In an ideal world, everyone who reads your book and loves it will leave you a review on Amazon. In reality, as we all know, this doesn’t happen.
Don’t count on book sales leading to reviews. One estimate I saw suggested less than 1% of people will feel moved enough to leave a review (and that includes the 1* reviews). So if you have 500 sales in a month, you may if you’re lucky get 5 reviews.
Free downloads are worse because a huge percentage of people who download your book when it’s free won’t actually read it at all.
So, how do you get people to leave reviews on your book. Well, the short answer is to ask them. I don’t mean you should ask random people, I mean that if people take the trouble to tell you they loved your book, then seize the opportunity and ask them if they would mind reviewing your book on Amazon. They will often be more than happy to do so.
But you can help a lot by making it easier. Lack of time, opportunity and technical expertise often stop people who would otherwise gladly review your book from doing so. The following suggestions may seem obvious but they really do work.
- If you’re going to ask someone to leave you a review, do it via email or facebook because then they are in a position to do it right there and then.
- In the message send them the link to your book (so all they have to do is click).
- Better still give them the link to the page where they write the review (click the ‘leave a review’ link and then copy that URL).
- If a reader emails you to say how much they enjoyed the book, immediately email back and ask if they’d mind cut and pasting their email as a review. Give them the link again.
- Don’t be shy about asking for reviews – it’s weird the first time you do it but if you make it easy people are surprisingly willing. It just never occurred to them before.
PS: My novel, Ice and a Slice is on a kindle countdown at the moment. It’s just 99p for the next few days. Just in case you were thinking of practising your own review writing 🙂
Want more publishing & publicity tips & tricks? Why not sign up for my forthcoming course ‘How To Sell Your Book‘ – only £45 – details on my course page
I’m amazed at how many of my non-writing friends never think of writing a review. They’re also not aware that you don’t have to buy a book via Amazon to post a review on the site. I will always post reviews to Amazon, Goodreads and my own site. If I’ve enjoyed a book, it’s the least I can do.
Helen, I don’t think they are aware of how much we need them. It was a publisher friend who told me these tips. I do find it quite hard asking people for things like this – I think we probably all do, but it was good advice.
Good advice Della, and I’m reading Ice and a Slice will review when I’ve finished it. Kindle is on the computer, so I need to get into this century and buy myself a kindle……
Thank you, I don’t know if it helps but if you have an ipad you can get a kindle app for it. I have a kindle too but it’s practically redundant since I bought my ipad as that is so much nicer to read. xx
I think I’ll have to start asking.
I don’t think i’ve asked anyone who hasn’t said yes – although there’s always a first time 😉
Excellent advice – i normally ask and have always found readers lovely and obliging. You know what they say, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. I explain to readers how important reviews (supposedly) are for getting into Amazon promotions. I never knew this until i became a published novelist and i expect most people don’t.
Thanks for this, Della – really useful advice. I’d never thought of suggesting “cut and paste your email.” I suppose it’s just another variation of the principle “tell them what you’ve just told me.”
How true Sue and Sally. Thanks for popping by.
Excellent advice, Della – very many thanks. I’d never thought of suggesting that people copy & paste their email as a review, but it certainly makes sense!
Good advice, Della. I think many people don’t leave reviews simply because they don’t know how easy it is.