224Whenever a major event in life, either by design or happenstance, has come and gone, I find it good to analyze what went well, and what didn’t, to be prepared for when history repeats itself. Last weekend I released my seventh book in the best-selling San Miguel de Allende Secrets series and it was, upon reflection, an intriguing mixed bag of good, bad and ugly.The GoodThe book, first morning out, went to number one on Amazon for Mexican Travel plus Worldwide Customs and Traditions. That’s great and takes some focused planning to enable an author to have those bragging rights, particularly with a regional book. Regional books, by their focused subject matter, are never going to be a New York Times bestseller along the lines of Stephen King or Amy Tan. But to jump to the top of your niche is, in words of a Brady Bunch kid, neat-o.Plus I had my fingers crossed to receive 3 reviews.Reviews are a funny thing. For tours, I average 40 tours to receive one TripAdvisor review (and this was before TripAdvisor abandoned its credibility a few months ago to become the Ticket Master of travel). For books, I have to move, on average, 400 to get one review.Reviews normally come upon a book’s release. Later reviews often fall into two camps. One is the fictitious reviewer that if you dig a bit, you’ll realize is an alias, as it is a person that simply likes to play in shadows spreading ill will. Another is an actual person with dreams to become a top Amazon reviewer, an enviable position as you’ll receive a lot of free swag in exchange for your review. To do so requires writing a lot of reviews and you can’t simply give good reviews or Amazon doesn’t consider you legitimate. So folks, in hope of getting a pair of diamond studs or a blender, will give books they’ve never bought, must less read, harsh reviews enabling them to provide great reviews for the products they actually want.For the first time, I amassed nine five star reviews and was gob smacked!Another first was readers sending personal messages. One reader in Louisiana complimented me on the story “Love Thy Neighbor” that jokingly referred to we foreigners’ obsession with trying to control our neighbor’s property. I contemplated forwarding it on to my dink neighbors that inspired the piece to compliment them on having some good laughs come from their dark intentions but knew the irony, much less the humor, would be lost on the pair.
by Joseph Toone
by Joseph Toone
- TripAdvisor’s top tour guide in San Miguel de Allende with History and Culture Walking Tours and Joseph Toone Tours.
- Amazon’s best selling author of the San Miguel de Allende’s Secrets book series on history, holidays, tours and living in San Miguel.