September 19 , 2018

Reviews redux

Last month, I took you on a tour of Fakespot, the online service that spots "fake" reviews. Many of you provided feedback and I am happy to report that the majority of you found your reviews to be in good shape. However, quite a few of you did not -- and we agree it is unjust. What to do? Here's another site that can assist in evaluating reviews: Review Meta. Click on the button below to test it.
This site has a lot more information in its feedback. Give this site a try and let me know how it compares to FakeSpot for your reviews.
So why all this hubbub about reviews? If you are a new author, you've missed the back issues where I talk about the importance of 50+ reviews on Amazon -- and reviews on other platforms. At 50+ reviews on Amazon, they start cross-promoting your book. I am thinking they also have an algorithm that checks the "quality" of the reviews to make sure they aren't a bunch of friends and family.
In closing, I've learned that Library Journal now deals directly with NetGalley for reviews. Rather than sending print copies to LJ reviewers, they require a NetGalley token! More on this in future issues.