Hey <<First Name>>, you might have seen my announcement in the StoryOrigin Authors group yesterday, but in case you didn't, StoryOrigin has a "Review Copies" feature now!
This has been the most requested features since I launched the beta of StoryOrigin back in April of last year, and I've been quietly stewing on the best way to implement it for months now.
Could I have done something easy like slapping a password field on giveaways?
Sure, but the one question I always ask myself is: would that be the "best-in-class" solution? Definitely not. So, here's what you get with this feature:
- [Approval Process] Readers apply for review copies. You can approve or deny that application (works in tandem with the reviewer reputation feature!)
- [Reviewer Reputation] StoryOrigin tracks when readers complete reviews, and you can see what % of promises they have fulfilled - meaning, you can tell whether it seems like they will leave a review before approving them
- [Prioritize Platforms] You can prioritize review platforms (e.g. Amazon, Goodreads, etc.), so readers know where you're looking for more reviews. When readers apply, they tell you what platforms they intend to leave reviews on.
- ["Advanced" or Not!] You can use the review copies feature regardless of whether your book is pre- or post-publication. That's why I call them "review copies" instead of ARCs
- [Review Reminders] Readers will automatically receive a reminder email if they haven't reviewed the book yet and have had the ability to leave a review for 2+ weeks
- [Sample / Preview] Readers can download a sample of your book before committing to reviewing it, so they're more likely to only request a review copy if they're going to like it
- [Localized Links] Links to review platforms automatically localize to the reader's storefront for that country just like universal book links
Here's Kirsten Oliphant's (the Create If podcast) reaction:
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BTW, the platform most similar to StoryOrigin's new review copies feature (which doesn't even do all of the above) costs publishers $100s PER MONTH!
If you want to see what the review copy application process is like from the author vs. reader perspective, check out the pictures below my signature at the end of this email.
So, what's your reaction? 🙂 Also, if you have any questions, just let me know.
Promos starting in < 5 days!
There are a few group promos starting soon, so I figured I would give them a shout out. And as always, there are a bunch of newsletter swaps too!
Giveaways (aka list-builders)
Kindle Unlimited
Books at Retailers
You can see the full list of group promos here or newsletter swaps here.
Other news
Ads for Authors who Hate Math by Chris Fox is now open for enrollment! Not an affiliate. I just really like Chris's YouTube channel.
Nicholas Erik just released a PPC Crash Course on advertising for authors that covers getting set up on Facebook, Amazon, and Bookbub. Not an affiliate. I just really like Nick's blog.
Dave Cheeson launched KDP Rocket 2.0. Also, not an affiliate. It's just a good marketing tool.
Non-book marketing related: After dinner last night, my lovely wife Emily and I played rock-paper-scissors to see who would get up and put the food in the fridge. We both threw the same thing 6 times in a row!
We both threw rock 3x in a row, then scissors 2x, then rock 1x. When I threw scissors I thought "Haha! She thinks I'm going to throw rock again, so she'll throw paper, so I'll throw scissors!" Except, we both thought the same thing... Isn't rock-paper-scissors a weird game to try to strategize?
Emily ended up deciding to put the food away, because she didn't want to break our streak!
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Quick reminder: those picture of the application process from the author/reader perspective are below my signature.
Evan, indie developer of StoryOrigin
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