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What can I say at the strange beginning of this year that writers might need to hear? I’ve been thinking a lot about the value of writing in changing or difficult times. That’s probably no surprise, given that writing is both my vocation and avocation. As our tagline says, Larksong is “where writing happens.” I’m thinking about the act of writing—the specific act of putting words down on paper or into a computer—as well as its role and value in the wider community, culture, history, and the timeline in which a writer lives.
 
I’ve been reading about the Mass Observation project from the World War II era in Britain. The project, which ran from 1937 to 1967, was designed to record the mundane details of British life across every level of class and location. According to an article in Time magazine, Brits from all walks of life were tasked with keeping journals about their lives, “recording the public’s behavior in places like pubs and war memorials, as well as people’s attitudes about topics as varied as football pools, eating, and facial hair... They wrote about the intimate details of their lives as well as their thoughts and feelings about the world around them... The result is an intimate portrait of British life that is also completely individual.”
           
The journals from this project are now considered an invaluable resource for historians, sociologists, cultural and social anthropologists, artists, educators, and literary scholars. As the founders described it, it is “an anthropology of ourselves” spanning 30 years, covering, among other things, the build-up to World War II, the war itself, and its aftermath.
 
As far as I know, there’s no similar public project underway anywhere in the world right now. If you know of one, please let me know!
 
Thinking about journaling reminds me of the book that first sparked my desire to keep a journal when I was a young teen: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. As you no doubt know, this is the journal of a Jewish teenager chronicling her family’s two years (1942–44) in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands. The book was first published in 1947—two years after Anne’s death in a concentration camp—and later became a classic of war literature. It wasn’t written for the world; it was a young girl writing to make sense of her experiences and feelings about life. Yet it has impacted millions of people across the world.
 
I’ve been a journal writer my entire adult life. I have boxes of journals filled with the mundane ramblings and earnest seekings of someone who finds that the point of the pen is the most reliable place to discover clarity, wisdom, mystery, creativity, peace, release, solace, and a whole lot of things I don’t even know I need. I write them because writing helps me make sense of life and the times I live in. I keep them because I want to be able to look back and see how things really were. I want to remember my life as best I can.
 
The benefits of journaling are well-documented. Regular journal writing has been credited with everything from lowering blood pressure to improving memory, brain health, creativity, and joy. It doesn’t matter how you do it—the writing itself becomes an act of self-preservation.
 
Over the years, I have taught creative journaling to kids and adults. Larksong has a monthly art journal club for members who are crafters and artists. Type “journaling” into your search bar, and you’ll find thousands of books, ideas, techniques, apps, templates, and prompts to help you get started or keep going. It’s unbelievably easy to do, and as the examples above show, journaling can be exponentially beneficial—not just for the individual writer but for the world.
I recently saw the new movie about Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown. The timeline covers his early years, from obscurity to fame, in a world changing as quickly as he was. It offers fascinating insights into those transitions. The words of his song keep running through my mind: “The times, they are a-changin’.” That was true in 1963 when he wrote it, and it’s true now. Watching the film, I was struck by how important writing—songwriting, in this case—was to the events and the people living through them. Now and always, writing matters.
 
And that is the point I really want you to take from this: writing matters—your writing matters. Whether you’re doing it for yourself or others, for publication, posterity, or kindling—now is the time to write. Grab your pens, charge up your laptops. Join us at Larksong or cozy up in your own living room. Let’s write—together and alone.
 
We could change the world.

Hope to hear from you soon. 

Karen Gettert Shoemaker
Director, Larksong Writers Place

If you’d like to get a copy of Larksong’s bi-monthly newsletter, which includes the director’s report and the schedule of upcoming events, please register at the link on this page of our website.  

Book lovers have many options for obtaining the objects of their affection. Browsing in a physical store selling new or used books, downloading ebooks or audiobooks, even borrowing from public library depending on the readers need for ownership or to economize. Whichever means of acquisition you prefer, chances are good that your choice is based on reviews.

Recommendations by friends are one form of review, and are often very reliable. Reviews or excerpts of reviews printed on covers of books help a reader make her selection. Such blurbs always rave about the book’s quality and relevance, so we make allowances for hyperbole. Amazon even allows potential readers to take a peek at a section of the book’s content. But, that is after you find the book. All of these reviews can make the decision of whether to buy a book or lunch easier.

The Oscar/Nobel level review is from Amazon; it is just a fact. An author needs Amazon reviews to help market her book and also herself. The higher a book’s star ranking, the more likely a reader of that genre or subject will find her book. How can this be? Look no further than the Amazon search algorithm. When a reader searches for books by genre or subject, the algorithm determines which books the potential buyer sees first. The more reviews, the higher the book’s ranking; therefore, the more likely readers will find your book.  

Authors understand the importance of Amazon reviews. We want good reviews to sell more books and to increase our visibility so we can sell even more books. It seems like a great idea for an author to solicit friends, family members, neighbors to do a quick favor and write a two- or three-sentence review. Writers understand we need a community of creatives to support us and to encourage us each and every time we give up the dream. “I’ll review your book if you review mine,” sounds like the very foundation of a writing community. It would be, were it not for the Amazon algorithm, the curse of many, understood by so few.

In an effort to root out “fake reviews,” Amazon no longer allows individuals who “share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer reviews for that author’s book.” (Amazon Customer Reviews) Here is where the algorithm comes into play Amazon can determine who your close friends are by comparing a reviewer’s contact information with the author’s account information. If you want to tilt at the Amazon windmill and ignore the review policy, Amazon also has an Anti-Manipulation Policy for Customer Reviews.

In summary: It is okay to solicit sales of your books on Amazon, but don’t even think about asking any of your readers to write a review if they are friends, roommates, or family. From whom else would you request reviews?  Strangers?  Where are these strangers who will love my book if they can find it?

Amazon does allow reviews from friends or family IF the reviewer conspicuously discloses how they received the book. Some examples of making the conspicuous disclosure are: “I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) for an objective review.” Or, “I received a copy of this book from [author name here], and I am reviewing it voluntarily.” Or, “I wrote this review based on an ARC sent to me by the publisher.”

            Savvy authors include a review request in their book. Beware how you word your request. Don’t say, “If you loved my book, please leave a review.” Why not? Because your ask does not include people who liked the book, found the book interesting, read all the way to the end, but did not fall in love with it. (Yes, that’s the reason.) Instead say something like, “If you found this book helpful, I would appreciate hearing your opinion. Honest reviews make finding the right book easier for other readers.”

Editorial reviews have always been allowed by Amazon. This is an evaluation of a book written by a profession reviewer (think Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly) or an endorsement (a statement of support by a well-known writer or influencer.)

In 2016, Amazon introduced Vine, a program where you sign up to receive merchandise free or at a reduced price in return for the promise to review it. These “Incentivized reviews” are allowed by members of the Vine program. The review will be labeled “Vine Choice.” Of course, said Vine member has to request the book, after first finding the book. So, we are caught in this circular pattern: to review a book you must find the book, and the best way to find the book is by reading reviews.

See also:

Kindle Direct Publishing information regarding customer reviews.