Like most people, when I read a book I really enjoy, I keep it to myself. It never occurs to me to spread the word.
Of course, when the book is a recognized classic, that’s hardly necessary. Nobody I know read Moby Dick because I said “Hey, you ought to check out this book by this Melville fella, it’s got a great story line about this nutty ship captain and a great white whale…” On the other hand, I have recommended some lesser-known classics to my friends – such as Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian, and other books in his Jack Aubry series, and have been thanked heartily for those recommendations.
For newbie authors (such as yours truly), such recommendations are vital. By all means, if you really enjoy a book by a new or unknown author, tell your friends about it. But these days, you can go even further – you can go to sites like Amazon (where you probably bought the book to begin with) and write a review. The more good reviews the author receives, the more sites like Amazon will advertise the book.
As of today, Silent Warriors had gotten eight reviews on Amazon. Seven of these are 5-star, and one a 4-star. I believe(or, at least, hope) that all of these were honest reviews. I could use a lot more! I’ve been told, and assume it’s true, that fifty reviews is Amazon’s threshold for advertising a book on its own (of course, you can always pay Amazon to advertise your book).
The bottom line is this: Please, if you enjoy any book of mine, please, please, post a review! And if you do, Thank you.
-Gene