Potiphar’s Wife has been on bookstore shelves for over a month now. Zully has certainly received a warm welcome from the biblical fiction community! The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Of my current twelve novels, Potiphar’s Wife #3 in best launches–following #1: Isaiah’s Daughter (my only Christy Award winner) and #2: Of Fire and Lions (a Christy Award finalist).
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind and gracious response to this bad girl of the Bible!
What Happens Now?
We’re all aware that Amazon has become the tail that wags the dog in publishing. I love the brick-n-mortar bookstores and support them as much as possible, but let’s face it–Amazon is a mighty force.
For thirty days before and after the launch date, Potiphar’s Wife appeared on Amazon’s New Release Bestseller Lists (the picture above). It was fun to get my husband’s daily report on Zully’s rankings (since I seldom look at those things).
However, since we’re past that thirty-day mark, Zully has now been cast into the great ocean of Amazon’s general book population. Eeeek! So, how many books are available on Amazon? Sometime in 2018, Amazon stopped sharing that information. One estimate says on any given day, Amazon has around 48.5 MILLION books available for sale.
Zully will have to do some pretty amazing things to get noticed amid 48.5 million books!
What Gets Your Good Review?
On a scale of 1-5, how many hearts would you give this cartoon?
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
When it comes to books:
- What grabs your heart and fascination?
- What makes you laugh, cry, or empathize with the characters?
- What draws you into a world that’s so different than your own?
I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below. Actually, marketing professionals throughout the publishing industry would LOVE to hear your answers! 😉 Come launch time, everyone wants to know how to reach more people…
But I want to know BEFORE THE LAUNCH. I want to WRITE better books. I want to know how to make those REAL PEOPLE from the Bible walk right into your heart. I’d love to hear how to make them more real to you, more believable, more relatable. THAT’S what helps me–as the author–when I read a review.
Neither Braggin’ Nor Beggin’
Below is the current “rankings” for Potiphar’s Wife as of Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 7:40pm (when I wrote this post). Zully is swimming upstream at 55,000th place but #18 in overall biblical fiction. As I mentioned above–I hardly EVER look at this information.
Good reviews submitted online make a HUGE difference. Think about the last product you purchased (mine was a set of twinkle lights for our living room). I ALWAYS check the reviews before I purchase a product. I’ll even pay a little more for a product with better reviews. It’s the same with books.
If you’ve read Potiphar’s Wife and enjoyed it, please take a moment and review it on Amazon and other online retailers (Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Walmart.com), Goodreads, or Facebook Groups if you’d like.
But…I DON’T WRITE FOR REVIEWS! I DO pay attention to the reviews that teach me something about how I can improve characters and story lines. (More about this in next week’s newsletter article: Potiphar’s Wife: Bad Review Blues; CLICK HERE to subscribe so you don’t miss it!)
Afraid to Write Reviews?
Please don’t get all twisted in knots about writing the “perfect” review for your most recent favorite read. The two most important things folks want to know is:
- What spoke to you in this book
- Why do you think someone else might like it?
CLICK HERE to read a fantastic post from my sweet friend Rel Mollet for some simple and practical tips on writing helpful book reviews. First step: take a deep breath and pray for the Lord’s wisdom. Then…do it!
Some Encouraging Examples
I wanted to end today’s post with some really encouraging examples of great reviews on Potiphar’s Wife. Again, please know that I don’t share this with any pride or “look at me.” I’ve shared many times how utterly impossible this book was to write. I’ve proven again and again that without Jesus, I couldn’t write a Facebook post!
WITH HIM, however, even an impossible character like the villainous Potiphar’s wife can find redemption in a fictional story that meets 21st-century readers right where they are:
Amazon reviewer #1:
Her writing is so timely and not only shines a “human quality” on stories of the ancient people of the Bible but also points to its relevance to the world we live in today. Although you don’t particularly like it, you can understand WHY Zully does what she does. The thread weaved of God’s redemption and forgiving nature is seen through every page.
I may not have committed the acts that Zully did, but I still saw myself in her. I also saw God’s love show up for her and myself. Zully’s story is every person’s redemption story. We all fall short, but as Mesu masterfully shows us, God does not.
Amazon reviewer #2:
I learned about ancient foods, customs, wars, cosmetics, clothing, landscapes, festivals, dancing, arts, prison life (oh, that was hard to read…..) and faith. Here’s one of my favorite quotes: Love can heal or harm, build or destroy, give life or death . . .
This book is a story of hardship, pain, loss, sacrifice, forgiveness, romance, betrayal, backstabbing, and lying, yet a thread of redemption and faith weave throughout the pages. It was very difficult to turn out my light at night and go to sleep as I wanted to stay up all night to read!
Let it be said – this is Mesu’s best work to date and as I turned the last page, I was begging for a sequel, as the story is NOT finished. I turned the page and Mesu had a note that she was writing the sequel. THANK YOU! I cannot wait!
And Thank YOU!
To all those who take the time to read and review–thank you, bless you, may the Lord fill you with joy as you bathe in His gift of words.
Today’s Questions:
- Do you review books online? If not, what stops you? If you do, what’s your greatest motivation for doing it?
Comments 2
This biblical fiction piece offers a fresh perspective on familiar stories, and I loved how it made me think about the characters and events in a new light.
Author
Thank you, Joseph. I’m so glad it helped open your heart to a new way to see biblical characters.