Receive Delightful Gifts from Celebrities Based on Your Book Reviews!

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

Today, I'll tell you how to become a sought-after book reviewer who regularly receives gifts from celebrities.

Most people think that such a goal is impossible for them. I would have said the same thing when I started writing book reviews on Amazon.com in 1998. But I've learned that it's quite easy.

Here are the key lessons I've learned since then:

1. Write a fair and accurate review. Celebrities find that they usually receive reviews that are too harsh or too gushy. Many celebrities find that either type is offensive to them. A too harsh review makes them feel discouraged about their skills as an author. A too gushy review makes them feel like they aren't being taken seriously as an author. Chances are that the celebrity will be so thrilled that he or she will send you an e-mail to thank you, and you will be on that celebrity's list of people to contact for future book reviews. You can expect to receive future notifications that advanced reading copies are available to you.

2. For non-fiction books, take the time to spell out the author's argument, key facts, the structure of the book and related resources. Such a review is like a Rosetta Stone for potential readers, and celebrities will be grateful to you for making their book more accessible. The celebrities will also feel respected by you and will be appreciative.

3. For fiction books, describe the set-up of the book in a more intriguing way that the dust jacket copy does. This will help attract readers and will make you seem like a very clever person indeed. Celebrities respect the ability to communicate. It's a key part of what they do for a living.

4. For any book, spell out who would love the book . . . and who would hate it. Such comments help deliver new readers and avoid people who will pan the book in other reviews.

5. Be positive. If you cannot in good conscience and with good judgment assign the book a five-star review, don't bother to write a review. Celebrities (like most authors) only want five-star reviews. When publicists, publishers and celebrities themselves look for reviewers to contact about writing future reviews, they will pick out those who have written five-star reviews about other celebrity books.

6. Make it personal. Spend a little time talking about how you feel about the celebrity. If you can base some of this on their work in advancing charities or other work unrelated to the source of their celebrity, so much the better. People like to be appreciated . . . and for the right reason . . . rather than how they look.

7. Write a long review. It's hard to accomplish what needs to be done for a non-fiction book in less than 600 words and in less than 400 words for a fiction book.

8. Check your grammar and spelling. A review filled with errors is like a kiss from someone with bad breath. It's not quite as delightful as it might be.

9. Rewrite at least four times to make the review sparkle. Good writing attracts admiration and appreciation.

10. Put in some catchy phrases that could be used to publicize the book. It will be irresistible for the celebrity to seek out your permission to quote from those phrases.

By the way, these are good rules for writing any review.

You can speed up the process of hearing from the celebrity if you put a copy of your review on the message board that the celebrity maintains. Many celebrities (except the biggest stars) read and respond on their own message boards. You can then strike up a relationship from there.

What kind of gifts can you expect? I've usually received autographed copies of books and photographs. But some people have invited me to lunch, to play golf and to meet during special events. You never know what you will receive . . . but if you are like me, you'll find it delightful!

How often can you expect gifts? Well, it's uneven. I can go months without receiving any . . . and then find seven in the mail in one week. So be patient.

How do you write on-line reviews on Amazon.com? It's easier than you think. Go to the book's page on Amazon.com. If you cannot find the book, use the search tools on the site. The best way is to know the ISBN number, but the title and author's name will usually work. You can look these up in your book. The ISBN number is usually on the back of the dust jacket and on the page with the copyright notice.

Once there, scroll down to find the customer reviews. For some books, there will be spotlight reviews as well as customer reviews. In both sections, there's a line that says:

Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Click on that. It will take you through a registration process that involves putting in your credit card number. Don't worry. Amazon.com will keep it safe. Even if they don't, most credit card issuers won't charge you anything for on-line misuse. They want you to use your card as much as possible. That's how they make money.

After you have registered and put in a password, you will come to a page that allows you to write your review. Draft the review there. When you are done, make a copy and check out what you wrote for spelling and grammar in a word processing program. Correct any errors on the draft. Then click to see a preview. If you like the preview, save the review. If you don't like the review, click on edit. And repeat the process.

How many such reviews do you need to write? I don't think that numbers are important. Long before there were rankings at Amazon.com, I used to be contacted by celebrities based on their having seen one of my reviews. So it's quality rather than quantity that matters. Since most "reviews" on Amazon.com aren't very professional, you won't have any trouble making a good impression.

Here's an example of a review I wrote about Jaime Lee Curtis's children's book, Where Do Balloons Go? Ms. Curtis wrote me a nice note about the review that I treasure.

Fun, Open-Ended, Imaginative Speculations!, January 20, 2001

Reviewer:

Donald Mitchell "Your Dream Concierge: Live Rich on Little by reading my daily blog at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com" (a citizen of the world based on Boston) - See all my reviews

This book clearly deserves more than five stars!

Most good children's books have a primary story line that entertains the children, and brings home an important lesson. The outstanding children's books manage to combine more than one lesson. The great children's books appeal to adults as much as to children. The classic children's books take children and adults to places, thoughts, and lessons that they would never otherwise have considered. Where Do Balloons Go? has all of the elements of a classic children's book, with some novel improvements in combining text and illustrations to expand your imagination.

Where Do Balloons Go? begins with this query:

"Where do balloons go when you let them go free?

It can happen by accident. It's happened to me."

Now, if you are like me, you assume that the helium-filled balloons are carried high into the air until they either develop a hole and burst or explode from the expansion of the helium into the near-vacuum around the balloon. Not very exciting as alternative thoughts, are they? That dead-end in your mind, though, sets you up for the wonderful, mind-expanding speculations in this interesting book.

"Are they always alone? Do they ever meet up in pairs?

Do they ever get married and make balloon heirs?"

To fully appreciate this set of questions, you have to imagine the illustrations that complement the queries. Balloons are dining in a restaurant, having a romantic time. Using that illustrative vision to launch into the idea of balloon "heirs" (pun obviously intended for "airs") is hilarious. I just loved it.

The illustrations are done in vibrant colors, emphasizing lots of purples, that create a play with the text and vice versa as the above example shows to greatly expand the meaning of the book.

For a further example, the text says that balloons are

" . . . always concerned that they'll POP --

maybe caught up in wires

pushed by the breeze . . . or tangled in trees . . . . "

The corresponding illustration emphasizes professional human balloon detanglers with advertisements and all kinds of specialized gear untangling balloons from trees. The illustrations have a Richard Scarry-type appearance combined with a New Yorker-style sophistication that effortlessly engage these illustrations to nicely bridge the gap between children and adults, without excluding either side of the audience. In this sequence, you have an additional reversal in that people are serving the balloons, rather than our usual conception of the object serving the person. Without this illustration for the text, that final visual play on the verbal concept would not have been possible.

A standard technique for children's books is just to anthromorphize the objects. This book goes well beyond that. First, different types of anthromophization are employed (as objects with senses "twisted by clowns" as well as self-animate objects "Do they tango with airplanes?"). The balloons are also made into creatures with animal-like qualities ("Or cha-cha with birds?") and spiritual beings (with a relationship to the stars).

You will have to read the book to appreciate its full power. Along the way, you will be exposed to concepts that explore balloon communication methods, how balloons relax, benefits achieved by floating away, activities they pursue unseen in the sky, and the mental perceptions of the balloons as all this occurs. In one nice surprise, there's an enormous fold-out illustration. At the end, you also have stickers that your child can put on the book or anywhere else that she or he wants to.

The ending is brilliantly done, in closing the seemingly open-ended circle of the questions and the action. You will appreciate the way the ending connects parent and child in a particularly nice way.

After you have enjoyed the mind-expanding, humorous, and versatile perspectives in this book, I suggest that you take another question to which there is a scientific answer available, and build your own set of speculations and interactions. In the process, you and your child can create the story together . . . along with your own illustrations. If you cannot think of any other question, I suggest "Why does popcorn pop?" as a starting point. The punny potential of that question could even take you beyond the heights reached in Where Do Balloons Go?

Reach mentally for the stars and grab the physical and emotional closeness that rewards both you and your child!

If you want to see more examples of my reviews, go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ/104-5889592-2919129

So what are you waiting for? There's a favorite celebrity of yours who would be delighted by your review . . . and delighted to share their attention and gifts with you!

Tomorrow, you'll hear about the opening of training camp for the New England Patriots. If you are going to be in Massachusetts, check out the schedule for attending training camp beginning on July 29 at www.patriots.com. Attendance and parking are free, and there are many wonderful activities for the whole family. I'll be sharing tips on how to get many wonderful autographs from the World Champions.

Sunday, I'll share with you the value of having a special spiritual place where you can find solace and peace.

On Monday, I'll recommend some more wonderful homes, mansions and estates for your visiting pleasure. Hopefully, by then I'll be able to tell you about my plans to visit other properties for the first time through your suggestions as a result of reading today's blog entry.

On Tuesday, I will describe some of the key lessons in Jack Canfield's book, The Success Principles, and share my review with you of that wonderful resource.

Wednesday, you will explore how to improve your communications to find out more and to persuade others to be more cooperative. This blog entry can change your life!

On Thursday, I'll describe how you can enjoy whale and dolphin watching around the world and see sights that few billionaires have enjoyed.

On Friday, I'll update you on my thoughts about the first week's worth of public practices by the Patriots. In doing this, you'll find out what the busy billionaires are missing as they cosset their money . . . rather than enjoy life! I'll also reflect on the lessons of Bill Belichick's remarkable coaching for how to live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day.

Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the table of contents entry for July 27. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell