How To Get More Book Reviews: Author Groups

Author and Affinity Groups

Author groups and affinity groups are gatherings of like-minded individuals, ranging from small to large in size.

Author groups include in-person and online author support groups, reader groups, advertising and book announcement groups, as well as masterminds.

Affinity groups bring together people with specific interests, such as math teachers, orchid growers, soccer coaches, or homesteaders.

Although the ultimate goal of this article is to obtain reviews for your book, it is the only article where I will advise you NOT to directly ask for reviews.

Each “type” of group and each individual group serves a different purpose and has its own participation rules. In the long run, you’ll engage with helpers, influencers, and team members in these groups, assisting you in marketing, promoting, and selling your books – which will ultimately result in obtaining reviews.

Participation is crucial to your success in these groups. Therefore, avoid joining dozens of groups simultaneously. Instead, select a few groups that interest you, decide which ones suit you best, and start participating. When the time comes to ask for assistance, you will likely receive more help if you have already provided help to others. In other words, pay it forward!

1. Local In-Person Support Groups

These are normally small and intimate groups of serious writers who meet weekly or monthly to help each other with critiques, advice and encouragement.

I have several author friends who have belonged to a group for years. One local group started with one published author and seven hopefuls … several years later all eight members have a minimum of at least one published book and three of the members have books published by main stream publishers. The members were very serious about participation which included countless detailed critiques, introductions to publishers, hand-holding, hugs and support when things got tough AND, celebrations including birthdays, holidays, new babies and getting published.

Ways to find local groups include:

Create your own group using your city’s local meet-up organization.
Create your own group by placing a classified ad (or get an article published) in a community newspaper.
If there is a local university or college or night school organization that has writers classes either take a class to meet writers or get in touch with class instructors.
Put up flyers any place where there are writing classes.
Teach a writing class — ask your “serious students if they are interested in forming or joining a group.
Attend local writer’s conferences to see if you can find local groups.

2. Remote Support Groups

There are hundreds of regional, national and international writing support groups.

Large support groups include huge organizations such as the RWA ( Romance Writers of America). This group is so large they even have city specific chapters!

There are country specific organizations such as the Canadian Authors Association or the Royal Society of Literature in the UK.

Google your city, region, country or specialty niche to find author organizations you might want to join.

Ways to Create or Find Groups

Regional or nation writer’s conferences are an excellent place to find like minded writers.
For example if you write children’s books, attend several sessions aimed at your niche. Ask the presenter if they could announce your group or ask if there are any existing groups. Hand out some flyers.
Within larger formal organizations, join a chat group and start looking for a small mastermind you can join, OR create your own group. For example, if you belong to the RWA see if there is a chapter for your city and then find out if there are any local in-person meetings.
Announce a group or ask for existing groups on your blog, your newsletter list, your Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts.

3. YOUR Beta Readers Group

This will be (should be) ONE of the most important groups you create.

Some authors have a beta-readers group list in the hundreds. This gives them a real advantage in the publishing game because they will not only get great feedback on their books but will create interest in their books and get dozens of reviews within the first few weeks of hitting the publish button.

Start building your beta-readers group months in advance of your scheduled publishing date. Look for people who have been supporting your writing dreams. Contact them personally and ask them if they would like to be a beta-reader for your first book … and let them know what kind of feedback you would like.

Once you have a few personal contacts on your list … and when you have a beta-copy ready to go, you can also reach out on any of your social media channels, your blog and your email FAN list.

Create a newsletter contact list just for your beta-readers. This will enable you to contact and distribute beta-copies easily when the time comes. Create an email account JUST for your beta-readers. This will make it easier to keep track of incoming comments and other messages about your book.

A few days before you publish, let your beta-readers know the book is ready for publication. If you have enrolled in KDP Select, let them know what days they can download a FREE or 99cent copy. Ask them for a review. FREE downloads are considered to be “purchases” and any reviews will be labelled as a “verified purchase.” I highly recommend at least one or two days of FREE as soon as possible for this very reason!

IF you don’t plan on having FREE days for several weeks, send your beta-readers the final copy of your book via PDF or kindle file and ask them to review the book. Because they won’t be buying the book any reviews given will not be a “verified purchase.”

Treat your beta-readers like the DIAMONDS they are! Be kind, polite, thankful and generous. NEVER react negatively to any suggestions they make NO MATTER how hurtful they may be. NEVER try to explain why you wrote something the way you wrote it. Consider carefully what they say and either make changes or not (it IS your book). IF you keep getting the same comments over and over and over again you can assume your regular readers will be thinking the same thing!

In his book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book, Guy Kawasaki talks about how he sent out a beta-copy to over 250 beta readers. He got back about 60 messages that included lists of typos, grammatical errors and factual errors. This saved him from major embarrassment AND helped launch his book with a BIG buzz!

4. Facebook Groups

There are literally hundreds of author, publisher, Amazon and Kindle oriented Facebook groups. Some are better than others.

You can use Facebook Groups in three ways:

Create your own private (or public) group with the purpose of helping and sharing. One purpose for a private Facebook group might be for your beta readers or your Promo Team.
Join a Kindle Facebook group with the purpose of “blasting” out information on your new book. Just be careful here. READ the rules to make sure you can “advertise” or promote your books.
Join an established author group with the purpose of helping and sharing. You might have to join a few groups before finding one that suits YOU and your niche.

CLICK HERE for more information on Facebook Groups.

5. Affinity Groups

There are affinity groups for almost every topic you can think of … sometimes the challenge is finding them, other times the challenge is figuring out which ones to join.

If you have a book with a very narrow niche audience, look for one or more affinity groups. THIS is where your audience is. You are better off spending time (and if necessary $$) in a small group where everyone is interested in your topic … than wasting time in huge groups when only one in thousands will be interested.

A great benefit of joining affinity groups well ahead of your book launch is that you can find out the biggest concerns of the members and tailor your book to answer those concerns.