Your target audience has a lot to say. Take some time to read the reviews.
After taking a break from my current
work in progress this morning, I noticed my stack of books-to-read was down to
two books. So I refilled my cup of coffee and logged on to Amazon to check out some
cozy murder mysteries. I read a few descriptions
and then was sidetracked reading reader reviews. It wasn’t all wine and roses. It
was fascinating, scary, and enlightening.
I read 5 & 4-star reviews to understand
what readers enjoy.
I read 1 & 2-star reviews to
understand what they found annoying and made them dislike the books.
The 5 & 4-star reviewers offer prized
insights into what they want to read in a novel: Characters you care about; storylines that keep you reading past bedtime; and a story that hangs together and leads you to a satisfying ending.
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| Pexel.com |
The pit-bull reviewers (who go for the
bone when they bite and who hand out 1 and 2-star reviews) were really,
utterly, and truly turned off by poor grammar, typos, and punctuation errors. We’re
talking big time. Next came irritating main characters and a storyline that
lacked momentum. I constantly saw the words: Hated the main character; Needs
proper editing; Couldn’t finish the book; Boring; Plotholes you could drive a truck through; Couldn't identify with the characters.
Needless to say, these are all things
we authors are aware of. But reading reviews is an excellent reminder. Remember
– make sure your book is truly ready to go to press before you query agents or
self-publish.
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| Pexel.com |
Pick your favorite genre and see what readers like and what they hate.
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I also came across some quirky reviews that left me scratching my head.
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I also came across some quirky reviews that left me scratching my head.
4-star review: “I don’t give 5-star
reviews because most people don’t read them.”
4-star review: “I never give 5 stars,
just because.”
1-star review on a murder mystery that
was not Christian based: “I stopped in the first chapter when the Lord’s
name was taken in vain.”
1-star
review: “Good read.”
1-star review: “Amazon sent the wrong
book and they won’t send the correct one.”
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See you next month.
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Other
places to find me:
My
Historical Murder Mystery Novel (1st in a series) on
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/169609738X
