Today we're doing a different type of interview, and it should be
enlightening to both writers and readers following the blog.
My guest today is Sandra C. López.
Hello! Welcome to
Writing in the Modern Age! It’s such a pleasure to have you here.
Hi, Marie, and fellow readers and writers! Thank you for letting me visit.
Of course!
Can you tell us a little bit about your company or service, and how Writing in the Modern Age readers can benefit from it?
The review program allows authors to list their books
and reach a wide range of readers in exchange for an honest review on Amazon
and/or Goodreads. It's been a hit so far! About 85% of participating authors
get at least 1 – 2 reviews on Amazon, and we receive over 50 reviews a month
from readers. And the best part about it is that we offer free ways for authors
to list their book in our program. As an author, I totally understand that
budgets can be tight, which makes it harder (maybe even impossible) to promote
your books out there, much less get any reviews for it. Yes, you can reach out
to an endless number of book bloggers, but how long can that take? Yes, you could
pay a review service, but who has the money? My review program has the best of
both worlds—access to many potential reviewers and a free price tag.
Wow, it sounds great! I think a love of reading has brought us all here in some capacity. ;)
 |
| Susan Yin, Unsplash |
Sandra, are you also a writer? What genre or genres should we
expect to see you in? Do you use a pseudonym?
Yes, I am a YA and chick lit author. No, I don’t use a pen name.
 |
| https://books2read.com/u/4DWaXO |
Nice!
How did Sandra's Book Club get launched, or what spurred the idea? What sets it apart from other services?
I wrote my first novel, Esperanza: A Latina Story, WHILE
I was still in college. The book follows the story of a 14-year old
Mexican-American girl trying to get out of the barrio and make something of her
life. Full of humor and refreshing dialogue, this book was voted as an
inspirational favorite by teen readers. Shortly after that, I wrote the sequel
entitled Beyond the Gardens, published in October 2009. In the second book, the
lead heroine gains new confidence and strength as she learns the hard way that
“you can take the girl out of the barrio, but you can’t take the barrio out of
the girl.”
I write stories with strong and independent female
characters that I, myself, would like to read about. When I’m not writing, I
get my fill on reading for the enjoyment as well as to improve my craft.
Like every published author, I was emailing book
bloggers, asking them to please review my book. But, like querying to a
publisher, most of them were unresponsive and some weren’t interested. And, of
course, I used paid services that would list my book in their newsletters,
reaching potential readers that may or may not review my book. That worked out
okay. But let’s face it: getting reviews is tough. It’s hard when your book
isn’t well publicized and no one is willing to give it chance. That’s what
started my book blog. Initially, it started as just a blog for my own personal
reviews on books that I read. At that point, I started taking requests from
authors and publishers. My own personal review would be free, but, of course,
like every other blogger, I only chose the ones that I wanted and rejected
those that I didn't. Yes, my readings tastes are pretty open in a wide variety
of genres, but there are some that just don’t really interest me (i.e.
westerns, politics sports, etc.) So how do I help those rejected authors get reviews?
After all, I couldn't possibly review them all.
 |
| Photo by Yuri Efremov on Unsplash |
That’s when I came up with the
idea of starting a book club of readers and a review program to supply authors
with more reviews besides the one that I give them. Readers can sign up to get free books from
authors, and authors can get reviews for their books. It’s a simple, easy, and
convenient program. And it’s working!
My review program is unique because I offer a free
option for authors, and I do that because I want authors of all kinds to get a
fair chance at getting reviews for their books. Every book deserves a review.
These are HONEST and LEGIT reviews. There is no buying reviews here. Readers
are free to choose any book and reserve the right in whether or not a review
gets posted. It’s all strictly voluntary and 100% honest.
Two things I love about this job is finding new books
to read and helping out fellow authors.
That's fantastic!
I see you also design book covers, other promotional graphics, and book trailers. What design rules do you follow, or elements do you add to make your work more marketable for authors who wish to reach new readers?
The first thing I try to do is come up with a concept I
think might work for the author’s work and/or genre. Then I send it to the
author for some feedback. After all, who knows the story better than the
author, right? The creative process is repeated until the author and I come up
with a design that is satisfactory.
Love it! I think many authors have no choice in their book cover design.
How do you intend to expand your services or company in the future?
Currently, I organize, manage, and run the whole review
program. But if we keep growing like we have been, then I may need to hire an
assistant.
Oh, I can imagine!
Let's try some general
questions now.
Do you have any favorite authors?
I consider myself a fan of reading because I read all
kinds of books. I don’t have a favorite genre as it all depends on what I’m in
the mood for. So, no, I don’t have a favorite author.