Monday, January 19, 2009

Promoting fellow authors

One way to promote fellow Hale authors is to review their books. I’ve been doing this in a monthly magazine out here in Spain. And of course there are the Amazon reviews. Of the 65 Amazon reviews I’ve posted, 12 are for Hale authors.
These are:
BESIDE A NARROW STREAM – Faith Martin
HELL’S GATE – Michael Parker
LAWMEN – Jack Giles
STONE OF VENGEANCE – Vickie Britton, Loretta Jackson
THE DEVIL’S TRINITY – Michael Parker
THE EAGLE’S COVENANT – Michael Parker
TWO-GUN TROUBLE – Gillian F Taylor
MISFIT LIL RIDES IN – Chap O’Keefe
TRAIL OF A HARD MAN – Chuck Tyrell
WINTER’S WAR – Matthew P Mayo
DRAW DOWN THE LIGHTNING – Ben Bridges
BAD MOON OVER DEVIL’S RIDGE – I P Parnham

I’ve just finished MURDER SOLSTICE by Keith Moray and will be writing a review shortly. In my to be read pile I still haveWINDSTORM by Frances Burke, THE UNFORGIVING EYE by Beth Andrews and DEPTHS OF DECEIT by Norman Russell. Naturally, there are far too many books to buy and read all of them, but if each author bought one or two from time to time and posted reviews on Amazon or in the local paper, it might help. (Ross Morton)

6 comments:

Matthew P. Mayo said...

Hi Nik,
A good point. Best I can do from this side of the pond is to track down the large print versions, since they are more readily available in the States.

I've been lax in posting Amazon reviews, but I'll give it a go. Thanks for the reminder. And for your support of Hale's books!

Cheers,
Matt

Beth Elliott said...

Reviewing on Amazon is an easy and effective way of drawing attention to those books. I shall do my bit as well.

Unknown said...

I've given Nik's work a few deserved plugs in the Hoofprints section of Black Horse Extra (www.blackhorsewesterns.com) and I endorse his advice about the reviews, though I do often wonder whether you should use your own name or pen-name when doing this. I've heard the cynical comment that writers reviewing writers can look like "I scratch your back, you scratch mine".

Michael Parker said...

One way of promoting your books is to get reviews, as we all know, but they are extremely difficult to come by. One source of reviewers can be found at www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/top-reviewers.html

This URL will give you access to the reviewers on Amazon.com and their details. But be warned; many of the top reviewers do not review books. And to get a response is not unlike getting responses from publishers and literary agents. So far I have received four positive replies (not reviews) out of 135 reviewers. But these people will get you on Amazon.com, and just might help you make inroads into the American market.

Michael Parker

Nik Morton said...

I think that once you've built up a collection of honest reviews - on all types of books - any reader of the reviews will trust your opinion. I don't artificially boost an author or his book because I know them. Normally, I don't review a book I didn't like - it's subjective, after all. My one exception is the Gaudi Key, I'm afraid...
- Nik (Ross Morton)

M. C. Muir said...

Mick,
The point you raise about getting reviews would make a good thread for discussion on the forum.
I would be interesting to know what other members do.
Marg M