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Feedback"},{"term":"Growing in Writing Skill"},{"term":"Critique Services"},{"term":"New Releases"},{"term":"Self-Publishing"},{"term":"Writing Contests"},{"term":"Accountability"},{"term":"Conferences"},{"term":"Family Life"},{"term":"Query Letters"},{"term":"Reading"},{"term":"Self-Editing"},{"term":"About Me"},{"term":"Book Release"},{"term":"Critique Partners\/Groups"},{"term":"Encouragement"},{"term":"Mama Writer"},{"term":"Marketing Books"},{"term":"What I Learned Series"},{"term":"Book Reviewers"},{"term":"Twitter"},{"term":"Character Development"},{"term":"Facebook"},{"term":"Perseverance"},{"term":"Book Signings\/Parties"},{"term":"Helpful Writing Books"},{"term":"Websites"},{"term":"Book Covers"},{"term":"E-Publishing"},{"term":"Life With An Agent"},{"term":"Pinterest"},{"term":"Uniquenesses of Writers"},{"term":"Contracts"},{"term":"Perfection"},{"term":"Research"},{"term":"Romance"},{"term":"Supporting Authors"},{"term":"Blogging Blunders"},{"term":"Book Proposals"},{"term":"Branding"},{"term":"Ebooks"},{"term":"Friendships"},{"term":"Giveaway"},{"term":"How I Do It"},{"term":"Interacting With Readers"},{"term":"Interviews"},{"term":"Rejection"},{"term":"Discouragement"},{"term":"Finding Ideas"},{"term":"First Drafts"},{"term":"Free books"},{"term":"Multi-Published"},{"term":"My Writing Journey"},{"term":"Negative Reviews"},{"term":"Publication Process"},{"term":"Traditional Publishing"},{"term":"Trailers"},{"term":"Waiting"},{"term":"Writing Output"},{"term":"Allegiant"},{"term":"Audio Books"},{"term":"Best Seller List"},{"term":"Blog Tours"},{"term":"Book Series"},{"term":"Book Titles"},{"term":"Books Into Movies"},{"term":"Bookstores"},{"term":"Courtship and Dating"},{"term":"Debut Authors"},{"term":"Failure"},{"term":"Genre Differences"},{"term":"Historical Romance"},{"term":"Historicals"},{"term":"Influencers"},{"term":"Insider Insights"},{"term":"JK Rowling"},{"term":"John and Abigail Adams"},{"term":"Launch Team"},{"term":"Lessons Learned"},{"term":"NaNoWriMo"},{"term":"Novellas"},{"term":"Plot"},{"term":"Scavenger Hunt"},{"term":"Self-Discipline"},{"term":"Slush Pile"},{"term":"Social Network Sharing Contests"},{"term":"Thankfulness"},{"term":"The Cuckoo's Calling"},{"term":"Virtual Assistants"},{"term":"Voice"},{"term":"Writer's Block"},{"term":"Writing Blunders"},{"term":"Young Adult"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Author, Jody Hedlund"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/-\/Supporting+Authors?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=3"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Supporting%20Authors"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/-\/Supporting+Authors\/-\/Supporting+Authors?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=4\u0026max-results=3"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"4"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"3"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-2123466951577123986"},"published":{"$t":"2012-06-26T06:00:00.036-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-28T09:46:48.179-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Readers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Supporting Authors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-WSfnbtiMJYg\/T-cO4l3MoZI\/AAAAAAAACK4\/xKEZoGkIhts\/s1600\/MC900438012.bmp\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-WSfnbtiMJYg\/T-cO4l3MoZI\/AAAAAAAACK4\/xKEZoGkIhts\/s320\/MC900438012.bmp\" width=\"218\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDear readers, did you know authors need YOUR help in promoting their books? Yes, they really do!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMany readers already do a superb job promoting the books and authors they love.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome promote \u003Ci\u003Eformally \u003C\/i\u003Eby signing up with a publisher’s book review program or with an author who asks for Influencers. (An Influencer is a fancy term for someone who gets a free book for the purpose of helping spread buzz about a new release).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome readers prefer to help authors on a more \u003Ci\u003Einformal\u003C\/i\u003E basis. In fact I’ve met some very sweet readers over the past few years who have book blogs and support authors out of their love for fiction. They’re passionate about what they read and want to share the joy with others.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhether you help an author formally or informally or both, we appreciate each and every thing our readers do!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the other hand, there are many readers who \u003Cb\u003Edon’t realize just how much authors need their help.\u003C\/b\u003E Or if they do know,\u003Cb\u003E they aren’t really sure what will be most beneficial\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, how can readers help? There are a zillion different ways! \u003Cb\u003EHere are twenty easy but effective things readers can do to spread the buzz about a book:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. Write a review for an online bookstore. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even copy and paste that review onto several of your favorite shopping spots.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. Add the book to your Goodreads shelf. And when you write the review for the online bookstore above, copy and paste it onto Goodreads too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. Write a blog review and then invite your followers on Facebook and\/or Twitter to come over and hear what you think.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E4. While reading the book, post comments on Facebook or Twitter about what you’re reading and what you like about it. On Twitter, you can even use the hashtag #FridayReads (even if it’s not Friday!).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5. When finished reading the book, let your followers know your final thoughts on the book and include a link to the author’s website or book page.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6. Write a review for a print newspaper, magazine, or newsletter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E7. Suggest the book to your book group (if appropriate), whether an online or real life group. Many books have discussion questions available, and many authors are willing to meet with book groups via Skype.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E8. After reading the book, give it away as a prize on your blog. Everyone likes the chance to win a free book.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E9. Donate your copy of the book to a public, school, or church library, or ask them if they’d be willing to purchase a copy to add to their system.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E10. Offer to host the author on your blog. Ask unique and interesting questions that you think \u003Ci\u003Eyour\u003C\/i\u003E blog readers might enjoy. Be sure to invite your friends and family over to “meet” the author.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E11. Start a discussion about the book over on Goodreads in one of your groups. You could even consider asking the author to join you for a Q \u0026amp; A time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E12. If the author is local, invite him or her to speak to your group about the book and writing journey. Offer him or her the opportunity to sign and sell books after the presentation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E13. Pass the book along to all of your family and friends that you think might be interested in reading it. Ask them to pass it along when they’re done.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E14. Buy the book as a gift for a holiday, birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc. Books always make great gifts! Ask the author for a personally addressed and signed bookplate that you can affix in the book.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E15. Offer to distribute bookmarks, postcards, or other promotional items the author might have available.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E16. Take the book with you to public places (like ball games, doctor’s offices, etc.) and be sure to have a spare bookmark to hand out if someone asks about the book.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E17. Pin the cover of the book onto Pinterest onto a board you’ve created for your favorite books. Make sure to link back to the author’s website or book page.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E18. Take a picture of yourself with the book (and make it creative!). Post that picture onto your blog, Facebook, or Pinterest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E19. Video tape your review of the book. Keep it short, entertaining, and give a summary of what you liked most. Then upload your video onto Youtube.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E20. Most importantly, TALK, TALK, TALK about the book. When you’re genuinely excited about the book with others, then they’ll want to check out the book for themselves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat other ways can readers promote a book they love? I’d love to hear more of your ideas! What have you done or seen done by others?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo tweet this article, please use the following twitter button:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-hashtags=\"amwriting\" data-size=\"large\" data-text=\"20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book\" data-url=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2012\/06\/20-easy-ways-readers-can-help-promote.html\" data-via=\"JodyHedlund\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\"\u003ETweet\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,\"script\",\"twitter-wjs\"); \u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/2123466951577123986"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/2123466951577123986"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2012\/06\/20-easy-ways-readers-can-help-promote.html","title":"20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-WSfnbtiMJYg\/T-cO4l3MoZI\/AAAAAAAACK4\/xKEZoGkIhts\/s72-c\/MC900438012.bmp","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-6946705909006618465"},"published":{"$t":"2011-09-07T06:00:00.077-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-09-08T07:28:22.739-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Getting Feedback"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Readers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Supporting Authors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Asking For Amazon Reviews: How Far is Too Far?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MxYcIdJmdG0\/TmOgfKJyzAI\/AAAAAAAABdY\/frPy7SrMAPo\/s1600\/MP900422195.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MxYcIdJmdG0\/TmOgfKJyzAI\/AAAAAAAABdY\/frPy7SrMAPo\/s320\/MP900422195.JPG\" width=\"213\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAt the release of a book, every author secretly (or maybe not so secretly!) hopes they’ll get 5 star reviews on Amazon (and other online bookstores)—especially for those first few reviews that will show up on the screen every time a reader visits the book’s page.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBut how far should authors go in soliciting reviews for their books? \u003C\/b\u003EIn fact, should authors solicit reviews at all? When authors go out of their way to ask friends and family for reviews does that constitute \u003Ci\u003Estacking the deck\u003C\/i\u003E? After all, friends and family are only going to say nice things about our books. They want to help our books sell well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen we work at piling up 5-Star reviews, are we really giving readers an honest picture of our books?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe issue of asking for reviews is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially since my second book \u003Ci\u003EThe Doctor’s Lady\u003C\/i\u003E just released and I’ve been checking out the reviews starting to roll in. As I've watch what other authors are doing, I've been mulling over how proactive I need to be with soliciting reviews. I couldn't help wondering if I needed to do more (because, quite honestly, I haven't been proactive in asking for online reviews).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then a couple weeks ago I came across an article in The New York Times about the growing problem of fake reviews online: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2011\/08\/20\/technology\/finding-fake-reviews-online.html?_r=3\u0026amp;src=tp\"\u003EIn a Race to Out-Rave, 5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe article said, “\u003Ci\u003EAs online retailers increasingly depend on reviews as a sales tool, an industry of fibbers and promoters has sprung up to buy and sell raves for a pittance . . . The boundless demand for positive reviews has made the review system an arms race of sorts. As more five-star reviews are handed out, even more five-star reviews are needed. Few want to risk being left behind\u003C\/i\u003E.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe article goes on to say that because of this increasing trend toward solicited reviews there is a bias toward positive reviews on everything, that \u003Ci\u003Enow everyone is above average.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course most authors aren’t paying people to post 5-Star reviews (the same way some of the resorts, hotels, etc., are dishing out cash). But I have seen authors request, plead, and offer various kinds of incentives\/rewards to people who post complimentary reviews.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShould authors take such an active role in soliciting reviews or should they allow reviews to roll in more naturally?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYes, we all know how difficult it is to make our books stand out in today’s saturated market. But just how far are we willing to go to push our books into the spotlight?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAs I wrestled through how I want to handle reviews, here’s what I’ve decided:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• I never have and never will directly ask anyone to post a review of my book on any of the online bookstores. I want the reviews to be freely given by readers who truly enjoyed and appreciated my books.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• If someone reads my book, likes it, and then specifically \u003Ci\u003Easks me\u003C\/i\u003E how they can help promote it, I will let them know they’re welcome to write a review—but only if they’re comfortable doing so.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E• I will continue to gently educate readers about the value of the reviews and how much they mean to writers. But I want them to know reviews are just one of many ways they can \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2011\/05\/10-simple-ways-to-support-authors-you.html\"\u003Esupport authors they love\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor me, the bottom line is this: when people browse through my books on the shelves of online bookstores,\u003Cb\u003E I want to be known as a trustworthy author.\u003C\/b\u003E I don’t want to deceive readers in \u003Ci\u003Eany\u003C\/i\u003E way by making myself or my books look better than they really are.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter all, if I deceive them, they’ll find out eventually when they read the book and it doesn’t live up to all of those positive reviews. Then I’ll have lost a reader (or many readers) and diminished my integrity and reputation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESo, what about you? How do you feel about authors soliciting reviews for their books with online bookstores? In your opinion, how far is too far?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E*************************************************************\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECheck out these blog tour stops for a chance to WIN a copy of my new book!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWednesday 9\/7: \u003C\/b\u003EI'm baring it all on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/katieganshert.blogspot.com\/2011\/09\/how-perfectionist-learned-to-bare-her.html\"\u003EKatie Ganshert's blog\u003C\/a\u003E in a guest post: \"How a Perfectionist Learned to Bare Her Warts.\" (Also pick up Contest Puzzle Piece #3 there!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWednesday 9\/7: \u003C\/b\u003EI'm sharing more about the inspiration behind \u003Ci\u003EThe Doctor's Lady\u003C\/i\u003E on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marcia-richards.com\/2011\/09\/07\/interview-with-author-jody-hedlund\/\"\u003EMarcia Richard's blog.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThursday 9\/8: \u003C\/b\u003EI disclose the nitty-gritty details about Eli \u0026amp; Priscilla (characters from \u003Ci\u003EThe Doctor's Lady\u003C\/i\u003E) in a character spotlight on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/relzreviewz.blogspot.com\/2011\/09\/character-spotlight-jody-hedlunds-eli.html\"\u003ERel Mollet's blog\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003E \u003Cb\u003EAnd don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER Contest!\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jodyhedlund.com\/contest\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Enter the Be A Trailblazer Contest!\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.jodyhedlund.com\/promotions\/jodyblogbanner.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003E \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; 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text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-tI-r_WQVD8M\/TePFVYcYhFI\/AAAAAAAABZE\/c_CLv7jF82Y\/s1600\/Truth.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"217\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-tI-r_WQVD8M\/TePFVYcYhFI\/AAAAAAAABZE\/c_CLv7jF82Y\/s320\/Truth.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIn the writing community, most of us want to support each other. One way to generously show support is to buy each other’s books. We can’t discount fellow writers as a segment of our readership. (See this post: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2011\/03\/new-growing-segment-of-reading.html\"\u003EThe New Growing Segment of the Reading Population: Writers\u003C\/a\u003E) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut in buying and reading each other’s books, \u003Cstrong\u003Ewe’ll inevitably come across books we don’t like.\u003C\/strong\u003E That’s just a fact of life. We won’t like \u003Cem\u003Eall\u003C\/em\u003E books \u003Cem\u003Eall\u003C\/em\u003E the time. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe might not like the subject, the writing style, the plot, the development of the story, the typos, the characters. There could be a hundred and one reasons why we don’t like a book. And that’s okay.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBut what should we do about the negative reaction we have to a book?\u003C\/strong\u003E Particularly when the book was written by an author who happens to be an acquaintance or friend? What should we do when that particular author knows we read his or her book (and is perhaps waiting for word on how we liked it)?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet’s face it, as more of us publish our books (either traditionally or self-pub), we’ll continually have more writer friends’ books to read. How are we going to handle the books that don’t resonate for one reason or another? How can we offer our support to our fellow writers when we don’t like the book? How do we tell them our true feelings without hurting their feelings and\/or our relationship? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen we read a book we don’t like, here are several possible scenarios:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe lie totally and completely.\u003C\/strong\u003E We tell our friend we liked her book and think she’s a good writer, when in reality we couldn’t finish the book. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe tell a half-lie (if that’s possible!)\u003C\/strong\u003E We fudge just slightly. We think of the positive aspects we liked about the story and tell the author those things (like how well they used commas), but refrain from telling her how much we disliked the rest.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe’re politely honest.\u003C\/strong\u003E We give truthful but tactful feedback. We figure from one writer to another, our friend will want to know her weaknesses so she can improve. However, we make sure to point out the positives too.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe’re brutally and painfully honest.\u003C\/strong\u003E We decide if the author thought it was good enough to publish then they need to get a backbone and be able to take criticism. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe find ways to support the author, even if we can’t support her book.\u003C\/strong\u003E We praise and uplift the person, but don’t say anything about the book in particular. We reason that writing is subjective, and just because the book didn’t resonate with us doesn’t mean others will dislike it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe don’t say anything at all.\u003C\/strong\u003E We opt for silence. We live by the mantra, if we can’t say anything nice, then we won’t say anything at all.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m quite positive fellow writers have used \u003Cem\u003Eall of the above scenarios on my debut book\u003C\/em\u003E. I have no doubt friends have lied to me so that they wouldn’t hurt my feelings. And I’ve also received outright negativity to complete silence, and everything in between. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBut what is the best way to handle sharing our feedback with writer friends?\u003C\/strong\u003E Which of the above scenarios is the best? Which is the most supportive? After all, we truly do want to support fellow authors—at least that’s my goal. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m not a personal advocate of lying, but neither do I believe in being brutally and painfully honest. I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn deciding what and how to share with fellow writers, it’s important to keep in mind one key fact: \u003Cstrong\u003EWriters tend to READ more critically than non-writers.\u003C\/strong\u003E The more we grow in our writing skill the more faults we begin to see in the books we’re reading.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn fact, if you’re like me, you may have a difficult time turning off your pesky internal editor when you’re reading. It’s the writer’s curse—being unable to enjoy a pleasurable reading experience without stopping to analyze the writing technique or plot development or the dialog tags or whatever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut we need to remember \u003Cstrong\u003Emost \u003Cem\u003Ereaders\u003C\/em\u003E don’t view books with the critical mindset we \u003Cem\u003Ewriters\u003C\/em\u003E do\u003C\/strong\u003E. Most readers will enjoy the story, skim through our mistakes, and are often much more forgiving than fellow writers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWriter friend Naomi Rawlings said it well, “Do you remember being a regular, normal reader who didn't write and just liked to read? I do. Once in a while I found errors, but they DIDN'T pull me out of the story, though they do now . . . Writing a publishable novel takes a lot of hard work, and I refuse to be publicly critical of someone's effort.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo how honest should we be with one another in our feedback on each other’s books? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Decide upon the level of your relationship.\u003C\/strong\u003E The closer we are, the more trust we have, the more right we have to share our feedback.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Refrain from passing judgment too quickly and too publicly.\u003C\/strong\u003E As writers our reviews and feedback will likely be more critical than the average reader. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Remember no writer is perfect.\u003C\/strong\u003E Not me. Not you. No one. Show some grace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat’s your philosophy when it comes to giving reviews of books and sharing feedback with fellow writers? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"\u003E*Photo credit: flickr \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kxlly\/349894433\/\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"\u003Ekxlly\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/feeds\/54439692916319239\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2011\/06\/how-honest-should-we-be-with-each-other.html#comment-form","title":"57 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/54439692916319239"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8539581256374625880\/posts\/default\/54439692916319239"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/jodyhedlund.blogspot.com\/2011\/06\/how-honest-should-we-be-with-each-other.html","title":"How Honest Should We Be With Each Other?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jody Hedlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12424307540530719614"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-tI-r_WQVD8M\/TePFVYcYhFI\/AAAAAAAABZE\/c_CLv7jF82Y\/s72-c\/Truth.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"57"}}]}});