Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Reviewer's Tip - How NOT to Impress Reviewers







Like any good review site, Feathered Quill is inundated with requests for reviews on a daily basis.  Instead of writing about something you should do, I thought I'd be different today and write about what NOT to do.  When sending a query/press release to a review site, you've got just seconds to impress before I go on to the next query.  Here are actual opening lines from queries (they didn't work/we did not request review copies):



  • Hey how are you, I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving...
  • PLEASE CONSIDER OUR BOOK FOR REVIEW (my comment - why are you yelling at me?)
  • Hi there, How are you?
  • Attention please
  • [Name Removed] here from [Name Removed] Publishing. Just following up on the previous emails we sent you regarding our newest title... (my comment - nope, you never sent any other emails - this is a common tactic to make - hopefully - reviewers think they've had previous conversations with the publicist)
  • Another common ploy - sending the same query to every single reviewer listed on the review site, all sent to the same email address.  Do you really think I'm going to forward each and every email?
I do want to read a short, succinct email/press release telling me why readers will want to learn about your book.  I want to see cover artwork (a small jpg inserted into the press release is fine) and I want to know the publication date, publisher, page length, and a little about the author.  That's it.  A link to a page on your website where there is further information is fine but only as additional information.  If I'm curious and considering the book, I may follow the link to learn more.  If, however, you simply send an email with a link and a "check out my new book," email, you've lost me.

5 comments:

  1. Those are good! I'll post a link to this during my next updates post.

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  2. I didn't post some of the really bad, strange, bizarre ones but hope these give a general idea. Write to impress but not to be warm and fuzzy, a reviewer's best friend, cutesy, etc.

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  3. Very good post. And timely as I'll be querying agents in January.

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  4. Came by from L. Diane's blog. I will be checking out your site. Good post.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

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