A Secret of Success in Reviewing and Life
27 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
Optimistic people live longer and enjoy greater success. They have lower blood pressure and produce less stress hormones. Being negative increases the possibility of poor health. Many diseases have their root in a negative emotion. That doesn’t mean that a person with a positive attitude will never get sick, it just means it is less likely.
In my over ten years of reviewing at amazon.com I’ve rarely read a book on success that didn’t mention the benefits of having a positive attitude. It is truly one of the secrets to success. However it is not easy to go against the grain. I’ve often had to fight for my right to look on the bright side.
In a negative world it is easy to succumb to despair. You really have to make a commitment to seeing life in a new way. It will be difficult at first especially if you are depressed. With practice you can incrementally improve from day to day. You may find you have more success if you practice gratitude on a daily basis.
One of the ways I stay positive is by writing reviews. I’ve taught myself to only review three-, four- and five-star items. That doesn’t mean I won’t be honest if I find some fault in the book. It just means my overall message will not be negative.
Being in a sunny frame of mind takes more effort than being pessimistic. You have to begin to see the blessings and avoid being a curse. This may mean that you have to reject a book nicely instead of reading it and writing a scathing report.
There is a place for negativity and it can definitely help customers make better purchasing decisions. I myself will often read negative one- and two-star reviews before I buy a book. Then if I hate a movie or book I also tend to read the negative reviews. I just hate writing them because they put me in a bad mood. Some reviewers have said that I’m letting others do the dirty work. The truth is I personally cannot live happily when I write negative reviews. At one point it bothered me so much I couldn’t sleep and had to ceremoniously delete all my one- and two-star reviews. Once this was accomplished I felt better and could sleep without fear of retaliation.
When posting a negative review we often seem to forget that a human being will be now struggling with our negativity. Imagine the difference when someone is overjoyed by our positive blessing. If you want to make the world a friendlier place try a dose of positive reinforcement and remember that kindness counts.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too positive. Start looking for books that promote a positive lifestyle and review those types of books instead of books that make you upset, angry or negative in some way. You may notice that now your comments on your reviews are mostly positive. Of course there will be days when even being positive can create a negative response but I’ve found that to be rare. You can’t please everyone so you might as well please yourself. I’ve made the decision to be positive and it has brought me happiness. I wish the same for you!
What do you think? I look forward to your comments.
My Idea of a Good Review
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
1. A Description of Content – Just enough to whet the reading appetite and yet the information doesn’t ruin the work for others who have not read the book or viewed the movie.
2. A Description of Delight or Dissatisfaction or maybe even Mediocrity – I want to know if a work changed a life, moved someone to tears or brought a smile to their face.
3. Personal Experience – Information that makes me want to purchase an item so it will enhance my life. I’ll also buy items just to see how bad they could possibly be.
You can really say that once you have watched a movie, read reviews on the movie and written a review of the movie, that it has become a part of you. There are elements you will draw from the entire experience that will change you. What you read and view might be who you are becoming.
How to Get and Keep a Reviewer’s Attention
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
In the past ten years I’ve dealt with a number of authors who have approached me in various ways in order to get me to give them a review at amazon.com.
Here are my top 10 ways to get and keep a reviewer’s attention:
1. Finding a Reviewer: Find a reviewer who has reviewed similar books or look for reviewers who have done a good job on books you have read and liked. Once you have found a reviewer you like, look at their amazon.com profile to see if they are accepting books or if they have a public email.
2. Initial Contact: Say the reviewer’s name in email. Never use something like “Dear Sirs” especially if you are writing to a woman. That happened to me recently. Try to personalize the email and find some way to connect with the reviewer.
3. Show an Interest in the Reviewer: Take the time to find out if the reviewer has their own site. Then mention that you looked at their site. While at the site make sure to find out what the reviewer is accepting. If they don’t have a site, mention that you read some of their reviews.
4. Email and First Letter: When writing the email about your book keep things short and to the point. Say something tantalizing about your book that is sure to get the reviewers attention. It is better to send detailed explanations of your book when you mail the book. A reviewer may not take the time to print off a copy of your email. So include a copy of the original email or include a new short letter with your contact information. It is important to include your email address in case the reviewer has any questions. It is also more likely that you will get a notification email when your review has posted. If you have a website make sure to include that information in the letter you send with your book. Also include a link to the book at amazon in your email! That allows the reviewer to quickly look at your book and to see what others are saying. If you don’t have any reviews, don’t worry. Some reviewers like to post the first review.
5. What Not to Say: Never say: “I’m glad you have agreed to review my book.” The reviewer won’t decide this until they have your book in hand.
6. Sending the Book: Send your book by Media Mail. It saves you postage and puts less pressure on the reviewer. It is likely that the reviewer already has a pile of books to review and it is going to take a few weeks or even months before they get to your book.
7. Contacting the Reviewer After You Have Sent the Book: I advise you not to do this. If you want to know if a book arrived do something easier: send a postcard that the reviewer can mail back to you as soon as the book arrives. Once you have received notification that your book has arrived be very patient and refrain from contacting the reviewer. Some reviewers will feel stressed out if you get pushy and may even return your book or may put your book under the pile of books they have to review instead of on top! In other words, they will avoid your book because you are stressing them out! Instead of contacting the reviewer, think positive thoughts and hope for the best. At one point I had 200 books to review so it took months to get to a review. I now don’t accept as many books at once to prevent this from happening.
8. What Not To Ask For: Never ask a reviewer to return your book. Your book is a gift in exchange for a review. Never include a return envelope for the book. Instead, encourage the reviewer to donate your book to a local library or charity. They may also want to send the book to another reviewer or to a friend.
9. How to Respond Once a Review Posts: Send the reviewer a thank you note in email or send a thank you card. If the reviewer says something negative in the review try to remain professional.
10. Promote Your Book: Once you have a few reviews use them to promote your book at your site or in email. You may even want to ask the reviewer if you can use part of the review as a “blurb.”
I Believe in Reviewing
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
I believe in reviewing books that are old and books that are new. There have been years in my life where I didn’t read a single book and other years when I read a book almost every day. To me, there is nothing more cozy than settling into a warm bed for a night of reading with a cat nearby.
During the day I am not afraid of looking silly carrying twelve books out of the library. I am on a mission. The thought of running out of books to read terrifies me. To be alone at home without a new book leaves me restless. I must process new information on a constant basis or I get bored.
Each new book I read is an adventure unless it is a book I don’t want to finish. I believe that you don’t have to finish a bad book. Why force yourself to endure something you are obviously not connecting with just so you can write a bad review? Who has the time to finish a bad book? I believe in writing three- to five-star reviews. I may start a one-star book but I rarely finish it. Just because I don’t like writing one- and two-star reviews doesn’t mean I don’t like reading them. When I start a new book or buy a new book I will often read the one- and five-star reviews to get a sense of how people feel about the book. That gives me an idea of how much time I want to spend on a book.
Some authors pour their souls into their books and as a reader I appreciate their gift. I believe in the right to publish your own book if no one else will. I love the determination new authors exhibit when they have suffered through numerous rejection letters and finally decide the world must read their book so they publish it themselves. I love finding those types of books and since I review at amazon.com authors often find me before I find them.
I believe in buying as many books as you can afford. I don’t keep all the books I buy, most of the time I donate my used books to my local library. I believe in sharing books and feel that a book languishing on a shelf is a sad book. Books are meant to be read until they are worn out and recycled. Of course some people collect books and obtaining books becomes a sort of obsession. I am more obsessed with reviewing books than collecting them.
If everyone in the world read more good books maybe there would be less time for war. I believe in books that bring peace to the world and peace to your heart. I read books to understand the full range of human experience.
Be careful which books you read because words are powerful and they will change your life.
I Love Reviewing
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
Here I am in my office where I review books
The quiet earth is an inspiration at night as my thoughts roam freely through the pages of another book. No noisy clatter outside my window, the moon streaming into the stillness of my room. Leaving the window open enhances the mystery, a delicate breeze scented with primroses and my mind wandering in an author’s world.
