Manners, first impressions and book sales!

Let us chat a bit. So a week ago I received an email from an author. It is the same ole-same old. I am a new author….. My reply -- I do not take new review books at this time, however since your book is a short I will make an exception. Please forward it to me in mobi or Kindle format using this email address please. [NOTE MY USE OF THE WORD PLEASE.....] Kind regard……you get the picture. So 72 hours later I receive another email from the same author. No reply. Not a word. He simply used my reply to add a copy of his book. Not a Hallo, not a thank you not a word. So guess what? I finished reading his book now. It was REAALLLLY Short so it did not take long. It is also in the horror genre but ……… and here it comes. I did not like the book and I am sure my dislike of the book has nothing to do with the authors writing and EVERYTHING to do with his abysmal lack of good manners. Being who I am, I read a lot of status updates, I receive lots of PM's from authors and I keep hearing -- oh whoa me. This or that reviewer was mean to me. They took me on personally. They act as if the fact that my book is not edited is a sin…..

Well, let's talk about that. You DO get troll reviewers. Let's forget about them for now. As for mean… that is usually a troll reviewer. If not. And it is a personal attack then I bet you know that reviewer via some form or the other in real life or via social media. In which case I suggest you pm them after a few days and calmly ask them why they have been mean to you. I cannot save you. None of us can. So the reviewer took you on personally. Ok. Again, see mean reviewers.

Editing….this is a no brainer people. I get accosted daily due to my status update's etc that is not grammatically correct or has spelling errors in it. I do not go and cry to authors that my second language is not perfect. Instead I try to correct it or I simply shrug and say…hey THE AUTHORS WHO'S BOOKS I AM READING IS WORSE AT THIS THAN I AM.

No you need not spend thousands of $ to get your book edited. You do however need to read re-read and read it again before you hit that publish button. And then the moment before you hit that button, read it again. Ask your friends to beta read, save up for an editor and when you editor suggests changes MAKE THEM. What does this have to do with an author with no manners? Everything. First impressions can never truly be changed. I will not accept more books from this author, I will not engage him in conversation and I will NOT like his books. Not because he cannot write but because he got on my nerves from the get go. So a word of advice, authors, you get only ONE opportunity to impress readers. If you want to have sales, if you want a following make sure your first impression is as good a one as you can present. Reviewers….I am done with this. I am convinced that I am correct in my newly enforced opinion that EVERYBODY thinks their time is more valuable than mine. So in future, if you cannot take the time to address me by name, if you cannot respond with a simply TY. You are out and you will have one less reader. I know you will not miss me. The fact is I will not miss you either.

On that note. For those authors who is not simply in this to force their books on us. For those authors who has manners. For those authors who knows the value of first, second and third impressions. Thank you. I and millions of reviewers love you. And we will continue to do so. Cause, you buttercup, made a good first impression.