Stacey's Thunder and Blood

For the month of August, I'm hosting a book giveaway contest for a signed copy of my new vampire novel Thunder and Blood!

There are many ways to increase your chances of winning.  Learn more about the book and about how to enter at http://www.thunderandblood.com/content/contest

Keep Reading and Writing!

Stacey Voss
Author of Thunder and Blood
www.thunderandblood.com

So the big controversy I've been reading about today is that Amazon.com isn't allowing authors who post reviews of other books to put their name and own book title in the review. I'm slightly torn on the issue.

I can understand that they can't allow marketing-based reviews. However, I really doubt that anyone makes sales from their any of their reviews of other books. Yes, there are a lot of authors out there who post reviews to get their names out there, but all it basically does it start the recognition process of their book title. That being said, I doubt that anyone is going to get Amazon to change their mind on this. I think the best thing that authors who write reviews can do now is make sure they have a complete profile on Amazon and then sign their reviews with their name and their qualification - Stacey Voss, Author.

I think that having your qualification up there when you write a review is a good thing. Authors know books better than anyone and we read more than anyone else. I think that it adds credibility to the review. If I was going to buy a book on engineering and I read a review by someone who signed their name Joe Smith, PhD Engineering, I'm going to give that review some credit. As long as Joe doesn't put a link to his company and doesn't even name his company, no one can accuse him of advertising. If Amazon were to take the ability to at least put "Author" beside their name, then we'd know that they were really picking on us.

I personally have only ever written one review on Amazon. I do read the reviews that are written about books that I want to buy. I might have seen an author's name written under one or two of those, or I might not have - I really can't recall. What I looked for in the reviews that I read were well thought-out opinions, written in a professional manner. I think that if an Author, or anyone else for that matter, takes the time to think about a book and write a proper review for it, they should be allowed to put their book name at the end, or Joe from Draft Engineering. I don't think that it's going to get them any business and I really don't think that it's advertising. If not that, then at least let them put their qualification up.

Signed,

Stacey Voss, Author

One month until book release!  My proof was shipped out today and I can’t wait to take my run down to the border next week to pick it up.  Ironically, when I’m taking that drive, I’ll be following in Sarah and Christine’s footsteps.  Every time I take that drive I picture them in their Grand Am, wondering at exactly what point the fog began, visualizing Gerwin and Elke’s cottage on the side of the road.

   My days right now are full of browsing the web for different ways of getting the word out about the book.  I’m meeting a lot of other authors online and it’s interesting to see what other authors are doing in the way of marketing and the other kinds of books that are being published these days.