How did you find out about LovelyBooks?
As a diligent reader, I had known about Lovelybooks for some time. After the publication of my first novel, a particularly active book blogger drew my attention to the possibility of starting a reading round on Lovelybooks in order to receive a few additional (and hopefully positive) reviews.
How does a reading round work?
First of all, I as the author (or the publisher) provide a certain number of books that are offered for a reading round. Readers can apply for a copy over a period of time determined by me, and once the participants have been selected, the fun can begin. The book is "worked through" by reading sections and then commented on Lovelybooks, which can lead to the most interesting discussions.
How did you manage to find so many participants?
Whew ... that was a very long road.
Almost no one applied for my first novel "Phoebe - Eine Straßenhündin checkt ein" (Phoebe - A Street Dog Checks In), so I only managed to sell the ten copies I offered by the skin of my teeth.
The situation was completely different for the follow-up book, so I was able to increase the number of participants to twenty.
In the meantime, I no longer seem to be completely unknown as an author and am delighted with the countless applications that come in for every reading round I start.
Do all participants take part reliably, give you feedback and write reviews?
I keep reading in various forums that there seem to be a lot of readers hanging around on Lovelybooks who just want to dust off a free book without actively participating in the corresponding reading group. Fortunately, I have rarely had this experience so far. Almost without exception, the participants have written a few comments or at least left a short review. I can count the books that were "given away" with virtually no response on one hand.
How do you deal with negative feedback?
Ouch - at first, negative feedback hurts a lot. But every criticism is of course also an opportunity to learn from mistakes ... as long as the criticism is fair and constructive.
As I personally accompany each of my reading rounds, I naturally also respond to negative comments and have even received one or two valuable tips in the process.
Have you ever started a raffle?
I haven't started a raffle on Lovelybooks yet, but I'm planning to do so for my current project "Faggot Toast: Everything but a decent cookbook".
What has changed since your first round of readers?
Fortunately, the number of readers who apply for one of my books is increasing from time to time, otherwise nothing has really changed for me. As an author, I still have a lot of fun with every single reading round and I'm looking forward to getting started again soon.
Do you use other reading groups besides LovelyBooks?
So far I have only offered my reading rounds on Lovelybooks, as this platform is the best known and therefore promises the greatest benefit for me.
Do you have any tips for authors who are planning a reading group on Lovelybooks for the first time?
In any case, you shouldn't be disappointed if readers aren't beating down your door with their first book. If you don't get rid of all your books (which can happen), you can adjust the number of copies downwards at any time.
When selecting the "candidates" (if you and not the publisher are allowed to do so), take a closer look at the profiles:
Does your book match their reading interests?
How many reading rounds have you taken part in?
How many reviews have actually been written in relation to the books provided?
I would recommend every author to take part in the reading round in person and to actively participate. It's a huge time commitment, but it puts you in contact with the readers and book bloggers who engage with your work, which fills me personally with a lot of pride 🙂
What is your conclusion? Are reading rounds worthwhile?
Reading rounds are definitely worthwhile, especially for newcomers without a large advertising budget.
As there are countless books on the market, every single review is hugely important for the visibility of your own work. Often enough, reviews are not only posted on Lovelybooks, but also find their way onto other platforms or, in the best case, are even posted on Amazon. Many participants in reading rounds even have their own book blog, where the books they have read are also recommended. It is not uncommon for the reviews to appear on the corresponding blog on Facebook and Instagram, which is of course worth its weight in gold.
