Shamelessly (& Endlessly) Promote Your Blog/Website/Review site - Page 6

ficbot · 01-16-2011, 07:57 PM

As an off-shoot of my review blog, I have set up a webpage to highlight the best of the best indie books bloggers (not just me!) are recommending. In order to get on the page, a book must be available in more than one format and must have been reviewed (and recommended) by at least THREE bloggers (and I don't mean just Amazon or Smashwords reviews, I mean proper write-ups from indie book blogs!)

On my cursory pass of my own blog and several others I follow, I came up with almost a dozen to start things off. I am *sure* I missed some; only so much time in the day, and I'm not sure I am aware of every blog out there. But I am hoping that savvy authors who are keeping tabs on their own stuff will bookmark my site (and share the URL with others) so that if they have a book that qualifies, they can let me know and I can add it. I want to stress, this is not just books appearing on my own blog---it's meant to represent the entire ebook reviewing community. So if I am missing any info, just let me know and I'll add it.

For the bloggers, I have also added an 'Almost' Page. This will be for books someone reviews which they love and really feel is worthy, but which doesn't have three reviews yet. Other bloggers can check this page if they are trolling for a new read and can pick up one of the 'almost there' books. And of course, if your are a blogger who has reviewed a book which merits a spot on the 'almost' page, you can contact me as well and let me add it.

I hope the website will grow and that people will find it a useful resource. Once again, the site is here and feel free to share it.

bthrowsnaill · 01-17-2011, 04:24 PM

I've started a new blog here. On it I will be discussing my work on the sequel to Hemlock and the Wizard Tower, and I will also be sharing general musings from my day to day life. The blog is called "B Throwsnaill's Doggerel".
My first post features a brief discussion on the impact of the existence of advanced alien intelligence, which is a reaction to an entertaining (linked) video on the same topic.

mish · 01-17-2011, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

As an off-shoot of my review blog, I have set up a webpage to highlight the best of the best indie books bloggers ...

Your ESP must have been turned up! I was just thinking it would be great to have the books separated into genres especially as the list grows, then I left and when I went back they were there! lol!

ficbot · 01-17-2011, 10:26 PM

LOL yeah, I just finished it. Also wrote a loooooong post on the blog clarifying some things about my review process. With the re-design of my sidebar so my email address is more prominent, and a new plug from Mark Coker on Smashwords, I have been inundated, and some authors don't seen to be understanding that 'yes, I am interested in reviewing your book' does not necessarily mean 'the review will be up, and fame/fortune will subsequently follow, by 5 pm today.'

mish · 01-17-2011, 10:32 PM

yeah, I saw that on the site updates and had a feeling you might be getting a "few" extra emails!

mjhudston · 01-18-2011, 06:11 PM

This is my website & Blog. In an attempt to over come my writers block on my latest short story, I have started blogging about my life.

Checkout www.hudston.co.uk the blog can be found by clicking on the myblog link on the left.

Bella Andre · 01-18-2011, 07:29 PM

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am currently running a Nook Color raffle & I will be giving one away on February 1st! Details on entering are on my website - www.BellaAndre.com.

Bella

Dodge · 01-19-2011, 06:12 PM

Matt Williams, author of Jak Phoenix, interviewed us. Quite enjoyable

We are still getting ads posted and we certainly appreciate everyone who has hopped on the BookBarista train!

Don't forget - How To Post An Ad. This is always helpful to keep the site flowing.

We have just about filled our advertising slots on the homepage. We have 1 or 2 more openings for February (free).

UPDATE: Advertising spots on the homepage have been filled for February. Thanks!

Brad Chambers · 01-20-2011, 10:24 AM

I just started a blog at The Written Works of Brad Chambers. Planning to post short stories before I publish them.

simonroyle · 01-20-2011, 10:34 AM

Latest Indieview is with J.R. Turner author of School's Out 4-Ever

GraceKrispy · 01-22-2011, 07:00 AM

It's time for a new GIVEAWAY! yaay! This one is for the 9th installment in the Jason Dark series. Check it out on my blog!

(I've also put up several book reviews since we last "spoke"

I'm averaging a review every 2-3 days)

JulieMack · 01-22-2011, 02:22 PM

I have been a blogger for a few years, but I recently created a site dedicated to eReader reviews. I still have a lot more to add, but it is a start.

eReader Reviews

williemeikle · 01-22-2011, 03:12 PM

A bit of short nonsense today on the blog tour, at Learnmegood
http://learnmegood2.blogspot.com/201...blog-stop.html

If you post a comment on this blog post between now and the end of February you'll be entered in a draw to win a free Kindle loaded with all the books I have published with Generation Next Publications

JulieMack · 01-22-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by williemeikle

A bit of short nonsense today on the blog tour, at Learnmegood
http://learnmegood2.blogspot.com/201...blog-stop.html

If you post a comment on this blog post between now and the end of February you'll be entered in a draw to win a free Kindle loaded with all the books I have published with Generation Next Publications

Wow! Good deal - will check it out!

Keryl Raist · 01-22-2011, 04:50 PM

Hello All,

I write a blog (To Publish Or Not To) and review indie books there. Here's the latest review:

I'd like to introduce you to The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations) by Michael Sullivan. This is a six book series revolving around a fantasy world and the goings on therein. The Crown Conspiracy is book one in this series, and, having read it, I'm looking forward to books two through six.

I may sound a little hard in the coming paragraphs of this review, and I want to explain something up front, the Crown Conspiracy is a wonderful bit of old-school sword and sorcery (though this particular book was a bit light on magic) fantasy. If, like me, you grew up in the days DragonLance and Forgotten Realms, this story feels like an overdue homecoming.

Let me begin with the good: the writing is lovely, detailed enough to let you know what is going on, who is doing it, and why, without falling into the Anne Rice trap of describing everything in such painstaking detail you want to skip pages or fall asleep.

The Crown Conspiracy is a very carefully written book. One of the lessons I learned as a writer was 'if it's not vital to the plot, leave it out.' Writers don't always do that. Indie writers really don't always do that. I had a few spots through the story where I was thinking, 'and we're reading this why?' but all but one of those threads eventually got wound back into the story. No matter how obscure a bit of the story may feel when you are reading it, there's a reason for it, and I like that very much. That also means you need to pay attention to everything that happens, what looks like a throwaway line will come back and be important later.

I loved the main characters. Loved how they played off of each other. There is a sort of well done buddy film feel to this book. Royce and Hadrian genuinely like each other, making it easier for the readers to like them. We got enough back story so we didn't feel lost, but enough tantalizing details were left just out of reach to whet your appetite for more tales of Royce and Hadirian. That can be a hard balance to pull off, and Sullivan did a lovely job with it. He also pulled off another trick of the master writer, secondary characters that feel real, but don't clog up the story with unimportant back story.

Now for the less good: I can't call it bad, because it's not, but because the rest of the story is so strong little bits like this stick out.

This book has one mystery, 'Who murdered the king?' As the book begins, the only thing we know for sure is that Hadrian and Royce didn't do it. Beyond that we're left in the dark. And being in the dark works, it's good to go through the possible options and rule them in or out. Then we go beyond 'in the dark' into intentionally misled by the author. He dangles little bits of story in front of us to make us think one thing, and then whips them out from under us when he finally lets us know what's up. There's an almost sucker punch sensation when we find out what is actually going on because of the way the story is set up. Like the misdirection was written purely for the purpose of misdirection.

Sullivan wrote a very complex climax to the Crown Conspiracy. There are at least six lines of point of view he switches between as he keeps building the tension. Some of this is very gratifying, very clever. One of the points of view is a bit annoying. When you're that close to finishing up you don't want to suddenly break away to a point of view of a character who was last mentioned three hundred pages earlier for a few paragraphs and then dies two pages later. It would be like watching Return of the King, getting to the battle for Mordor, and then slipping away for two minutes to see what Arwen is up to. She might be doing something really interesting, but unless you're a diehard fan, you're going to fast forward to get back to the action. However, once the book gets back to the action... Oh yeah, it's so worth it.

Sullivan has given us a fantastic first course, balancing the elements of his composition almost flawlessly, putting just enough on the plate to leave you feeling satisfied but still wanting more. Lucky for all of us hungering for the next course, Avempartha, book two, is already out.

01-16-2011, 07:57 PM	#76
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	My new website: Indie eBook 'Hall of Fame' As an off-shoot of my review blog, I have set up a webpage to highlight the best of the best indie books bloggers (not just me!) are recommending. In order to get on the page, a book must be available in more than one format and must have been reviewed (and recommended) by at least THREE bloggers (and I don't mean just Amazon or Smashwords reviews, I mean proper write-ups from indie book blogs!) On my cursory pass of my own blog and several others I follow, I came up with almost a dozen to start things off. I am sure I missed some; only so much time in the day, and I'm not sure I am aware of every blog out there. But I am hoping that savvy authors who are keeping tabs on their own stuff will bookmark my site (and share the URL with others) so that if they have a book that qualifies, they can let me know and I can add it. I want to stress, this is not just books appearing on my own blog---it's meant to represent the entire ebook reviewing community. So if I am missing any info, just let me know and I'll add it. For the bloggers, I have also added an 'Almost' Page. This will be for books someone reviews which they love and really feel is worthy, but which doesn't have three reviews yet. Other bloggers can check this page if they are trolling for a new read and can pick up one of the 'almost there' books. And of course, if your are a blogger who has reviewed a book which merits a spot on the 'almost' page, you can contact me as well and let me add it. I hope the website will grow and that people will find it a useful resource. Once again, the site is here and feel free to share it.

01-18-2011, 07:29 PM	#82
Bella Andre Romance Reader & Writer Posts: 3 Karma: 10000 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: kindle, nook, ipad	Giving away a Nook Color on Feb 1! Just wanted to let everyone know that I am currently running a Nook Color raffle & I will be giving one away on February 1st! Details on entering are on my website - www.BellaAndre.com. Bella

01-19-2011, 06:12 PM	#83
Dodge Sparks fly off my pages! Posts: 123 Karma: 250002 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Device: Kindle	Matt Williams, author of Jak Phoenix, interviewed us. Quite enjoyable We are still getting ads posted and we certainly appreciate everyone who has hopped on the BookBarista train! Don't forget - How To Post An Ad. This is always helpful to keep the site flowing. We have just about filled our advertising slots on the homepage. We have 1 or 2 more openings for February (free). UPDATE: Advertising spots on the homepage have been filled for February. Thanks! Last edited by Dodge; 01-19-2011 at 11:01 PM.

01-22-2011, 04:50 PM	#90
Keryl Raist Zealot Posts: 140 Karma: 379182 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Charleston, SC Device: Kindle for PC	Indie Book Review: Michael Sullivan's The Crown Conspiracy Hello All, I write a blog (To Publish Or Not To) and review indie books there. Here's the latest review: I'd like to introduce you to The Crown Conspiracy (The Riyria Revelations) by Michael Sullivan. This is a six book series revolving around a fantasy world and the goings on therein. The Crown Conspiracy is book one in this series, and, having read it, I'm looking forward to books two through six. I may sound a little hard in the coming paragraphs of this review, and I want to explain something up front, the Crown Conspiracy is a wonderful bit of old-school sword and sorcery (though this particular book was a bit light on magic) fantasy. If, like me, you grew up in the days DragonLance and Forgotten Realms, this story feels like an overdue homecoming. Let me begin with the good: the writing is lovely, detailed enough to let you know what is going on, who is doing it, and why, without falling into the Anne Rice trap of describing everything in such painstaking detail you want to skip pages or fall asleep. The Crown Conspiracy is a very carefully written book. One of the lessons I learned as a writer was 'if it's not vital to the plot, leave it out.' Writers don't always do that. Indie writers really don't always do that. I had a few spots through the story where I was thinking, 'and we're reading this why?' but all but one of those threads eventually got wound back into the story. No matter how obscure a bit of the story may feel when you are reading it, there's a reason for it, and I like that very much. That also means you need to pay attention to everything that happens, what looks like a throwaway line will come back and be important later. I loved the main characters. Loved how they played off of each other. There is a sort of well done buddy film feel to this book. Royce and Hadrian genuinely like each other, making it easier for the readers to like them. We got enough back story so we didn't feel lost, but enough tantalizing details were left just out of reach to whet your appetite for more tales of Royce and Hadirian. That can be a hard balance to pull off, and Sullivan did a lovely job with it. He also pulled off another trick of the master writer, secondary characters that feel real, but don't clog up the story with unimportant back story. Now for the less good: I can't call it bad, because it's not, but because the rest of the story is so strong little bits like this stick out. This book has one mystery, 'Who murdered the king?' As the book begins, the only thing we know for sure is that Hadrian and Royce didn't do it. Beyond that we're left in the dark. And being in the dark works, it's good to go through the possible options and rule them in or out. Then we go beyond 'in the dark' into intentionally misled by the author. He dangles little bits of story in front of us to make us think one thing, and then whips them out from under us when he finally lets us know what's up. There's an almost sucker punch sensation when we find out what is actually going on because of the way the story is set up. Like the misdirection was written purely for the purpose of misdirection. Sullivan wrote a very complex climax to the Crown Conspiracy. There are at least six lines of point of view he switches between as he keeps building the tension. Some of this is very gratifying, very clever. One of the points of view is a bit annoying. When you're that close to finishing up you don't want to suddenly break away to a point of view of a character who was last mentioned three hundred pages earlier for a few paragraphs and then dies two pages later. It would be like watching Return of the King, getting to the battle for Mordor, and then slipping away for two minutes to see what Arwen is up to. She might be doing something really interesting, but unless you're a diehard fan, you're going to fast forward to get back to the action. However, once the book gets back to the action... Oh yeah, it's so worth it. Sullivan has given us a fantastic first course, balancing the elements of his composition almost flawlessly, putting just enough on the plate to leave you feeling satisfied but still wanting more. Lucky for all of us hungering for the next course, Avempartha, book two, is already out.

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01-17-2011, 04:24 PM	#77
bthrowsnaill Dreamer Posts: 112 Karma: 501282 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Philadelphia, PA Device: kindle	I've started a new blog here. On it I will be discussing my work on the sequel to Hemlock and the Wizard Tower, and I will also be sharing general musings from my day to day life. The blog is called "B Throwsnaill's Doggerel". My first post features a brief discussion on the impact of the existence of advanced alien intelligence, which is a reaction to an entertaining (linked) video on the same topic.

01-17-2011, 10:26 PM	#79
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	LOL yeah, I just finished it. Also wrote a loooooong post on the blog clarifying some things about my review process. With the re-design of my sidebar so my email address is more prominent, and a new plug from Mark Coker on Smashwords, I have been inundated, and some authors don't seen to be understanding that 'yes, I am interested in reviewing your book' does not necessarily mean 'the review will be up, and fame/fortune will subsequently follow, by 5 pm today.'

01-17-2011, 10:32 PM	#80
mish Addict Posts: 215 Karma: 1930065 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: USA Device: PRS-350, Kindle 2	yeah, I saw that on the site updates and had a feeling you might be getting a "few" extra emails!

01-18-2011, 06:11 PM	#81
mjhudston All round good egg Posts: 229 Karma: 1005039 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Apple Ipad 3rd Generation	This is my website & Blog. In an attempt to over come my writers block on my latest short story, I have started blogging about my life. Checkout www.hudston.co.uk the blog can be found by clicking on the myblog link on the left.

01-20-2011, 10:24 AM	#84
Brad Chambers Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 514012 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle	I just started a blog at The Written Works of Brad Chambers. Planning to post short stories before I publish them.

01-20-2011, 10:34 AM	#85
simonroyle Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 500370 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bangkok Device: kindle	Latest Indieview is with J.R. Turner author of School's Out 4-Ever

01-22-2011, 07:00 AM	#86
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	It's time for a new GIVEAWAY! yaay! This one is for the 9th installment in the Jason Dark series. Check it out on my blog! (I've also put up several book reviews since we last "spoke" I'm averaging a review every 2-3 days)

01-22-2011, 02:22 PM	#87
JulieMack Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 520356 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle	I have been a blogger for a few years, but I recently created a site dedicated to eReader reviews. I still have a lot more to add, but it is a start. eReader Reviews

01-22-2011, 03:12 PM	#88
williemeikle Are the stars right yet? Posts: 209 Karma: 250270 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Newfoundland Device: none	A bit of short nonsense today on the blog tour, at Learnmegood http://learnmegood2.blogspot.com/201...blog-stop.html If you post a comment on this blog post between now and the end of February you'll be entered in a draw to win a free Kindle loaded with all the books I have published with Generation Next Publications