The Importance of an Online Review for Independent Authors

With the proliferation of ebooks and the recent advancements in print-on-demand (POD) publishing, the independent author can now produce a professional quality product and deliver it directly into the hands of his readers without the need of going through a big New York publishing house. This is wonderful news for both authors and readers alike! However, the independent author still has to face a few hurdles that New York-published authors don’t. The independent author has to figure out a way to get the word out to readers. Somehow he needs to let readers know that his book is on the market and worthy of the reader’s attention, not to mention the reader’s hard-earned cash. Unlike a New York-published author, the independent author has to overcome two major disadvantages. First, it is extremely difficult for independent authors to get their print books onto the shelves of major bookstores and boxstores. It’s not impossible, but it’s difficult. Very difficult. The commercial market was designed for corporations, not individuals. Second, the average independent author doesn’t have the capital to expend on a full-scale marketing campaign. (Not that most New York-published author’s get a full-scale marketing campaign, but certainly some do.) Though the independent author now has access to the same production and distribution channels as the New York publishers, he still doesn’t have access to same marketing and publicity opportunities.

So what is a humble independent author to do? How does an independent author spread the word about his latest book? He does it through you, the reader. In today’s marketplace, the reader now plays the most important, the most critical role in the success of any independently published book.

What can a reader do to help? She can tell all her friends about the book, of course, but more importantly the reader can post an online review. If you’ve read FELL’S HOLLOW, my independently published novel, or THE NORTAV METHOD for Writers, my independently published textbook on prose construction, or any other independently published book by any author, please POST AN ONLINE REVIEW! Do it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Do it on Facebook. Do it on Twitter. Do it on Goodreads. The platform doesn’t matter. An online review of any sort is the single best way to help an independent author spread the word. It doesn’t matter if the review is good or bad or mediocre. The important thing is to get people talking about the book. Talk = Publicity = Opportunity. If a book is worthy, it will take off once word has spread. If not, then it had a fair shot and failed on its merits.

In today’s marketplace, you the reader are more important than ever, so get in the game! Post an online review today!

One Response to The Importance of an Online Review for Independent Authors

Dream of Time book reviews | Dream of Time: A novel on July 3, 2013 at 3:03 am

[...] one of the greatest and most important things you can do to help promote publishers and authors! (Read some insights from another author here.) The bottom line: Please consider telling your friends! Word-of-mouth — especially for indie [...]

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I was born in 1964 and live in historic Mystic, CT. I hold a BA in English, an MFA in Creative Writing from National University, and a BS in Computer Science. When I'm not writing, I work for a major software engineering firm and am considering a doctoral program in either creative writing or narratology.

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