Amazon top 500 Reviewers and the Author Review Dichotomy

Most my author tips have some advice attached, but on this topic I am struggling and look to the wider community for an answer, so if you can help resolve this conundrum please feel free to post.

The advice to authors is to get a Top 500 Reviewer on, say, Amazon to review your book. However, many top reviewers seem to resent being contacted for reviews. Easy-amazon-tricks-for-getting-more-reviews-from-the-top-50-reviewers/ is an example of how to solicit reviews and yet one of the reviewers replies to state how much he hates being contacted. Surely a reviewer not wanting top be contacted should not post a contact address?

How then should an author seek a review. Does the author politely stay quiet in the hope that a top reviewer reads their work or is there an acceptable way of contacting reviewers?

Do all reviewers feel this way, or is the offer of a free book sufficient recompense for their time? Bearing in mind that a book can take several years to write and the cost of editing and a cover can be substantial.

Should any reviewer wish to review my fantasy novels then feel free to contact me here or view my Facebook page. See my website for links http://davidburrows.org.uk/ -- meanwhile, any views on how best to approach this thorny topic would be welcomed.

Editing your Book

Found an interesting article on Editing you book prior to publishing
http://selfpubauthors.com/2015/08/30/so-you-want-to-publish-a-book-post-1-is-your-book-ready-to-be-published/

My comment was:
I am not sure it is easy to edit your own book. You (blog author) sound like you can and that is a rare skill. I found that I became over familiar with my book and so editing became quite difficult. I paid to have it edited and that is a major pitfall for self-published authors as it's (a) expensive and (b) hit and miss whether you will find someone that is good (at a reasonable cost). There's a huge number of people claiming to be editors and there is a wide range of editing types and most only offer a copy edit due to cost and for many books -- that's not enough. You need to find plot holes and inconsistencies as well as grammar faults.

Stunning Reviews for Legacy of the Eldric -- a fantasy novel

Check out the video of the reviews. Visit my website for sample chapters and more reviews

Good Reading

David

Man from UNCLE film

Man from Uncle was quite good fun despite the reviews, It was nostalgic for the original series but different in its own way. Shame Mr Waverley only features later and UNCLE is only a code name. I hope there is another episode more akin to the books, with more gadgets that 007 (exploding shoe laces). Solo (Henry Cavill) was a bit wooden which was a shame.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1638355/

#Bookreview A Murder on the Appian Way, a tale of Rome by Steven Saylor. Awesome

A Murder on the Appian Way by Steven Saylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, love this author. It's not for everyone as not a lot happens but it's gentle pace is half the reason to love it. The tale makes you believe that you are in Rome (or further afield). Steven Saylor's depth of knowledge is incredible and the small detail really works, like the time Gordianus is leaving Rome and one of the aqueducts has a leak and water drips down his neck. Such a trivial thing but it tells you loads about Rome, the importance of the aqueducts, the slight imperfections on an otherwise stunning achievement. The story line is also very interesting picking on an less well known character and incident and bringing it to life. There is loads of politics and intrigue, all of which Gordianus is trying to leave behind and failing in the attempt. I have read most of his books and the more you read the better the tale, it spans one man's lifetime from young and enthusiastic person to old and cynical man. It plots the life of key Romans such as Cicero. It describes Pompey's summer residence and it's a sumptuous treat, both in writing and what the "rich" could afford. Amazing tales and well worth getting into.


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#Bookreview River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine

River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very entertaining read. It is set in three periods, Saxon, Victorian and the modern day. It is nicely written and easy to read. The tale is compelling and keeps you hooked. It's a ghost story with a twist that there a flashbacks to the different periods and it is quite creepy with ghostly ships on a river. It is not too creepy, however, and it is more a mystery tale solving crimes/murders. The different periods link well and are linked by various aspects including a old statue from the Old Gods. There are plenty of twists to keep you interested and it's a nice twist how infidelity is independent of period. I particularly liked the Saxon period and descriptions and felt that was very nicely detailed and researched.

It was good enough that I am reading Lady of Hay. However, I am finding that much heavier to read and over long. Whereas the formula of flashbacks and interconnected personalities over time works very well in River of Destiny I do think Lady of Hay is overlong.


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