Recently I was thinking about how my publisher really dropped the ball and didn’t get any reputable reviews for my book, Praline Lady. At another time I’ll write about the unprofessionalism I encountered with this publisher but for now I want to talk about reviews.
Reviews are so important for authors, especially for debut books. Most publishers get their books in the hands of reputable reviewers like the School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, etc. I didn’t get a review from any of those agencies and in fact, my publisher didn’t get any reviews for the book pre or post-publication. So in addition to writing, some of us are expected to do marketing, publicity and get our own reviews!
Thankfully I was able to get reviews from book blogger and fellow authors in my writing group. At first, this was very distressing to me, even now it’s a bitter topic, but I’ve learned to turn lemons into lemonade. The reviews from my fellow authors meant so much to me because they took time out of their busy schedules to read my book and give meaningful feedback. The best review I’ve received is a single sentence from an elder in my community that I deeply admire.
“Thank you for honoring our Ancestors,” Nana Anoa Nantambu.
That one line means the world to me because it sums up my intentions perfectly.
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