Getting reviews is the bane of the self-published author's existence. Without access to major media channels, self-published authors have to rely on contacting individual reviewers, which is roughly the equivalent to handing out flyers in malls.
In spite of the fact that contacting individual reviewers is time-consuming, arduous, and less efficient than, say, a review in the New York Times, it is probably the best way to get reviews. Book bloggers will more likely respond to an email requesting a review than a giveaway. (Paid services, of course, will always generate reviews, but these are, for the most part, editorial reviews, which won't increase your ratings.)
Below is an extremely useful article that summarizes all the different strategies you can employ for getting reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, on blogs, and elsewhere.
Related posts:
Top 20 Sites for Finding Reviewers
Mega-List of Reviewers for Self-Published Authors
High-Impact Paid Promotion for Indie Authors
Also see:
The Indie View - List of over 300 reviewers
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The Indie Author's Guide to Customer Reviews
By Daniel Lefferts
Source: Publishers Weekly, Feb 1, 2017
The self-publishing revolution has taken place, in large part, online, with readers discovering books and connecting directly with indie authors through sites like Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Wattpad, Smashwords, and more. In addition to book blogs, online book clubs, and online advertising, one of the central means by which readers learn about self-published books is the customer review. Reviews offer (ostensibly) unbiased commentary about a book, and while positive reviews are undoubtedly more desirable than one-star pans, having a mixed bag of reviews is better than having none at all.
[Note: this article was originally published in Nov. 2014 and was updated on Feb. 1 2017.]
“Along with the cover image, a book’s aggregate review score creates the first impression on Amazon” says Aaron Cooley, who self-published his novel Shaken, Not Stirred. “But the total number [of reviews] is important, too.”
But if customer reviews are, by their very nature, customer-generated, what can authors do to get more of them? Without resorting to “sock-puppet” reviews—that is, reviews written by the book’s author using an alias—how can authors turn that discouraging “no customer reviews yet” message into a smattering of star ratings and commentary?
The Indie Author's Guide to Customer Reviews
By Daniel Lefferts
Source: Publishers Weekly, Feb 1, 2017
The self-publishing revolution has taken place, in large part, online, with readers discovering books and connecting directly with indie authors through sites like Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Wattpad, Smashwords, and more. In addition to book blogs, online book clubs, and online advertising, one of the central means by which readers learn about self-published books is the customer review. Reviews offer (ostensibly) unbiased commentary about a book, and while positive reviews are undoubtedly more desirable than one-star pans, having a mixed bag of reviews is better than having none at all.
[Note: this article was originally published in Nov. 2014 and was updated on Feb. 1 2017.]
“Along with the cover image, a book’s aggregate review score creates the first impression on Amazon” says Aaron Cooley, who self-published his novel Shaken, Not Stirred. “But the total number [of reviews] is important, too.”
But if customer reviews are, by their very nature, customer-generated, what can authors do to get more of them? Without resorting to “sock-puppet” reviews—that is, reviews written by the book’s author using an alias—how can authors turn that discouraging “no customer reviews yet” message into a smattering of star ratings and commentary?
Click HERE to read the rest of this article for tips on Blogger Outreach, Paid Review Services, Editorial Reviews vs. Customer Reviews, Approaching Reviewers on Amazon, and Getting Reviews on Goodreads.
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