A Puzzle Lands Push & A Book Giveaway!
April 18th, 2012What’s going on? Just this: I’m hoping to encourage you to help me reach a goal of twenty Amazon reviews, for each of the Puzzle Lands books–The Dread Hammer and Hepen the Watcher–by the ninth of May, just twenty-one days from now. It sounds like a daunting goal to me. Is it possible? Not without your help.
Right now The Dread Hammer has but four reviews, and Hepen the Watcher has only one (and thanks go out to Jennifer Stevenson, one of my very helpful beta readers, for that one!).
But here’s the thing:
Author Stephen Harper Piziks, a fellow Book View Café member, says that:
“Amazon makes recommendations based on the number of reader reviews a book gets. When a book reaches 20 reader reviews, Amazon’s computer starts recommending it. The content of the reviews doesn’t matter–only that the book got reviews.â€
To test Stephen’s theory, I’m following his example and launching a contest to encourage you to help me by writing an Amazon review of either The Dread Hammer or Hepen the Watcher, or if you’re really into it, of both! The review doesn’t have to be elaborate. A couple of sentences conveying your general opinion should do it, though of course longer coverage is fine too.
If you haven’t had a chance to read the books yet, here are some sample chapters in epub (Nook) and mobi (Kindle) format to encourage you to try them. The samples are from Book View Café, but the books are of course available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble too. Click to download your preferred format:
Book 1: The Dread Hammer — EPUB Sample — MOBI Sample
Book 2: Hepen the Watcher — EPUB Sample — MOBI Sample
And after you’ve read…
Go here to review The Dread Hammer
…and…
Go here to review Hepen The Watcher
If you do review the books, PLEASE COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE A COMMENT letting me know which review is yours and if you have an address in the USA or not.
After May 9, I’ll go through the comments, randomly selecting one from a reviewer in the USA and one from a reviewer outside the USA.
(I discriminate only because of the very high cost of postage. I’d love to treat you all the same!)
The selected USA commenter will receive EITHER a print copy of both Puzzle Lands books OR a print copy of any ONE of the Nanotech Succession books OR the Tor® hardcover of Memory.
The selected non-USA commenter will get to select any two of Mythic Island Press LLC’s ebooks.
Is it possible to get to twenty reviews for each of the Puzzle Lands books in just twenty days?
I guess we’ll find out!
Update: April 28 — we’re ten days in and The Dread Hammer and Hepen the Watcher have collected seven reviews each! That’s much better than what we started with, but there’s still a long way to go. Thanks to everyone who’s reviewed and helped to spread the word. If you’ve read either book and haven’t reviewed them yet on Amazon, please consider doing so!
Posted on: Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Categories: Promotion.
Tags: free books, Hepen the Watcher, reader reviews, The Dread Hammer
April 19th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I went for it. I’ve been meaning to write a review for THE DREAD HAMMER anyway. I just hesitate because I feel like my praise has hidden insults in them.
As I am reading HEPEN THE WATCHER right now, I shall finish and review it before the deadline.
I have the same name here and there; Eddie.
April 19th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Thanks Eddie! Very much appreciated, and also your support of my other books. If there are any insults in that review, they’re well hidden! 🙂 Thank you.
For everybody reading this, what you say in your review is of course entirely up to you and will make no difference in this little promo game. Thanks to everyone who stops by here to check out my blog and my books.
April 19th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Okay, left a review for “Hepen the Watcher†but was bummed (?) that I had already left one for “The Dread Hammer†so I can’t help you there 🙂
Good luck!
April 19th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
You’ve helped me a lot! Thanks again for all the support!
April 19th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Done. I regretted not being entirely gung-ho (my heart belongs to VAST, and to MEMORY), but I did give it a good go. I hope the Smoke feedback, and especially the “cards” one, helps you.
And you’re right, postage ain’t cheap. Let me be the first USAer to volunteer for the no-electrons-were-harmed-in-the-delivery-of-these-ebooks (not that I expect to win, more that I expect to set a precedent).
April 19th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Glen, thank you once again! Much appreciated.
Postage in the US really isn’t too bad with my nice, padded, flat rate envelopes… 🙂
April 22nd, 2012 at 7:06 pm
[…] Linda Nagata is looking for 20 Amazon Reviews. [via The Skiffy and Fanty Show] […]
April 27th, 2012 at 2:30 am
I posted a review of HEPEN THE WATCHER. I tried to convey how much I enjoyed the book. It is quite amazing. Amazon knows me as Lawrence. I have a USA address.
This is such a good idea! Good luck with the reviews!
April 27th, 2012 at 6:13 am
Thanks very much, Larry! It’s very much appreciated. And thanks for taking a chance and being my beta reader too.