SQUUUEEEE!
Let Me Out was chosen as Reviewer's Top Pick over ar Night Owl Reviews! Here's what they had to say:
"There is only one word to describe a novel of this caliber: wow. Let Me Out tells the story of Adelaide Banvard, and her trials and tribulations with both Dissociative Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia and her time with two very different but equally sinister monsters. It also tells the story of Marcus Grant, an ATF agent with a heart of gold searching for his partner’s killer. He suspects local business magnate Christian Wren as the mastermind of his partner’s death, but still was not sure about who actually killed him. When Marcus goes undercover in Wren’s organization to solve Scott’s murder, little does he know that the beautiful little spitfire he has fallen hard for is not only a ruthless, brutal killer but also a little girl lost in a big bad world.
The story is nearly epic in its scope, showing how families and lives can be torn apart by not only crime but also murder, kidnapping, and the trials of mental illness. It starts fast and never slows down. I honestly could not put down this novel, easily reading two thirds of it in one day. It is that good. This is a novel for anyone who wants a good adventure, and also a story of love and learning to cope with the unbearable. A truly remarkable tale."
A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW * Reviewed by: Hitherandthee
Thank you to everyone who believed in me and helped me through this journey. Come back for more good news!
June 15, 2012
June 9, 2012
Guest Post by BC Brown!
"As an
indie author, it's hard to get people to review your book." This is one of the most reiterated statements I hear from other
authors. And it Simply. Isn't. True.
The self-pubbed world of literature has literally EXPLODED in the
last one- to two-years thanks to success stories like Amanda Hocking.
What used to be a phrase ("self-pubbed") that was more whispered than
spoken, being an indie author has put the power of the written word back into
the hands of those who count - we who hold the pens/laptops!
But, despite this shift of power, there are still daunting tasks
for any author going the self-pub route. If writing, editing, formatting,
cover art, promotion and sales weren't enough to make most people want to run
for the hills. As authors, we also have the overwhelming tasks of garnering -yipes!- REVIEWS for our books.
What used to be a difficult thing to do without the backing of a
powerful agent or publishing house, indie reviews have gotten so easy to come
by it's almost too easy. The big thing is getting your new writing out
there for book bloggers, voracious readers, and sometimes-only readers.
Um, how? Well, you utilize every tool you have in your arsenal. Book
blogging sites are numerous; almost everywhere you look online, there is a link
to this book blogger's site or that one's. We simply have to do the
small amount of research required by clicking over to their blog, actually
reading it (highly suggested if you don't want to just be a
"solicitor"), and finding out what their submission requirements
are. Then you email, DM, submit the form, do whatever is required of you
to submit to this book blogger and, well, wait. Most book bloggers do
what they do for the love of reading; and in part, I'm sure, for free
reading material. What do you have to lose by it? Nothing.
"But I've
lost a sale." Whenever I mention this to people, this is what I
hear. And the truth of the matter is that this statement couldn't be less true than someone saying the
world is flat. This book blogger you've given a free PDF to wasn't in your
fan base and probably didn't even know you existed. If they never knew you
existed, then they were never a potential sale, were they? So we haven't lost a
sale; we've gained a review, a (hopefully) fan, and the notice of that
particular blogger's following. Think we might get at least one sale out of that free
read? You bet your sweet tuckus!
But book bloggers aren't the only place to seek reviews for indie
authors. There are thousands of full time book review sites embracing
their love of indie skill and creativity. And, yet, there are still old
standbys like your friends, family, and acquaintances on Facebook, Twitter, and
Goodreads. Make an event and send it out to select individuals you think
would like a free copy of one of your books; you can even make this fun and
maybe toss in a contest. Who wouldn't want a free PDF of a book and the
possibility to win an autographed print copy? Sure, they may already have it
but an autograph is an autograph (they'll want it when one of us becomes the
next J.K. Rowling or Stephanie Meyers). Plus, they don't necessarily have to
get it signed to them; maybe they liked it and want to give it as a gift? Who
knows!
Does all of this take a little time out of our day to accomplish?
Sure. An author might have to send out 200 review events to get even 5
back. But who cares? That's 5 more reviews we didn't have before. Does it take
time to read and research book bloggers and review sites out there? Yep, sure
does. But would any one of us want to pass up the chance a book blogger with
10k followers loves our book and suggests it as a 'Must Read' to their fans?
Um, probably not.
Remember: yes, you are giving away free copies of your book, but
you can't look at it like that. You have to think of it as part of your
marketing strategy, part of generating BUZZ. As people we look at the reviews
an item has to determine if it is "worth" the money or time we'll be
spending. It would be just plain silly to let the idea of a loss that was never
a loss in the first place keep us from gaining more than we ever could have
thought possible. It's one thing to think outside the box, but sometimes you
also have to think outside the straight jacket. ;)
You can find BC's books and follow BC here:
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/bcbrown
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCBrownWrites
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/BCBrown
Twitter: @BCBrownBooks
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