, and the name is not of a respected reviewer, a review has little or no merit.
One writer went as far as describing her book as a bestseller. Wondering if this was true I looked up her book on Amazon and noticed that the ranking of her book was 2,453,829. When I contacted the writer, she told me she had sold five copies that weekend from her personal stock. While I admit that selling five copies is excellent, it hardly makes the book a bestseller.
In an attempt to improve their ranking on Amazon, some writers price their books at 99 cents, or even give it away for free. I can’t say that I agree with that strategy. Do writers really think so little of their work that they are willing to give it away for free?
If a reader want a book, really wants it, he won’t mind paying for it. I know I don’t. I gladly pay $20 for an Erica James novel, or a John Grisham book, because I know I’m getting a quality story. On the other hand, I’ve bought three 99 cents books and I tossed all three of them. They were so terrible I didn’t get further than the first chapter.
My advice to writers … if you are going to have your book reviewed, contact a reputable reviewer. Nobody cares what your family and friends think of your work, they love you, so of course they are going to praise it to the stars even if it’s terrible.
As for pricing … most people are quite willing to pay for quality. They’ll pay for designer clothing, shoes and handbags and bespoke jewelry. So why shouldn’t they be willing to pay for what they want to read …