Review advice at your fingertips!
Naomi Blackburn, the Author CEO, is here to offer advice on seeking, writing, and promoting your reviews, as well as answering your questions. Naomi’s advice column will be posting every four weeks, while her regular column – The Author CEO – continues every other week on Wednesdays. Naomi now has her own blog – The Author CEO – so be sure to stop by there for the full pieces and extra advice!
Naomi is founder of the Goodreads group Sisterhood of the Traveling Books, as well as the Nordic Noir group, dedicated to discussing Scandinavian mysteries. Last year, Goodreads ranked her at #11 on their top reviewer list, in both the U.S. and in the world (based on 2011 rankings).
Critique Clinic: A Prize for a Price?
A reader won a book in a giveaway. Should I send a note asking them to review it?
Naomi says:
This is a question that is frequently asked and has caused a whole lot of debate. In asking a book reviewer to review your book, you enter into a type of contract with that reviewer. The reviewer is fully aware that you are offering them the book in exchange for an honest review. When a book is won in a giveaway that same contract isn’t implied. Therefore, I would say no. To me, there is a “bait and switch” feel to it that the receiver might not feel comfortable with. It could actually backfire on you and end up with them panning your book and/or writing the type of review that you won’t be happy with.
I know people who aren’t comfortable in writing reviews. One of the aspects of Sisterhood of the Traveling Book is that we work with members who are uncomfortable with the process of book reviewing, but most people don’t have that opportunity. Let’s face it; if you ask someone who isn’t familiar or is uncomfortable with reviewing, you are putting them in a bad and uncomfortable position. It simply isn’t fair to them.
Can you be sure your ‘prize’ won’t be seen as a trojan horse?
[Find out why Naomi says no! Read the full post on Naomi’s blog]
Have a comment for Naomi? Stop by the full post on Naomi’s main blog, The Author CEO, for comments.
