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.
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.
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