Sometimes, as an author, it feels like I’m all alone. I work on the next book. I stress over the cover. I try to think up a blurb that is accurate and still enticing. Between all of that, I wait.
Just me, looking at my phone, my tablet, or my monitor, hoping a review comes in. Wondering if all those people who read the book even liked it, or if I need to seriously look at what I’m doing. Hoping that I can get some kinda of hint about how the public feels about my writing.
I’m not alone. I know that. All authors deal with this. Now that Amazon is cracking down on who can review the book, it’s even harder. To help readers find us, we turn to social media – and yet those people who do follow us are often not eligible to review our books. Our best fans, our loyal haters, and so many in between have their reviews eaten by the system. Why? Because they could be biased.
It’s an infuriating thing, and one that I don’t have a clue how to deal with. I could go and beg for reviews from well-known reviewers, but would they even get posted? It’s not like I want people to say my book is good when it isn’t. I’ve had enough book bloggers tell me they honestly love my work for me to feel a little confident. But book bloggers aren’t readers. They chew through so much that they are now looking for different things.
So how am I to know what the average reader wants? Some of my fans have been kind enough to send emails. So far, they have all been good (even if a few are honest about pointing out mistakes I missed!). But I’m pretty much operating at a 1% feedback rate. Gah! And I thrive on feedback. I’m all about making changes (often when I shouldn’t but that’s a different story!)
And, of course, I’m even worse when the editor is done with my work. After wading through the technicolor vomit of corrections, I can’t help but worry that I need to do more, do it better, and do it NOW. Hoping for some sign, I’ll click on my books only to see….
Nothing.
Man, I really hate waiting. Maybe I’ll work on a book, instead.
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