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I have tabs open on my phone and every single one of them is tied to writing or publishing in some way. My favorites are similar. It’s all books all the time.

Why? Because I’ve been trying to figure out the whole marketing thing before my book is out. I know I’ll do one of those “50 things I wish I knew just 5 minutes prior to hitting the self-publishing button of doom” posts, but if I can make it 49… Well that’s a win.

I’ve been submitting my book to review sites so that means I’ve started a spreadsheet. I am slowly, but surely, compiling a list that shows the reviewer name, email, website, when I asked them to review, and what their response has been. It’s pretty similar to my agent query spreadsheet.

On that note, I was always irked by the agents who in one breath will tell you not to make a spreadsheet because they are people with real wants and needs, etc, etc. Then, in the next breath tell you they can’t even be bothered to respond to your query because they are just buried, buried under all the queries they receive as though authors are not people too.

Anyway, my spreadsheet is something I do to keep track of what I am doing. That way every day I can send out one or two feelers to reviewers so that by the time I have actual review copies I can send it to at least one or two people. (Actually, I have a couple already.)

But, as I have been compiling my list of potential people to bother with my “Hey you guys free book you can review over here” mantra, I have run into a snag.

See, I’ve long since given up on that whole traditional publishing thing. I just don’t think it is in the cards for me, and I’m tired of being rejected by people who won’t even read the book. It hurts my self-esteem, and I like my self-esteem. Why would I do things to make it sad?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of reviewers out there who won’t read indie books at all. Their website’s have bolded and exclamation marks around a statement that basically reads “Go away you indie slime, I don’t want to read your horrible book.” Then there will be some other note somewhere saying that if they do want to read your book their people will contact your people, etc etc.

It was incredibly frustrating to spend two hours going through review blogs only to find out they don’t review self-published books. I mean, hey, have you read Divergent? I could throw a needle into a haystack of indie books and probably find something better written.

And yes, I have found some great resources for finding indie books reviews. The Indieview springs to mind. But, I was trying to reach outside the box. Now I feel like I was told to get back in my box and keep my filthy hands to myself.