How Book Reviews, Ratings & Praise Blurbs are Like Chemo-therapy.

April Bair
Jul 28, 2017 · 3 min read

Chemo-therapy is a life-saver but the process is grueling.

Before too many people get upset, let me assure that I don’t take this analogy lightly. The comparison came to me while sitting in the treatment room with my mother.

Cancer treatment is a nasty business in which we essentially hope to survive toxic exposure. You either focus on the healthy cells your killing or you focus on the cancerous cells your defeating. In the end its a numbers game of healthy cells fighting to stay on the playing field.

Independent authors live and die by reviews in a similar, although voluntary and non-life threatening way.

Traditionally published books arrive in bookstores endorsed by someone. At least one team of people at a publishing house believed in the book enough to pull it out the slush pile, talk about it, spend energy on it and invest actual money to send the treasure to press. A backed debut author is still terrified but there’s a small comfort that someone non-related believes in it.

Hopefully, you’ve dawned your armor and it holds as reviews and sales dribble in. Most debut authors learn quickly how hard it is to sell 250 books and how little revenue those books produce.

Independent authors take that plunge alone and quickly discover that most of their 500 Facebook friends and legion of Twitter followers just want a free copy. Totally exhausted because by this point your platelet count is already low from doing your best to build a social media presence there are days when there is nothing you can do but wait.

Reviews, good ratings and blurbs of praise are the antidote to criticism and self-doubt that your just another self published not ready for prime time Amazon uploader so authors start wondering if they should sell their soul to get their book out there.

Like chemo-therapy, even when it works there will be side effects. The one star Kindle book review hits hard and the five star rating on Goodreads success has a delayed effect. It’s like electronic purchases; the money comes out of your bank account the second you swipe your card but a refund takes to 7–10 days to process?

It’s more than a leap of faith, it’s a agreeing to a course of treatment that you know is toxic but it’s also your only hope.

WRITERS: Don’t give up. More cancer patients go into remission every day. A diagnosis is no longer an immediate death sentence. The publishing market is opening up and marketing really does make the difference.

READERS: Take the minute and click a rating. Follow your favorite author on social media. Send that debut author a fan letter or instant message and tell them how your found the book, why you bought it and what you thought.

TROLLS: Please don’t slam a book just because your having a bad day. At least give the author a chance to pay the bridge toll. Many fantasy novel wars have been won thanks to trolls and those crazy haired little dolls are infectious. We want to be your friends so stop throwing rocks at the indie authors instead of joining in the fun.

CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS: No matter how terrifying and uncomfortable writing books, publishing them and dealing with reviews is it’s no where near the battle for your life. As this trivial article travels into the electronic void prayers, hope, light, strength and go with it and I hope the brightest part of your day shines through the strongest.

April Bair

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As an opinionated behaviorist writing her way through life April is consistently distracted by the odd and off beat moments we usually try to ignore.