I've had many queries lately, and decided to post this just to clarify my methods for choosing which books to review and to sell online. I hope it is helpful!
I started Books for Animal Lovers last year because I wanted
to combine two great loves of mine and offer my choices to other like-minded
people. I am not a fast reader, but I do try to read two or three books
concurrently in order to offer timely reviews. My blog has received enough
readership that I now am on the list to receive advance reader copies (ARCs)
from various publishers and samples from smaller presses. I appreciate
receiving the books and do my best to look at each one with an open mind.
Many of the books I receive are from self-published authors.
As a former publisher and owner of a subsidy house, I’m aware of the difficulty
authors have in finding a so-called traditional publisher willing to take a
risk on an unknown writer. I’m also aware of the various methods for
self-publishing, many of which are quite good. All of this is to say that I’m
not opposed to including self-published books on my site, but I do have
standards that I am rather strict about imposing. And so here are some of my
peeves pertaining to self-published titles:
·
Errors. No book is perfect, and typos do happen,
but when a book obviously has not been edited or proofread, I cannot accept it
because, quite simply, I can’t bear to read it! Hire an editor as part of your
writing process. You will benefit, as will your book.
·
Interior Design. Part of the joy of reading is
the feel and look of a book in my hands. But a book that is poorly designed
with low-resolution images, ugly fonts, or a shoddy layout will not be accepted
here no matter how wonderful the writing. I’m not just selling words, but the
whole package. Otherwise, I’d simply sell eBooks. Hire a professional designer
to layout your book.
·
Cover Design. Self-published books often have
amateurishly designed covers. It is
absolutely a fact that a good cover will sell a book. Frankly, I do not want to
have ugly books on my site! Pay the extra and have a pro do your cover while
designing the interior.
·
Pricing. Understandably, writers paying for
books to be published, either through CreateSpace or other services, have to
pay a much higher unit cost. That causes the retail price to be higher than
traditionally published books, and limits the book’s marketability. Sometimes
it’s just too high a cost for a small retailer to handle. There’s no real
solution unless the writer is willing to break even or take a loss on sales to
a retailer. At least they are getting their books out before potential readers.
So if you have a book you feel fits the list here (and
you’ve read or at least browsed the selections and reviews), by all means send
it to me to consider. If I feel it has merit and may sell, I’ll definitely add
it to the site. If I believe it merits a review, I’ll post one on the blog and
send it to other sites. If it does not meet my criteria, I will not include it.
If you would like referrals to designers, editors, etc., ask me. I have a
pretty good list of resources!
Keep reading, keep writing, and don’t give up the dream.
Contact me: Jeremy@booksforanimallovers.com for more info or questions.
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