Friday, May 19, 2017

Kirkus Reviews: Is it worth the money?

A Note from SJ Francis: Authors! We've all been there. We all want reviews. The more reviews, especially positive ones the better. But just how much do you want that review? Are you willing to pay for it and if so, how much are you willing to pay? .

I paid for a review once and never again. My experience with OnlineBookClub was less than positive. I paid for a "fair and honest" review and what I received was a two star review from a reviewer that outright stated, "I wish I had known there was a lesbian story line in the book". When I contacted the website owner Scott, who claims his "dedication to offer client satisfaction" about the tainted review, he went back and forth with me to nowhere about this and that, but wouldn't admit that perhaps, his reviewer was homophobic. He kept claiming that it was my book description, or assumed that I wanted a positive review. I paid $149.00 for a Fair and honest review. He couldn't get that. I can't recommend OnlineBookClub to any author. It's probably great for readers and for authors of "happy go-lucky" type of books, but not gritty books that reflect the world around us. Read on to learn what another writer had to say about paying for book reviews, namely for a Kirkus review....

Originally Posted by: Michel Sauret in Book Reviews, Self Publishing January 23, 2013

The moment your book hits the market, you have to switch gears from writer to book promoter. From artist to business man. As a business man, you’ll have to spend money to market and promote your book, which is no longer a book, but a “product” for public consumption.

That’s a cold way of looking at things, but that’s (unfortunately) how publishers look at the books they release to determine the perfect equation for profit.

When I released “Amidst Traffic,” I became starry-eyed and giddy by the idea of getting my book reviewed by Kirkus, one of the major book reviewers in the industry. I thought for sure that Kirkus would love the book, pick it for Editor’s choice, show it off to hundreds of thousands of unique web visitors, and I’d make a killing.

Heck, I might even score a starred review, I was so confident.

Not only was I starry-eyed, but I was also impatient. Instead of paying $425.00 for a review that might take 9 weeks, I decided to fork over the extra money and paid $575.00 for the 4-6 week review.

Once the review was published, however, nobody saw it. It got tucked away three or four layers deep into the Kirkus labyrinth of thousands of reviews, and you wouldn’t find it unless you searched for it specifically.

I thought that by getting my book reviewed by Kirkus, I’d get immediate coverage and exposure.

Wrong.

Only an extreme select few books get selected by their editors for a featured review, and even fewer (literary greats) actually get a star. They don’t give those things out like kindergarten teachers, you know.

Before I go further, please know that this article is not a criticism of Kirkus or their reviewing system. I think they’re extremely fair and objective, and that’s what they OUGHT to be.

My point is that if you’re an indie author, their review is not worth investing your money. You have to invest the finances you have like a business man, and in this case, Kirkus Reviews is a poor investment. That is, unless, you’ve been reviewed so many times and by so many objective reviewers that you KNOW Kirkus will love your book (and therefore feature it to their massive audience).

How to better spend that money:

With a little bit of patience and wise discernment, I could have spent that same $575.00 and gotten a lot more out of it.

Here are some objective book reviewing companies that charge a lot less:

San Francisco Book Review: $125.00 (8-10 weeks)

Portland Book Review: $100.0

Readers Views: various review services (2-4 week turnaround)

Indie Reader: $225.00 (2-4 week turnaround)

(Note: When I first wrote this article and purchased a review from Indie Reader, it cost only $150, and it included submission to their award competition. They have since raised their prices and separated reviews from their awards submissions)

Midwest Book Review: $50.00 (14-16 week turnaround)

ForeWord Book Review: Requires book submissions 2 months before release date

Depending on how much you want to spend, you can have a handful book reviews instead of just one, which means five times as much exposure and credibility for your book. Plus, the bonus with purchasing a review with Indie Reader is that your book will be enrolled in their Indie Reader Discovery Awards if your book scores four stars or more!

Kirkus will try to take your money by convincing you that their website receives hundreds of thousands of hits a week, which is true, they do… but the problem is that, as an indie author, your book is unlikely to get any exposure at all. It will never appear on their front page unless it scores extremely highly. And with more and more indie authors looking to buy reviews, the Kirkus website is flooded with books that they have to cycle through them quickly, therefore less exposure time for each one.

My personal assessment, in hindsight, is that you’re better off not wasting your money on this giant. Support some of the smaller, more independent reviewers out there. I’m sure the list is growing of legitimate review companies that charge between $100 and $150, which is a fair price tag.

What about you?

Do you have any book reviewing services to offer or recommend? Feel free to provide a link or two in the comments below!

Thank you all for visiting with us. It’s always a pleasure to meet readers and authors. Until next month, every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart. Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat, elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!

Regards,
S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers. "Some secrets should remain that way."

Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Wishing Shelf Independer Book Awards.

Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Book Awards for Women's Fiction.

Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.

Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.

Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.

The 2nd, new book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.

The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.

My Black Opal Books Author Page:

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-sj-francis

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sjfrancis419

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325

A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com

Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419

Google Plus:https://plus.google.com/u/0/104831238907682620486/about

Good Reads:https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j

And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Welcome to a BOOK BLITZ for Author T.P. Keane and Her NEW Release Kepler 1.....

RELEASE DAY BLITZ FOR

KEPLER ONE - THE CHOOSING

From award winning author TP Keane, comes a gripping and dark young adult, science fiction/romance novel.

Zoe has only one chance to escape the radiation,

and being a lowly Tier Five is the least of her obstacles

The story

The radiation on Earth is killing everyone Zoe Ruthland cares about. After winning the Lottery, she is the only Tier Five citizen given a chance to start over on a new planet. Seen as unworthy, a criminal, many want to see her fail. Zoe must survive training, and the other cadets, to secure her place on the Kepler One spacecraft. But something sinister lurks behind the Government’s plans to save humankind and Zoe has no idea that she is an integral part of it; that she is chosen for another reason.

The Book Trailer

Click to view here: https://youtu.be/QmIpJACVGc4

Excerpts

***

“No, wait! That’s not fair. Why should I have to stay when the likes of her get to go?” a boy in white screamed, pointing at me. “She’s too thin and weak anyhow. Send her back to the filth she deserves to be in and I’ll go in her place. She’s useless, all her kind are. That’s why they dress them in grey, so they can blend in with the useless dirt. Shadow!”

The boy spat in my direction, but his spittle didn’t reach me. Shadow was the nickname they gave tier five citizens. I hated it. It meant that we weren’t real, we were only shadows that appeared, made no difference to the world, then died in the light of others more deserving.

All eyes were on me, even Tristan’s. His dark stare raked over me as if to size me up, and he didn’t look impressed. A heat rose in my cheeks and a nervous flutter started in my stomach, but it wasn’t because of Tristan’s gaze. I could feel a fight coming on; I had seen enough of them in my tier to recognise the beginnings, but I was no good at fighting. I had received enough beatings to know that, too.

***

Tier Five was darker than I remembered. Accustomed to the brighter lights of the higher levels, my eyes took a moment to adjust. There wasn’t much to see. The corridors around the exit were deserted. Too often the temptation of escape drew the desperate close, and it was all too easy to make a bolt for the door when it was in line of sight. Most tier fives stayed away to keep that temptation at a good distance. There was also the pot-shots that the Tierless soldiers would sometimes take at a passing citizen. Why not? Who would demand justice for a Shadow? Murder was common here, and the temptation to dip one’s toe into sin was prevalent on both sides of the doors.

***

In the darkness, there was no pain, just peace, emptiness, and quiet. It was soothing and devoid of everything that had made life difficult. I wasn’t sure if my body floated right-way-up or swirled in every direction, but I was aware of some movement even if I couldn’t pinpoint it. There was no sensation of up or down, no colour or temperature, just the peaceful nothingness that suspended me and caressed my skin in its viscous pleasantness.

I’d known this darkness before, in dreams on tier five, but they had never been so visceral, so real. It occurred to me to wonder how I’d gotten here, but the thought was soon forgotten as the peace lulled me into a calmness. Drawn to an amity I’d never known, I didn’t want to leave the darkness or question it. I didn’t want to return to that terrible agony called life. Had I died? A small sadness fluttered in my chest. Jason would be upset. Poor Jason, I thought. I hope he . . . I hope . . .

My thoughts melted out of my brain through my ears and joined the darkness. I floated for what seemed like many hours in the ambience, content to lose myself. But, like all good things that happened to me, my peace didn’t last.

A low thud reverberated all around me, like the deep warm tone of a timpani drum. It was followed by the lulling silence again. The sound shifted and moved the darkness in a rippling wave which reverberated through my being. I snapped to attention, straining my ears to hear what had made the noise. Squinting into the nothing futilely, I tried to see something other than the black, but I was alone as far as I could tell.

***

You can find your copy for 99c BELOW

Amazon

Goodreads

Smashwords

About the author

TP Keane was born in Galway, Ireland, and is the middle child of seven. An atrocious student, she spent most of her school days dreaming about fantastical adventures and terrifying monsters. In blatant refusal to accept the adult she had become, TP Keane brought forth her mystical worlds in the form of her first epic fantasy novel, The Paladins of Naretia, which won first place in the Acclaimed Books writing contest, and her children’s novel, Dear Bob, The Misadventures of Petunia Pottersfield, which is also up for an award.

More information about TP Keane and her other works

can be found on her WEBSITE www.tpkeane.com

In honor of Keane's NEW book release, KEPLER 1 be sure to check out her author interview I conducted with her in November 2016: http://sjfranciswriter.blogspot.com/2016/11/say-hello-to-debut-fantasy-author-tp.html Thanks, T.P. for allowing me the honor of showcasing your NEW BOOK, Kepler 1 here on my blog!

Regards,

S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.

Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Pen Names: A Question of Identity....

A Note from S.J. Francis:

Pen Names. An interesting thing to use when writing, don’t you think? I’ve been a published writer for over three decades now. With the exception of some writings, I’ve used different pen names. For me, it was a personal preference, as some reasons listed below. Personally, I always found pen names fascinating, especially when trying to locate which names were pen names and which weren’t; which writer used one pen name and which one didn’t. It was fascinating trying to identify the writer that used a pen name. Not to mention, other more seasoned writers mentioned doing so to keep a name known for different genres. Not too long ago, if you wrote it one genre and wanted to try another, it was recommended to write under another name. Hence, Nora Roberts writing romance under her real name and using J.D. Robb for her mystery/suspense novels. Over the last several years, writing under a pen name for different genres is no longer necessary and a writer can use one name to write under different genres. I’ve written my first novel under my name S.J. Francis, as opposed to using my pen names. Just because….

What about you? Do you use pen names when you write? Why or why not? Read on for more on this subject from a post I found in Firewords.

Pen Names: A Question of Identity

(This article was originally published on Mike's blog musingsfromplanetwolfson.com

"Many writers use pen names. I’ve actually never written anything under my real name. But why do writers feel the need to use an alternative guise?

"Speaking for myself, the main reason was confidence. A writer bares their soul when they put pen to paper. It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, what the genre is, or what the setting is; the moment a writer puts pen to paper it’s personal. I went into this writing lark expecting a sea of rejection slips. I didn’t want that level of rejection under my real name.

"Writing under a pen name allowed me to hide, but it also gave me a freedom to express myself in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to under my real name. Back in those early days, only two people knew that I wrote. It’s ironic these days that I barely bat an eyelid at a rejection, and I don’t care who knows that I write. Again, ironically, it’s the continued practice of writing that’s given me confidence and belief.

"The second reason for using a pen name was practicality, or maybe I mean marketability. Most people struggle to pronounce my real surname. If by some miracle of good fortune I happened to get a book deal it would hardly help my sales if people were wandering into bookshops asking for the latest book by Mike (insert long pause) er, I think it’s… You get the point. Even in the workplace I’ve always been referred to as Mike K.

"Let’s look at some professional writers. Shaun Hutson has worked under seven different pen names to date. Dean Koontz has used various pen names. Stephen King had fun with Richard Bachman. Agatha Christie was also Mary Westmacott.

"All the writers above used multiple pen names for reasons of identity. Agatha Christie used Mary Westmacott to separate out her historical romances from her crime fiction. Shaun Hutson’s seven pen names are utilised across seven different genres.

"Identity is important.

"If I want to read a horror story I’ll look for the latest Stephen King, or a James Herbert, or a Clive Barker. If I want to read a historical novel I’ll look for Bernard Cornwell or George MacDonald Fraser. Those writers have a very clear identity in terms of their output.

"I’ll say it again… Identity is important. The last thing a writer wants to do is to confuse their reader.

"My pen name, which has served me so well for so long, is now causing me a problem of identity. Who exactly is M. J. Wolfson? What does he write? Take a look at my genre output:

Drama
Black comedy
Comedy
Horror
Post apocalypse sci-fi
Social commentary
Speculative
Experimental stream of consciousness

Can you see the dilemma? I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to utilise more pen names. I know I need to be careful. I’m not sure I’d want to go down the Shaun Hutson route.

The majority of my work will remain under the brand of M. J. Wolfson, but I’ve already had two stories published as Jane Hunter. I’ve developed a persona and style of writing for Jane which is different to Mr. Wolfson’s.

One of my other stories The Proposal – accepted for publication but never actually published – is another work that is very different from anything else I’ve written as M. J. Wolfson or Jane Hunter. As a result, I’ve always struggled to know what to do with it after the initial acceptance failed to result in a publication. Lately I’ve considered using a different pen name and all of a sudden I’ve become enthused about the story again.

I accept that multiple pen names aren’t necessarily the answer for everyone. Dennis Wheatley, although lesser known these days, was a popular writer in his heyday being second only to Agatha Christie in terms of sales.

Dennis wrote black magic horrors, historical thrillers, murder mysteries, and non-fiction books, and he did it all under the name of Dennis Wheatley.

It’s like everything else in the creative world of the writer: You have to identify the approach that works best for you and embrace it!"

Regards,

S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.

Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.

Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Writers Shelf Book Awards.

Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards for Women's Fiction.

Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.

Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.

Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.

The 2nd, New book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.

The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.

My Black Opal Books Author Page:

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-sj-francis

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sjfrancis419

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325

My Writing Blog: http://www.sjfranciswriter.blogspot.com

A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com

A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com

One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104831238907682620486/about

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j