Subject: Using ‘reviews’ as a tool.

Again, thinning files, focusing thoughts. What about collecting ‘reviews’ all in one place?

I still have my issues with how EFFECTIVE having any quantity of reviews is (people gonna read them all? I doubt it; they rarely read other people’s comments–what a waste!) but it’s obviously used on Amazon as a ‘numbers’ grabber. What if you cut and paste all these reviews in a Watpad–or other website–entry?

We work so hard to GET reviews and then no one uses this data!

I have issues already with Amazon because I am on an ‘old’ computer/outdated internet browser and unable to update due to weirdness in this public access (longer story; it’s what I got and it works enough for now!) and I can download freebie Kindle books to Amazon’s ‘cloud’ but can’t open the bloody things. (I’d be a writer’s dream for reviews if I could bloody well READ ebooks this way. Damn you Amazon. Net Galley uses this format too. Argh.)

Anyway, I rant, I am, or I am therefore I rant. Where was I? Oh yeah, reviews.

What if you could take all the reviews and ‘post’ them somewhere so people can see them? I’m saying this, obviously, because I cannot post reviews on Amazon–no credit card or whatever’s needed to ‘buy’ a book to review. (Yikes, Amazon.) and to top if off Amazon is clamping down on what ‘they’ consider a review, longer story, which I don’t agree with.

Just a (cluttered) thought.

Heather
wordwan

In reply to wordwan.

Interesting ideas…maybe we should move this to email? But I’ll be relatively out of touch for a few days (check the blog entry I’m about to write).

Still: hmm.

I still think posting on Wattpad is a good idea. The interface is SOOO clean–omigod. This kids on mobile text idea makes me VEERRY curious where it could lead.

It’d give me an excuse to find readers for you there too. (I’d have to read all your stuff. Horrors. *grin*) Readers. NOT writers who are busy writing. *grin* I am starting to stare hard at THIS particular point. Like how did J.K. Rowling get started? Was it strictly Amazon discussion groups discussing Harry Potter?

I’m IN scouting mode anyway, and Wattpad HAS this similar kind of ‘under construction’ feel you might be employing here. Very easy to make updates, for example. Perhaps there’s a goodreads/facebook like attachment you could make to Wattpad? I will check.

I really think ‘having groups and shite like that’ is no REAL guarantee that people are gonna READ your stuff, but we NEED to figure out WHEN AND WHY they do.

Yanno? Hope that makes sense.

Me? I’ve been fiddling with video uploads on youtube. Did you say you use youtube for anything?

Again, if you’re gonna do the once a week Harlan in a hat trick, I’d volunteer as well to scout out youtubers.

I haven’t done this yet. But because I’ve been following ‘Sherlock’ people (I like the show) I’m getting a rather knee deep sense of how vids are accessed on youtube.

OR. I no nothing at all and am willing to, simply, pimp you.

Let me know what you think. I’m mostly available Monday to Friday, but who knows, if there’s some kind of …hm.. street team idea we can use, I’m up for that.

It’s like: if Harlan was doing this; how would HE get through all the noise of all the other talent out there, today? *grin*

What city do you live in? What country? I ask only because I think I’ll take a look at what or WHO could be helping you locally. Is anyone?

Do you have, for example, writer festivals?

Always looking at how the big boys do it: Neil Gaiman is coming to Canada, for example to pimp his new books. He’ll be in Toronto and in Vancouver, for example.

Heather
up for this.