Social media gives us new ways to connect with others and pursue our interests, which can include following our favorite authors, publishers, and bookstores. While it may seem an unlikely place, Instagram is one of these platforms with a rather large book-loving community. Recently, I became the new admin behind the Swenson Book Development Instagram account, but of course, there are many others in the literary community that have been #Bookstagrammers for much longer. Author and filmmaker Elizabeth Rynecki – who documented in both book and film her “emotional quest to find the art of her Polish-Jewish great-grandfather, lost during World War II” – is an experienced member of the Instagram literary community and models the best practices of #Bookstragrammers. As a guest for Swenson Book Development, Rynecki has written about writing book reviews and using Instagram, and I am excited to share it with you. Elizabeth Rynecki: Last year I posted 50 mini book reviews on Instagram. That might seem like a large number of books to read in a year, but it’s notably smaller than the number of books I started and then decided, for various reasons, not to finish. Not all books are for all readers. It seems like an obvious statement, but as an author myself I have come to understand this in a much deeper way, to the point that I’ve almost made it a mantra. My recent background as an author [Chasing Portraits was published by Penguin Random House in 2016] leads some people to…

Not every book gets a starred review from Kirkus. Whether it’s a review from a literary critic or the crank on Amazon, negative reviews hurt. They hurt a lot more than you’d think and in ways you can’t always imagine.  But how do you react to the pain inflicted from a negative assessment of your book? What do you do with your feelings? It’s increasingly important for an author to respond professionally. The stakes are greater than ego; bad reviews can hurt sales and reputations. There are three rules regarding negative reviews/feedback. Rule number one: do not respond. Rule number two: even when the reviewer completely misunderstood or misrepresents your book—do not respond. Rule number three: especially when you feel a response is justified, and your case is the exception to this rule—do not respond. Seek outside professional colleagues for advice and support. Let them respond. Emotion is energy. Your emotional response requires you to do something with that energy. Just make sure it is something productive. It does not have to be positive, but it does have to be productive. Here are some suggestions: (1)  Write a journal entry. You are a writer, remember? Write through your feelings. You might be surprised to find that at the end of the entry you feel a little better. (2)  Call a trusted writer friend. You aren’t the only one who has been hit this way. You are part of a writing community. It is okay to call on someone from your…

If you are a writer, you have likely been asked this question. Perhaps more than once. Before you answer, recognize the question is loaded like a gun and it could go off and hurt you. These requests from some authors contain two unjustified assumptions: one, you plan to read it, and two, you will write something nice about it. Caveat emptor – Buyer beware. More than one aspiring author I know has made the mistake of saying yes prematurely. They wanted to be helpful and hoped at some future date the favor would be reciprocated. Danger! What happens when you read the work and it’s filled with typos, factual inaccuracies, unbelievable characters, or an implausible plotline? Would you want a review of your book from someone who lacks talent and writing craft? Never say yes to this question. Here’s why. In agreeing to write a review, you commit to a product endorsement before you’ve read the book. If you are inclined to read and evaluate a book on its merits, commit to reading ONLY. And ask for a (free) review copy. After you’ve finished reading, then decide whether or not you want to write a review. If you can’t say anything nice about it, don’t write a review. Instead let the author know in a personal email why you can’t. But don’t post a scathing review filled with negative comments. It reflects poorly on you more than the book you bash. A book review requires a critical assessment of the…