biancadarc.com Blog

Not Complaining, But Disappointed…

…in the response so far on Amazon to the Maiden Flight freebie. Since the book was given away free for the Kindle, there have been about 3 reviews entered on Amazon and all three are very negative. Why? The only thing I can figure is that the people in question grabbed a freebie without knowing it was EROTIC romance. All three complaints share the common theme that the book was “porn.”

*sigh*

I know hundreds, if not thousands of people downloaded the book for free but so far only those three unhappy people have stepped forward to offer their opinions. I’m glad they did, though I wish they could have confined themselves to opinion instead of giving away details of the plot. (Hello? Spoilers?) But I know for a fact that this book sells well and it has always done well with professional reviewers. The print version scored a 4 at Romantic Times (they only go as high as 4.5 for a special few books each month, so 4 is basically as high as you can get without being singled out as a “top pick”).

So I’m back to my worries over the cover. I know the cover doesn’t exactly shout “erotic romance” and one of my ongoing fears with my dragon covers especially, is that some kid is going to pick it up thinking it’s a fantasy/adventure tale – which it is – but be shocked to hell and back by the erotic content. :O

If I had to guess – and at this point, that’s all I can do – I’d say these people on Amazon picked up the book because it was free. They didn’t really choose it. They may or may not have realized it was erotic romance – though if you read the blurb, it should be pretty clear it’s a menage story. They may or may not have ever even read an erotic romance before and my little book shocked the bejeezus out of some of them.

Not my intention. I wrote this book for adults who enjoy erotic romance and I know there are lots of us out there. The market for erotic romance is huge but if someone doesn’t like it – like anything – they can choose not to read it. Whatever floats your boat. BUT, I think it’s kind of rotten to get something for free, not even bothering to check if it’s something you’d object to on principle, then trash it because it’s not your cup of tea.

As a writer, I value the reviews from people who know the genre much more than the folks who’ve never read a book like mine before. Those are the reviews I can really learn from. I value the opinion of how my book stacks up against books like it. If you’ve never read an erotic romance before and dislike the entire concept, then in what way is that opinion valuable to me or to anyone who might want to buy the book in future? It’s not.

Now, if you want to issue a “warning,” by all means, go right ahead. Although I have to believe that anyone who reads the blurb – which is something I always do before spending my money on a book – will realize right away that it’s a menage and therefore something outside the norm.

It’s just very disappointing to have this so-called “promotion” work out like this. Only the unhappy people have responded on Amazon, while many very happy new readers have emailed me privately to say they enjoyed the book and have bought more of my books. Why do the cranky people always feel the need to complain loudest while the happy people keep their mouths shut? *even bigger sigh*

Right now I’m disheartened by the public response on Amazon. I can only hope the silent, happy folks are the majority and that my pet theory will be proven in higher sales for the subsequent books in the series. Thanks to those of you who have offered public opinions on my books. It’s much appreciated – especially from people who know and like the genre as a whole.