Calling All Suspense Readers!
Join the The House on Cold Creek Lane launch team.
Hi! Hope everyone had a great weekend!
On Friday afternoon I treated myself to a webinar with the always-inspiring
.If you haven’t checked out the bestselling author’s You Should Write a Book podcast, I can’t recommend it enough.
Even if you’re not a writer, Camille’s encouragement and reassuring, laid-back approach will motivate you as you strive toward any goal.
Friday’s webinar focused on getting your first 50 reviews. I signed up because I completely trust Camille’s wisdom and I knew she’d share it in a way that felt actionable and not overwhelming. Also, with six weeks to go until the launch of The House on Cold Creek Lane, now seems like the perfect time to get some guidance.
Though I’ve published other books and even wrote an article, How to Ask for Book Reviews (& Why You Should), I struggle with this. Someone could very generously say, “Hey, Liz, I enjoyed your book!” and while I’ll reply, “Thank you so much!” I almost always choke when it comes to following up with a simple, “If you wouldn’t mind leaving a brief review, that would be amazing!”
As Camille explained so well in the webinar, reviews are more than just about stroking an author’s ego, they act as social proof that:
Makes your book visible to readers browsing online retailers.
Boosts your book’s online ranking.
Makes your book look legitimate to readers.
Builds buzz with other readers and your publisher.
Reviews don’t need to be long — anything at all is appreciated.
Camille also talked about the importance of putting together a launch team — a group of early readers who will spread the word about your book and leave those crucial reviews on or close to launch day. (Hence this newsletter!)
Leading up to the release of my novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, I reached out to my childhood library to see if they’d consider it for their book club. Before I could even offer to donate copies or attend the meeting to talk about writing and publishing, I was promptly told to call back when I had more than one hundred, four-star ratings. See what I mean about social proof?
Jessica Payne did a great job outlining how her launch team helped her while chatting with David Gwyn on his Thriller 101 podcast and I want to try to take her advice as well as Camille’s and, hopefully, give my novel the best start possible. That’s where you come in!
What is a book launch team and how does it work?
I’ll send you a free electronic copy of The House on Cold Creek Lane and ask that you post an honest review on launch day on Amazon and/or other booksellers’ websites. I’ll also offer giveaways and incentives along the way.
Interested or have a thriller-loving friend who might be available to read and review? Complete or share this Google form and I’ll be in touch!
Time for my obligatory cat photo!
As always, thanks for reading.
Have a great week!
Thank you, Liz!! So glad it was helpful.
Liz, I'd love to read and post a review!!