SPR | Self-Publishing Review

Should You Respond to Reader Reviews? An Author’s Guide to Engagement Boundaries

Reader reviews are crucial if you are a self-published author, as positive feedback can ultimately shape your book’s success and allow you to build your reputation. While several platforms make it easier than ever to engage with people and amplify your reach, a stream of public, negative reviews can also hinder you. The question of whether to respond to reviews is not a straightforward one, which is why it’s essential to set clear engagement boundaries for yourself and others.

The Pros and Cons of Responding to Reader Reviews

Replying to reader reviews can be a paradoxical situation for self-published authors. […]

SPR2025-11-18T09:55:50+02:00November 18th, 2025|Categories: Member Blog|

An Interview with Richard A. Meyers: Author of The Half-Full-Glass User’s Manual

Richard Meyers grew up in Orange, NJ, and graduated from The Pingry School in 1963. He attended Hamilton College from 1963 through 1966 and then RPI from 1967 through 1968, where he got a BA degree from Hamilton College and a BS in Electrical Engineering from RPI.

He worked in NJ Bell until June of 1970. From Sept 1970 through November 1972, he worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. He then went on to work as a Secondary School teacher in Thimphu, Bhutan until July 1974.

Matters of the heart brought him back […]

SPR2025-11-11T15:19:21+02:00November 11th, 2025|Categories: Interviews|

5 Reasons Authors MUST Read In Their Genre

Sometimes authors spend so much time writing their books that they forget about the other side of the coin. As the great Stephen King once said, good writers need to do two things: read a lot and write a lot. Don’t get so lost in the second half that you neglect the first! While it might seem like a simple pastime, reading is one of the best things you can do to improve your writing. Here’s the top 5 reasons authors absolutely must read in their genre (and sometimes outside it!) if they want to create the best novel […]

SPR2025-10-28T19:48:57+02:00October 28th, 2025|Categories: Member Blog|

Who Are You Really Writing For? Why Defining Your Reader Can Make or Break Your Book Sales

As a self-published author, completing a project is exciting. The world can read the book that you poured your heart into, but do you know who your readers are? Understanding your audience is essential to selling your work.

Readers are more likely to engage with you when your marketing resonates with them. They may also share your most recent release with others. Shape your promotional strategies for your target reader, and your voice will reach the right people. Here is how to define your audience and engage them.

Identify Your Reader Persona

Identifying your target audience is the first step. […]

SPR2025-10-27T19:42:53+02:00October 27th, 2025|Categories: Member Blog|

An Interview with Gary Rivera: Author of The Reluctant Bully

Gary was born in Brooklyn, New York, and currently resides in Orlando, Florida. A widower with two grown children, loves going to theme parks, playing pickleball, watching movies, and reading. He enjoys traveling and hopes to visit every major league baseball stadium to watch a game.

Tell us about your book.

The Reluctant Bully is the second book in the Lunch Money Trilogy. I wanted to tell a different story from The Lunch Money Treasure, while further advancing the narrative of the first book, and I wanted to provide additional backstory for several characters, who will be featured […]

SPR2025-09-30T15:18:26+02:00September 30th, 2025|Categories: Interviews|

Sad Evil by Shane Drift

An ominous fantasy that summons ancient beliefs and tangles with indigenous traditions, Sad Evil by Shane Drift is a haunting thriller with epic stakes for the fate of the world. Sent through a portal from a far darker realm, Sad Evil descends upon the human world with a shadowy horde of dark spirits at his command. To defeat this looming storm of spiritual darkness, Darby must learn to harness her own ancestral powers, trust her ragtag companions, and embrace the hardest lessons of her past. Blurring the line between ancient folklore and contemporary fiction, the plot is a collision of […]

SPR2025-09-16T19:03:47+02:00September 16th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

An Interview with Dave Bruno: Author of Oh F*ck! Dinosaurs!

Dave Bruno grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and was scared of everything. Eventually, he overcame his fears thanks to horror video games and has been in love with the genre ever since. He has worked on several horror-themed projects, like an animated YouTube show called Scaredy Dave, animations for Puppet Combo video games, and becoming a game master for his Cosmic Horror-centric YouTube show, The Mythos Mystery Society.

He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011 to pursue a career in game animation. He currently works as an animator for the mobile game industry and […]

SPR2025-09-16T18:58:15+02:00September 16th, 2025|Categories: Interviews|

Deceitful Intentions by Carlo Armenise

A memory loss mystery with a sinister underbelly, Deceitful Intentions by Carlo Armenise is a dramatic thriller featuring a series of small-town twists. Raven Redman’s life was shattered by a car accident that resulted in the loss of her mother and the entirety of her memory. The details of that tragic day simply don’t add up, and when one of the key figures in the suspected cover-up is brazenly murdered, Raven becomes the next target of a killer with the perfect recipe for revenge. The layered complexity of covert affairs, emotional betrayals, and painful explorations of Raven’s past gives the […]

SPR2025-09-08T11:04:34+02:00September 8th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|