It’s Not Bragging. It’s Marketing.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and if you don’t toot your own horn now and then, you will get buried in the monstrous pile of authors who are all doing the same thing you are doing. The life of an independent author is not a glamorous one, unless of course, you are Amanda Hocking. The world of the independent author who participates in this craft is one of resilience, determination, boundless creativity, and an unwillingness to stop promoting a product you think is decent work (at least good enough to share with the public).

Therefore, when you get a 5-Star Review from a reputable organization such as Readers’ Favorite, you want to tell everyone that your reviewer thinks you did pretty well. Jack Magnus’s review of Baseball Girl captures the notion that you did a 5-Star job at telling your story to your intended audience.

Don’t be fooled. This does not mean that receiving this nod causes book sales go through the roof when you are recognized. However, what comes from it is personal satisfaction. Your story is well-written enough to garner a 5-Star award. Think of the recreational athletes who participates in 5K, 10K or half-marathon or marathon runs. They are not doing it for fame or fortune; they become involved in the races because of personal growth and satisfaction. Sometimes, that’s all they are looking to accomplish. The same is true for writers, even independent ones. Receiving this type of positive commentary is something that makes you proud.

Furthermore, it’s another opportunity to share some good news on your blog and tell people a few additional things about the nature of your novel. You want readers to understand the following:

1-You don’t have to like or have an interest in baseball to read the book. Baseball is merely the backdrop for which this story of love, loss, and passion are rolled into the plot.

2-It’s a contemporary romance, and a man liked it. That’s promising!

3-Don’t let the title fool you. It’s not about a girl who plays baseball. It’s about a woman who works in the professional sport and who dabbles in love while simultaneously navigating her career and the loss of her father.

Additionally, Charles Steinberg of the Boston Red Sox had this to say about Baseball Girl: “It’s a vivid, accurate portrait of life in baseball—as authentic a description as you’ll find of the lifestyle in the public relations and community relations departments of a ballclub. ”

Authors do write for themselves, but it’s pointless if you can’t get others to read your work. I hope if you have not picked up your copy of Baseball Girl today, you will consider doing so in the near future. I would love to hear if you think Jack Magnus got it right.