FREE Article - Written for Customer Who Did Not Like It!

[webtelly]

Hi, I wrote this 1,000 word article and the customer did not like it. A blog piece, it is not the kind of thing that can be modified just because it does not strike someone’s fancy. So, I just took the hit and cancelled it. Now, I want to make sure that they cannot use it, so I am giving away the copyright, or whatever, or however that crap works. I don’t care at this point.



What I do care about is giving a free lesson to anyone who has ears. SEO is not something you create. It is something that emerges from organic, authentic writing. I am aghast and amused at how many people are offering “SEO Enriched” writing on here. ALL my writing is SEO enriched! Do you know how I know? Because I write the hell out some original content on every subject that I am asked to. Google slurps that stuff up. You know what makes Google gag and vomit? “Please use the keyword ___ 7 to 10 times in my 500 word article.” Seriously? Are you that dumb? No, I mean, are you stuck in 1998?



Here is my article:



" Getting the Book Reviews that Matter

We’re all schemers in a sense. As authors, we have to be schemers to crank out a good plot that people are going to read. It has been said that people don’t read anymore. This simply isn’t true. You just have to hit upon the right formula to find those readers who drive the new market. The Da Vinci Code was probably the last “true” novel that we saw everyone carrying around. That’s because since 2006, digital reading has taken the forefront.



Perhaps you have been into self-publishing much longer; since back in the day when it was “print on demand.” You felt guilty using this new technology, even though experts were heralding that print was dead or dying. Somewhere in conversation, however, and in the back of your mind, the term, “vanity publishing” kept popping up; just in case you did not feel guilty enough.



But then the times caught up with you, unfortunately. Because right when you were surfing the lip of the power curve, suddenly now it seems that everyone is self publishing and hogging all your self glory. How dare they? Now, it has come down to a battle of who is getting the most and the best reviews; because people don’t log onto Amazon to shop for junk. They’re only going to spend their $1.99 to $5.99 on a first-rate eBook. So, now you are back to scheming.



Anyone can get a puppet review. Go on Fiverr, Craigslist, anywhere else that makes you feel dirty and pay someone to review your book. Now take a shower and hope that the book police don’t come knocking on your door. Pray that you don’t end up on Oprah like that guy… what was his name? Just… eww.



We’ve all done it, though: Watched your book sit there for months, with a couple of “nice” reviews from friends who still don’t really consider you to be a writer, just some odd person they know who doesn’t live like they do. Then, along comes Bob the Basher, the guy who’s only reviewed a bicycle tire or a computer disk before; and suddenly he’s giving you a 1-star review and saying that your book was boring – after only taking the time to read the first paragraph. That will teach you to put your book on free promo! Now, your 4-star rating has dropped to two.



Back to scheming. At least you have learned the priceless lesson that literary appreciation is, well… priceless. You can’t give a product away and expect gratitude, or a discerning readership for that matter. You can’t pay people to review your book, because a 5-star review from someone in Bangladesh who types in Spangladesh is as transparent and painful as a paneless window. That dog don’t hunt, as they used to say up in the holler.



So, how to get in the hunt: That is the 64,000 dollar question; which doesn’t sound like too bad of an advance, once you get picked up by a real publisher and get into print. Did I just say that? No. And it isn’t about the number of reviews, either. Take for example a recent book on Amazon, “Sea or Trees.” It still languishes in the basement in sales volume and only has 30-something reviews. But it was optioned early and is coming out as a feature film later in 2015, starring Matthew McConaughey. Not too shabby for a debut novel; but still the book has not really seen the effect of the movie being made in terms of sales. Once the movie is released, however, the fact that it has a solid 4 to 5 star rating is going to help it fly off the shelves.



Your goal, then, is to get in position. You want to boost not only your rating, but your credibility. How do you do that? It’s quite simple, really: You go after the top reviewers on Amazon. But they are too busy, you say. Well, not really. They are people who like to read quality works. Plus, they are not that inaccessible. They do not live in white towers. If you go to their reviewer page, you can actually see their real email address if they have chosen to make it public. Most of them have.



Here is where you go: Fragglesrock



These people will be inundated, you are thinking. How is my book ever going to get their attention? The answer is you have to make your book stand out with a heartfelt appeal. Simply tell them in your own words, briefly and sincerely, why your book would interest them. Tell them what they have to gain from reading it. Explain how they will be enriched, along with their status and profile on Amazon. Appeal to their ego… well, maybe just rub them the right way.



This is where your free promotion in your Amazon bookshelf comes in handy. You want to strategize your release of your promo to coincide with a time that you get a fair number of replies. With current stats showing that you have to query four times as many reviewers as the number of reviews you want to get, that strategy can be daunting… but doable. Set up a spreadsheet, or any kind of project tracking file. Make a list of the reviewers you have contacted, and create a folder in your email for the replies. Make two subfolders: Accepted and Rejected.



This way, you know when it might be a good time to pull the trigger. Your solicitation email might want to include something about their receiving your book for free if they accept. This way, after a handful of top reviewers have said yes, you can put your book on promo and reply with the link. Bear in mind, it can take up to 48 hours for the book to be available at zero dollars; so time your replies accordingly. In fact, go to your book page and verify that it is actually free before you send the invitations to download it.



Then, just sit back and watch the reviews roll in! If you get even one Amazon Top Reviewer to leave a review for your book, it will do wonders for your credibility as a writer. Remember, these people do not always leave glowing reviews; but the important thing is that they leave helpful reviews. This means any weaknesses that they point out will include constructive criticism or detailed explanations of why they did not like a particular aspect of your book.



Sometimes, writers can go years sending manuscripts to hundreds of publishers without getting this kind of feedback! Keep this up for a few months, and who knows what can happen to your writing career.



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