The Importance of Reviewers

I would like to shout out Dr. Cathy Goodwin, Trudie Barreras, Sharon Beverly, Sharon Walker, and "Amazon Customer," Linda O'Donnell, Kathy Martin, Pat Hulsey, Gigi Ann, Cheryl, and Ann for doing one of the most vital things for a new writer: REVIEWING!

I don't know any of these people other than reading their handles beneath my book on Amazon or GoodReads. However, they were kind enough to read advanced copies of my book through netgalley, share their thoughts and spread the word. Thoughtful reviews are what help people discover new authors and stories. Without reviewers, many debut or small press authors would go completely unnoticed. The only books that would receive any buzz and accolades would be those chosen by the major publishing house as worthy of marketing. And, as even the major publishing houses have less and less money to actually spend on publicity, reviewers have become even more important for everyone who is not already an established voice.

So, THANK YOU, to reviewers. Writing is a conversation and I appreciate those readers who are on the other side of it (even when we disagree).

As long as the review is thoughtful and shows that the individual took the time to try to decipher the author's intentions and his or her relative success in fulfilling them, I appreciate it. New authors need you.