Lois W. Stern Offers Writers A Fresh New Approach to Getting Reviews for Your Books

A Fresh New Approach to Getting Reviews for Your Book

BY LOIS W. STERN 

Hi, I'm Lois W. Stern here, your Associate at Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s THE NEW BOOK REVIEW BLOG. I have a fresh new idea for those of you who originally submitted data about your books, hoping to attract a reviewer or two for your book(s) As you know, that project laid a goose egg, so we have moved on 

I just initiated a mini review writing contest for Tales2Inspire, which I want to share with you, so that you can adapt it to initiate your own mini review contest.

Here is my opening pitch

Write a meaningful mini review for any of the Tales2Inspire books (even a review of 25 words works). Add a catchy title and submit your mini review to this contest, along with the following.

• A brief bio 
• Your headshot photo
• URLs to any of your relevant links, (i.e.social media, website, etc.)
• Your book cover(s) or other  object unique to you, to add to your personal banner (as pictured below).
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Here are the payoffs I offer my Tales2Inspire reviewers, but you will need to adapt the words in green font below for your book review campaign:

👉 Carolyn Howard-Johnson will select the winning reviews, posting them on The NewBookReview blog, and highlighting the reviewer for their achievement. 

👉 Each winner will receive a personal banner to use as they wish for all their promotional needs.

👉 Each contest winner's review will end with an About the Reviewer section with the reviewer's bio, headshot and reviewer's preferred links included.

👉 I will feature each contest winning reviewer in my Tales2Inspire newsletter.

* NOTE: I am fortunate to be working with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, so she will be selecting my Tales2Inspire mini review contest winners and highlighting them on her TheNewBookReview blog. If you are replicating this project, try to connect with someone to work with you that might lend authenticity to your project. And if you have a newsletter, that's another good place to thank the reviewer.)

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Tips for structuring your contest 

👉 Think of a way that you can honor your winners. Do you have a blog, website, newsletter, Twitter or Facebook page? Promise them some payoff and follow through. 

 👉 If you can get a respected author or other person of note to select your contest winners, it will add authenticity to your contest. 

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Tell your readers how to submit their mini reviews 

 👉 Provide the name and email address of the person to whom the reviewer should submit their review. 

(Reviews for any of the Tales2Inspire books should be sent to Carolyn at: hojonews@gmail.com with a CC to me at tales2inspire2@gmail.com.)

 👉 Tell them to put the words Mini Review Contest in the subject line.

 

👉 Remind them to include the following items with their mini review:

• A brief bio 
• Their headshot photo
• The URL to any of their relevant links, (i.e.social media, website, etc.)

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Tips for writing a winning mini-review

👉 Write a catchy heading for your review in 10 words or less. (HINT: Use strong words for your title as that is what other readers will see first, and sometimes the only part they read. So make it pop!)

👉 Sincerity counts. Give the book the number of stars you think it deserves.

 (1 is the lowest score, 5 is the highest. A 5-star rating means that you really liked the book, 4 stars means it was very good, 3 stars, just okay, etc. ).   

👉 Answer a few of questions about the book you are reviewing. (I make this easy for reviewers by including Book Discussion Questions at the end of each of my Tales2Inspire books, but you can always ask the author to send you some questions as suggestions of topics they would like you to address.)

                                                         

👉 End your review with your actual name, not a pseudonym. Readers will take more notice of your words if written by a person with an authentic name.

👉 Finally, read over your review to correct any errors before pressing that submit button.

👉 If possible, post your mini review on Amazon, 'cause short reviews count just as much as detailed long ones when Amazon displays the total number of reviews a book has received. 

👉 But even if for some reason Amazon rejects your review, we can still post it 0n Amazon's Editorial Reviews section, (according to their guidelines), and that's a big deal. Here's why:

Your Editorial Review

Although Amazon no longer counts Editorial Reviews toward the total number of reviews a book receives, those Editorial Reviews do something super good for the reviewer! Along with your review, we will include your relevant credentials (i.e. author of, or other pertinent info).  And as you already know, Amazon is a great place for wide exposure without costing you a dime!

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About the Author:

Lois W. Stern is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in many varied venues. She has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help authors on their paths to discovery.

Lois created her Tales2Inspire® ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project in 2012, helping hundreds of talented newbies and seasoned authors alike enhance their visibility. Click here to learn more about entering her annual no fee Tales2Inspire contest. That’s right, it’s free! What emerges from these annual contests are highly professional anthologies of inspirational memoirs. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire® books, because aside from being expertly crafted, inspirational memoirs, they are filled with original photos to further enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire® sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts and visit Lois at these Media Marketing sites: 

Website: https://www.tales2Inspirel.com 

Spend some media marketing time with Lois at: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2

About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews Authors and publishers will want to access use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors services. All are free and listed in her silver-circle icons in the right column. WARNING some cell phones cut off the right column of the blog, so try it using your desktop!) Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

This Review for Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series II Says It All!!

Now the recipient of a National Indie Excellence (NIEA) Finalist Award

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Author’s Name: Lois W. Stern (Creator, editor, contributor)

Author’s email: tales2Inspire2@gmail.com

Title of Book: TALES2INSPIRE ~ THE DIAMOND COLLECTION - SERIES II

The complete editions of the Ruby (Gifts of Compassion) and Sapphire (Timeless Memories)  Collections under one cover 

Number of pages: 268

Age/Interest level: 10 +

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1507618050
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1507618059

Amazon link: bit.ly/3sQ8AbO

Reviewed by: Foluso Falaye 

Posted on: Readers' Favorite

Review: Tales2Inspire: The Diamond Collection - Series II is created by Lois W. Stern is a riveting collection of nonfiction short stories by award-winning authors. Each story inspires consciousness, empathy, and appreciation for the little things we take for granted. The book is divided into two sections. The first part focuses on stories of compassion while the second one is about timeless memories. In one story, we see how training dogs helps in teaching dropouts to be responsible. Another story reveals the effect of the horrors of the Holocaust on a survivor. An assistant DA shares the values he stands by while relating an encounter with some good-looking burglars. As these stories are told, each author is introduced with an "about the author" page that follows their brilliant contribution. We experience their amazing stories and connect with their important memories, as well as the life-changing messages they hold.

I found several parts of the book quite relatable, especially being judged by a lover's parent for having different hair. Additionally, I loved that each story doesn't have too many characters or themes but maintains a concise structure that allows for quick assimilation and deep intrigue. The collection includes themes of family, loss, health challenges, pets, sports, mental illness, and romance. Apart from the stories, readers are engaged with the book's other fantastic features, including book club discussion questions, pictures of protagonists and authors, and an "about" section. I loved all the tales so much that I am now convinced that everyone should tell their story. Like the authors in Tales2Inspire: The Diamond Collection Series II, everyone has a profound experience of life that sheds light on what truly matters. All nonfiction short story fans will be happy to read this beautiful, heartwarming book by Lois W. Stern.

Escape Rooms Introduce Novels with Sample for The Hurricane Code by James Aura

Escape Rooms Introduce Novels with Sample for The Hurricane Code by James Aura

Previously, I wrote about The Hurricane Code by James Aura and provided discussion questions. Book groups and high school teachers alike could use another free resource to help readers better understand the 2099 climate change fictional story (Cli-Fi). The activity is auto-graded for teachers and group leaders. The book is not required for using the free digital escape room at this link. We hope the escape room will motivate a reader to want to locate a copy of the book. 

The video below explains the escape room for this particular book. Digital escape rooms are similar but not all the same. They use free Google apps: Google Sites, Google Slides, and Google Forms. Incorrect answers are marked in red as answers are entered, so people know if they successfully unlocked a code or not. There are number code locks, text code locks, directional code locks, and color code locks. Answers should be in all caps with no spaces for this room. 

 

If that didn't explain it, this answer key will help. I am providing answers as escape rooms are new and are a learning experience for most, at this time. Digital escape rooms are similar but use different icons for the locks. Instructions should be followed such as capitalization or lowercase, spaces or not, and so on. Each room could be different as they are made individually by people like me.

The book captures life in North America to Canada as the year 2099 brings pythons moving north due to the warming climate, chocolate as a rare treat, and an exodus of people trying to get north. Travel agents are not honest. An engaging read worthy of discussion, The Hurricane Code was an All About Books Goodreads group pick last summer. This is where to find it: on Goodreads and Amazon.  Author Aura has a link/tr.ee, also. 

Thank you for reading, 

Carolyn Wilhelm, reviewer

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Be a Hero: Make Some Magic for Yourself

Be a Hero: Make Some Magic For Yourself

Add Some Subtle Self-Promotion to Your Book Reviews 

👉 Write a catchy heading for your review in 10 words or less. (HINT: Use strong words for your title as that is what other readers will see first, and sometimes the only part they read. So make it pop!)

👉 Sincerity counts. Give the book the number of stars you think it deserves.

 (1 is the lowest score, 5 is the highest. A 5-star rating means that you really liked the book, 4 stars means it was very good, 3 stars, just okay, etc. ).   

                                                         

👉 Try to promote yourself a bit while writing your review, but be subtle about it. 

(One example: If you are an author or editor, you can say something like, "As an author myself, I appreciate books with messages that . . . ", BUT DO NOT name the titles of your books, publishing company etc. or your review is likely to be turned down flat! )

(Another example: If you are an expert or professional in any field, and somewhere in the book the author speaks favorably about that subject, you can say something like: "As a dedicated ___ myself, . . ., I particularly appreciated the way the author depicted . . . ")

👉 Ask the author to provide you with a few questions about their book to help you create your review. (I include Book Discussion Questions at the end of each of my Tales2Inspire books, but you can always ask the author to send you some questions as suggestions for topics they would like you to address.)

👉 Ask the author to suggest page numbers from one section of their book to give you its flavor. (Of course, if you have the time and desire to read the entire book, that's great! But we all have busy schedules, and readers should be able to get a sense of the author's style and writing skills by reading a section of 100 pages or less.)

👉 End your review with your actual name, not a pseudonym. Readers will take more notice of your words if written by a person with an authentic name.

👉 Read over your review to correct any errors before posting it on Amazon or any other credible online book review site.

👉 And once your review is posted, send the link to me at: tales2inspire2@gmail.com with the words Book Review for TNBR in the subject line.

Some Quick and Easy New Ideas for Getting More Book Reviews

A Fresh New Approach to Getting Reviews for Your Book

BY LOIS W STERN 

YOUR ADVOCATE FOR GETTING NEW REVIEWS FOR YOUR BOOKS!

Hi, I'm Lois W. Stern here, your Review Acquisition Coordinator for Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s THE NEW BOOK REVIEW BLOG. I have a fresh new idea for those of you on my list of book review requests to help you get more reviews for your book. 

I just initiated a mini review writing contest for Tales2Inspire, which I want to share with you, so that you can adapt it to initiate your own mini review contest.

My Octopus Teacher Film 10 Discussion Questions

My Octopus Teacher Film 

10 Discussion Questions

I loved the film, My Octopus Teacher. My daughter who has never liked cephalopods so much I could barely mention the title to her didn't watch it. She doesn't know what she is missing, in my opinion. Although there is a lengthy discussion guide online, I wrote ten discussion questions to encourage people to talk about the movie. The site's critical consensus reads: "A heartwarming look at the way a meaningful bond can transcend just about any barrier, this documentary will leave you asking your friends to come and see My Octopus Teacher with you." Living in a pandemic, that left me to watch it alone as no one in my so-called bubble wanted to watch (or discuss) the movie. So, that leaves me to write a blog post. Having watched it months ago, I still feel the impact of what I learned. 

For the questions that are less easily answered from only viewing the film, please see the long yet engaging official discussion guide. Here are my questions to get started:

Why did Craig Foster begin a daily diving regimen? How was it filmed? Where was it filmed?

2.    Did you connect with the protagonist, the octopus? Did the protagonist have a name? Did she have a memory?

3.    What portion of the life of the octopus did Foster record? What is the usual life expectancy of a cephalopod? How did you feel when he did not intervene or help at critical moments, like when the shark attacked or she gave birth?

4.    Do you think this movie was part of why the UK declared some octopuses, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings in 2001?

5.    What is the range of temperatures in a kelp forest? Why? Describe the self-discipline needed to form a relationship with the octopus and record the information.

6.    How is climate change affecting kelp seaweed forests? How do kelp forests help climate stability?

7.    Why do you think Foster said, “What she taught me is to feel that you are part of this place. Not a visitor. And that’s a huge difference.”

8.    How did the story show love, friendship, connection, and hope? Do you think it was a love story?

9.    How does cold water stimulate brain activity? How long did Foster and the filmmakers have to hold their breath?

1             What is living science, according to the Sea Change Project?

Have you had a “teacher” in nature? Tell about your experience. 

If you have not seen the film, I hope to encourage you to do so. Here is a trailer that might help. 

Last, but hopefully not least as they say, here is the free instant download question guide I wrote. Click on the next link to download your copy. 
Discussion questions free instant download PDF

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm of the Wise Owl Factory LLC 
 

 More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Books, Book Reviews and Hens' Teeth

James Gilmore, a mid nineteenth century American, is said to have coined the phrase, Scarcer than Hen’s Teeth. Well, since hens don’t have teeth, in effect he was saying that something was so scarce as to be nonexistent.

 

Let’s not have that happen to our books posted here on TheNewBookReview blog.

We all want those FREE Amazon posted reviews, so let's make it easy for the reviewer. Here’s how:

 Be ready to select a small section of your book listed here on The Book Review blog - perhaps 25 to 50 pages - just to give the reviewer its flavor. And potential reviewers, don’t be afraid to ask.

I have spent the last few weeks updating my Tales2Inspire books, to make it as easy as pie for potential reviewers to write those reviews. But you can develop some of these same features and have them ready to e-mail to potential reviewers, even if they’re not printed in your book. 

For example, I’ve included:

• A brief synopsis of each short story on the Contents pages at the front of each of my Tales2Inspire books. (You can write synopses for chapters or book sections of your book instead.)
• Thoughtful Book Club Discussion questions, at the end of each Tales2Inspire book, targeting the specific stories, so readers can pick and choose those of particular interest to them. (You can write some thought provoking questions now to e-mail to any reviewer from our list who contacts you .) 
• Some really great hints for helping your potential reviewers write reviews, without breaking a sweat, (while showing them how to do a bit of self-promotion along the way.) Click here to check them out.
• And don’t forget, there are some rewards just waiting for each reviewer, to heighten your visibility. Click here to see how we honor our reviewers.

It’s a New Year. 

Go here to select the genre of your choice, choose a title of interest to you from our treasured book listings, contact that author for a free book, and do your stuff.

And here’s why:

No Hen’s Teeth for us!  

As caring, responsible authors, let's each do a little bit to help a fellow author.

Your NewBookReview Coordinator,

   

 

Lois W. Stern