I’ve never been one to write reviews, even though I rely heavily on them when I seek out products for myself. No good reason except that I didn’t want to take the time to write them, I suppose. But all that changed once I learned how important reviews are to authors. In the publishing world, reviews of books make a HUGE difference.
Why, you ask? Because Amazon and Goodreads rely on reviews, and these platforms are foundational for an author.
When it comes to Amazon, reviews make a huge difference in the Amazon algorithms. The more reviews an item has, the more Amazon will promote it, and the more easily it will show up via search engines.
Here’s the great thing about Amazon. In order to write a review on the site, you only need to have purchased items to validate your account (and let’s face it— who can resist buying something on there?).
If I haven’t convinced you yet, here are some more truths about Amazon reviews:
· You don’t need to purchase the reviewed item from Amazon to write a review about it
· Only one person from an account may write a review. If two people try to write a review from the same account, both reviews will get deleted. Eek! Don’t do this!
· You don’t even have to write a comment. Just rating it by stars counts as a review.
· You don’t have to write anything fancy. “Best book ever” counts as a review just as much as a graduate dissertation regaling the merits of the product. Do what feels best for you.
· Your favorite authors will be not only be grateful, they’ll probably love you forever if you write a great review for them.
On to Goodreads!
Reviews on Goodreads are also helpful, since so many subscribers rely on them when it comes to choosing books. In order to write a Goodreads book review, you need to have a Goodreads account. That’s it. Easy peasy. And just like Amazon, you don’t even have to write a comment. Just click on the stars.
The moral of this blog post?
If you want to help an author, the best thing you can do is write them a (good) review of their book. The second best thing you can do is buy their book. These two actions are what allow authors to keep doing what they love-- writing new books!
I am so so so grateful for everyone that has taken the time to click on the stars or write a review of my books. It only takes a few seconds or minutes for you, but it makes a lasting difference for me. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!