Posts
Hello everyone!
As some of you I'm sure are aware, it is challenging for authors to get reviews. It is especially tricky for Indie Authors. And reviews are only as good as the substance.
I can't tell you how many reviews I see with "Meh" and "Worst Book Ever" with nothing else in any sort of critique. There is such a bell curve of star ratings without explanation. It does not help someone who is trying to sell their writing, to have one to two-word replies that have no substance as a review.
Writers put money into not only creating the book but also paying people to review. Or, they spend tons of money on free books to send to reviewers. This costs a fortune to them, and not everyone can afford that.
That's why I do what I do and use the method I do. Film Reviewers with some exceptions of the occasional free ticket, or early press pass, purchase all of their movies on their own. It should be no different for Book Reviewers. Sure, it's nice to get an occasional book to review for free, but it shouldn't be the norm.
With all of my efforts, I try to review folks who do not get many reviews at all, and I have opened a contact form for others to ask for reviews as well. I'm trying to do my part to help! I put a lot of thought and effort into my review. Agree with them or don't, that's fine, but I am trying to help and make a difference.
In my journey to help, I am mindful not every author can afford to put their book on Kindle Unlimited, and that they cannot afford to send free copies of their books out for reviewers. I try to buy books as often as I can, but I have to live within my means too. It takes a lot to run the House of Y, and that is outside of my hobbies.
And that reason my friends is why I am posting this. Sometimes I run out of money to buy books. More than a few times I've had to tell someone who has asked me to review their book, that I have to wait until I get enough to purchase it to read it. That is an awkward conversation. The person came to me asking for help, and I just couldn't afford the 10 bucks or 5 bucks or whatever it is at the time. Let me be very clear here, you do not have to tip me if you do not wish to. This is a voluntary request I'm making. I won't send you anything, there isn't a prize or contest I'm running, and this is not some shameless plug to request money so that I can be a billionaire. I won't email you or spam you. I don't have a newsletter, I'm not selling information or anything.
But the truth of the matter is, there are times I could use a hand with my mission. For example, I have a book in my current queue where I'm waiting on saving up money to buy their book to read and review it. I want to do more to help, but the budgets strap me down at times.
If you would like to help me on my quest to buy books, maintain my book reviewing tools such as my Kindle, and help me to keep my mission of posting reviews going, I'd appreciate it. All you would have to do for your part is send me a tip on Digitial Tip Jar.
I'm asking for tips if you wish to help, kind of like the Barista at Starbucks with the tip jar. I'm not looking to make memberships or anything like that. I'm not a charity, you won't get a tax exemption from me, but I'd love it if you could leave me a tip if you want to and can afford it.
If you do, I will be forever, and eternally grateful for the help! Even a dollar goes a long way, sometimes that's how much a book is when I'm out of my book budget for it.
Digital Tip Jar
If you wish to tip me, please use Digitial Tip Jar to help! See the piggy? The piggy is a button you can press and make a purchase, or you can go to their site here.
Digital Tip Jar Digital Tip Jar
My Creator name is MrsY (that should make it easy to find me) but if you have trouble, please contact me and let me know. I'm happy to help.
I went through every sort of tip jar online there is in researching before choosing DTJ. I was surprised they helped me immediately with assistance with my questions on how to set this up for my book reviews. They were also very polite and kind to me. I cannot vouch for much aside from my interaction, but I discovered them when I was researching various tipping sites and found this article by Forbes.
To sign up to help give tips, here is their page.
This is the privacy policy for DTJ. This is the legal information for the payment processor they use. This is the FAQ for DTJ, in case you want to know more about fund breakdowns, etc.
Again, I do not endorse anything about them aside from their assistance to help me bring funds to my hobby.
And mostly I'd like to say this. If you can help me, THANK YOU. If you cannot help me with a tip, that's fine as well. Thank you for even considering it. Regardless of what you can help with or not, those who read my blog are part of my life and I hope to provide content for years to come.
With all my appreciation for your kindness today in reading this, I want to say thank you.
 |
| Free image from Pexelis.com |
FAQ
"I don't like to use Digital Tip Jar. Can you do PayPal instead?"
Yes, as a matter of fact, I can now. I set up a PayPal button. You can find it right here.
"If I leave you a tip, will you change, modify, or consider giving my book a higher score?"
No. If you truly believe I'd do something like that, please do not tip me, because I'll only disappoint you.
The tip jar is about helping other writers who cannot afford to send a book or cannot afford to be on KU or in the public library near my house. My reviews are free meaning I do not charge anyone to review their book. My reviews are honest, and my opinion. No gift or tip will change the way I score or evaluate anything.
"If I leave you a tip, will you take the money and never review another book again?"
No. I'm in this to review books. If you leave me a tip, it will help me either purchase books or maintain the tools I need to read the books.
"What tools do you use to read books?"
My Kindle is the primary tool I use for book reading. If it breaks, I'm out of warranty so I may have to get a new one someday. If that happens, tips will help me to buy one. Thankfully the library card is free!
"What is your budget consist of for reading and reviewing books?"
My total budget for book reading and reviewing per month is around $20USD.
I also use Kindle Unlimited, which is $10USD per month, which leaves me with $10USD for book purchases. There sometimes are books that are more than even the $20USD I put away to purchase, and I cannot afford them. If you tip me, this will help me increase the budget so I can buy those books once and awhile.
I also have purchased a PO Box to ensure that if someone sends me a book, or I buy a book, it won't be stolen by the Porch Pirates who patrol the waters in these here parts. Yar.
If you can help me even a little, that'd be lovely, last year I lost two books that I purchased and four comic books. I was sincerely bummed out, but thankfully no one sent them to me for free, these were just my own purchases.
Why don't you just enable ads on the page and make money that way?
Okay, good point. I could do that. I don't like ads though. Ads are not something I can control if I enable Adsense. If someone sells something gross on my site, I have no control of it, I probably won't even be able to see it. I'd much rather keep my blog Ad free.
If a sponsor would like me to sponsor something, they could email me sure, and we could talk about it, but then I'd have a bit more control of what advertising is on my website, and not just whatever Google wants to put there.
