Good insight Helix! I've done hundreds of radio interviews and they always result in sales even if the radio show has a small audience.When I buy books, I give a lot of weight to reviews in newspapers/magazines, esp. those by respected reviewers, and also to catalogues put out by my favourite independent bookshops. I also pay a lot of attention to radio interviews with authors. (Not that you asked about that.)
I've only bought one book based on a Goodreads review and never from an Amazon review.
Indirectly related, I can tell you where I find reviews that have led me to buy a lot of books over the years: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly. But I've also bought countless books via cross-references, recommendations, and reader reviews on Amazon. (Sometimes there, negative reviews clue me in to why a particular book is right for me. Depends on why folks hate the book. Sometimes positive reviews clue me in to why the book is NOT for me.)Where would you like to get reviews? Amazon? Goodreads? Blogs? Newspapers? Or _______
It is a vicious circle; reviews. In order to get reviews one must find those willing to read one's books and review it. But in order to do this, one must find willing readers that would be interested in investing their time to read a book; which would only be those that find one's book that has already received a healthy number of respected views. It all comes back to investing heavily, financially, in marketing.
It all comes back to investing heavily, financially, in marketing.
Sure as heck has often encouraged THIS general reader to buy books. (But then, I subscribed out of interest in the publishing business, even long before I had even my tiny, tiny part in it.)Publishers Weekly is mostly read by people who work in the book trade. A review there is going to mostly help people get their books into bookshops; it won't encourage general readers to buy your books.
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