The Importance of Writting Reviews....

I know that it is important to write reviews, and I do write them for the books that I read as soon as I finish them so I don’t forget.  I didn’t understand how truly important it really is until recently.  Oh I have always wished others would write reviews on my books when they like and read them.  Even if people didn’t care for my books, if they would leave some constructive criticism so I could improve them that would be awesome.  I know people do like them since they tell me but for some reason, that taking a few moments to write what they like about the book is just too time consuming for a lot of people.

Well I have spent the last 10 days at the hospital with a very good friend and fellow author, Martin Sharlow.  He has had some complications with diabetes and has not been able to get computer access until recently.  He has not been able to promote his books or communicate with fans as he usually does.  Because of this, his numbers have dropped like a rock into a deep lake.

Now Martin has a lot of fans, tons of them in fact.  Most people really love his work, me being one of his most avid supporters of his books even out of thousands of people.  For some reason, people get so busy that they will write a review on one site such as Goodreads and it will be an awesome review but not write it on Amazon which is very important to authors. 

Recently people have written some very nasty reviews on his books.  Now I know that all books are not for everyone, people love and hate a book that is a fact of life.  Why people think that they need to tear a book up so badly is beyond me.  Not too hard to say that the book just wasn’t for them and move on rather than totally assonate the characters and insult the author.  Not called for in my opinion.  Those types of reviews make me wonder what the person that wrote it has against the author, because it is so over the top. 

My point is that this author is struggling now, was doing fantastic in his book sales and all it would take is a few people that have read his books and loved them to go on over to Amazon and write a quick review.  Even those that have done a review on Goodreads could just copy their review and post it on Amazon.  That would help a great deal!

If you haven’t read any of his books, I highly recommend them.  The Fallen Series is my personal favorite but I dearly love all of his books that I have read.  His characters are unique and his descriptions are amazing.  He writes Paranormal Romance and he also has a fantasy series, Storytellers that I love. 

So if you happen to read a book written by someone, please take the time out to review it.  It helps me as an author to know what my fans like and want more of as well, and I know that I am not alone in this as an author. 

Happy Reading & Reviewing!

Bella Marie

Martin Sharlow's Author Page

How to Unplug the GIANT Funnel....

 

The Tin Man had the right idea!  He wore his funnel hat the way that a person should have a funnel on their head if one were going to wear one.  The hole on top of the funnel is small so maybe one, or two at most ideas will fit at a time, whereas the bottom of it seems to form a great seal so no stray thoughts leak out.  Yep, pretty sure he was a genius.  

I on the other hand the last few weeks have had so many things to do that I thought, well maybe it would be a good idea to turn the funnel around because too many ideas were coming in at once, couldn’t lose any!  That way it would catch them and only one or two would come out one at a time so I could control the speed at which they bombarded me.  Well it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it seems to have backfired on me.  

Oh it started semi-slow with the normal stuff… Idea for vampire book, family stuff, idea to write book about family stuff, oh what do you know? More family stuff, then really, that is a great idea for this book I had worked on for a long time, got to throw that in there too.  Then it really got busy… More family stuff, oh wait!  Need to throw some life challenges in there too!! Can’t forget promotion, need to really work on my website and update it, not to mention my blog, oh really?  Smashwords didn’t accept my book for premium status because I spelled “copyright” wrong and didn’t notice it? Got to throw that all in there, the rewrites, oh yeah, got to edit the book that I am getting published for hard copy.  No I didn’t forget to do the review on the book that I have had no time to read, sorry, will get right on that. Life again?  Are you serious?  Three more story ideas flow in and can’t sleep because can’t write them because they make no sense, trying to come out all at once.  Promotion again, edits, wright here and there, who needs a job anyway, I’ve been meaning to lose weight, who needs to eat?

Then I don’t even realize it but I am overwhelmed to the point that my funnel hat is totally flooded to overflowing and I am left standing in the middle of the room not able to even think of the next thing to do.  I then get this revelation!  Well dang it, no one can work under these conditions!  I am going to fix this, just wait and see!

I lift off the huge funnel on my head, telling it the whole time, oh you can’t function all stuffed in there like that you poor thing, here let me fix you!  I stick it up to my mouth and blow, (or yell as loud as I can at the top of my voice until there is no more voice left.)  I imagine that the thoughts in the funnel are like a bunch of chocolate chips and when I blow on it, they go flying!  Oh they not only fly, but when they finally become airborne, I flip the funnel over to get a good seal so they won’t all bombard me all at once again.  

Then I sit down on a soft chair, taking a piece of paper, and quietly writing down all I have to do, in order and only let those be heard which can’t wait.  The rest, well I tell them to be patient, I will get to them.

As I continue to write, I can imagine a calm settling around me, as if every thought is now in order and ready to be more cooperative.  They won’t crowd each other because every thought wants to be heard.  They will work together and there you have it, everything will get done and it will get done in the best possible way, a little slower than I had planned but accomplished nonetheless.  

So my advice is, when your mind is on a collision course with so many “Got to get done right this minute rather you want too or not’s” it is time to just take a hint from the Tin Man and wear your funnel the way that it is meant to be, and just let all the rest fall into place, one thing at a time.

Happy Reading!

Bella Marie

Original Post was posted on Katie Salidas, Written In Blood. Check out her Blog, she is a fantastic writer!