R.C. O'Leary: Author of the Legal Thriller: Hallways in the Night
  • Download First 5 Chapters
  • BLOG
  • RCOleary.com
  • Connect and Contact

Goodreads Group "The Source" is a Great Opportunity for Independent Authors to have their Books Screened and Judged by Readers

8/16/2014

 
Earlier in the year, as I was looking for opportunities to promote Hallways in the Night, I came across a Goodreads group called The Source which was established as a group that is dedicated to the task of trying to find high quality books written by self-published authors. One of the members analogized the group as an "American Idol for Writers."

The group's mission statement is: 

The primary goal of this group is to find the best indie titles out there. We're looking for self-published books that are every bit as good - if not better - than those traditionally published.

I submitted Hallways in the Night and have been following it and the group's process since that time. What is somewhat unique about this group is that the books need to make it through a screening process before the book will be reviewed. The Source is not a book review swap site or even a book promotion site. It's more like a public critique group in which members of the group vote your book up or down. Kind of like America's Got Talent.

The format allows a large number of books to be screened because the screening requirements are not time consuming. In a nutshell (and you can get more details on the screening requirements here) group screens the submitted books based upon 3 factors: 1) Cover 2) The Blurb and 3) The Sample offered via Amazon's Look Inside Feature. 


In order to move from the "Books Needing Screened" to the "Books Needing Reviewed" thread, a submitted book needs to garner 5 votes for approval. Similar to the America's Got Talent format where you need to get voted to the next round.

One of the relatively unique aspects of the Group is that the moderators have structured it in a way that allows the reviewers to make their recommendations either public or private. Thus, writers are able to get largely unfiltered feedback on their work. Because of this, writers will need a thick skin--even if your book is approved you're likely to get some critical feedback in the process---but the opportunity to have your book judged by independent screeners is worth it. 

The process for writers wanting to submit is easy. You simply post your book in the thread "For Authors and Readers--Pitch Here."  And then, you watch and wait as your book moves through the process. 

As of last week, Hallways in the Night received the 5th vote of approval needed for it to move from "books needing screened" to "books needing reviewed," so my next step will be to provide 5 reader copies to reviewers interested in reading it. We'll then find out what their verdict is on the book. 

This is truly a great opportunity that the Source gives to self-published writers. Over time, I think there is the chance that it can become a trusted voice for this growing segment of publishing.

Finally, The Source is an open group. Any readers who are a member of Goodreads can join. If you're a reader, consider becoming a screener and helping other readers discover some high quality self-published books. Hopefully, you'll also discover some great reads during the process. 





Comments are closed.
    Picture
    19 5 STAR Reviews on Amazon
    Picture
     CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CHAPTERS 
    1
    -
    5 FOR FREE
    
    From Reveiwers: 

    "the courtroom scenes crackle....the setting and dialogue sing with pure authenticity." MenReadingBooks.com 

    Tampa Tribune:"this legal thriller is certainly hard to put down."

    BookStory:                "An edge of the seat legal battle. Unputdownable."


    

    From Readers:

    "I had a hard time putting it down."


    "5 Stars Across the Board!"


    "A cross between John Grisham and Tom Wolfe."


    "Hard to Believe this is O'Leary's first novel."

    "Great action!" 


    "Loved every minute of it. Great twist that had my jaw dropped"




    Author

    R.C. O'Leary author of legal thriller Hallways in the Night.

    Archives

    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    Baseball
    Book Marketing
    Book Review
    Current Events
    NCAA
    Politics
    Promotion
    Student Loan Solutions

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly