Dear Reader,

This will not be another commercial for my books.  The following applies to every author you have read or will read in the future.  It is most especially geared toward those indie authors who have found enough favor with you that you have actually read their work.

Becoming a published author used to be very hard to do.  In this digital, print on demand era, being published is no longer a hopeless dream for the average writer.  The paradigm has shifted and now marketing has become the greater challenge.

Once upon a time the only way into print was when a major publishing house bought the rights to a book and then took charge of everything to do with gaining public acceptance, from editing to cover art and in many cases even the title of the book itself.  In the self-publishing era it is up to the author to step up to the plate and take over those chores that would have been done for him or her by the major houses.

To say that it is an onerous task vastly understates the difficulty.  We, the indie authors, need your help.  My plea is a simple one; if you thought enough of the book to have read it, take a few minutes to write a review.  Even if you hated it, review it anyway because an honest assessment is all that any of us really want.

I’ve had readers tell me that they just don’t know what to say in a review.  My advice, don’t over think it.  The stars are the best indicator of how you felt about the book while your words merely add emphasis.  A reader recently told me that she keeps a copy of my poetry book at work and opens it to random pages from time to time.  I can’t think of a more glowing review than just those simple words.

As writers our goal, our finest hope, is to present the public with something that will entertain, edify and/or inform.  Some of us aspire to produce great literature, others only want to tell a good story but we all have in common that we want our work to reach the widest possible audience.  You, dear reader, are a major key to whether or not a book achieves its full potential and your greatest tool is the review.

Thank you.

Rick Fontes