Today, I’ll wrap up the interview with Irene Watson, the founder and managing editor at Reader Views (“reviews, by readers, for readers”). If you missed the first half of this enlightening interview, I suggest you go back and read Part I first.
So, picking up where we left off yesterday. . .
Irene, I know there’s something many people wonder about. If a reviewer reads a book and doesn’t like it, what do you do – publish the negative review anyway or just skip it?
It’s one of those “depends” answers. We believe the reviewers give their honest opinions of what they read and we also believe everyone isn’t going to like or not like the same book. If it’s a negative review, we assess the content of the review, however, I don’t feel anyone can judge or dictate what another person should like or not like. I certainly can’t, and it would be extremely self-serving if one thinks they can. And, as a review service, we don’t ever tell the reviewer what to write. That would be so, so unethical.
I also believe it’s only fair to let other potential readers know how our reviewer feels about the book. I have seen too many reviews that get a five-star glowing review on Amazon, and yet the book is so full of editing issues the plot or information doesn’t even make sense. This ends up being a credibility issue too. Potential readers want to know opinions of others and we would certainly lose credibility if we said the book rated five stars yet had many flaws in it.
Many authors get very angry when they get a negative review because in their mind they have created a book that “should be on the New York Times Best Sellers list.” Yet, these same authors wouldn’t even consider hiring a professional editor to edit their book.
We also find [our kid reviewers] are brutally honest. They have no problem pointing out issues to the authors.
On a positive note, we’ve had many authors who were grateful we pointed out issues in the book. Many have pulled their book off the market and republished the corrected version.
On average, approximately how many review requests do you receive (weekly, monthly or whatever) and how many do you accept for review?
We get about 50 to 75 books for free reviews per week. Of those we accept about 10 per week.
What is the typical time from receipt of a book to publication of the review on Reader Views?
Once the book is accepted for a potential free review we post it on a pending list for the reviewers to choose from. If it’s not picked up within 90 days, it goes off the list. Once off the list, it is donated —to area libraries, SafePlace Austin or soldiers abroad.
If the book is chosen by a reviewer, we give them 30 days to get a review back to us. For Express Reviews, the turnaround time is two weeks from the time the reviewer gets the book.
How many reviewers do you have at Reader Views?
There are 20 active reviewers for Reader Views, with six of those strictly Express reviewers. We also have Reader Views Kids where kids review kid’s books —14 reviewers ranging from 4 to 16 years of age.
What are your submission requirements at Reader Views?
For the free reviews, we ask authors/publishers to send the books in to our office to process. For express reviews we have an online system and the books are sent directly to the reviewers.
What review services and options do you offer on Reader Views?
Oh wow, a lot! Besides the express reviews, we offer publicity packages that include written and live interviews, press releases and distribution, features on sites and blogs, book videos, Kindle conversion, galley production and submission to reviewers, audio book production, and blog tours. We also have an editing department that edits manuscripts. I encourage the authors to check them out, especially the Water Cooler Specials.
Anything else you think I should have asked but didn’t or anything that you wished I’d asked?
Thanks for asking Walt. Yes, I do have some things I’d like to mention. When wanting to get a review, don’t:
- Deface the book by stamping “review copy” on it. Reviewers love to keep the books in their personal libraries.
- Stamp “requested material” on the envelope. This is a turn off. We don’t request books directly from authors.
- Ask the review service if they received the book. We get hundreds of books and do not have the time to hunt for your book. Get a postal tracking number to confirm receipt.
- Ask the reviewer to contact your publisher or publicist to have the book sent. It is your responsibility to get the book to the reviewer.
- Send your sell sheets, press releases, etc. to the reviewer without knowing if they will even read it. It has no bearing whether the book will be reviewed. Please save a tree instead.
- Expect a rave review because you think you have the best book on the market or your friends/family said it was. No, no, no. Consider the reviewer as your reading audience. Not everyone will like your book. Every person has a different preference, and you have to accept that. Sending a nasty note to the reviewer is totally unacceptable. If you can’t accept another person’s opinion, then don’t send the books out for review. On the other hand, many authors send grateful notes which are appreciated and make reviewing worthwhile.
Any final words of wisdom for those seeking reviews for their books?
First of all, follow the guidelines on the site and make sure we know what the category/genre is.
The other extremely important thing is to create a relationship. The reviewer can be on your team to promote your book as well as be your best advocate. For example, many authors have created relationships with me over the past four years I’ve had Reader Views. They know they can contact me for advice or suggestions, and I will help them promote their book. However, it has to work both ways, and without set expectations.
Many business models are built on creating lasting relationships. When you have a published book, it automatically becomes a business. So, treat it like a business it was meant to be and benefit from it. The most successful businesses flourish because of relationships; it’s both a science and an art and requires the business owner to use both their hard and soft skills. As an author, publisher, or publicist, use your “soft skills” to get reviews.
Thank you, Irene!
