This may seem a weird blog post but I've decided, as an author who is constantly directly messaged and emailed on a regular basis on this subject, that I would share my thoughts to new writers/authors out there. Just in case you're not really sure on this subject.
As a writer/author we do not pay for book reviews.
It's bad enough we don't get paid that much in royalties really - the average author doesn't earn enough to live off. Unless we're selling books in the hundreds of thousands... we don't earn a lot for a year's work (or longer).
If a "book reviewer" messages you about reviewing your book, you say, "Thank you very much, I would love you to review my book. Here are the places you can buy it. It's only 99p on Amazon!" (Or words to that effect.)
My understanding is that these people just want free books. And then want to be paid to give an "honest" review. But how honest is it if you've given them the book for free and paid them to write a review?
And quite frankly, if I've given them my book and PAID for a review, it better be FIVE STARS!
And you have to think, am I going to earn that fee back in royalties? Probably not.
If a book reviewer wants free books, this is what NetGalley is for - and I have my gripes about NetGalley too, but I won't go into that here.
I'm really sorry, dear book reviewer, but genuine book reviewers are readers.
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| taken from The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell |
And if it's traditionally published, therefore gone through editors and a publisher feels it's good enough to invest in, then I believe there is no such thing as a bad book. It just wasn't a book for you. (I agree with Phin in The Family Upstairs.)
I know for some writers, me included, this may mean that reviews can be few and far between. But dear author, please do not pay for reviews!
