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April 20, 2022 Post a Comment

Heidi Thorne is a self-publishing advocate and author of nonfiction books, eBooks, and audiobooks. She is a onetime merchandise newspaper editor.

book-reviews-why-authors-need-to-do-them — Heidi Thorne (author) via Canva

Frustrated by the depression number of reviews you get for your books or eBooks? Well, yous're non lone. Every other cocky-published author is, too. So before you go all depressed about it, let's look at what'due south causing it.

The almost likely explanation is that customers just aren't taking the fourth dimension to do a review. In diverse forums well-nigh selling on Amazon, I've seen that only a very small percent—maybe fifty-fifty low single-digit percentages—of purchasers actually do production reviews. I recall they might exist right.

Don't become bummed by comparing yourself to your peers who seem to have a ton of reviews for their newly self-published books. Those reviews were probable solicited as part of a book launch. Want to verify that? Await at the dates of the reviews. You'll probably see that they are clustered around a certain date, then at that place will be few or no reviews after that.

And so it's tough going in review land. But what I'd similar to suggest is a writing community commitment to aid turn the tide:

Authors, you need to do volume reviews, too.

Too Decorated to Practice Book Reviews

True, many of us authors are very busy writing books and our time is limited. I totally get that. That's a problem for me, too.

Only I think we have to be honest if we're just throwing the "I'm so busy" excuse out there when we just don't want to do book reviews. That's where I see a problem. If this is your story, then don't exist all bummed out when other people don't review your books. Karma!

Not Reading Books

It's easy for authors to say they don't do book reviews considering they don't accept fourth dimension to read books in the starting time place. I understand this issue, too. My Kindle is stacked with a bunch of eBooks that I bought, but haven't read even so.

The problem here is that this can besides mean that you're not reading books on your topic or genre. So in addition to not doing reviews, yous're not keeping up with what's being published in your market place either. Plus, even reading outside your topic or genre can aid you get more a more enlightened and flexible author.

"I'll Only Review a Book If I Get the Book for Free."

Practise you but do book reviews if y'all become a copy of it for complimentary? True, a costless copy is an incentive and a advantage for taking the time to read and review.

Only is a review that'southward "paid" for with a free re-create a genuine review? It might not be since some people feel compelled to say overnice things when given something for gratis, fifty-fifty if they don't mean them. Organic book reviews from verified purchasers are pure aureate!

And if you wait to get all the books yous read for costless, why should you expect anyone to purchase books from you lot? It's karma... again.

Plus, your investment in volume purchases is continuing instruction for your writing career. Some of them might even be deductible every bit business organization expenses. See your CPA or tax adviser for details.

Careful With Competitors

In Amazon's community guidelines for reviews, they don't want people posting reviews for products that directly compete with what they themselves sell. You should already know when and if this applies to you (don't say you don't). And if you're a widely read person, you lot should have plenty opportunities to write book reviews for non-competing books. Too, at that place are probable many books in areas related to your marketplace that would be appropriate for you to read and review.

Scroll to Keep

Writing Book Reviews is a Skill

Every bit I discussed in How to Write a Book Review on Amazon, there are several aspects to creating a helpful book review for other readers.

But bated from providing a benefit to both readers and fellow authors, writing book reviews helps you build your critical thinking and belittling skills. This tin can aid you in critiquing your own work. You may also detect new means of budgeted your topic or genre.

So, in summary, hither are the primary reasons why authors need to practice volume reviews:

It contributes to the writing community by providing fellow authors with difficult-to-get book reviews.
It provides readers with insightful and helpful data that can encourage purchases of books and eBooks (which also helps boyfriend authors).
It builds disquisitional thinking and analytical skills which can help authors improve their own writing and evaluate electric current trends in their topic or genre.
Information technology'due south good karma.

I've made a resolution to review every book I read this year. Will you lot be joining me?

This commodity is accurate and truthful to the all-time of the writer's knowledge. Content is for advisory or amusement purposes but and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Heidi Thorne (writer) from Chicago Area on February 03, 2018:

Brian, thanks for being considerate and committing to reviewing the new stuff in your reading library!

But I have to hold that I too can't wait for used volume sales in our expanse every summer. I observe some groovy reads there, too. Occasionally, if I come beyond a used book that's still in regular circulation, I might consider reviewing it, even if I didn't get information technology on Amazon.

Cheers so much for stopping by! Have a lovely weekend!

Brian Leekley from Bainbridge Isle, Washington, USA on Feb 02, 2018:

You lot convinced me, Heidi. Henceforth if I read a book by a contemporary author and don't forget, I'll review information technology. I mostly become books to read at thrift shops, friends of the library sales, and k/garage/rummage/tag sales, and mostly those used books were published decades ago. I did read and review an ebook by a hubber a few years agone. Perhaps I could do more reading of current books and ebooks by hubbers and acquaintances whose writing I admire.

Heidi Thorne (author) from Chicago Area on January 24, 2018:

Thanks for stopping by, Larry! Have a great day!

Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on Jan 23, 2018:

Interesting perspective.

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on January 22, 2018:

You are well-nigh welcome, Heidi!

Regards,

Suhail

Heidi Thorne (author) from Chicago Area on January 22, 2018:

Hi Suhail!

Starting time of all, thank you for doing reviews on everything you society from Amazon! That is a definitely a contribution to the community.

I will admit that getting to i'due south Amazon buyer contour is a bit of a trick! On my public buyer profile, I can encounter all my reviews, reviewer rank, etc. At that place may exist some differences between Amazon U.s. and CAN in that regard. And then I accept my Author Central profile which is something completely different.

Ah, the wonderful world of Amazon. :) Cheers for your support, as always, and have a great week!

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on January 21, 2018:

Heidi,

Superb commodity!

If you do the book reviews on Amazon, you may take noticed that the book review section is not showing under your Amazon 'Profile'. At least, it is not for me.

Yet, if yous get to the individual books, you tin can see your reviews are still at that place, but you tin't see them under your profile where they were clustered all together.

I am not an writer, only I do reviews for everything I guild from Amazon.ca.

Only to let yous know, the only books I haven't read are the ones that I had thought were within my genre, but I institute them to be going tangential to it.

Regards,

Heidi Thorne (writer) from Chicago Surface area on January twenty, 2018:

Flourish, learning affairs is definitely a side benefit of both giving and receiving book reviews. Thanks for pointing that out! Have a great weekend!

FlourishAnyway from USA on January 20, 2018:

Yous make excellent points that should extend to wannabes besides! For books that are good, they'll be a welcome gift of praise. For books that were not, information technology should teach skills in diplomacy.

Heidi Thorne (author) from Chicago Area on January nineteen, 2018:

Thanks, Linda, for chiming in and supporting other authors on Amazon and here on HP! Have a slap-up weekend!

Heidi Thorne (author) from Chicago Expanse on Jan 19, 2018:

Bill, I feel your no-reading pain! I'g getting my book reading deed dorsum together, too. I know it'due south hard when we have then much writing and such to do. But I've made it my New year's resolution to just read more and review more. Cheers for chiming in. Promise you take a chip of downtime this weekend... possibly to read? Thanks!

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on January xviii, 2018:

Yous've fabricated a expert case for doing book reviews, Heidi. I'll go on your recommendations in listen.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on January 18, 2018:

It'southward a tangled spider web out there in Book State, isn't it?

I'k going through this weird faze of not reading books. It's been three months since my last book read. For someone who read a book per month for ten years, this is quite a stretch of ignorance. :) Anyway, I'll get back on the horse soon and so attempt and follow your advice.

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