“Readers, take the time to leave a review. They mean more to an author than anything else.”
It’s the season of giving! When I opened Facebook this morning, I had to chuckle at a memory that popped up from one year ago today. This is what I posted:
So, of course it got me thinking about a new blog post!
Book reviews are valuable for an author. Not only are they a kind way to publicly say, “job well done”, but they also help drive sales.
Trust me when I say, there is no better gift then helping an author sell a book (or two!). It’s free. It’s easy. And it makes a difference. But you need to do it the right way! Here are my top five tips for how to leave a strong book review:
1 – Write a catchy title for your review. For Amazon specifically, there’s an opportunity to title the review you post. Be sure to include the top reason you liked the book in the title. For example, “Enchanting, well-written story!” or “Amazing story! Couldn’t put it down!” Potential readers will likely just skim a book review, so make the title POP!
2 – Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the details. This is one of my largest pet peeves. I often see reviews that summarize the entire plot and spoil the ending! This is not what a book review is for! Please do not do this. Not only are you ruining a future reader’s experience, but you’re hurting the author at the same time. If you need to summarize to make a point, it’s okay—but leave the key details out of it. A review is meant to share how you felt about the story and nothing more.
3 – Tell future readers exactly what you liked. There are a lot of reasons a reader may like (or not like) a story. Pinpoint exactly what appeals to you most. Did you find the characters relatable? Did you think the story was well-written and flowed? Maybe you enjoyed the fast-paced plot and couldn’t put it down until you knew the end. Tell future readers specifically what you liked best.
4 – Share the review in multiple places. Amazon is great, but it’s not the only place to leave a review. Branch out and share your review on other important reader platforms like Bookbub and Goodreads, too. I also recommend that you talk about the book and your experience on social media. You never know where a future reader might be!
5 – Never leave a 1- or 2- star review. First, it’s just mean. It’s okay to not like a book, but you do not need to share that perspective with the world. No matter what, an author spent time writing a story. They may be a new writer. They might be learning how to tell a story well. Or their work simply just doesn’t jive with you. And that’s okay. If you didn’t like a book, keep it to yourself. A 3- star review is fine (it doesn’t help or hurt an author), but anything lower will do damage.
Readers, take the time to leave a review. They mean more to an author than anything else. Happy reading (and reviewing)!
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