The only way to start this is with what reviews do I believe. Reviews that offer more than – I like this, you should read it. Or – this ____ is crap, don’t waste your money.
The writing world I’ve been a part of, for roughly 35 years, has become smaller. I’ve become social media friends with numerous writers through Facebook, Twitter, chat groups, and small publishing houses. I recognize names when searching for reads and when reading reviews left by them. I trust them.
I state this here because some, on social media, some think there’s a quid pro quo if writers from the same publisher leave positive reviews for each other’s books, even if that book is from a different publisher.
Hogwash. Does it happen, sure, but every writer I know would not risk their reputation by being this bogus.
With me no longer editing – actively, it’s on the middle burner – I will be offering reviews and space to those I have edited and authors I knew through the publishing homes I was once connected with. Why? Because I still believe their words are great reads. I want to know where they’ve taken their characters, what new stories have they have imagined. The last thing I want is for you not to believe me.
Those who write more than a short sentence are the reviews I give more weight to – both in my decision to buy or not buy, even my decision whether to review or not. These reviews give me a look into the person writing them. They care enough about their words and the reader to think about what they are leaving behind. They’re not writing for the author or product but for you, the next customer.
I like to think I am as well.