How often do you write a review for the books you read? If
you do, where do you post them? Do you manage a personal blog for reviews, or
do you share them on Amazon & GoodReads, etc?
How much do you rely on reviews on those websites for a book
you want to purchase? Do negative reviews influence your purchasing decisions
for books?
Before I became an author, I was an avid reader (still am).
But in my hectic life, I didn’t get around to writing a review about a book I loved.
Definitely a shame. In fact, I was one of those readers who only posted a
review if the book irritated me. As a way to ward off other readers from
purchasing the book and feeling the same way. Honestly, I didn’t write that
many negative reviews at all. But it was the only time I felt compelled to
write one.
Now as an author, I realized my method of writing reviews
was completely wrong.
Positive reviews were far more powerful than any negative
one I ever wrote. I should have written many more to thank the author for such
an awesome and compelling story.
Little did I know at the time that was the best way to thank an author.
For Indie authors like myself, getting our name out there is
extremely difficult, especially with so many other awesome writers out there.
It’s hard to set ourselves apart. Don’t get me wrong, I love that there are so
many incredible stories and characters out there. It’s never been a better time
for readers. Each book you pick up is more and more likely to amaze you. You
have so many ‘favorite’ authors in your book piles now.
 |
| The coveted 5 Star review |
But how can we entice readers to pick up a book written by
an unknown author?
The resounding answer I keep getting is:
Reviews.
Theoretically speaking, the more reviews a book has, the
more likely a reader is willing to buy it (trusting the positive reviews.)
Therefore, the more it plays into Amazon’s secret algorithm for visibility. The
more reviews, the more 3rd party promotional sites are willing to
display your covers. The better placement novels get on website rankings such
as B&N Nook, iBooks, etc. Thereby equating to more sales. Then generating
more reviews on top of it. It's a beautiful circle.
I’m not going to touch on Amazon’s new review policy or the
controversy around it, because that’s a whole monster on its own.
But I want to hear from you. How much stock do you put on
reviews? Are there some sites you trust more than others for reviews?
Let me know your thoughts.
Susan Sheehey writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and women's fiction. Her latest series features royals on the run, in Royals of Solana. Water plays a crucial element in all of her stories, and she's a strong advocate for Autism Awareness and acceptance. Forced to give up Diet Coke, she now functions on massive amounts of french vanilla coffee. Susan lives and laughs in Texas with her husband and two boys. Follow her at www.SusanSheehey.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
