Nancy's Notes From Florida

Getting Reviews on NetGalley

March 5, 2024

NetGalley is an online site where publishers solicit advance reviews for upcoming titles. This has mostly been the realm of traditional publishing houses, but now indie authors can take advantage of this opportunity.

Authors can join a co-op created for the purpose of reducing costs. For example, Anne Victory from Victory Editing has a NetGalley service, and you can find other sites as well. I jumped on board Anne’s co-op for my latest release, Star Tangled Murder. I scheduled this for two months prior to release. Any shorter, and readers won’t have enough time to read your work. Too long an interval, and it might get lost in their TBR pile. You can also make your book available for more than one month if you wish.

I appreciated how I could filter the requests. I’d research each member profile and then accept or decline entries based on my impressions. At the end, I got a spreadsheet from NetGalley with a list of reviewers who had downloaded my title along with their email addresses.

In total, I approved 105 requests. Out of these, 44 posted reviews. I felt that a 42% return was a pretty good rate.

The Risks

My first two reviews were one-star bombs that threatened to crush my self-confidence. They referred to elements in the book that apparently hit these readers’ hot buttons and didn’t truly reflect upon the story or my writing. I was afraid the book would fail.

But then four and five-star reviews started pouring in, both from NetGalley reviewers and from my personal reviewer list. At present, Star Tangled Murder has 60 ratings on Amazon with a 4.5 average. I got some great quotes from these reviewers.

How do you get started?

Sign up for the author co-op. Once you get a link to your book on NetGalley, design some memes to let people know your book is available there. Share these graphics on your social media sites, in your newsletter and blog posts, and notify your personal reviewer list. Include the link to your book’s site on NetGalley in your posts.

How do you evaluate a request?

You don’t want to give a free book to anyone who asks, so you need to be careful. Use these criteria to check each person out:

For Reviewers, look at their member profile. Do they have links to social media sites or a personal blog?

If they’re a Bookseller, realize they may not review your book but might recommend it to their customers. Plus, the listing puts you on the radar of independent booksellers who are interested in your genre.

Librarians may order a copy and/or recommend it to patrons and book clubs. They might also post a review on LibraryThing or Goodreads.

Consider why an Educator might want to read your book. Do they teach in an age-appropriate grade? Would your book be appropriate for their school library? Are they still teaching or have they retired?

Are their reviews on NetGalley current? How are the ratings?

Where else do they post reviews aside from NetGalley? If you want general readers to see them, you’ll want people to post on Goodreads at the very least.

Check their Goodreads profile. Are those reviews current? Do they review books regularly, and how are their ratings? Do the same for each of the other sites they mention.

Are their reviews more than one or two lines? Do they read like a generic review, or do they actually say something relevant to the story?

As Reviews Arrive, you’ll get emails like this sample:

Susie Star, Reviewer
Member Profile: [NetGalley Link]
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Links included to NetGalley, Amazon, Goodreads

Star Spangled Murder is #18 in the bad hair mystery series. Salon owner Marla and her detective husband Dalton, visit a living history village over the fourth of July weekend. When someone is murdered during a Seminole battle reenactment, Dalton gets assigned to the case and Marla does her best to help him find clues to solve this last case before he retires from the police department. This was a fun quick read with likeable characters and plenty of red herrings. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Are you interested in connecting with this author (interviews, events, etc)? Yes
Would you purchase this book for yourself or a friend? Yes
Will you recommend this book/author to your audience? Yes

Keeping a Spreadsheet

Download your list of reviewers from NetGalley. Look to see if the people who made requests have followed through with a review. When the book goes live, send a reminder email to each person who downloaded your book and provide links as to where they can post reviews.

For my spreadsheet, I added columns for the Reviewer’s Name, Email, Category (i.e. Reviewer, Librarian, etc.), Approved or Declined; Downloaded the Book – Yes or No; Number of Stars Rated; Review sites, i.e. NG, Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Blog, or Other to show where they posted. Also I included a Reminder Letter and Date Sent.

Next time you have a new release, you can email those reviewers who posted about your book and offer them a copy, either through NetGalley or through a BookFunnel link.

In Conclusion

NetGalley can be a great way to get exposure for your upcoming release and to gain advance reviews. Revel in the good ones, pull quotes from them, and share these across your social media sites. For bloggers who post about your book, thank them in the comments section and share the post.

Getting Your Book Reviewed on NetGalley #indieauthor #marketing Click To Tweet

As for what to do with the reviews, Read This Post.

STM Five Star Review

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win Two Free Books from Booklovers Bench in our March giveaway!

BB March 2024 Giveaway



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Leu House Museum

February 24, 2024

The Leu House Museum is located inside Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL. Overlooking Lake Rowena, this stately residence is on the National Register of Historic Places. Although we’ve been to the botanical gardens many times, this was our first tour of the house.

 

The original owners were the Mizell family who claimed the land in 1858. There they grew sugar cane, cotton and corn. David Mizell was the sheriff of Orange County. He got killed in an ambush in 1870. Duncan Pell, the next owner, hired David’s son to add two more wings to the house. He made this a weekend getaway for him and his second wife, silent screen star Helen Gardner.

The Woodward family came next in 1906, adding on to the house to make it the present size. They used the house for a winter retreat.

Finally, Harry P. Leu and his wife Mary Jane bought the property in 1936. They traveled widely and brought back seedlings and plants for their garden. They donated the acreage and house to the City of Orlando in 1961.

Inside, the rooms have been restored with a mixture of original furnishings and donations. The lifestyle reflects turn-of-the-century living. The first families lived without plumbing and electricity, which were later additions.

       

Through the front door, we entered the living room. There’s a pleasant parlor to the left and a dining room straight ahead, with a staircase next to a bookshelf I’d like in my home. Most of these rooms had fireplaces.

       

              

    

The kitchen has been modernized in some ways but still has a wood-burning stove and an old-fashioned refrigeration unit. Originally, it was a warming room while the food was cooking in an outbuilding accessible from a breezeway. But then the kitchen moved indoors.

   

The upstairs held several bedrooms that looked bright and airy. They appear easily habitable.

     

 

A screened porch out back would have been a pleasant place to relax during temperate weather.

  

On the paths back to the garden entrance, we viewed some of the glass and steel sculptures by Alex Heveri for a special exhibit. Otherwise, try to time your visit to include a tour of the house. Go to https://leugardens.org for more information.

 

Leu House Museum is worth a trip to Leu Gardens in Orlando #Florida #history Click To Tweet

We enjoy touring botanical gardens and historic homes. Are there any near you?



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Quick Prep Recipes

February 15, 2024

Here are some quick and easy recipes that will serve you well for breakfast and dinner. They’re fast to prepare for your family.

BANANA OAT FRITTATA

This is a quick preparation breakfast that’s healthy and nutritious. It’s as hearty as any omelet and gives you a serving of grains as well.

Banana Oat Frittata

Ingredients

3 Bananas
0.98 oz. packet Quaker Original instant oatmeal (4 Tbsp.)
3 eggs
¼ tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Honey

Directions

Mash one banana in a medium bowl. Add 3 eggs and oats. Sprinkle in cinnamon and stir to blend. In a separate bowl, slice remaining two bananas. Heat olive oil in large nonstick frypan. Place rings of sliced bananas inside pan. Pour oat mixture over top and tilt pan to spread evenly. Cover and cook on medium heat until bottom is browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and flip frittata over to set on other side for 5 minutes or less. Slice and serve warm. Dribble with honey or use maple syrup if preferred. Serves 2-4.

Note: To downsize for a smaller frypan, use only 3 Tbsp. oats, 2 eggs, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil.

STRING CHEESE MANICOTTI

Make sure the food is cooked through enough that the string cheese melts. This tastes even better heated for leftovers the next day. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh salad.

String Cheese Manicotti

Ingredients

12 oz. package string cheese (12 pcs)
8 oz. package manicotti pasta (12-14 pcs)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (24-32 oz.)
Grated parmesan cheese
Dried parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh chopped basil
Dried oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the manicotti in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool. Roll string cheese in a mixture of parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Stuff cheese sticks inside manicotti noodles when not too hot to handle. Pour a coating of tomato sauce on bottom of greased 9 x 12 baking dish. Place manicotti on top in single layer. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and dried oregano. Add shredded cheese. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until heated through. Serves 6.

Quick prep recipes for breakfast and dinner #cooking #recipes Click To Tweet

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win 7 First-in-Series Books AND a Logo Mug from Booklovers Bench in our 11th anniversary blowout giveaway!



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A Valentine’s Day Gift for You

February 1, 2024

Happy Valentine’s Day Month!  As a gift to you, I’m offering a copy of Permed to Death for FREE. Yes, you heard me. My First-in-Series for the Bad Hair Day Mysteries is Free!

Sassy salon owner Marla Shore is giving grumpy Mrs. Kravitz a perm when her client dies in the shampoo chair. If that isn’t enough to give her a bad hair day, handsome Detective Vail suspects Marla of poisoning the woman’s coffee creamer. Figuring she’d better expose the real killer before the next victim frizzes out, Marla sets on the trail of a wave of wacky suspects. Her theory regarding whodunit gels only after she looks for the culprit closer to home.

Click Here to Get Your Free Copy Now

What can you expect from this story?

Amateur sleuth
Colorful characters
Family Drama
Humor
Intriguing plot twists
Red Herrings
Small-Town Secrets
South Florida Charm

A Sample of Industry Reviews

“Fast-paced and jaunty.” Publishers Weekly 

“A plot with more tangles than an uncombed perm.” Kirkus Reviews

“An amusing tale, buoyed by a likable amateur sleuth and enhanced by the South Florida atmosphere.” Sun-Sentinel

“A very successful mystery in a new series.”Fort Myers Life Magazine

As a reader, I’ve found many favorite new authors through their freebies. I’ve gone on to buy their entire series. I’ll discover them through daily newsletters such as BookBub, The Fussy Librarian, Freebooksy and Book Doggy. These allow you to try new authors without financial risk. It’s a great way to find your next great read. Subscriptions to readers are free and you can filter your genres.

Will you be my Valentine and download my book? Please share the link with friends and help spread the word. Happy Reading!

Download your free copy now: https://books2read.com/PermedtoDeath

What are your favorite ways to discover new authors or series to read?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win 7 First-in-Series Books, plus a Logo Mug, from Booklovers Bench in our 11th anniversary blowout giveaway!



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Goal Review 2024

January 28, 2024

As a writer, setting goals each year will give you a path to follow. Each item you cross off your list will provide a sense of accomplishment. You might add new goals as you go along and find additional tasks to do.

Setting Goals for Writers

Each January, I set myself new creative and business-related writing goals. For 2024, since I have many business tasks to do, I’ve separated my goals into monthly projects.

January 2024
Upload revised editions of Books 1-3 in my series – DONE
Update Box Set One, my Book Sampler and audio covers – DONE
Publish Box Set Six on Jan. 23, 2024 – DONE
Do blog post and newsletter for new release and reissues – DONE
Promote new release on social media – ONGOING
Revise Murder at Your Service version 3 – ONGOING 

February
Set the price on Permed to Death to Permafree to attract new readers – IN PROGRESS
Schedule a promo stack and other ads.
Announce sale on social media sites, blog and newsletter.
Apply for distributor promotions.

March/April
Continue Above Projects.
Consider a BHD short story for newsletter subscribers.
Consider a newsletter automation sequence.

May/June
Initiate audiobook production of Writing the Cozy Mystery.
Plan the Launch.

Fall
Finish current WIP. Send to Editor.
Plot a new BHD holiday mystery novella.

File Management – Mindless tasks for spare time.
Improve SEO on older blog posts.
Sort through photos to clear storage space.
Delete old files.

Of course, the best laid plans often go awry. Who knows what the universe has in store for us? We just have to go with the flow and get as much done as we can. This is why I like being an indie author. No deadlines and no pressure to attend distant conferences. I can stay home and work at my own pace.

Have you set your goals for this year?

Goal Review 2024 #writetip #writingcommunity Click To Tweet


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