So, you’ve just finished a book I wrote. Chances are you’re reading this because you told me something about it, and I sent you the link.
First–thank you. Aside from the work of writing itself, hearing from readers that they’ve enjoyed your work, or that it moved them, or that they had a thought about it, is probably the best part of being a novelist. I’m immensely grateful to you for that.
What’s next?
Well, if it was Kiss Me, Genius Boy you were reading, the thing to do is to find out what happens afterward. My Generation’s Lament is the sequel.
Now … if you happened to like these books (or if you had something to say about them anyway), and especially if you want me to be able to continue writing for you, I’m going to let you in on a secret – I really need your help. (I’ve got another secret, too, so make sure you read all the way to the bottom).
Reviews on e-book stores, and buzz on social media are the number one way for independent authors to get their books noticed. And we can’t post our own feedback! So to help me out, please:
One. Write a little review. It could be as little as two sentences, but 100 words or more is best.
Two. Post it everywhere you can, with a star rating on those sites that support it. In order of importance, the places to post are:
- Amazon
- Goodreads
- iTunes
- Smashwords
- Wattpad. Here you can just read and rate. If you feel super-motivated you can put a star against every chapter of every book I’ve written. That would really be beyond the call of duty.
- Kobo
- Barnes & Noble
- Sony
- Shelfari
Three. Please share your review on every social media account you have. If you’ve already hooked your reader accounts into Facebook and Twitter, some of this might have been done automatically.
Finally, here’s the other secret I promised you–if you’ve ever written me a review, you can write to me at any time and request an electronic copy of another one of my books as a gift. If there’s no others at the moment, don’t worry–there will be more. You could even request that I send a copy to a friend. All you have to do to get a gift copy is post a review, then write to me at benhourigan AT gmail.com, tell me what format you want and what email address to send it to, and it’s yours. Don’t forget to include a link to the review, or your name, so I can verify that it was yours.
Thanks again for reading. You’re a big part of what makes this worthwhile.
