Self Published Authors

"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books and share information and resources.

June 1, 2009 Volume 4: Issue 18
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com

By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Letters To The Editor
4. Feature Article by Judy Cullins
5. Resource Links
6. Promotion Article by Patricia Fry
7. Free Products, Services, and Downloads
8. Book Review by Gail Pruszkowski
9. Classes, Groups, Workshops, And Events
10. Commentary by Allison Jackson
11. Reciprocal Links
12. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the June 2009 newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the website and newsletter, I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for visiting the website and subscribing to the list. To the regulars out there, I'm very glad to see you back for another issue.

I am seeing many new websites lately that are starting services to help self-published authors list and sell their books. I would like to remind all readers of this newsletter that our own website here at http://www.SelfPublishedAuthors.com/ offers a similar service for FREE. You provide all details including a link to your website, Amazon.com, or wherever a reader can go to purchase your book. No purchases happen here, and no fees are required. It's simply a categorized list of books and their authors with a way for readers to provide ratings and comments. One more way to get the word out for your book, but one where you know the reader is looking for a self-published author because they came here looking for it.

I am looking for authors, like you, to send me information about yourself and your book for our Author Showcase. These aren't reviews, rather they are spotlights, and you can send me your info anytime if you wish to be included.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you'd like to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request, please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at: editor@selfpublishedauthors.com

Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!

Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.DanShaurette.com

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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a resource for all authors. Obviously, I want to help you succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors asking what they can do to promote their books in the newsletter.

I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said, the best I can do is one of the following.

If you are interested in writing an article about your experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article, I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to promote yourself and your book.

If you would like me to review your book, or interview you for the newsletter, I would ask that you please query me first before sending an ARC copy of your book, eBook format preferred, or even better, an audio version. The last thing I want to do is build up a slush pile for reviews. If you have a press release or other details about yourself and your book, do feel free to forward them to me and I will happily publish them in our Author's Showcase. These aren't reviews, rather they are spotlights, and you can send me your info anytime if you wish to be included. I will share one book and author per issue.

If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location, dates, and contact info. will be presented.

Currently there are places for you to list your books, websites, and even join our banner ad exchange. You can also feel free to post in our forums and tell us about yourself and your books.

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3: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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To the staff at Self Published Authors,
My name is Bing Wang, a senior at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. Currently, I am working on editing a novel manuscript and writing a research paper about the pros and cons of self-publishing, in particular Print-On-Demand (POD) online presses. Having found your organization online, I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions about the self-publishing industry.

Should an emerging writer consider publishing via an online Print-On-Demand press? If not, what sort of publishing press should an unknown writer submit to for her first book? I've heard that 2009 is the toughest year for publishing -- to what extent is this true (which publishing industries/types of presses are impacted the most?) and would the current economic situation reduce the stigma of initially publishing at a Print-On-Demand or vanity press?

Thank you very much. Any point in the right direction is extremely helpful!

Thank you,
Bing Wang
The People
http://thepeoplenovel.blogspot.com
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Hello Bing,
Thank you for your letter. I hope I will be able to give you some answers and point you towards more information. The recession has hit every market and publishing companies are feeling the pinch as strong as any other. Probably the hardest hit are traditional newspapers. Major newspaper outlets have gone out of business, and others are moving to online-only in order to cut costs. This is not a direct result of the recession, however, but owes more to the failure of these organizations realizing that their readership is finding their news online vs. in their print editions, which are old news before the ink has dried.

Traditional book publishers are feeling the same pressures. E-books have not quite caught on, but the Amazon Kindle and the iPhone are just two of the biggest markets for them. Now that there's a Kindle app for the iPhone, the iPhone may well be the king soon, but Amazon doesn't mind since they sell books either way. That's really what it boils down to now -- selling books, and Amazon has proved there is definitely still a market. But publishers are going to have to be smarter about who and how they publish.

What does this mean for new authors? Well, the big houses are still buying manuscripts, but almost all of these are agent-represented. So, if you want to be picked up by a big house, my first piece of advice is to get an agent. Edit, edit, and edit some more. Make it perfect. Just send it to agents instead of publishers directly.

The trouble with big publishing houses is that if you do get lucky enough to be chosen by them, the advances are shrinking, and you are expected to do a great deal of promotion yourself. Plus, in these tough times, different imprints (smaller divisions) at the big houses are failing, and this means authors and their books are (if they are lucky) being handed off to other imprints, overloading them with works they aren't as invested with, or (if they are unlucky) being let go altogether.

There are plenty of small presses doing quite well right now. Dragon Moon Press keeps buying some great science fiction, and I have seen them picking up some of my favorite authors. Authors who chose to produce audio versions of their books and release them as podcasts. This allowed them to give free audio to an audience that has continued to support the authors when they were picked up by publishers. If you have the ability (and patience) to record the audio, edit it, and release it for free, then market it like crazy, then this is becoming another great inroad to being published in print.

As for Print-on-Demand, there are many choices out there. Some like Lulu.com do not charge up-front costs, only commissions from sales, though you can buy extra services beyond the basic hosting and sales package. Others like BookSurge.com (now owned by Amazon.com) do charge up-front, but give you many more options. BookSurge is of special note, as they are Amazon's preferred channel for new POD authors. It is fair to say that, if you want to pick a POD and know for sure that Amazon.com will sell your book, BookSurge is your best, if not only real option.

As for the stigma that self-published authors face, no matter what route they took, I never understood it. I don't think it would be fair to say for certain that readers might look at them more favorably now because of the current recession, but I should like to hope so. A self-published author has to do everything themselves. The only advantages to being traditionally published right now are getting an advance and knowing that your publisher has a distributor that can get your books on shelves.

So step back and take another look. Another industry that is failing right now are traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores. Borders is failing and if it falls, others like Barnes & Noble may not fare much better. The fact is, they cannot compete against Amazon. Little independent stores will do better because they serve a niche or a neighborhood, and don't have to become a warehouse to get any small amount of profit.

Here's what it boils down to -- publish via BookSurge and be guaranteed a spot on Amazon, where everyone goes to buy books, or go with a traditional publisher who can get you on shelves that no one peruses anymore and who won't keep them on the shelves very long, because they have to roll the next big thing in.

As a self-published author, the choice seems obvious to me. Go with a POD, get on Amazon, and tell the world about your book. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Writing the book is the EASY part. Promotion is the hard part. It can be done, though. I'd like to recommend two excellent resources for you also.

First is Patricia Fry's website: http://www.matilijapress.com/ and her book, THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK. The second is Mark Levine's website: http://book-publishers-compared.com/ and his book THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING. Patricia's resources and straight talk will help get your manuscript ready for the real world. Mark's experience will help you decide who'll be the best company to use to bring it to the masses.

Good luck,
Dan

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4: FEATURE ARTICLE by Judy Cullins
Top 10 Tips on How to Write a Book Fast
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Whether you are writing a print book or eBook, you may not realize some short cuts that can take your idea to the page and to your audience in less than a month.

Book Tip 1: Write a short book. It can be a print, eBook or both! Your audience wants concise information to solve their problems. Gone are the days of the 260- page book to show you as the expert. Think 50-100 pages. Your specific audience is busy like you and wants tips and how to's that help them overcome their problem or challenge. They don't need long stories or analogies.

Book Tip 2: Write a non-fiction, how to book first. Your audience is out there online ready, hungry for your unique information. Put your fiction book aside until you get your bigger sales from your book aimed at future clients. Then, you can finance your fiction book with far less readers.

Book Tip 3: Know your preferred audience before you write your book. You'll sell far more and get your business bigger visibility. When you write a general book for a general audience, how do you satisfy every audience out there? These books are far harder to market too. Unless you get a deal from Walmart or Costco, you may just end up with a garage full of books.

Book Tip 4: Increase your business credibility with a book. No other product sets you up as the savvy expert as a book will. Many authors make the mistake of creating a deck of cards, or a CD before the book. A short how to book for your preferred audience( future clients and customers) will bring you big visibility and a reputation of a savvy expert in your field.

Book Tip 5: Write your book for your audience, not yourself. Get your ego out of the way. Stop telling and start engaging! Many clients come to me after they published and realize that each chapter format must include a hook and the introduction with benefits, the middle with a lot of headings to help the reader, and a conclusion that motivates the reader to go happily to the next chapter.

Book Tip 6: Write a short title that sizzles. Put your book's promise in the subtitle. Think benefits! Remember you have just 5-10 seconds to impress. Your title and cover are the number 1 selling point of your book. With an engaging one, you'll sell 15% more books than with a lackluster title.

Book Tip 7: Know your audience's challenges. Then, write the book to solve them. Before you even think of writing a chapter, write your Dear Audience letter and say in your own words why you are writing this book -- its benefits and how it will change your audience's life to the better. When you know your audience before you write, you will write more compelling, concise copy that engages on every page, because it's written for only that audience. Post a picture of your audience near your workstation while you write the book to keep it real.

Book Tip 8: Know that word-of-mouth book marketing works only if your readers finish each chapter. Motivate them to finish! When your reader reads all of your chapters, she is more likely to recommend your book. You don't want to pass up your 24/7 sales team ready to do your word-of-mouth advertising.

Book Tip 9: Cut the fluff from your writing. One common mistake is to use too many passive verb constructions. Dump most of your "there is," "she is," and "he is." Sentence starters. Instead start with your subject, then follow with an active verb. While we talk this way, it mars liveliness. Write compelling copy with clarity and compassion. Connecting with your preferred audience personally makes them want to be in your fan club forever. Your readers will follow you and buy!

Book Tip 10: Make your book a top priority if you want it to succeed. Too many potential great authors let "life" get in the way. If you don't focus on what you want, you surely won't get it. Let go of distractions and resistances. What you resist, persists!

Compliments of Judy Cullins, 24-year book coach to 74 clients published. For more information, see her best selling book How to Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast! At http://www.bookcoaching.com/tips-writing-a-book.php
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Copyright © 2009 Judy Cullins. Reprinted with permission.
Book Coach Judy Cullins helps emerging and professional authors get started writing your book. Download the free ebook "20 High Octane Book Writing and Marketing Tips" available through The Book Coach Says at http://www.bookcoaching.com/.
Ready to take action now? Start with the coach's teleseminar: http://www.bookcoaching.com/book-writing-workshop.php
Judy now enjoys networking on Linkedin, Facebook, & Twitter.

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5: RESOURCE LINKS
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PODIORACKET.COM - Blog and Podcast about Podiobooks
Podiobooks.com offers free serialized audio books delivered on your schedule via podcast feeds.
At PodioRacket.com, our goal is to provide an inclusive podcast for listeners interested in upcoming Podiobooks.com releases, and give authors a chance to have a voice in promoting their work to an interested audience. Consider us the TV Guide of Podnovels.
http://www.podioracket.com/

PAGEONELIT.COM - A Top 101 Website For Writers
Established in 1994, PageOneLit.com was the first online literary newsletter and ranks first in Google searches for literary newsletters. The site publishes author interviews, book reviews, and literary news. Visitors may also participate in writing contests, visit websites for authors and other writing resources, and 'authors' reflections on writing. PageOneLit.com owner John Weaver says, "I want people to keep reading so writers will keep writing."
The Writer's Digest, the source for information on writing better and getting published, has just named its top 101 websites for writers. For the third time, PageOneLit.com is on the list. The Writer's Digest also honored the site with the 2000 National Zine Publishing Award. PageOneLit.com has been featured by the USA Today, N.Y. Times, and Chicago Tribune newspapers.
Contact email: PageOnelit@Gmail.com / phone:352.219.6832
http://www.PageOneLit.com/

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6: PUBLISHING ARTICLE by Patricia Fry
Yes You Can Achieve Publishing Success
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Do you use the Internet fully when you have a question about publishing or you're looking for information about publishers, an editor, a distributor, an appropriate organization to join, a book proposal workshop or guidance through the self-publishing process, for example? Or do you even research these things at all? Did you just go blindly through the process of writing and publishing your book with little or no qualified help or knowledge?

Is this how you have approached other important projects throughout your lifetime, such as starting a business, choosing a mate, deciding on a major or a college, parenting your child or rebuilding your car's engine, for example? Or do you typically educate yourself and learn the pros and cons of potential choices so that you can make an informed decision?

The fact is that most authors fail. The figures for 2007 indicated that around 76 percent of authors sold fewer than 100 copies of their books that year. Most of them gave up after selling only a handful of books. Do you know why these authors failed? Because they did not bother to educate themselves about the publishing industry.

* They did not know much about how the publishing industry works.
* They did not know their publishing options.
* They did not know the possible consequences of their choices.
* They did not understand their responsibilities as a published author.

Most authors start the education process too late to create a success of their first book. Those who realize their mistakes, may produce a second book and do much better with it. This time around they will:

* Study the publishing industry so they understand how publishing differs from the process of writing. Writing is a craft and publishing, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is a business.
* Write a book proposal before writing their book. It is crucial that they know who their target audience is and how to approach them, that they identify their competition and that they determine if there is a market for this book.
* Hire an editor before even considering a publisher.
* Evaluate their options and choose appropriately for their project.
* Avoid signing a "self-publishing" company contract without fully understanding it.
* Be completely prepared to promote their books for as long as they want them to sell.

Success as an author does not hinge on your audience, the publishing industry or luck. It is all up to you. You can't rely on forces outside of yourself to make your book a success. It won't happen automatically just because you believe in your book, you worked hard on it, your friends love it and you once won a literary contest. The success of your particular book depends on your publishing savvy because you're the one making the choices and decisions on behalf of your book.

So get out there and learn all you can about the industry, how it works and what it takes in order to succeed. Here, let me help you with some of your research. Here are some of the sites, organizations, books and classes/workshops that I recommend. Search the Internet for others that relate to your project and that resonate with you.

For everything you need to know about fee-based POD "self-publishing" companies, read Mark Levine's book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Highly recommended for those of you going the "self-publishing" route.

To learn more about the publishing industry in general, your publishing options, how to make the right choice for your particular project, how to write a book proposal (a step-by-step guide), tips for writing that book, how to establish your own publishing company, book promotion, oodles of resources and much, much more, order Patricia Fry's hallmark book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), www.spawn.org. Also consider these publishing organizations: IBPA (http://www.ibpa-online.org) and SPAN (http://www.spannet.org).

Take course to learn how to write a book proposal, write articles for publication, promote your book or establish your own publishing company. Here are the teachers I recommend: Patricia Fry teaches courses on all of these topics online and on-demand. www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm. I also recommend Marcia Yudkin's courses (http://www.yudkin.com) and Barbara Florio Graham's courses (http://www.simonteakettle.com).
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Copyright © 2009 Patricia Fry. Reprinted with permission.
Patricia Fry has been writing for publication for 36 years, having contributed hundreds of articles to around 300 different magazines and newsletters. She has 29 books to her credit, including "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book." http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html/. She is also the president of SPAWN (http://www.spawn.org). Follow her informative blog at http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/.

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7: FREE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, and DOWNLOADS
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SMASHWORDS.COM - eBook Self-Publishing Company
Smashwords is a self-publishing platform and online bookstore for independent ebook authors, publishers and readers. We offer multi-format, DRM-free ebooks, ready for immediate sampling and purchase, and readable on any e-reading device.

At Smashwords, our authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works. Smashwords is ideal for personal memoirs, novels, short fiction, non-fiction, essays, screenplays, newsletters, poetry, or other written forms that haven't even been invented yet. It's free to publish on Smashwords.

For readers, Smashwords provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word. For registered members, the site offers useful tools for search, discovery and personal library-building, and each week we add new features based on feedback from Smashwords members.
http://www.smashwords.com/

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8: BOOK REVIEW by Gail Pruszkowski
A Book Reviewer's Best Friend - THE SYNONYM FINDER
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Words, words and more words - these are the all important tools of the trade for any writer.

Sometimes the joy of stringing them together into something eloquent is indescribable. You know exactly what you want to impart to the reader but you're stuck for the right word to convey the meaning. And sometimes you find the right word and overuse it.

Whether you're writing a novel, a non-fiction article or a book review you want to make your point and keep the reader's interest. Using the same hackneyed expressions is one sure way to lose them. Unfortunately that happens a lot in book reviews. The same words keep turning up time after time.

That's why I call THE SYNONYM FINDER a book reviewer's best friend.

Example: If you read book reviews you'll see the word intriguing pop up a lot.

What if you're writing a review and want an alternative, but you just can't think of one?

Grab a copy of J.I. Rodale's THE SYNONYM FINDER. Look up the word intriguing and you'll find: interesting, absorbing, appealing, fascinating, stimulating, arousing, stirring, exciting, beguiling, diverting, charming, captivating, seductive, engaging, inviting and winning.

That's only one example. This thesaurus contains an astounding 1,500,000 words. If you can't find what you're looking for here it ain't been said yet.

It's in dictionary format which I find much easier to use than one organized by subject. There are subdivisions for different parts of speech and different meanings of the same word; also includes slang, archaic, scientific and other special terms.

I can't recommend it highly enough. My own paperback copy is so dog-eared; I've put the hardback version on my wish list.

If you do any kind of writing THE SYNONYM FINDER is absolutely vital, indispensible, essential, compulsory and a necessity.

Grand Central Publishing
1361 pages
ISBN: 978-0-446-37029-5
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Copyright © 2009 Gail Pruszkowski. Reprinted with permission.
Gail Pruszkowski reviews for "Romantic Times BOOKreviews" magazine and her work has been published in the "Cup of Comfort" Anthologies.
Find out more by visiting http://mysite.verizon.net/bookworm.gp/ and http://write-juncture.blogspot.com/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Pruszkowski

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9: CLASSES, GROUPS, WORKSHOPS, and EVENTS
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AUTHOR BOOT CAMP - Podcasting Authors Teach You The Ropes
When: Friday and Saturday, June 19-20, 2009. 9AM-4:30PM Both days
Where: The SF State Downtown Campus in the Westfield San Francisco Centre at 835 Market Street

Bestselling authors Scott Sigler and Seth Harwood generated large online audiences long before their books were in stores, and those audiences landed them multi-book deals with major publishers.

WHAT YOU'LL GET
In this class, Seth and Scott will show you how they did it in simple step-by-step format. You bring your laptop to the class and you'll leave fully up and ready to start recording and distributing your own audiobook podcast. You'll have your own RSS blog with distribution explained, an iTunes feed, an account with Libsyn set for hosting your episodes, and you'll have started your first recording--with an awareness of how to fully edit it! Add to this a series of profiles on today's most popular social networking sites and from there, the tools are clear, the goals are obvious, and the hard work ... is in your hands.

In this class you'll get all of the tools you need to do it, full instructions on how to use them, and an on-going forum of expertise to guide you and answer your questions as you go forward on your own. This class can show you how to elevate yourself to the top of the pile -- it's time for your Author Boot Camp!
http://www.authorbootcamp.com/

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SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK EXPO
The time has come to have an exhibition where the spotlight is solely on self-published books and authors. The first annual Self-Publishing Book Expo (SPBE) will bring national focus and attention to the fastest-growing segment of today's publishing industry.

Unlike any other book exhibit, the Self-Publishing Book Expo will be the only event of its kind to highlight the books of self-publishing companies and their authors, and give them the prominence and prestige they deserve.

The SPBE will bring together many of the key players who make this universe the thriving area it has become, while simultaneously exposing both the houses and the authors to a greater audience of other publishing professionals, booksellers, media, and consumers.

Topics will include everything from publicity & marketing to sales, distribution, e-books, etc. We have a very impressive list of speakers lined up.

If you need any further information or would like to speak to
one of us, please feel free to call 212-353-3478 or e-mail us at info@selfpubbookexpo.com.

The first annual SPBE will be held at 630 SECOND AVENUE, right in the heart of midtown Manhattan, between 34th and 35th Streets. It is easily accessible to eastside subways, tunnels, and bridges.

The Expo will be a one-day event on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Hours of the Expo will be 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.

General admission: $15.00 (cash, payable at the door)
Includes admission to the Expo, plus, from 3:00 - 4:00 pm, a special "Open House: How to Get Started" panel discussion hosted by representatives of the top self-publishing companies. Come learn all the tools you'll need to see your work in print!
Exhibitors -- $275.00 prior to 7/15/09; $325.00 thereafter.
http://www.selfpubbookexpo.com

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10: COMMENTARY by Allison Jackson
Fast & Easy Amazon Book Reviews
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Typically independent freelance book authors & self-publishers have a difficult time competing for "shelf-space" with the big book publishing companies on Amazon.com. We can all agree that Amazon has made self-publishing a viable income generator for self-published authors and publishers, but getting your book to show up high enough in the search results on Amazon is often far more difficult than actually writing the book was.

The other big problem for authors and self-publishers is that even if a prospective book buyer finds your book on Amazon, they may be a bit timid about buying a book that no (or very few) people have been so inspired by, as to write a good review for it. This might be tough to swallow, but that's actually not the worst scenario. The worst scenario is that someone did take the time to write a review for your self-published book, but they gave it a one-star rating. I can tell you with no reservations whatsoever that having a negative review is far worse than having no reviews at all.

No one knows the credentials of the person that gives your book a negative review on Amazon because he can be completely anonymous. He doesn't have to reveal his credentials. He doesn't even have to prove that he actually even read your book. This is exactly the point; if this one guy doesn't like your book, that's fine. You obviously can't please everyone, but his one negative review of your book on Amazon can stop all your sales if it's the only review you have!

At some point we have to decide that business is business, and stop playing by their rules. After all, we didn't make these rules. In fact, we never even agreed to play by their rules. I'd bet every cent I've ever earned that Jeff Bezos wasn't caring about "the rules" when, via Amazon, he put every mom & pop bookstore on the planet out of business. I'd also bet every cent I've ever earned that a huge percentage of the reviews written for the "big authors" are placed there on Amazon by the paid employees of their big book publishers. How many times have you seen tons of reviews posted on Amazon for a book that hasn't even been published yet? I'm always on the look-out for such things, so maybe I've seen it more than you have, but I'm telling you, it happens constantly.

I used to think that Amazon book reviews were a good thing, but over the course of the last few years I've figured out that Amazon book reviews are just one more tool the "haves" use to keep the little guys from competing. They pretend that the book reviews on Amazon are honorable, when in fact, they are just another sales ploy. And the evil genius of them is that not only does the average book buyer on Amazon think the book reviews are all real, but independent book authors and self-publishers think those Amazon book reviews are real too!

The "big authors" and "big publishers" make their money. Amazon makes their money. But how much do we self-published authors make? We pay their fees and commissions. Not only do we pay their fees, but we provide content for their website free of charge. Companies that sell their services to self-publishers hoping to sell their books on Amazon are in the business of convincing writers and self-published authors that they can compete with the big publishers for book sales on Amazon. I'll bet they make a lot of money from selling most of us proof-copies, maybe even more than they do from the actual sales of our books. It's a classic sales ploy. Our self-published books (with very few customer reviews) make their "big books" look more appealing. Businesses have been using this trick forever. The human brain is "programmed" to make comparisons. Nothing has value until you compare it to something else. That Caesar salad you just ordered may seem great until the lady sitting at the table next to you gets her filet mignon delivered to her table. And your self-published book might look great until the prospective book buyer spots a different one with a bunch of good positive reviews posted for it.

We self-published authors need to understand that business is business. Selling books is very competitive. It's dog-eat-dog. Jeff Bezos doesn't care one lick about us. He just wants his investors to be happy. Why play by the competition's rules? When you finally get to the point where you understand that Amazon book reviews are a sham (a sales tool just like all the other sales tools big businesses use), that's when you'll start selling more of your self-published books, because you'll stop feeling guilty about getting book reviews any way you can. If they don't even play by the rules they try to force onto us, then we shouldn't feel guilty about not playing by them either. If they can use their financial influence to get book reviews, then why can't we?

Typically self-published authors care much more about what they write than they do about "sales", and if that's your situation, then, how many books you sell, probably doesn't matter all that much to you. After all, if your goal is simply to spread your message or tell your story, you could easily sell your books for a very reduced price or even give them away for free. But if your goal is to make some actual money from your writing skills, then you may want to consider starting to think like a business owner (as opposed to an artist). Business owners don't care one tiny little bit what "rules" other businesses "suggest" they follow. You have no obligation (moral or otherwise) to play by "their rules". (For the moment at least.) This is still a FREE country. Don't let those currently holding the power "guilt" you into playing by "their rules"--that they set up to keep you down.

And thus, to conclude; the way that you get Fast & Easy Amazon Book Reviews (as this article title suggests) is to stop sitting around hoping that someone will like your book and then go to Amazon and post a good review for it. You need to actively pursue getting reviews just like you would actively pursue any other business endeavor, like getting advertising or getting sales. You need to be relentless and business-like. Get reviews any way you possibly can. Call on friends, family, online-friends, or even companies that provide such services (they do exist) to post reviews for your business's product (your book).

Getting book reviews posted on Amazon is actually a lot faster, cheaper, and easier than you might think. The only thing that's really holding you back is that fear that maybe you're doing something wrong. That fear is what separates authors that self-publish for fun, and authors that self-publish to make some real money selling their books on Amazon. Get creative. That's what great artists do isn't it?
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Copyright © 2009 Allison Jackson. Reprinted with permission.
Allison Jackson is a seasoned author who actively runs her own self-publishing business and sells her books, and the books of her clients on Amazon under various pen-names. If you want to start getting some fast & easy Amazon reviews, there are websites out there that can help you get those reviews posted for your books on Amazon. In fact, they may be right under your nose. Release the shackles and dig your heels in a little deeper. And above all, stop looking for a rule to follow around every corner, make up your own rules! That's exactly what Bezos did. --When you're ready to stop playing by "their rules", this is the website that I most highly recommend: You can visit the folks at (EasyAmazonReviews.com) for more information on how to start getting some reviews posted for your books on Amazon. (EasyAmazonReviews.com)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allison_Jackson

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11: RECIPROCAL LINKS
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LISTINGS:

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THE POST-PUBLICATION BOOK PROPOSAL
If you didn't write a book proposal before writing your book, you missed a vital step in the process of successfully producing and marketing a book. Don't let sagging sales determine your grim future in publishing. Write a post-publication book proposal and get back on track. Order Patricia Fry's FREE report, The Post-Publication Book Proposal. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

SHAURETTE.NET: The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- Out Of The Coffin Podcast - http://www.OutOfTheCoffin.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
All of this and more at: http://www.DanShaurette.com

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12: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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