Have you tipped -- aka, reviewed -- your favorite author today? #AmWriting #AmReading

Reviews are like tipping…

You’ve already paid for the pedicure, hair style, meal, valet, book…whatever, but that extra something is what makes that person’s day.

No tip or a one-star review could mean that the person did nothing right at all

Ten percent or a two-star review could mean that the person did their job, but not very well

Fifteen percent or a three-star review could mean that the person did their job, but didn’t offer anything special, didn’t go out of their way to stand out from other persons in the same profession

Eighteen percent or a four-star review could mean that the person did everything they were supposed to, went out of their way to connect with you.

Twenty percent is that coveted five-star review. This person did everything they were supposed to do and then some. You connected, you're coming back, you're bringing your friends!

And also like tipping…just because you get a FREE or discounted meal, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tip on that amount. Heck, it’s almost more important.

So, if you want to say thank you to an author for a great book at a fraction of the price as some publishers, review the book, tell your friends, share via social media… That’s the best way an author can grow...by word-of-mouth.

Until next time, happy reading, my friends!

Carmen

Thank you for reading my musings. Remember, these are just my opinions and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. If you have questions, please feel free to leave a comment, and I promise you I will answer. If you’re curious about what I write, please visit one of my author pages, where you can read all about my novels and short stories. And hey, I’ll even give you a free book just for stopping by.

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Comments

To prologue or not to prologue, that is the question. Readers, please weigh in!

Personally, I love prologues. They get you right into the action whether it was in the past or something exciting that is to come. But that’s exactly why most agents’ blogs I’ve read say not to use them. Paraphrasing…“If you need a prologue, then your story must not be strong enough…” Hmm … well, I like them, and I use them. But I’m curious what readers think, and I’d love you to weigh in. AND, if you have some great examples, please leave the title in the comment section. Now … here’s what I’ve noticed. Plenty of bestselling books have used them, even though they aren’t always called prologues . Same diff in my opinion. My biggest example is ‘Twilight’. If that little blurb wasn’t in the beginning, I don’t think I would have made it through the first chapter. How about movies? I don’t watch a lot. But I’ve started to notice how many have “prologues”. I also don’t have cable, but I have NetFlix, and hubby has just started watching ‘Breaking Bad’. Okay … I...

The rule of thirds: No matter what you do, someone will hate you. Get over it and Write On!

No matter what you do in life, a third of the people will love you, a third will hate you, and the rest will be indifferent. Get over it and Write On! Yes, I'm talking to myself. If you're listening, GREAT! It's good advice! Is it easy advice? Heck No! For some reason, even though that percentage is rather low on my books--the percentage of people who hate my books runs about 4.6%--it still hurts. Note: I only averaged the 'firsts' in my books, the books I actively promote. Because if I go to the second, third, and fourth books in my series, those numbers drop drastically. Obviously, if readers don't like my first book, they don't go on to the rest of my books in a series, so those books receive little to zero one-star reviews. So...if the number of one-star reviews we receive is less than five percent--Thank God ALL of the 33 1/3% of the haters don't write reviews--why do we get so depressed when we receive a one-star review...

Creatus Animus is available!

Amazon Kindle Amazon Worldwide Barnes & Noble Nook iTunes / iBooks Kobo Smashwords Scribd Oh, and as I promised, if you've already purchased the boxed set, it is updated with the new release. If you don't know how to update your set, simply leave a comment below, and I'll help you out. If you haven't read the Creatus series yet, or would like to share it with a friend, here's your chance. The Prequel and Book One are available in a Special Edition Set for FREE! Until next time, Happy Reading! Carmen If you haven't read the first three books, don't click this sneak peek. There WILL BE spoilers! Sneak Peek at Creatus Animus

Carmen DeSousa

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