Street/Review Team

With each book release we will be looking to create Street/Review Teams. Members of these teams will receive a FREE eBook copy of whatever book that team targets with no obligation to those accepted. Below is/are the link(s) to our current open Street/Review Teams (please note that applications for new team members may be closed at any time and all applications may not be accepted). To apply, just click the link for any open applications or keep reading below to learn more about this opportunity.

Open Street/Review Team Applications:

Closed/Pending Street/Review Team Applications

None

What is a Street Team or Review Team?

A Street Team or Review Team is a collective of readers who have expressed an interest in reading and reviewing the posted book. Contrary to the term "street", accepted applicants will not be expected to physically cruise the streets to acquire, promote, or sell the book. The term "street" is used metaphorically as the reviews provided by accepted team members helps to get the target book's presence promoted by getting the word out in the form of reviews.

How much does it cost to apply to become a Review Team Member?

Nothing. Individuals can create profiles on StoryOrigin's website for free. Users of that website can apply to become a Street Team/Review Team member for free. Those applicants who are accepted to be a part of a Street Team/Review Team will receive a FREE copy of that team's target eBook.

What obligations will I have if my application is accepted?

There are no hard obligations for those applicants accepted to a Street Team/Review Team. The purpose of these teams is to provide FREE eBook copies to those accepted team members in exchange for their reviews of the copy on popular websites like Amazon.com, GoodReads.com, Bookbub.com, Kobo.com, etc. but team members are NOT obligated or required to submit reviews. Reviews are desired as part of you acceptance to a team but it is NOT required.

Are there any penalties/costs if my application is accepted but I do not post a review?

Nope! If you are accepted to a Street Team/Review Team but, for whatever reason, choose not to submit a review there is no cost to you. The eBook will be provided 100% free of charge when your application to the team is accepted. That book is yours to keep forever regardless of your ability or desire to post a review.

The only downside to being accepted to a Street Team/Review Team and not submitting a review is that it will heavily influence your chances against being selected for future Street Team/Review Teams for other works I publish.

What criteria are looked for in an application to determine who is accepted?

First and foremost, I would like for anyone considering application to any of my Street Team/Review Team openings to be a fan of the target material's genre. If you are a fan of romance novels applying for a sci-fi based book's team then you are likely not a good fit for that team and I would prefer team slots to go to people who are more likely to be a fan of that genre.

Secondly, StoryOrigin does provide details to authors when reviewing applications that shows how many teams you have been accepted to vs how many reviews you have actually submitted through their interface. When reviewing applications through StoryOrigin, I would prefer applicants that have a high percentage of reviews posted. Someone with 200+ books read/received with 0 reviews submitted is not the type of candidate I would prefer for obvious reasons. The point to a Review Team is to generate reviews so applicants that do not show a positive history of providing reviews are likely not a good fit for the teams I'm hoping to build.

Lastly, I would prefer applicants that have profiles on multiple sites that allow for book reviews. While Amazon.com is the prime review site, it would be nice to have applicants that can submit reviews to more sites than just Amazon but this is not a hard and fast requirement. If someone applies that has only Amazon reviews but shows consistent ability to post reviews to Amazon then that would be highly sought as well.

How long do I have to post a review for the selected book if my application is accepted?

Technically, there is no time limit. Once accepted to a team you will have all the time you need to read the provided FREE eBook and optionally post a review. However, the current StoryOrigin model will send reminder emails to team members who have not posted a review 2 weeks after being able to do so. These reminders are an automatic feature of StoryOrigin that are not currently configurable, editable, or able to be disabled by authors using their services to create/manage Review Teams.

Is there a way for me to preview the book before I submit my application to see if it is a good fit for me?

Those looking to preview the book to see if it is something that might be of interest to you before applying to join that book's Street Team/Review Team, you can download samples of the book for that team from the StoryOrigin application. The sample files come in .epub, .mobi, and .pdf format for maximum compatibility across multiple platforms so just pick which format works best for you.

Alternatively, if you do not have a suitable eReader or do not want to mess with downloading files, samples of my current works are provided FREE of charge on my website here. The samples provided on the website are typically less content than the sample eBook files downloaded from StoryOrigin though.

Can I be a member of more than one Street/Review Teams to review other books you've written?

Absolutely! In fact, it is encouraged that team members that have submitted reviews for previous books apply for future releases when those applications are opened. Having experienced team members that apply for subsequent books would be wonderful and applications from those who actively participated in previous teams will be more likely to be accepted.

What formats are available to accepted team members to read?

All works are provided in 3 formats for accepted team members to pick from. .epub, .mobi, and .pdf format versions of the FREE eBook are available for accepted team members to download and enjoy on their favorite device/application.

Do you have any audiobook teams or audiobooks to review?

Not at this time.

There are audiobooks planned and in the process of being recorded for my currently released works but nothing that would be available for review or preview. There are plans to try and have similar Review Teams for the audiobooks as they become available or near completion though it is unclear at this time when, where, how, who, and all that jazz as to how that will be done.

Are these Review Teams for books that have not been published or are pending publication?

No. While other authors may offer Street Team/Review Team applications for unpublished works all of the Street Teams/Review Teams I will create will only be for my finished works that are available for purchase.

As new books near completion of the publishing process, I may open application to those teams immediately prior to their general release, which is typically in printed form first and then soon followed by eBook form, but all teams will be for books available for purchase.

Are there applications to become a beta reader for future works?

Not exactly.

I do utilize beta readers for new works that are written but not yet submitted to a publisher. Those wishing to be beta readers for upcoming works should join a current Review Team. I will invite select team members to be beta readers when applicable but those invitations will only be sent to Review Team members who successfully leave a review for that team's selected book. Its not that I'm trying to bribe or manipulate people into leaving reviews, only that I want to choose beta readers who I think will be good beta readers who can provide me with adequate feedback and being a team member who successfully leaves one or more reviews helps to demonstrate that quality for a potential beta reader.

What if I find an error in the book while reading it?

Given that the FREE eBook copies provided to all team members will be the final copies used for retail purposes, it is expected to have minimal errors but some may occur. While I encourage others to notify me of any glaring errors or issues that may have been missed during the editing process with my publisher (or my own personal efforts), those issues may continue to exist until that book can go through a reprint phase that allows for new changes to be made to the content. However, depending on what issues are found, it is encouraged to point those out to me in case it drives any content in future books that may be a part of a series or an extended universe.

While I would discourage including details of any issues found in your reviews, I would encourage you to bring any issues to my direct attention via my social media accounts. I do maintain an active presence on both Facebook and Instagram, both of which can be found through this website.

How frequent are team applications opened or new teams requested?

It will vary. As new works are released new teams will be created and applications opened for new team members. Existing works may see open application slots appear from time to time but there is no set schedule for new application openings once a team has been initially filled.

How many team members are you needing per team?

There is no set limit to a given team at this time. I will continue to accept applications for open teams until I feel an adequate number of active team members have joined and then the application window will be closed until further notice. It will all depend on the number of applications received, the quality of those applications, and the number of reviews those teams produce.

What if I already own your book or have provided a review, can I still join the team?

Technically, yes, you can still join. However, if you already own the book or have already posted a review for the current book then you may not be a good fit for that team since the goal of accepting applications is for those team members to generate new reviews.

If you already own the book targeted for the current team and/or have already posted a review for that book, you would likely be a better fit to apply to another Street Team/Review Team for one of my other books when applications for those teams become open.

Can I use reviews I already posted with my new StoryOrigin account to more properly reflect my review rates?

It is my understanding that you can update your StoryOrigin profile by providing links to previously submitted reviews to reflect the number of books you've read and the number of reviews you've provided. Doing so is also a good way to build your profile's resume to help increase your odds of being selected for any Review Team you want to apply for in the future.

If I apply for one of your Street/Review Teams, will you sell or distribute my information to anyone else?

Absolutely not! Your application to a team through StoryOrigin does not reveal any of your personal data to me to provide to anyone else even if I had that desire. When you apply to a team, StoryOrigin shows me your profile name, which review sites are linked/joined to your StoryOrigin profile, how many books you have associated to each of those sites under your profile, and how many of those books you have submitted a review for through StoryOrigin. I do not see your mailing address, birthday, or anything else that might be harmful if distributed to anyone else.

If you are accepted to be a Review Team member who does leave a 3+ star review, StoryOrigin will give me the ability to email you to say thank you for your participation or to invite you to apply for other teams as they open up but I will at no point share that data with anyone else nor will I inundate your inbox with a bunch of spam. It does me no good to alienate those who provided their time and effort as part of any Review Team.

What if I didn't care for the book?

While we hope everyone enjoys the book, we understand that it may not appeal to everybody. If your application is accepted but you find yourself not enjoying the book feel free to leave an honest review or even no review. There is no obligation that accepted team members provide 4 or 5 star reviews, though it would be greatly appreciated. The point to creating these teams is to get reviews, honest ones, and not just lip service reviews. If my book sucks, tell me it sucks. I may not enjoy hearing it but if that is your honest opinion then that is what reviews are for, so that you can tell others your opinions and thoughts on a product so that they can make a better informed decision before purchasing.

I want and hope that others will like what I've created but it is foolish to think that everyone will find the same level of love and appreciation for it as I have. If reviews were only based on my opinions then what would the value of those reviews truly be? I want team members to provide their true feedback in the form of reviews. The free eBook copies are not a bribe to get good reviews, simply an opportunity for readers to get free books and in return I may get some additional reviews, hopefully good ones, associated with my work on the major retails sites.

What if I have a YouTube channel or a personal website/blog that I use to post reviews? Can I still be a member of your Street/Review Team?

Absolutely. The application process is not restricted only to people who use a single retail service or app to post reviews. Creators that publish similar content through their own channels are also allowed, supported, and encouraged. However, unless those personal channels can demonstrate a substantial and current number of followers/subscribers, it is advised that your profile and application include other linked services like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads, etc if you want to maximize your chances for acceptance to a team.

I'm an author looking to use StoryOrigin to create my own Street Team applications. What did you do to create your sample and final eBook files for distribution?

I found a free program called Calibre that offers the ability to import docs, pdfs, and other files to create book profiles. Those book profiles can then be converted by the application to generate files in different formats like .epub, .mobi, and more.

I can't guarantee that the application will continue to be distributed or will remain free but it has proven useful and stable to me so far and I plan to continue to use it for future Review Team/Street Team application needs.