Hi Friends,

Have you read a good book lately? Did you share that info with anyone? Friends recommending books to friends is one of the key ways readers discover new authors and books. Creating a buzz through word-of-mouth promotion is every author’s dream. So next time you enjoy a book . . . please spread the word!

Here are several ways you can get that word out online:

Goodreads:

1) Put the author’s books on your to-be-read shelf.

2) Follow the author.

3) If you’ve read the book and enjoyed it, give it a favorable 4 or 5 star rating and write a review.

4) If you loved the book, add it to your “favorites” shelf.

5) Add the book to any other applicable shelves.

6) Recommend it to your Goodreads friends.

 Amazon:

1) Follow the author on amazon.

2) Click on favorable reviews to say they were helpful.

3) Report unfavorable reviews as not helpful and perhaps leave a refuting comment if you’ve read the book.

4) If you have read the book, even a one sentence review with a favorable 4 or 5 star rating will also give their book a boost on search engines.

 Other Places to post Reviews:

1) Christian book distributors

2) Barnesandnoble.com

3) BookBub

4) Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

5) Baker Book House

 Facebook:

1) Mention that you’ve heard great things about the book and show the cover with your post.

2) Mention that you’re reading the book.

3) When you finish, you could post a brief review on your profile or groups for readers.

4) Recommend to readers who like . . . . and give an example of a similar book or author.

 Bloggers and Podcasters:

1) Invite the author as a guest blogger or for a Q. & A. or for an interview.

2) Post a favorable review of the book.

And on the subject of writing reviews . . . this can be tricky. If you can’t give the book at least four stars, the courtesy rule among friends and colleagues is to just not post a review. There are plenty of strangers out there to give negative reviews, so don’t worry about that. As my mother always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

When you write a review, focus on the aspect of the book that you liked the most. I can usually find a character or story element that I loved. It’s okay to briefly mention the negative as long as you also include the positive.

Thanks to my author friend Dina Sleiman for her contribution to this article! For info on Dina’s books: http://awesomeinspirationals.blogspot.com/p/my-books_18.html

So how about you . . . What’s the main way you learn about new books? Do you read reviews when you are considering buying a book? What’s one book you’ve read lately that you would recommend to your friends?