What are prequels? Two of the recent reviewers of Bellarose didn't really know so they were dissatisfied and a little snarky over their reading experience. The definition of a prequel is: a story or movie containing events that precede those of an existing work. Does Bellarose fit this definition? Yes. Does this definition say how long a prequel should be? No. Is the information that Bellarose is a prequel mentioned somewhere in the blurb or on the book? Yes. Now that we have that clear read the complaints about my book. Dissatisfied Customer 1: I was very surprised to get this recommended in my Nook for free - I thought it was a B&N promotion. Upon reading it, I found that it was a very short story - a couple of chapters at best. I kinda felt cheated because I thought it was going to be a full story and yet apparently this is a prequel. It was nicely written and the story held promise but now I won't find out. Oh well. Dissatisfied Customer 2: This books was promoted as a prequel story, a finished story, but it turned out to just be the first couple chapters of another book. Not one I will be reading. Not only is this really cheap way to get readers, but it's a great way to make readers blacklist you. Even if the writing was good - it was not. It was flat - and the characters interesting. They were empty- they were not - and the author actually had visited an European historical library before describing them - doesn't seem like she has - I wouldn't buy the rest of this book/series because of the little "prequel" trick. I like the cover, tho. So what exactly was Crazy Carla trying to do by putting out a short four chapter story? (Yes, four, not two or a couple as mentioned in the reviews.) Isn't our world full of enough strife and now I had to go and ruin a reader's preconceived notion of a book they got free over the internet. How dare I! I should be flogged -- no wait -- I should be blacklisted per the reviewer's suggestion. Though it was called a "cheap trick", let me make this point clear, I paid to edit and get a cover for this book. (She did at least like the cover, tho... LOL). I'm making zero profit for this prequel, so this trick wasn't a cheap way to gain readers. Here's the scoop on prequels: marketing experts tell authors to share them for free to give readers a taste of our writing. How will a book lover choose their next book? Many see it plastered all over social media and their friends are saying "READ THIS BOOK". Others look for authors they have enjoyed in the past and trust their newest book will be good. Then there are the few that take a chance and read a new book or short story because it was offered for free. They get a sample of what the author's writing is like and may want to read more. If the prequel leaves on a cliffhanger, it gives them motivation to get the next book. It's like those free samples of food the grocery stores gave out before COVID. They weren't enough to fill you up, but they were enough to tempt you into buying the product if you liked it so you can get more. Many marketing experts are against giving away full books, which by the way, I've done a lot of in the past due to my own ignorance. Originally I thought the recipients of my books would start talking about them on social media and I would gain a lot of readers of my books, but I was wrong. Some didn't even bother reviewing them after promising me that they would. Now I just give books away as ARC or gifts (no cheap trick and no profit). I realize advanced reader copies are normally given with the expectation the recipients will review the book, but I stopped expecting things from people to avoid being disappointed. If they receive my book and review it, they are on the top of my list of people I trust. They will receive more ARC in the future. Thick skin is a must in this world of publishing and you can't take every review as expert advice or constructive. Letting things roll off you like water on a duck's back is also necessary. My suggestion to any author or anyone thinking of becoming an author who is reading this blog, research your marketing strategy and keep trying different methods to reach new readers. I'm obviously no expert and my "give them a taste of my writing" isn't always the best formula for success. That being said, I also had two reviews from happy recipients of Bellarose. They are my ARC people and I trust them- not just because they gave me good reviews. I would have accepted negative reviews from them, because I always want truthful opinions no matter what. I know not every book is every reader's cup of tea. However, I do not like to be accused of trying to trick people. I'm not a dishonest person. I'm turning lemons into lemonade - turning the negative reviews into a tool to help educate people on book marketing. I put my Note to the Reader at the beginning of Bellarose instead of the end and I added a few disclaimers in case future readers find the prequel too short:
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Since books can give us a respite from life, let’s talk about my book babies. Elle's Magical Shoes turns four on July 3, and Elle's Magical Books turns one on July 22. Bellarose is being released on July 1, 2020 and on July 12, 2020 Gerard will be released. It seems this is the time of year when most of my creative ventures get shared with the world. I guess all that busy winter writing has to produce something.
If you get a chance to read any of these books, let me know what you think of them in the comments section, on Amazon, or on Goodreads. Authors always need ratings and reviews. Thanks in advance! |
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Carla Reighard Archives
December 2023
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