The Reviewing Game

As I work my way down the checklist to publishing success, I've
encountered some suggestions that straddle the line of ethical. One is
using artificial (marketing) means of increasing web hits, such as
Amazon's KDP Select Program, which gives Amazon exclusive distribution
rights. In return, they promote your book via such tools as free
giveaways. It may increase your web hits, but there's no guarantee
readers will buy the book.

An avenue that appears more promising, at least in my view, is
reviews. The idea is that good reviews will bring in readers. I
recently joined Goodreads and am working to learn their model of word-
of-mouth to get more readership.

But again, even reviewing is subject to abuse. You can always get your
mother and your best friends to write glowing reviews, and no one's
the wiser. But surely that will backfire if a reader buys a book that
turns out to be crappy.

However, I'm trying to take the high road and am encouraging unbiased
reviews of our issues at Third Flatiron. I'm happy to share a free copy
to people who agree to write a review, either on Third Flatiron,
Smashwords, or Amazon.

One of the authors in our first issue, "Over the Brink: Tales of Environmental Disaster,"
Rich Larson, has recently published an electronic collection of his short stories
on Amazon, "Datafall: Collected Speculative Fiction." I've agreed to
read his stories and review them. I already know that Rich is a
talented writer, so I don't fear that there will be any need for
prevarication...

War Issue Lineup

Congratulations to the following authors, who will feature in our
upcoming issue, "A High Shrill Thump: War Stories" appearing online
everywhere on September 1, 2012.

David L. Felts, The Man Who Couldn't Die
Gustavo Bondoni, Comrade at Arms
K. R. Cairns, Angel
John Harrower, The Rocketeer
James S. Dorr, Refugees
David G. Turner, The Home Front
Jack Skelter, The Fixer
Lon Prater, A Childproof War
Michael Trudeau, The Frontline Is Everywhere
Tom Sheehan, Half a Century Later at a Mid-Earth Pub
Brenda Kezar, Homeland Security
Nick Johnson, In the Blink of an Eye
David J. Williams, I Think I Won