by Jeanette O'Hagan
As Jane Austen might have said, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an up-and-coming author in possession of a new release must be in want of book reviews.”
But what is a book review and why do authors crave them so much?
A book review gives a reader's evaluation or reaction of their reading experience of a particular book. Most often written on a review site, it can also be blogged, podcasted, on you-tube, Instagram or Tik Tok.
Finding and connecting with new readers can be one of hardest challenges of being an author. Anything that can help us do that adds value. In an era of online book stores, a substantial number of good reviews gives a book 'social proof' and can help readers decide whether or not to buy and read the book.
But getting book reviews is not easy. Just as acquiring a suitable spouse in Jane Austen's England entailed challenges, frustrations and pitfalls, acquiring book reviews can have pitfalls for the unwary as well as rewards.
Some tips.
1. Remember, book reviews are primarily for readers not authors.
As authors, the temptation is to see book reviews as a tool to be utilised, to even think that readers somehow owe us a review. However, the main purpose of a review is for readers to express their opinions about the book for the benefit of other readers. This is especially true of reader review sites, like Goodreads or Bookbub.
In particular, we as authors cannot expect that every single reader will enjoy our books. Even all-time classic books attract a small collection of negative and even scathing reviews.
In practice, this means being gracious when someone doesn't like our book. Never castigate a reader for a negative review - or to attempt to show them why they are wrong - or lambast them on your social media. Other readers are watching. In fact, on sties such as Goodreads or Amazon, the best policy is not to comment on readers reviews (even if to say thank you).
Either develop a thick skin or don't read the reviews if it upsets you so much.
And remember, for many readers, a book with only five and four star reviews might be seen as fake or only supported by friends and family. Having some low-star reviews adds to the creditability of your book. And sometimes, the very things that are mentioned as negatives by one reader may in fact be seen as positives by other readers.
Review of Scattered by Nola Lorraine
2. As authors, it's okay to ask for reviews.
If you sell or give away enough book, eventually some readers will review them. I'm not sure of a precise ration - but maybe one in every one hundred readers might review the book (less if the book is free). However, if having more reviews makes your book more attractive to readers, having no reviews may deter them. Of course, there are other ways of connecting with readers, but how do we get more book reviews?
Giving out free review copies either before or around the launch can help. Also, asking readers to leave a fair and honest review - at the end of the book, in your newsletter, on your social media or website can also help. You can also make requests for reviews - maybe from friends and family, other authors, perhaps influencers in your field.
Though, think about who your ask to review your books. With Amazon, relevance is key. It's better to have fewer reviews by people who normally read in your genre than a whole slew of reviews from people who would normally read in different genres to your book, as this may confuse the Amazon bots.
3. Be careful not to overdo your requests, or be too demanding.
Readers do you a favour by taking the time to review your book. And the best reviews are honest reviews. Don't put people off by spamming requests or only making the requests about what you want (buy my book, review my book) which can quickly drive away your potential readers.
As a general rule, do not pay for reviews - especially with Amazon reviews. (Exceptions might be sites like NetGallery or perhaps Kirkus Reviews). If you sell your books on Amazon, be aware of their strict rules about who can and cannot review & never give anything in exchange for a review (you can give a free book with a request to review, thought not in exchange for a review.) For Amazon, review swaps between authors can also cause trouble.
Also, be patient and don't stress too much about reviews. While popular memes suggest 50 or 100 reviews on Amazon might be a magical threshold, other book marketing gurus suggest that 10-15 reviews may be enough to give your book social proof especially when combined with other methods of promoting your book.
Review of Midnight Sun to Southern Cross
4. Give as well as receive
Sometimes as authors, we can make it all about us - our book, our need to promote, our need to get reviews etc. Yet one of the strengths of the author community is mutual support. If you want other authors to support you, then be prepared to support them too.
I know this can be tricky. As I said, a straight out review swap on Amazon can get your banned from the site, especially if reviews are put up close to each other. However, other sites - such as Goodreads and Bookbub are not so restrictive. Also, you can use your newsletter, website or blogs on other sites to post reviews of other authors, or maybe do a blog tour.
Reviews don't have to be long. They are usually a personal reflection of your reading of the book, so there is no right or wrong way to write one. Though remember to be kind, be honest and never, never summarise the whole plot or give away spoilers (without a spoiler warning).
Some authors prefer not to review other authors at all - or will only review positively - because they do not want to hurt their fellow-author's feelings and/or are afraid of retribution if they give a negative review.
Personally, I review almost all the books I read on Goodreads - and I strive to give honest and fair reviews. This means that I will talk about the things I didn't like in a book, but I always strive to find some positives as well. I enjoy supporting other authors by reviewing their books and get a thrill when someone reviews my books.
What about you?
Do you find getting book reviews hard?
Do you support other authors through reviewing their books?
What sites do you use to write or look for reviews?
Do you have any tips about giving or receiving reviews?
Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life.
Thanks for reminding me of the need to review books, Jeanette. And for your own reviews of my books on Goodreads.com
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Enjoy reading your books, Ruth.
DeleteThanks for the shoutout, Jenny. I've certainly appreciated all the people who reviewed my book. It really does help to spread the word, and it's been a valuable exercise for me to see what people think worked or didn't work. I find that reviewing other people's books has helped me to identify important elements too, so there are benefits both ways.
ReplyDeleteLoved your book, Nola - and waiting very patiently for the next one :)
DeleteAlways gives me a buzz to see a new review, especially if it's a positive one. And yes, good point, reviewing books does help think about what works and what doesn't.
Some good tips on reviews and their importance. I especially liked the linked reviews of some pretty cool books ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Adam - some super cool books indeed :)
DeleteThanks Jenny for more excellent advice. I also found it great to re-read your post on The Writers Triathlon as per your 'Hardest challenges of being an author' link above.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoy writing book reviews; as you mentioned, it not only helps the authors, it helps reviewers hone their skills.