Authentic

[pmmg]

Of course, I would like a genuine review from an actual reader, but I cant control what others will do. If they give me four stars and say some nice generic things, I mean...I'll take it. But it won't really be the review that hooks others in.

Your complete collection is a lot of words. I can't imagine myself completing that in the time allotted.

I currently have 4 books to read and 1 in the 'if I want to' category. So I am all booked up for a while.

One I have finished and I am not sure what I think of it. I feel I didn't really get it. For me, the language (voice) was too aimed at children to immerse me. I kind of just coasted through it, but was never really hooked.

 

[ThinkerX]

When I first put the 'Complete Collection' up for review, I thought it might get three, possibly four takers over a six-month stretch. But I had the points, so I went with it. And eleven stubborn souls have tackled the dang thing, though I suspect two or three only skimmed it.

 

[pmmg]

I hate to say, I would only skim it if I picked the whole thing. I would not trust myself to meet the deadline. Authentic has a short window from selection to expected completion.

 

[ThinkerX]

Once, I could have read the 2000 pages with days to spare on the Authentic timeline. These days, it would be more like hours to spare.

In your case, you've already read the first quarter of the book.

 

[pmmg]

Well, I've said many times. I am not a reader. I dont like it. I dont enjoy it. Its just homework to me.

And it does eat up a lot of time.

You would think, with cancer taking me out of work, and leaving me home I would have time for it, but the drugs I am on just knock me out. I can't start to read without nodding off, so I am getting very little done.

I hate it. I want to be productive but... I am just getting by. All this free time is going to waste. It a great pity.

 

[pmmg]

Well...bummer on authentic. Someone decided they did not want to leave a review and emailed me about it instead. And that wasted my slot, and I have 9 points currently. They are gonna make me do some work before I can post one up again. Grrrr....

They cant all be winners, so I guess, thanks for not posting but...

I do have one coming from book roar though.

 

[pmmg]

Not been having a wonderful set of days. But I scoured up some more point to spend on authentic and relisted. I also listed on Bookroar and got picked up right away. Been lingering at 19 for a while. That break over 20 to 25 has been slow in coming. But I should have it now, with all the reviews others have agreed to. Just waiting.

In fairness though, I have been taking my time for my next review. I keep reading it in bits, but my brain has not locked in. Often i dont know what is going on. I need to do better.

 

[ThinkerX]

I am reviewing books on Authentic again after a long pause - and stashing the points for reviews of 'Disharmonious Spheres' and 'Reset,' which I hope to release by the end of the month. I might have to sign up for a Goodreads review group to get either of them more than a couple of reviews.

'Empire: The Complete Collection' did get a nice 4-star review from the person who sent me the grammar corrections.

 

[pmmg]

Have finally picked up my 20th review, I was lingering at 19 for so long, it was getting discouraging. But 20 is up. And its all 4 and 5 star, which I appreciate. Though, it was not authentic that pushed me over, it was the review group on Good Reads. Either way I will take it.

My book lingers again on Authentic, so...Not attracting much there, and the last one who read seemed to hate its guts... Fortunately, they did not leave a review...

I have been picked up on Bookroar though, so...I should be sailing to over 25 soon, with is the magic number, I have read, where there is enough reaver validation that others will begin to trust them and pick the book up on their own. At 25, I'm gonna try advertising and see what happens.

Anyway...20 feels like a milestone, and it was elusive for quite some time.

(I bet I would have hit it months ago if I was a romance )

 

[ThinkerX]

Doing better than me!

 

[pmmg]

Doing better than me!

Didnt you just report 40 sales?

 

[ThinkerX]

48 sales. And I reviewed two books at Authentic. (I am saving points for reviews of 'Disharmonious Spheres.')

However...

'Labyrinth War' has 15 reviews.

'Empire: Country' has 12.

'Empire: The Complete Collection' and 'Empire: Capital' both have 11.

None of the others has more than nine reviews.

You are far closer to 25 reviews for your book than I am with any of mine. (And I remain impressed at the number of people who tackled the 20000-page 'Complete Collection.')

Then again, my strategy is to get enough reviews (5-10) to get accepted by the more reputable low-dollar newsletter promoters.

 

[ThinkerX]

48 sales. And I reviewed two books at Authentic. (I am saving points for reviews of 'Disharmonious Spheres.')

However...

'Labyrinth War' has 15 reviews.

'Empire: Country' has 12.

'Empire: The Complete Collection' and 'Empire: Capital' both have 11.

None of the others has more than nine reviews.

You are far closer to 25 reviews for your book than I am with any of mine. (And I remain impressed at the number of people who tackled the 20000-page 'Complete Collection.')

Then again, my strategy is to get enough reviews (5-10) to get accepted by the more reputable low-dollar newsletter promoters.

I have seen an uptick in 'out-of-the-blue' sales.

 

[pmmg]

I've been asked to join a book circle, but I dont know anything about it. Feels scammy, but I am not sure how... In a book circle dont we all just read the same book and talk about it?

I've got a few ahead of me still before I could commit to that.

 

[ThinkerX]

I have no idea about how 'book circles' operate. I am familiar with 'book trains' on Facebook:

Author 'A' posts a link to their book.

Author 'B' posts a link to their book and reads/reviews Author A's book.

Author 'C' posts a link to their book and reads/reviews Author B's book.

They can keep going like this: Author D, E, F, and so on, but the last Author in the train reads/reviews Author A's book.

I did this once or twice before getting spots with the Goodreads review groups. The selection can be random.

That said, I see that you have reviewed three of your assigned books in the current Goodreads group.

 

[pmmg]

Three down, one to go. Its an angsty superhero book. I dont like having things hanging over my head so i try to get to them quickly.

The last one was n a small type. It was hard for me to read.

 

[SamazonE]

They can keep going like this: Author D, E, F, and so on, but the last Author in the train reads/reviews Author A's book.

Hey, is that an optical illusion!? There is an entirely plausible possibility that none of it is an unsolvable riddle. There is no calling out the laws of nature on that one. Judge, advocate, general. Maybe in the last book there could be a summation of the entire saga, thus prompting a list of sequels.

 

[pmmg]

I wrote the book circle person back. I have a strong, they are a scam, vibe from all of it, but so far, I dont see it. But...they did not write me back.

I got another review from book roar, but my count did not go up. They are not posting in amazon us. That's twice for book roar...I want to see the count go up. But...maybe its not well suited for US reviews.

 

[ThinkerX]

The last review I had was posted on Amazon Australia. It didn't show up in the overall tally for a full week.

That said, I saw where you'd picked up another review from the Goodreads group.

 

[pmmg]

Yeah...the good reads group is being slow with mine. I am on my book 4 and only one review for me so far. But it was a nice one.

Whoever is my second round person must be a slow reader. I am a slow reader, but I am putting in a lot of effort to get it off my plate.

I dont care, as long as they all come through.

I saw one dude say...not for me, DNF...1 star to someone. I think he should be banned from the groups. That is not cool. You should at least finish the work. I dont wish to be in a group if I know they are in it. (And, btw, that was not a 1 star book--they deserved better.)