C. M. Skiera's Blog

Why are Amazon book reviews important to writers selling on the global marketplace leader's website? Beyond the obvious answer of helping prospective buyers decide if the novel is right for them, there are several other lesser-know critical reasons. For example, many of the online promotional sites where authors advertise their books (like BookBub, etc.) require a minimum number of Amazon reviews (or star ratings) before they will accept the book. This is a tough hurdle for new releases that don’t have many (or any) Amazon reviews. This Catch-22 means you need Amazon reviews to market your books, but how do you get Amazon reviews before you are able promote your novel? In addition, Amazon’s algorithm factors in customer reviews when deciding to include a product in search results and recommendation lists. Books with more reviews are more likely to be promoted by Amazon’s algorithm, which can help the book reach a wider audience.  More reviews (even negative ones) provide the book w...

 Please enjoy this excerpt from my new fantasy novel Plea to a Frozen God : The infirmary door slammed shut and Riggan pulled off the prince’s two-layered boots. Sweat beaded on her brow as the roaring fireplace warmed the sterile room. She continued to remove Prince Ligo’s clothing. Urine soaked his trousers. Could have been worse. With a warm, damp cloth, she cleaned and inspected each part of his body. “No external injuries, thank Fieg.” She imagined a scowling King Kolf breathing down her neck. Riggan covered the naked prince with a blanket, then hurried to her apothecary cabinet and began grabbing ingredients. He’ll have a headache, for sure, and I’ll need to warm his blood and get it flowing. “Willow bark, betony, verbena,” she mumbled as she worked. “Some cumin and mint.” Riggan added the ingredients to a ceramic mortar and began grinding the grassland herbs and flowering plants into a powder. She added the pain-relieving concoction to a simmering alembic solution an...