Reviews are So Important

 

The more reviews a book has the more visible it becomes on-line. It may surprise you that even a one star review helps.  

 

Most people think of Amazon when they think of reviews and yes, that can be important. However, you can also leave review with other online retailers such as Waterstones.

 

Amazon has some restriction. You have to either have bought the book form Amazon  or have spent enough recently to be allowed to review items you haven't bought from them. And if you do buy the book form them, your review will show ''verified purchase' which makes your review seem more genuine.

 

Good Reads is always open for reviews and there are no restrictions. It is owned by Amazon anyway; if you give a star rating directly from your Kindle it appears on both your local Amazon and Good Reads. I also like to post on Story Graph.

 

I want people to review my books, therefore I review every book I read. I occasionally put a different review on Amazon from the one I put on Good Reads.  On Amazon it's pragmatic. Does the book works as it should? If not why not? What does it do well? On Good Reads I can be more myself. Is this book really for me?

 

I often read other reviews: one at the same star-rating as I have given, plus a five, a four and a one star.

 

I also write longer reviews for my children's book site and for my House on Schellberg Street blog. One book last week had it’s standard review on Amazon, Good Reads and Story Graph and appeared both in the children's catalogue and on The House on Schellberg Street blog.  

 

I notice some reviews don't really give any information so I've developed a little formula: I say what I've most liked about the book, anything that didn't work well,  and a summative positive comment at the end. I'm careful not to give any spoilers. And this sort of review is neither long nor onerous.  

 

The main message is authors need reviews and if you're expecting other people to review your work you should be willing to review theirs.

 

However, I’d also recommend not getting obsessed with reading reviews of your work. Yes, find a few very good ones that you may be able to quote from and if your overall rating has slipped below 4.2 look at some of the more sensible lower ratings. Is there some advice here? You're not likely to rewrite this book but it may help with future titles.

 

And keep on writing.