Last week I received the order of books I funded through Indiegogo. That means I’ve been getting ready to stuff a lot of padded envelopes with a lot of books. That is a great feeling and overtime I think about it I am thrilled and humbled from all the support I have received from so many friends and family.
But there is a worry. Support is awesome and I certainly don’t want to qualify support. But there is that worry. Just because someone bought my book doesn’t mean that they will read it. Deadly Troubadours has existed in the world for about a year. Not including Indiegogo I’ve sold close to around a hundred copies of the ebook. (Not the best number in the world, but there it is.) But how many people are actually reading it?
I’m not going to lie. Ego is a big factor here. I love it every time someone buys a copy of my book. I love it every time I get a new review. Those reviews, and even the one click ratings, are the only proof I have that someone has actually read what I wrote. And right now I only know of about ten people who have read the entire thing.
That sounds like a guilt trip. Maybe it is. But on a personal level, that is what reviews mean. Proof that people actual read and not just purchase. But there is a whole other business level.
Books are an investment of money, but also of time. Those are huge commodities. So, what do you do before investing in something? You check out what others have to say. Sure, if you look on my Goodreads rating the number is pretty good. As of this writing it is a 4.56 out of 5. That is damn good. But, it is only from 9 ratings. I need to see that rise. It needs to rise high enough so that if a stranger stumbles upon it, it sounds like a safe investment of precious cash and time. I feel like saying I want it to hit a hundred reviews by the end of this year is pipe dream. But I deal in worlds where dragons and magic exist. So, if you have read the book, please, go give it a review. Goodreads is great, but also copying your review to Amazon and iTunes would also help with sales and listings. If you haven’t bought the book, buy it, then go give it a review. There are lots of beautiful paperback versions available at Indiegogo.
In case you are wondering what made me think about reviews, other than the all consuming need for self promotion, my boon companion and fellow writer G. Derek Adams brought it up over at his Inkshares page. He even made a great graphic, but since it isn’t up on his official site I decided to wait until I get permission before just sharing one of his images. Once that happens, I’ll through it in. Or maybe share a new link to whatever he is doing.
Update: The Image:
Deadly Troubadour 