Welcome head of marketing at Reading Alley, Alexis Grey!
As an author myself, I know how hard it is to get reviews. But it's not just about that…it's about connecting with readers and finding a fan base. One of the writers in my author loop sent a link to Reading Alley while in beta before it opened, and I didn't hesitate to pop on over to check it out. I'm super excited to participate in spreading the word about Reading Alley, a new venue for authors of both fiction and non-fiction to garner reviews. I've just added the prequel novella to my urban fantasy / paranormal romance series to the site. Review session to open soon!
Alexis, so glad to have you here today. I love this whole community concept you are fostering with contests and other things to promote engagement. This is also a great way for readers and reviewers to get rewarded for their reading time through access to free books and other incentives. A couple ways to get points are to refer others to site and set up reading challenges.
A couple of questions for you to help people understand the concept and nuances:
1) What is Reading Alley?
Reading Alley is a site that caters to passionate book reviewers. Book reviewers get the chance to read the latest books in the market for free. In exchange, the only requirement is for them to submit their honest, unbiased reviews afterwards.
We feature a variety of books from different genres, and these books are from both bestselling and up-and-coming authors.
Authors are welcome to set up their books for review at a reasonable price. By joining Reading Alley, authors have a platform to send secure copies of their books for review. They also gain instant access to a community of readers eager to write independent reviews, leading to greater awareness and exposure of their books.
2) How many members reviewers do you currently have? Do you have a membership goal you are trying to get to?
Our site constantly welcomes reviewers to join us, so we are continuing to grow our reviewer base day by day. Any reader with a passion for reading and reviewing books is welcome to open a free account with us.
3) What genres seem to be the most popular? (Is there a certain profile of reader/reviewer you are seeking?) Is this something a non-fiction author could do to participate in?
Reading Alley has books in a variety of genres such as Romance, Mystery and Thriller, Erotica, LGBTQ, New Adult, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Young Adult, and more. These books are from both known and up-and-coming authors. While majority of the books at the site are fiction books, we do welcome non-fiction books to list as well. We are also currently working on adding more books to the selection.
Examples of books currently up for review at the site are as follows:
4) We understand that Reading Alley has a Rewards Program. Please tell us more about it. What kind of rewards are offered for reviewers?
The Rewards Program is a program aimed at encouraging reviewers to actively participate in activities at the site. Reviewers are given RA Points whenever they take part in activities such as joining event contests, review challenges or referring their friends to Reading Alley. Reviewers will have to accumulate enough RA Points in order to redeem for prizes.
We have exciting prizes such as gift certificates. Reviewers also have the option to donate to a worthwhile charity, Kids Need to Read (http://kidsneedtoread.org).
5) By giving incentives for posting to Amazon, does that create a conflict with the Amazon T&C's for paid reviews?
No, it does not create conflict because reviewers at Reading Alley are not paid to write reviews. Our reviewers are readers who are passionate about books and are willing to share their honest thoughts and opinions with not only the authors, but all book lovers. Anyone who fits this criteria is welcome to join Reading Alley.
Reviews instead are written in exchange for a free copy of the book.
The Rewards Program is a program that promotes active participation on the site. The program gives RA Points to our members if they are active and participate in the different activities on our site, such as submitting reviews, joining events, or completing review challenges.
On reviews, reward points are given for the act of submitting a review; it is not as payment for the review, and we do not influence how our members write their reviews. This stems from a concern that some reviewers may request for books but not provide a review in return. Hence, the Rewards Program seeks to motivate them to positive behavior and ensure they submit a review afterwards.
Reviewers will have to accumulate enough RA points to be qualified to redeem for rewards. This may be obtained from a combination of all the activities mentioned above.
6) Thanks for clearing that up. By the way, congratulations on your Grand Opening!
Thanks! We're inviting everyone to join us. The party is still ongoing, and we are giving away a lot of prizes and points during our Grand Opening event, which is slated to go on until September 6, 2015! Everyone is invited to join us in a variety of site activities, such as our weekly contests, review challenge and referral program. The more active you are, the higher your chances of winning in our Grand Draw. Lots of irresistible prizes, including an Amazon Kindle and gift certificates, are up for grabs.
On July 10, Week 5 of our Weekly Contest goes live. Answer 3 questions and get a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card! Each week, we will have different winners, for a total of 12 winners by the time the party is over.
Thanks for stopping by, Alexis!
So Readers, if you've discovered Reading Alley here on my blog, remember to let them know that I sent you 🙂
Check out Reading Alley at http://www.readingalley.com