Where to Get Book Reviews for Your Book
What expert is writing a cracking book if no one knows that it's worth reading?
That's where book reviews come up in.
Reviews affair. They're a key influencer of ownership behavior and provide important social proof even to not-buyers.
Just think about it: how many times accept you bought a book without looking at the reviews? I can't speak for y'all, only I always read at least a few reviews of every volume I buy.
And then how exercise yous get more than? Most of import, more expert reviews?
Lots of people are trying to make coin off Authors' defoliation in this surface area, and giving out terrible, mendacious advice about getting reviews (and a few straight up scams).
That'south why I wrote this web log post.
In this guide, I'll walk y'all through everything you lot demand to know about getting reviews effectively and ethically, specially on Amazon.
Why Do Book Reviews Affair?
If yous've put in the effort to write a good book, so it'due south worth taking the time to get honest feedback from your readers.
Quick note: I said "a skillful book." All of my communication assumes you wrote a proficient book. I'm going to teach you how to get honest reviews, so if your book is non good, my suggestions will backfire. You'll get reviews, but they won't exist ones yous like.
1. Credibility & Social Proof
Imagine that you're going out for a nice dinner, and you have a choice between two restaurants. One of them has two Michelin Stars, received glowing reviews on Yelp, and fifty-fifty has reviews on Google Maps.
The other eating house looks overnice from the outside, simply information technology doesn't have a website, and yous don't know anyone who's been. You know nothing near the chef, and your only guideline for the food comes from the very basic menu posted exterior the door.
Which restaurant are you lot going to choose?
Books work the aforementioned manner.
If y'all had to cull, would you buy the book with 50 5-star reviews, or would yous buy the one without whatever reviews at all?
People want to read books other people have read. If a book has a solid number of reviews, a strong blurb, and plenty of customer feedback, information technology's going to do better.
Reviews are social proof. Proof that you lot take something to say, that you take the chops to say it, and that yous can exist engaging while you lot say information technology.
A book without reviews isn't necessarily a bad book, but it also won't have the same appeal as a book that consistently gets rave comments.
2. Influence search algorithms
You lot know what the third biggest search engine is?
Amazon.
Google is first, YouTube is second, and Amazon is third.
When people use Amazon, what they run into starting time is determined by Amazon'south search algorithm…and reviews are a very important part of that algorithm.
Most of our authors write books not just to sell copies, just to apply as a tool to market themselves. If this is the case for you, then people searching for your book topic are very of import.
The better your ranking, the more probable it is that people will observe your volume. And the more likely it is that people find your book, the more likely y'all are to sell it.
three. Drive sales
Reviews won't automatically brand you a New York Times bestseller, but it will make your book more visible to potential readers.
Every review boosts your rankings, emphasizes your credibility, or entices potential readers.
And proficient reviews drive sales. Call up about information technology–when you become to purchase a book, what is the first thing yous do?
Read the reviews.
The more reviews you can go—assuming they are good—the better. Lots of reviews are strong social proof a book is popular, and popular books sell.
How Many Reviews Practise I Need?
For a minimum, yous should try to get 20 reviews within the get-go two months after your book release engagement. That shows your book has traction with real readers.
At around 50 reviews, y'all are probably good to go. Effectually that point, you take solidified the volume equally reputable and should continue to generate reviews.
A Note Before We Showtime: Don't Try to Crook Amazon
Amazon is savvy. Their algorithm is no joke, and if you try to cheat them, you volition become caught. They actively look to find and remove any review that is not a real review written past a existent person–and they're very good at information technology.
Amazon also has a goose egg-tolerance policy for any review that is designed to mislead or manipulate customers. They're non shy about removing reviews that violate that policy.
Here'southward a list of things to avoid:
- Yous can't pay for reviews. This includes cash or giving reviewers a free or discounted product.
- You can't offering reviewers gifts in exchange for reviews.
- You tin't substitution positive book reviews with other Authors, so don't head to Facebook or Twitter to find review swaps.
This may seem pretty restrictive. Subsequently all, don't virtually of the states rely on business assembly, friends, and other members of our networks to sell books? And what about giving abroad gratis review copies? Does that violate the promotional terms?
Well, there are a few caveats.
You tin can requite away free or discounted books to potential reviewers, but you can't tell them what to write. If they hate it, they have to be able to rant and rave to their heart's content.
That's why I said earlier that yous have to write a high-quality book. Any costless copy y'all give away has to be given with no strings attached.
Editorial Reviews
Most of this information applies to customer reviews, just they aren't the only kind of reviews on Amazon.
Editorial reviews are either written by Amazon editors or they come from established publications like Publisher's Weekly or Kirkus Reviews. Official book endorsements also fall under the category of editorial reviews.
Let'due south say that y'all are a concrete therapist, and y'all have a colleague who is very well known in the field. If she likes your work, information technology would probably exist better to ask her for an editorial review. That way, when people await at the Amazon listing, her review volition exist front and heart. It won't exist buried in the eye of 45 other reviews.
Editorial reviews aren't subject area to the same kinds of restrictions as customer reviews. It'due south still non ethical to pay someone to requite you a review, just you tin and should brand the well-nigh of your connections to get these.
How To Get Amazon Book Reviews
Step 1: Fix-up For Success: Ask for Reviews In Your Book
The easiest fashion to get volume reviews is to ask for them. What better place to do that than in the book itself?
Usually, information technology's best to include a brusk, directly review asking towards the dorsum of the book, since good reviewers tend to read all the way to the end.
Few people realize how important volume reviews are to Authors. There are probably many people who enjoyed your book and would be willing to write nigh it if you give them a little nudge.
There are unethical means to enquire, and you lot should avert them.
For starters, don't say, "If yous actually loved my volume, please leave a review." I know that Authors say this all the fourth dimension, but information technology's presumptuous. It'south like telling someone that their opinion doesn't matter unless information technology's glowing.
People get out reviews because they want to express their feelings. Those feelings might exist more complicated than, "I adored the book." Of grade you desire positive reviews, just you besides accept to leave infinite for readers who enjoyed the book but are reluctant to telephone call it the all-time thing they've always read.
Information technology's improve to inquire readers, "I'd love to hear your honest opinion."
Here'southward some other thing to avoid: Don't ask readers, "Can you take a minute to review my book so I can sell more than copies?" This comes across as drastic.
Other people typically don't care how many books you sell. They need a amend reason to accept the fourth dimension to write. Try framing your asking around the impact that the book had on them and the bear on it could accept for others.
Here's an example: "Did this book assist you lot in some mode? If so, I'd beloved to hear about it. Honest reviews help readers discover the correct book for their needs."
Step 2: Ask Your Network for Reviews
I of the most effective ways to get reviews is to prepare a launch squad.
To exercise this, put together a list of people who would immediately practice a favor for you lot. You want to aim for xxx-50 people.
I month before the book release, ship this team a re-create of your book so they can read it in advance. Information technology'southward easiest to email the book every bit a PDF, forth with a short call to action. Here's a sample:
Hello there!
I'1000 excited to let yous know that my new volume, [Title], launches on [date]. Information technology'south been an astonishing journey to become information technology completed, and I'm excited to finally share information technology with the earth.
If you lot're receiving this email, it'due south because you're someone I trust plenty to (a) ship a free copy of the volume to in advance and (b) enquire that you get out an honest review when it goes live.
Early reviews are the single almost important factor in determining if a book succeeds, and then I'1000 incredibly thankful for people like you who I can rely on to leave 1.
No action needed nevertheless. Attached is your free PDF of the book, and I'll follow upwardly when the book launches with a reminder to leave a review.
Thanks and so much for your support. I deeply appreciate information technology.
Best,
[Author]
Merely earlier the volume launches, use KDP (Kindle Straight Publishing) to disbelieve the e-reader version to 99 cents for the calendar week of the book launch.
Then, follow up with your team, asking them to leave a review. You can highlight certain things that you lot would like reviewers to mention, but again, it's good to emphasize that you lot want their honest opinion.
Likewise mention that your book is 99 cents, so if they're feeling generous, they tin buy a copy then their review volition exist verified. A verified review means that the writer purchased the production through Amazon, and they didn't receive information technology at a deep discount. These matter more than for your Amazon ranking.
Hither's a sample email:
Hey [Name],
The day is here! My book, [Title + GENI.US link], is finally alive on Amazon.
I take 1 simple inquire:
If you lot were able to look at the book and enjoyed it, tin can you leave a brusk review?
Reviews should just be 1-2 sentences and should take about 30 seconds to leave (and would make a huge difference for me). If you can't come up up with one, here are some examples:
- [Insert instance review]
- [Insert instance review]
- [Insert example review]
Finally, I wanted to give you a heads up that Amazon can sometimes block or remove reviews if they deem our digital relationship too close, or if your account is as well new. This is few and far between then I'm distressing if you see this and thank you all the more for your back up!
Cheers so much for your help! I tin can't thank you enough.
Best,
[Author]
As you can see, this electronic mail alludes to Amazon's "family unit and friends" rule. Almost book reviews and sales come from word of oral fissure, and y'all will of course be asking your network for support. The cardinal here is that yous aren't forcing or bribing people to give you good feedback.
Step 3: Fix Up Your Assets to Remind Your Network
Social media is a corking way to remind your network that your book is fix to exist reviewed.
Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or any social media avails you have to continue your book nowadays in people'due south minds.
For example:
- Pivot a tweet requesting reviews at the acme of your Twitter feed
- Add the book to your e-mail signature
- Put your book in the header of your Facebook and Twitter profiles
Stride four: Reach Out to Authority Reviewers & Top Reviewers
Amazon has a list of top reviewers who are enthusiastic and authoritative nearly certain areas. If you lot detect that someone consistently reviews books in your field, they might be a skilful person to achieve out to.
Be cautious about contacting too many top reviewers, especially if your volume isn't in their realm of interest. No i likes spam, so only reach out with good reason.
Yous take to know your audience, so expect at book bloggers who might have some noesis in your expanse or podcasters who might be interested in your book'southward topic.
Alternately, you could use a site like BookRazor to notice people interested in your book. If yous send them a costless copy, they agree to follow up with a review.
Exist aware though: cold calls take a loftier failure rate. We haven't establish this method as effective as tapping personal networks.
Step 5: Don't Ignore Negative Reviews
It'due south highly likely that, at some point, you lot will become a negative review. This is only a fact of life.
One thing to continue in mind before yous get upset is that bad reviews aren't always a bad thing. Books that only have 5-star reviews oftentimes don't seem credible. Bad reviews can actually convince people that your other reviews are real.
At that place are many ways to deal with negative reviews:
- Ignore information technology. At that place's no upside to responding to toxic people.
- Answer it…merely be careful. Responding can be a double-edged sword. Respond in a way that addresses the issue without coming off equally defensive.
- Admit information technology hurts to receive a bad review, and so motion on.
- Go along things in perspective. Don't give negative reviews more weight than positive ones.
- Consider if the negative comments have any lessons for you lot.
- Try to become Amazon to accept down the review if it doesn't comply with their guidelines. They probably won't remove it unless the person has been fraudulent or crude.
BONUS Step: Utilize Paid Services
Okay, I know I said that yous shouldn't utilise paid services. Merely what I meant was, "Don't utilize paid services to directly buy reviews." That's adulterous the organization, and scamming Amazon isn't a proficient idea if you're trying to be a legitimate Author.
But there are paid opportunities that you tin utilise to become the book into potential reviewers' hands in an upstanding style.
Goodreads is a social media site for book lovers. Their book giveaways are a good way to increase exposure and create hype. Goodreads requires participants to add the book to their wish list, and they also remind winners to leave reviews. They offer several packages at unlike price points, depending on how many promotional options you want.
BookBub features discounted books in their daily newsletters, which have more than than 10 million subscribers. You can pay to have your book featured, or you can purchase ad infinite in the newsletters. The pricing depends on how deep the book'due south discount is.
Source: https://scribemedia.com/amazon-book-reviews/
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