How to get reviews for your self-published book
It’s so important to get social proof for your book - particularly online reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, the Waterstones website or any other suitable place - as soon as you can after publication, and to keep building these through the life of the book. But building reviews of a new book can be a challenge. So what methods are there for encouraging book reviews that can help?
Steps to encourage book reviews you can take pre-publication
To help build a connection with the author and highlight the value of reviews, you might include an ‘author’s note’ or similar at the end of the book, thanking the reader and asking them to review. If you’ve enjoyed this book, please help to spread the word and leave an online review at Amazon, Waterstones online or Goodreads. These are a huge help to authors.
Publishers and many authors send out review copies of a book prior to publication, so that some readers are ready to review as soon as the book is published. Publishers often approach other authors, famous people or journalists to do this and use the quotes on the cover or interior of the book also. These are often referred to as ‘puff quotes’ and you’ll see these review snippets on the front or back cover of a book, as a form of hook to entice the reader. (Self-publishers, if you don’t currently have the contacts to attempt this, you can always seek magazine or author reviews etc. after publication and then revise and re-upload your cover. You can certainly offer some review copies to readers with the intention that they post a review soon after publication.)
Steps to encourage book reviews you can take after publication
Hopefully, when you share news of your book being published, people in your circle will let you know they have purchased your book. If you are sent or given any positive feedback about the book, don’t be shy in requesting a review and emphasising how helpful they are to you. You can do this directly to any reader who communicates with you online or in-person about your book, and you can also thank readers for their feedback and reviews on social media, lightly asking for further reviews at the same time.
Think about the barriers people might face in posting a review. Sometimes it’s time, so you can mention even a few lines is appreciated; sometimes it’s confidence, in that people don’t feel they can write a literary review as it isn’t something they usually do - again, emphasising that just a few lines giving their impressions of the book is of immense value and you aren’t expecting a literary critique to match a professional book reviewer may help; sometimes the barrier to posting a book review is technical know-how. Here, ensure you are familiar with how to leave a review and be ready to send simple instructions where technical know-how may present a barrier. Simply: where to go to post the review and if some readers truly struggle, suggest they pass the review to someone more familiar with the process to post.
You can also research and reach out to book bloggers and reviewers. As these are regular reviewers of books and passionate about supporting authors and the publishing industry, the above barriers to reviewing should not apply. You will need to provide a free copy of your book, so the first step is to decide a budget you would be happy to spend on this (in postage plus the cost of the book to you) and / or a target number of reviews. There are directories of book reviewers and bloggers at The Empowered Author. Take a look at these and their websites, blogs or social media feeds to get a sense of the kind of books they enjoy and whether they seem a good fit for your book. There should be some instruction available - likely on a website - on how the book blogger likes to be approached. This will likely be a short pitch about the book (e.g. the text from your product description or back cover) but do look for and follow each book blogger’s preference. Here, there is a benefit in that if your book is accepted, it would likely be promoted on the reviewer’s blog and social media as well as in an online review. Therefore, if you are prioritising budget, look for bloggers with a large ‘reach’ or following online, and good interaction from their followers too.
Note, for the most popular reviewers there can be quite a lot of competition, including from large publishing houses, so don’t be surprised at a rejection or a long turnaround time. If you look at the social media feeds of some of the most successful book bloggers, you’ll see ‘book post’ is a common tag. This is where a book blogger excitedly shares the book package received - i.e. an attractive themed package that they will share a photo of online. This could be a signed note from the author, a delicious snack that ties in with the setting of the book, something linked to a character in the book. Something imaginative that will delight the recipient, photograph well, and tie in with the mood, themes, central character or setting of the book. Think about what you would be happy to offer (you may need to return to your budget).
Beware: occasionally a blogger may email back requesting cash for a review. Steer clear of these. It is also safer to send a paperback copy of the book (allowing you to sign the copy and put together an imaginative and attractive ‘book post’ package). If a reviewer only reviews ebooks and you want to work with them, you might gift them Amazon credit to purchase or even set the book to free for a short period and encourage the reader to pick the book up then.
The above option allows you to ‘hand pick’ reviewers to approach. If you are short on time, you could outsource the admin time to a book tour company such as Love Books Tours, who will approach reviewers on your behalf. You do lose control of who is approached in this instance, so it could be an option for once you have already had some reviews and are convinced the book has broad appeal.
If you search for book reviews online you will likely come across some companies who appear very established who charge for a single review. Again, beware. No single review or marketing action is worth a large amount of money and it is ethically questionable as well as possibly infringing on Amazon’s terms.
Reviews on an older book
As time passes and you try out different marketing methods for your book, finding what works for you, you will hopefully gain organic reviews. This is a sign that a book is selling consistently and you no longer need to seek starter reviews although it is good practice to still encourage readers who approach you directly with positive feedback to post a review. It is such a boost to see your work through your readers’ eyes and you may even find a new way to pitch and position your book as you hear it described by others.
When reviews don’t materialise
It can be frustrating when a promised book review doesn’t materialise, but the best thing to do (after a friendly, gentle nudge) is to move on. Forcing a review by someone feeling under pressure or who possibly did not finish the book is not advised. Move on to another potential reviewer or promotional method instead.
When you receive a disappointing review
All books will receive a review that is disappointing to the author eventually, so do brace for this at the outset. In this increasingly review-driven world, all products will receive a one- or two-star rating at some point. Look up your favourite restaurant or local attraction online to see where a customer does not share your opinion or experience. Those first less enthusiastic reviews balance out stronger reviews and even add authenticity in helping to persuade the potential reader that your reviews are not all curated. It’s helpful to know that if an Amazon review is low due to packaging or production you can contact Amazon support to ask for this to be removed. Sometimes a less enthusiastic review contains a valid point and can help you to become a better author for future books; or even encourage a revision in the current book, which print-on-demand publishing allows with ease.
Quick tips for increasing book reviews
Prioritise Amazon reviews but where you can, encourage reviewers to repost in other places too. (E.g. Goodreads, Waterstones website, any new places that emerge)
Know the barriers to reviewing and help your reader to overcome them
Explicitly tell your readers how helpful reviews are to you
Expect disappointing reviews
Expect a percentage of promised reviews to not materialise; handle with grace and move on
Consider approaching book bloggers in your genre, with healthy audiences
Take marketing and creative inspiration from the reader experience encapsulated in your reviews
Work on other promotional tactics to see organic reviews increase (e.g. setting a book to free for a short period or offering price-drop promotions in Amazon’s marketing tab)
Build strong reader and reviewer relationships (keep a list of your contacts) so that gaining a critical mass of reviews is easier for each subsequent book.
Claire Wingfield provides editorial and book-publishing services and is available to support you with managing your book publishing, including the little things you need to do after publishing your book.
