how many amazon book reviews do you need

Table of Contents

Why Do Book Reviews Matter?

How many reviews do i need, editorial reviews, how to get amazon book reviews, how to get reviews for your book on amazon.

What good is writing a great book if no one knows that it’s worth reading?

That’s where book reviews come in.

Reviews matter. They’re a key influencer of buying behavior and provide important social proof even to non-buyers.

Just think about it: how many times have you bought a book without looking at the reviews? I can’t speak for you, but I always read at least a few reviews of every book I buy.

So how do you get more? Most important, more good reviews?

Lots of people are trying to make money off Authors’ confusion in this area, and giving out terrible, deceitful advice about getting reviews (and a few straight up scams).

That’s why I wrote this blog post.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about getting reviews effectively and ethically, especially on Amazon .

If you’ve put in the effort to write a good book, then it’s worth taking the time to get honest feedback from your readers.

Quick note: I said “a good book.” All of my advice assumes you wrote a good book. I’m going to teach you how to get honest reviews, so if your book is not good, my suggestions will backfire. You’ll get reviews, but they won’t be ones you like.

1. Credibility & Social Proof

Imagine that you’re going out for a nice dinner, and you have a choice between two restaurants. One of them has two Michelin Stars, received glowing reviews on Yelp, and even has reviews on Google Maps.

The other restaurant looks nice from the outside, but it doesn’t have a website, and you don’t know anyone who’s been. You know nothing about the chef, and your only guideline for the food comes from the very basic menu posted outside the door.

Which restaurant are you going to choose?

Books work the same way.

If you had to choose, would you buy the book with 50 5-star reviews, or would you buy the one without any reviews at all?

People want to read books other people have read. If a book has a solid number of reviews, a strong blurb, and plenty of customer feedback, it’s going to do better.

Reviews are social proof. Proof that you have something to say, that you have the chops to say it, and that you can be engaging while you say it.

A book without reviews isn’t necessarily a bad book, but it also won’t have the same appeal as a book that consistently gets rave comments.

2. Influence search algorithms

You know what the third biggest search engine is?

Google is first, YouTube is second, and Amazon is third.

When people use Amazon, what they see first is determined by Amazon’s search algorithm…and reviews are a very important part of that algorithm.

Most of our authors write books not just to sell copies, but to use as a tool to market themselves . If this is the case for you, then people searching for your book topic are very important.

The better your ranking , the more likely it is that people will find your book. And the more likely it is that people find your book, the more likely you are to sell it.

3. Drive sales

Reviews won’t automatically make you a New York Times bestseller , but it will make your book more visible to potential readers.

Every review boosts your rankings, emphasizes your credibility, or entices potential readers.

And good reviews drive sales. Think about it–when you go to buy a book, what is the first thing you do?

Read the reviews.

The more reviews you can get—assuming they are good—the better. Lots of reviews are strong social proof a book is popular, and popular books sell.

For a minimum, you should try to get 20 reviews within the first two months after your book release date. That shows your book has traction with real readers.

At around 50 reviews, you are probably good to go. Around that point, you have solidified the book as reputable and should continue to generate reviews.

A Note Before We Start: Don’t Try to Cheat Amazon

Amazon is savvy. Their algorithm is no joke, and if you try to cheat them, you will get caught. They actively look to find and remove any review that is not a real review written by a real person–and they’re very good at it.

Amazon also has a zero-tolerance policy for any review that is designed to mislead or manipulate customers. They’re not shy about removing reviews that violate that policy.

Here’s a list of things to avoid:

• You can’t pay for reviews. This includes cash or giving reviewers a free or discounted product.
• You can’t offer reviewers gifts in exchange for reviews.
• You can’t exchange positive book reviews with other Authors, so don’t head to Facebook or Twitter to find review swaps.

This may seem pretty restrictive. After all, don’t most of us rely on business associates, friends, and other members of our networks to sell books? And what about giving away free review copies? Does that violate the promotional terms?

Well, there are a few caveats .

You can give away free or discounted books to potential reviewers, but you can’t tell them what to write. If they hate it, they have to be able to rant and rave to their heart’s content.

That’s why I said earlier that you have to write a high-quality book. Any free copy you give away has to be given with no strings attached.

Most of this information applies to customer reviews, but they aren’t the only kind of reviews on Amazon.

Editorial reviews are either written by Amazon editors or they come from established publications like Publisher’s Weekly or Kirkus Reviews. Official book endorsements also fall under the category of editorial reviews.

Let’s say that you are a physical therapist, and you have a colleague who is very well known in the field. If she likes your work, it would probably be better to ask her for an editorial review. That way, when people look at the Amazon listing, her review will be front and center. It won’t be buried in the middle of 45 other reviews.

Editorial reviews aren’t subject to the same kinds of restrictions as customer reviews. It’s still not ethical to pay someone to give you a review, but you can and should make the most of your connections to get these.

Step 1: Set-up For Success: Ask for Reviews In Your Book

The easiest way to get book reviews is to ask for them. What better place to do that than in the book itself?

Usually, it’s best to include a short, direct review request towards the back of the book, since good reviewers tend to read all the way to the end.

Few people realize how important book reviews are to Authors. There are probably many people who enjoyed your book and would be willing to write about it if you give them a little nudge.

There are unethical ways to ask, and you should avoid them.

For starters, don’t say, “If you really loved my book, please leave a review.” I know that Authors say this all the time, but it’s presumptuous. It’s like telling someone that their opinion doesn’t matter unless it’s glowing.

People leave reviews because they want to express their feelings. Those feelings might be more complicated than, “I adored the book.” Of course you want positive reviews, but you also have to leave space for readers who enjoyed the book but are reluctant to call it the best thing they’ve ever read.

It’s better to ask readers, “I’d love to hear your honest opinion.”

Here’s another thing to avoid: Don’t ask readers, “Can you take a minute to review my book so I can sell more copies?” This comes across as desperate.

Other people typically don’t care how many books you sell. They need a better reason to take the time to write. Try framing your request around the impact that the book had on them and the impact it could have for others.

Here’s an example: “Did this book help you in some way? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Honest reviews help readers find the right book for their needs.”

Step 2: Ask Your Network for Reviews

One of the most effective ways to get reviews is to set up a launch team .

To do this, put together a list of people who would immediately do a favor for you. You want to aim for 30-50 people.

One month before the book release, send this team a copy of your book so they can read it in advance. It’s easiest to email the book as a PDF, along with a short call to action. Here’s a sample:

Hello there!

I’m excited to let you know that my new book, [Title], launches on [date]. It’s been an amazing journey to get it completed, and I’m excited to finally share it with the world.

If you’re receiving this email, it’s because you’re someone I trust enough to (a) send a free copy of the book to in advance and (b) ask that you leave an honest review when it goes live.

Early reviews are the single most important factor in determining if a book succeeds, so I’m incredibly thankful for people like you who I can rely on to leave one.

No action needed yet. Attached is your free PDF of the book, and I’ll follow up when the book launches with a reminder to leave a review.

Thanks so much for your support. I deeply appreciate it.

Just before the book launches, use KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) to discount the e-reader version to 99 cents for the week of the book launch.

Then, follow up with your team, asking them to leave a review. You can highlight certain things that you would like reviewers to mention, but again, it’s good to emphasize that you want their honest opinion.

Also mention that your book is 99 cents, so if they’re feeling generous, they can buy a copy so their review will be verified. A verified review means that the writer purchased the product through Amazon, and they didn’t receive it at a deep discount. These matter more for your Amazon ranking.

Here’s a sample email: Hey [Name],

The day is here! My book, [Title + GENI.US link], is finally live on Amazon.

I have one simple ask:

If you were able to look at the book and enjoyed it, can you leave a short review?

Reviews should only be 1-2 sentences and should take about 30 seconds to leave (and would make a huge difference for me). If you can’t come up with one, here are some examples:

• [Insert example review]

Finally, I wanted to give you a heads up that Amazon can sometimes block or remove reviews if they deem our digital relationship too close, or if your account is too new. This is few and far between so I’m sorry if you run into this and thank you all the more for your support!

Thanks so much for your help! I can’t thank you enough.

Best, [Author]

As you can see, this email alludes to Amazon’s “family and friends” rule. Most book reviews and sales come from word of mouth, and you will of course be asking your network for support. The key here is that you aren’t forcing or bribing people to give you good feedback.

Step 3: Set Up Your Assets to Remind Your Network

Social media is a great way to remind your network that your book is ready to be reviewed.

Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever social media assets you have to keep your book present in people’s minds.

For example:

• Pin a tweet requesting reviews at the top of your Twitter feed
• Add the book to your email signature
• Put your book in the header of your Facebook and Twitter profiles

Step 4: Reach Out to Authority Reviewers & Top Reviewers

Amazon has a list of top reviewers who are enthusiastic and authoritative about certain areas. If you notice that someone consistently reviews books in your field, they might be a good person to reach out to.

Be cautious about contacting too many top reviewers, especially if your book isn’t in their realm of interest. No one likes spam, so only reach out with good reason.

You have to know your audience , so look at book bloggers who might have some knowledge in your area or podcasters who might be interested in your book’s topic.

Alternately, you could use a site like BookRazor to find people interested in your book. If you send them a free copy, they agree to follow up with a review.

Be aware though: cold calls have a high failure rate. We haven’t found this method as effective as tapping personal networks.

Step 5: Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews

It’s highly likely that, at some point, you will get a negative review . This is just a fact of life.

One thing to keep in mind before you get upset is that bad reviews aren’t always a bad thing. Books that only have 5-star reviews often don’t seem credible. Bad reviews can actually convince people that your other reviews are real.

There are many ways to deal with negative reviews:

• Ignore it. There’s no upside to responding to toxic people.
• Answer it…but be careful. Responding can be a double-edged sword. Respond in a way that addresses the issue without coming off as defensive.
• Admit it hurts to receive a bad review, then move on.
• Keep things in perspective. Don’t give negative reviews more weight than positive ones.
• Consider if the negative comments have any lessons for you.
• Try to get Amazon to take down the review if it doesn’t comply with their guidelines. They probably won’t remove it unless the person has been fraudulent or crude.

BONUS Step: Use Paid Services

Okay, I know I said that you shouldn’t use paid services. But what I meant was, “Don’t use paid services to directly buy reviews.” That’s cheating the system, and scamming Amazon isn’t a good idea if you’re trying to be a legitimate Author.

But there are paid opportunities that you can use to get the book into potential reviewers’ hands in an ethical way.

Goodreads is a social media site for book lovers. Their book giveaways are a good way to increase exposure and create hype. Goodreads requires participants to add the book to their wish list, and they also remind winners to leave reviews. They offer several packages at different price points, depending on how many promotional options you want.

BookBub features discounted books in their daily newsletters, which have more than 10 million subscribers. You can pay to have your book featured, or you can buy ad space in the newsletters. The pricing depends on how deep the book’s discount is.

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Amazon Book Reviews: How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon for Free

POSTED ON Nov 10, 2020

Written by P.J McNulty

When it comes to Amazon book reviews, they are necessary to proactively marketing your book.

There’s almost nothing as important as Amazon reviews when it comes to generating consistent book sales month after month and creating an effective book marketing strategy.

It’s not enough to publish your book and hope reviewers will find you. They almost certainly won’t. You need to work hard to find them and convince them to review your book.

But even that isn’t enough!

If you go about getting reviews the wrong way, you risk incurring the wrath of Amazon. Your book will sink before it ever stood a chance of succeeding.

Related: Amazon Self-Publishing

So how can you get the reviews you need in an ethical and effective way?

We’ve gathered together everything you need to know.

This guide to Amazon book reviews covers:

Why are amazon book reviews important, how many book reviews do i need on amazon, how to get your book reviewed on amazon, can i review my own book on amazon, book review services , can i contact the top reviewers on amazon.

• Does Amazon support editorial reviews

Guidelines for Amazon reviews

Why does amazon remove book reviews.

If you’re new to the world of self-publishing , it might be unclear why there is so much importance placed on getting Amazon reviews for your book. 

After all, if you create a good book, produce an attractive cover, and write a catchy description, shouldn’t that be enough?

As much as we might see our book as special, Amazon won’t.

At least, not at first. And neither will the vast majority of book browsers.

While the benefits of self-publishing are well-known, there are also some challenges you need to overcome in order to experience success.

One such challenge is the abundance of books released on Amazon.

The vast majority of books are lost amidst the noise. New titles are added to Amazon every few minutes, and there are endless titles already available. 

What does this mean for you?

If you want to see your book reach the right readers, you need to do everything in your power to get it in front of them. 

One of the most powerful ways to do that is by ensuring your book has reviews.

A lack of reviews harms your book’s prospects in two ways. 

First, a book without reviews is unlikely to even get noticed by the vast majority of book browsers.

Second, even if people do somehow stumble across your book, they are unlikely to borrow or buy it without a credible number of reviews.

Here are the benefits to make your reviews worth it:

• Trust. Book reviews are especially important when you’re just starting out as an author on Amazon . Put yourself in the shoes of a customer. Why should they trust your book? They almost certainly haven’t heard of you. Reviews overcome this problem. When people see that others have been helped or entertained by a book, it gives them the confidence they will experience the same result.
• Algorithm. Amazon is famous for having one of the most powerful and effective algorithms out there. The company explores and experiments with every possible way to get customers to spend more. Reviews are a huge signal to Amazon that your book is worth promoting. Without a respectable number of reviews close to the time of launch, your book will miss out on the immense power of Amazon’s promotional machinery.
• External promotion. There are plenty of promotional services out there willing to help introduce your book to readers who are likely to benefit from it. However, most of them require you to have a certain number of positive reviews before they will even consider your book. You can also promote this on your author platform .
• Feedback. Reviews are also a valuable source of feedback on your work. Yes, even the negative ones! You can get a sense of what readers did and did not like about your book and take this feedback on board for your future releases. 

When it comes to success on Amazon, it’s almost impossible to overstate just how important reviews are.

Now that you know the benefits of reviews for your book, let’s take a closer look at exactly how to get them.

Getting people to take the time to review your book isn’t always easy, especially when you’re new to the self-publishing scene.

Given the difficulty of getting reviews, it’s natural to wonder just how many you need. 

No matter what people might say, there is no magic number that you need. It varies from book to book.

However, there are some proven principles and guidelines you can use to inform the number of reviews you aim to get.

• Check competing books. Take the time to check out other books that your ideal reader might be interested in. For example, which books rank for your keywords? Which books are selling well in your intended categories ? Try and look for books of similar stature to your own. How many reviews do they have? How many would you need to seem respectable in the eyes of a buyer choosing between your book and a competing title?
• Aim for 10 minimum. 10 reviews seems to be the number that starts to move the needle for a lot of authors. When you’re putting together your initial strategy, make 10 book reviews the minimum number you aim for. 
• 20 is ideal. If you’re capable of proactively getting 10 people to leave an Amazon review of your book, you’re more than capable of getting 20! Just double down on what you’re doing. We’ll explore exactly how shortly. 
• Don’t go overboard. After a certain number of reviews, you’re unlikely to experience much extra benefit. The effort needed to seek out reviews is not commensurate to the benefits you will experience. Also, after getting a large number of reviews, buyers are likely to review your book of their own accord. You won’t need to seek them out. 30-50 reviews is a good guideline here, but a lower number may suffice depending on the books you are competing against. 
• Your promo strategy. Many authors make book promotion sites or services an integral part of their marketing strategy. If you have a particular promotional site you want to be featured on, you’re probably going to need a certain number of reviews to be eligible.

Even though there isn’t a particular number of Amazon book reviews that’s right for every book, there’s definitely a number that’s right for yours.

Use the above ideas to find it and make this a target you strive to hit.

Sadly, no. Some authors might think it's a good idea to review their own book to get an initial momentum going for their reviews, but that's against the rules specified on Amazon's Guidelines .

So how should you go about getting the reviews you need for your book to succeed?

Seeking out reviews in the right way isn’t just a matter of doing what’s likely to get results.

It’s also a matter of respecting Amazon’s rules and regulations. If you fail to do so, you run the risk of having your reviews removed.

If you’re unsure of how to get the reviews your book needs, here are some effective techniques.

• Set up a review plan prior to launch. A lot of authors learn the hard way that you can’t leave book reviews to chance. You need to have a clear plan in place way ahead of your book launch . This should involve a clear approach to hit your review target number as close to the time of your book going live as possible.
• Reach out to existing readers. Do you have an email list of readers? Have you written anything in the past? Even if you don’t have books out, do you have a blog with readers? Could you leverage your author network to promote your book to another writer’s fans? Existing readers, either your own or another author’s, are a great potential source of book reviews.
• Use social media. While social media is a valuable source of potential reviewers of your work, you should approach it with caution. If Amazon’s algorithm deems you to have a close connection with people on social media, their reviews of your book may be removed. In spite of that, it’s still worth utilizing options such as Facebook reading groups, relevant hashtags on Twitter or Instagram, visual platforms like Pinterest , and even Tik Tok if you have a younger audience, to seek out people who might be interested in your book. 
• Consider offline readers. Most authors will focus their review approach on the online world. By seeking out book clubs, library groups, and other interested communities offline, you open the door to a rich source of potential reviewers that many other authors aren't aware of.  
• CTA in your book. There’s no harm of asking for book reviews within your book itself. You can also include a link in the ebook version to make it as straightforward as possible.

Be aware that by asking for reviews in any of the ways mentioned, you are seeking something of value from them. To make them want to take the time to help you, you need to frame your request in the right way.

Related: Amazon Book Description HTML: Making Words Look Better

Instead of coming across as self-serving or even desperate, why not base your review request around:

• Feedback. If people respect your work they are likely to want to help you out as an author. If you make them feel like their feedback is valued, you are more likely to get a review.
• Helping other readers. Another angle to take is appealing to a sense of community among readers. Rather than making your request for reviews about yourself, make it about informing fellow readers about a book that might benefit or entertain them.
• A promotional price point. It’s human nature to love a good deal. By emphasizing your book being offered at a low price point for a limited time, you tap into the psychological appeal of both value and scarcity, making it more likely that people will see it as worthwhile to review your book.

Combining the right sources of potential reviews with the right type of request is the best way to get your book the review score it needs.

As well as seeking out relevant readers by yourself, a range of professional book review services exist.

While this can form a valuable part of your overall approach to reviews, you need to be careful.

Amazon is known for being incredibly strict about people selling reviews. Many people on Fiverr have experienced this firsthand!

The Amazon review guidelines are elaborated on a little later in this guide, but as a general principle, always avoid paying for a review directly. That includes offering a gift of some type.

Instead of paying for a review on Fiverr, consider using one of these services:

• Goodreads book giveaways
• Rainbow Book Reviews

If you’re considering paying for a review service, make sure to check both of these two things before investing your money:

• Compliance. Ensure any review service you’re considering is compliant with Amazon’s rules and regulations. Otherwise, you risk losing your money, having the review removed, and possibly even worse consequences if Amazon feels you’re being particularly underhanded.
• Results. Check out what kind of results a review service promises, and what kind of success they’ve had in the past. Have they produced good results for books similar to yours? What kind of ROI can you expect?

Book review services can be a valuable way to help your book get the momentum it needs. Just make sure you’re dealing with a reputable and effective service provider.

No, the top Amazon reviewers are no longer available.

In the past, a popular way of seeking book reviews involved trying to find and contact the top reviewers on Amazon.

This may have worked well back in the day, but it’s not really something to pursue in the here and now. 

The top Amazon reviewers no longer have emails available to reach out to. Even when they did, the odds of having a top reviewer take the time to check out your work was pretty slim. 

Does Amazon support editorial reviews?

What exactly is an editorial review, and why does it matter for your book?

So far, we’ve talked about customer reviews, which are exactly what they sound like. A customer reads your book and leaves their opinion. If they purchased it from Amazon, this would count as a verified review. 

The other type of review to utilize is the editorial review. This involves a trusted source such as a magazine or publication giving their take on your book.

While editorial reviews aren't included in your book's review score and don't show up with the customer reviews, this is actually a good thing. 

Some of the main benefits of editorial reviews are:

• They won’t get lost in the middle of the (hopefully) large number of customer reviews your book has
• You can add them to your Amazon Author Central page
• You are allowed to leverage your connections as Amazon can’t remove these in the way that they can remove customer reviews
• A reputable publication or individual may carry more weight in the mind of a potential book buyer than an unknown customer reviewer

There’s no denying the value of editorial reviews, but think of them as icing on the cake. 

Make customer reviews your priority, at least initially, as they will move the needle in terms of the Amazon algorithm.

Spend some time around the indie author community and you’ll come across some fairly angry writers.

A common source of frustration is the seemingly ever-changing Amazon review rules.

In reality, the Amazon review guidelines aren’t as bad as you might have heard.

You can check out the full picture here , but some basic principles include:

• You can’t pay for reviews. It’s absolutely prohibited to exchange money for a review of your book.
• You can’t ask for conditional reviews. Although it’s completely fine to ask for someone to review your book, you cannot request they review it in a certain way. Asking for an honest review is the best approach.
• You can’t review a rival book. If Amazon feels someone is negatively reviewing a rival product of any type, they will remove that review.
• You can’t rely on friends and family. Amazon state that reviews from close personal connections are not allowed. This can involve being friends with people and interacting on social media.
• You can’t offer gifts. It’s not permissible to over an Amazon gift card or anything else whatsoever in exchange for a review. You can offer an ARC of your book but that’s all.

While it’s definitely worth respecting the Amazon review guidelines, try not to worry too much. As long as you’re operating from a place of good faith, the worst that will happen in the majority of cases is Amazon will remove some of your reviews.

Amazon can remove reviews for violations of any of their guidelines mentioned above. 

However, some of the most common reasons for a review to be removed are:

• You have reviewed your own book
• Someone with the same address with you has reviewed your book
• A reviewer has attempted to leave multiple reviews of your work
• The review is obscene, defamatory or otherwise unacceptable
• The reviewer is a customer who has spent less than $50 on Amazon
• The reviewer appears to be a spammer who leaves too many reviews in a short space of time
• You have reported the review to [email protected] and Amazon agrees it is unacceptable

Having some reviews removed is a fact of life for most authors. Although it might seem frustrating, try and see the system as being in place to preserve the integrity of the entire process. 

We hope you’ve found this guide to the dos and don'ts of Amazon book reviews useful. 

If you have any tips on getting book reviews ethically, or warnings about Amazon’s rules and regulations, feel free to leave a comment and help your fellow authors out. 

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The Best Way to Rack Up Book Reviews on Amazon

This post was featured on my site The Self Publisher some months ago and I want to share it with you here.

Imagine seeing an ad pop up on Facebook advertising your recently published book—an ad you didn’t pay for.

Imagine seeing your book appearing first in a line of recommended books on the product pages of similar books, and you didn’t pay for a sponsored ad.

Imagine hearing from readers that they learned about your book from an Amazon email blast that encouraged them to buy it.

Wouldn’t it be great to get all that free promotion?

You can—when you get enough authentic, approved reviews on Amazon.

Yes, Amazon Will Promote Your Book!

While Amazon’s algorithms are somewhat of a mystery, it’s a known truth that when your book accrues a certain number of reviews, or a lot of reviews in a short amount of (unspecified) time, Amazon kicks into gear multiple promotions for your book. Free promotion that would probably cost a fortune if you had to foot the bill.

The magic number to start the ball rolling in this free promotion is 50. Fifty reviews merits cross promotion and ranking your book higher than others in the same categories based on search terms. With 75 reviews, Amazon is triggered to send email blasts to customers who’ve bought similar books. Amazon utilizes customer data to provide relevant recommendations.

I get tickled when I’m reading a blog and suddenly one of my books pops up on the side—an Amazon-sponsored ad—suggesting I buy that book. No thanks, already have it. But it brings a smile to my face. Did I mention I love free promotion? I am sure you will too.

Every time your book is reviewed, the algorithms are updated, and your book’s internal ranking increases.

While Amazon isn’t the only site where writers need reviews, it’s where most customers shop for books. Reviews you get on Amazon can often be used on other platforms, but no other marketplace engages in free author promotion as extensively and generously as Amazon.

Getting numerous, honest reviews on Amazon should be at the top of your market strategy list. Having the best keywords might help your book turn up in search results, but if you don’t have a slew of reviews, your book will be overlooked or dismissed by a large number of potential readers. High numbers of reviews adds cred to your brand and your talent as a writer.

Amazon also allows authors to give away their book for free for 5 days over a 90-day period (when enrolled in KDP Select). Why is this helpful in getting book reviews? Because it gives you great exposure to potential readers who might pick up your book because it’s free.

This also increases your chances of ranking high in the Top 100 Free Books list, exposing your title to many more potential readers (readers who might very well write a review for it—but watch for my warning further down).

Amazon’s Rules on Reviews

Due to problems with dishonorable people, Amazon has developed tight rules regarding reviews. While these might seem annoying to authors, they serve to protect unscrupulous people from publishing gobs of fake or paid reviews to skew rankings and algorithms.

Here are some of the things Amazon forbids and flags (and may cause your book to be removed): paid reviews, reviews garnered through bribery (you offer something free in exchange for the review), and swapped reviews (arranging with other authors via social media sites to review each other’s books, which usually does not include actually reading said books).

Verified vs. Unverified

While it can’t be quantified, it’s likely that some potential customers look at how many reviews are “verified” purchases as opposed to unverified. A “verified” purchase means the reviewer bought your book on Amazon, whereas anyone who acquired your book via some other means (purchased elsewhere, given as a gift, a free ARC) will have their review marked “unverified.”

As a potential customer, I don’t pay attention to that. I’m more interested in what the reviewer says about the book. I know that many authors—myself included—send out files of their books to people for an honest review, pre- and post-publishing. So some of those reviews are going to be unverified. But it stands to reason, having predominately verified reviews could positively influence some potential readers. I wouldn’t stress about this.

Quantity and Quality

Getting book reviews takes work and time, and the last thing we writers want to do is waste time, spinning our wheels and getting no useful results.

However, it should go without saying that we don’t just want a lot of reviews; we want good reviews. Ones that are thoughtful, detailed, and personal. And that can take time to accumulate.

It stands to reason that having a lot of positive reviews for your book is social proof that you’ve written something worth reading.

If you want to get a lot of reviews fast, and you’re willing to pay, promo sites like Bookbub (there are many!) can help. I’ve gotten up to 50,000 free downloads in one week via a Bookbub ad offering one of my ebooks for free. And that led to a truckload of reviews (not to mention future sales of my book and other installments in my series as a bonus). However, it can also be hard to land such ads, as the competition for slots can be fierce. It’s worth repeated submission, though, for the book review payoff.

While it can take some time, researching top Amazon ( Vine ) reviewers can garner you some weighty reviews. You can peruse the list of these 1,000 reviewers and find ones who review books like yours (and if they leave a lot of negative reviews, beware). Even if you only get a handful of Vine reviewers to read and review your book, that can be super helpful and influential.

You can Google “free book review sites” and look for ones that promote honest, legal reviews, like OnlineBookClub . Reedsy has a list of 200+ book blogs, updated for 2020, that you can use to find reviewers of your type of book.

Develop Relationships

One suggestion that I never see mentioned but is one that has served me very well is to attend writers’ conferences. Not only I but many writers I know have gotten endorsement blurbs from some of the most successful blockbuster authors by attending conferences and creating genuine relationships.

Let me emphasize those last three words. If you go around conferences strong-arming famous authors [read: ingratiating yourself], begging them to spend precious hours of their life reading your book and write a glowing review, you are going to be labeled a pesky pariah.

Conferences provide opportunities to rub elbows with these authors, and engaging in sincere and considerate conversation could open the door to a generous and willing heart happy to help out. You may find only one, but that’s a great start!

This is also good advice for any effort to garner reviews—be it from friends, writing associates, or your coworkers at your job. Don’t be pushy or whiny. People who sense your humility and genuineness will be drawn to take you up on your request to read and review. Give it a try!

It’s Never Too Early to Start Building Your Mailing List

The best way to get quality reviews is to reach out to those on your mailing list, your social media contacts, and those you’ve sent advance copies to. Ask them in a friendly, non-pressuring way to leave a review, expressing gratitude for their taking the time to read and review your book.

Even if you haven’t finished writing your book, you should get a mailing list started and work on building it. These folks are going to be your most faithful fans and reviewers. Some authors set up street teams (a group of super fans) and get them enthusiastically involved in sharing news about their new release, and once the book is published, they’re usually asked to post their honest reviews right away. With a mailing list, you can share excerpts of your new release and offer an ARC to any who want to read and review. I do this often with my new releases.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t bribe, coerce, or cajole.
• When you send a copy of your book to a potential reader, thank them and tell them: “Be sure that when you leave a review on Amazon for me, you state that you were given a free copy in exchange for writing an honest review.”
• DO ask them to give you an honest review. DON’T threaten them. You’ll make more friends this way, stay out of trouble, and have a clear conscience (reread above section on developing relationships).
• Be professional. Remember: there is nothing disgraceful about asking for reviews or blurbs of endorsement for your book.
• Provide a choice of epub, PDF, and mobi (Kindle) files. You can save a Word doc as a PDF, and there are free sites online that can convert from one file type to another. I like to put my cover on the first page, and it’s wise to test the file (send the mobi to your Kindle and download a program that can open an epub file (I use Adobe Digital Editions )

Reviews over Time

In order to stay ranking high and keep Amazon’s algorithm attention, you’ll need to get a steady stream of reviews over time. That’s why it’s not a great idea to tell all your fans or mailing list recipients to post their review on one specific day. It’s better if they flow in as a stream and not a tsunami.

Don’t run that free KDP promotion during launch week. Offer your book for free one or two days a month, and that will draw in new readers whose reviews will come in over time.

Consider using a free, reputable book review site—maybe one each month—to attract new readers. I recently did a NetGalley promotion (yes, I did pay for that), and netted a lot of readers who downloaded (for free) my book file. NetGalley reviewers are bloggers, librarians, booksellers, educators, journalists, and members of the media. Reviewers give your book a rating and offer feedback. My next step is to contact the reviewers who haven’t yet left a review and politely ask if they would post one on Amazon.

Keep in mind that any reviews you get, you can manually enter them through your Author Central account on Amazon so the reviews will show up on your product page. So no worries about pressuring readers to head over to Amazon to post it themselves. However, these reviews appear on your page’s Editorial Reviews section, not in the usual Amazon review pages (and so won’t be ranked by 1-5 stars or counted as part of your number of reviews).

Go back to your list of book bloggers and review sites. Consider contacting blogs on a weekly basis to accrue new contacts and get more reviews. Keep a chart of who you contact when.

How to Avoid Negative Reviews

Let’s face reality here: you will get negative reviews. But you’re in good company. The most famous, successful authors have plenty of negative reviews. Not everyone will love your book.

The few negative reviews I’ve gotten over the years have mostly been from readers who picked up my book during a free promotion. Some admit in their review “I never read this genre” or “this isn’t my type of book.” Meaning, they wouldn’t have bought my book (which makes me groan and mutter, “So why did you bother reading my book?”).

This is part of the tradeoff with doing free promotions. You will probably get reviews from those who don’t like or understand your genre, and, sadly, you can’t block or forbid them from leaving a review or remove said review. Good news is they probably won’t download your next book during a freebie period.

Here are some ways to fend off negative reviews:

• Have your book professionally edited and proofread.
• Better yet, have a professional critique your book before editing to ensure it’s well structured.
• Make sure your formatting looks good, for both ebook and paperback. It’s not hard to learn how to format an ebook. Get Mark Coker’s free style book (Smashwords founder). I download Amazon’s templates for paperback and paste all my content in. Or you can hire a designer to help you. But do it right.
• Write description copy that accurately describes the genre and story—don’t mislead potential readers. Also, if your book contains “heat” (venturing into erotica) or descriptive violence, warn your reader. It’s the responsible thing to do. And, honestly, you want your target readers to be enjoying your book.
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep. This applies to self-help and other types of nonfiction. You might hope your readers will get healed, rich, happy, or successful by following your five-step secret method, but if you guarantee they will get these results, you are going to have some pretty angry customers leaving scathing reviews.
• Your book shouldn’t be a thinly veiled advertising platform for other books or services. It’s fine to list some of your other publications or resources at the back of your book, and it’s wise to include an excerpt of one of those other books to entice readers to buy it (and putting in a link to buy is fine). But don’t have promotions and special offers sprinkled throughout your pages. It’s spammy and off-putting.
• Did I mention you must have your book professionally edited and proofread?

Encourage Readers to Leave a Review Right after They Read

While Amazon emails customers to leave reviews some days after they purchase anything on their site, a personal encouragement at the back of your book, along with a link (if an ebook), will probably persuade readers to leave that honest review.

This is what I write: “The best way to thank an author for writing a book you enjoyed is to leave an honest review! Click here to post your review of [book title]. Thank you so much for taking the time to let other readers know what you thought of my book.” I put a hyperlink in connected to the words click here (don’t show the very long URL).

If your book isn’t published yet, you will have to wait until you’ve at least got it up for presale (one good reason to use that feature) in order to get your Amazon book page URL. Once you have that, plug in the URL to your request for a review.

Once the book is published, you can use the link that directly goes to the book review page for your book. Here’s how you do it:

• Go to your product page once your book is live, click on the reviews button, then scroll down to the bottom and click on “see all __ customer reviews. Click on that link.
• Now, grab the URL in the search bar at the top.
• Only grab to the end of the numbers and include the forward slash. It should look something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Hope-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/ product-reviews /B00PIAD22K/

Notice that the URL includes “product-reviews” in there. That’s the nice, clean link to your reviews page.

So what happens when the reader clicks that link?

She gets taken right to the top of your review page where there is a nice button that says “write a review.”

Getting reviews on Amazon—honest, authentic reviews—will take time and effort, but it’s worth it. As the reviews pile up, you’ll see your sales ranking rise and your book will come up higher in search results.

But don’t forget the big picture: it’s about relationships. Build a fan base of happy readers who love your books. Take the time to master your craft, write the best books you can, take pride in them, and make sure they are professionally edited, with attractive covers and description that accurately describes your content. If you focus on those things and put out the effort, you will have a lot more than just reviews. You’ll have a joyful writing career.

Featured Photo by  Markus Spiske  on  Unsplash .

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How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon the Quickest and Easiest Way

Book reviews and sushi restaurants have a lot more in common than you might think. Discover the secrets to getting book reviews on Amazon!

Would you risk getting sushi from a restaurant with a 1-star average and a dozen bad reviews talking about getting food poisoning? Didn't think so. 

The thing is, Amazon reviews function the same way. They warn readers about books that might not be worth their hard-earned money or precious time. So, how do you convince someone you've never met that your book is worth taking the chance?

In this blog post, we'll walk you through a ton of budget-friendly and compliant ways for how to get book reviews on Amazon, and skyrocket your sales (and royalties).

Are you tapping into all of Amazon's potential? Check out our free webinar that shows you exactly how one publishing method has already generated a collective $50 million in revenue for thousands of students of all ages all over the world with no publishing or tech experience required.

Why Do Amazon Book Reviews Matter?

A dozen 5-star reviews can usually offset a single bad review, but a single 5-star review won't always offset a dozen negative reviews. It's just the nature of the game and human psychology. We tend to gravitate toward what's safe and comfortable.

Here are some more reasons that a book's review matters:

Credibility and Social Proof

Let's knock the obvious one out of the way. When potential readers are browsing Amazon for a new book to read, they are more likely to choose a book that already has previous other readers. Positive reviews act as social proof and give credibility to your book. They show that others have enjoyed your book and that it’s worth reading.

Sales and Ranking

Amazon book reviews can also impact your book's sales and ranking. Books with a higher number of positive reviews tend to sell more copies. Additionally, Amazon's search algorithm takes into account the number and quality of reviews when ranking books in search results.

Momentum and Feedback

Positive reviews just feel good. They're a good boost to your confidence and can motivate you to keep publishing. Even a negative review can help you improve your work by providing constructive feedback to implement in your future work. 

A Breakdown of Amazon's Review Policy and Algorithm

Amazon's review policy is designed to ensure that reviews are genuine and unbiased.

That means they prohibit the following:

• Reviews that are fake
• Reviews that are incentivized or come from a bribe
• Reviews that are written by the author or publisher of a book or their family and friends
• Reviews that include profanity, hate speech, and personal information

Note: Violating these policies can result in the removal of reviews and even account suspension.

Amazon's algorithm uses various factors to determine the authenticity and relevance of book reviews. The algorithm considers the number of reviews, the rating, and the recency of reviews as well as the location that the reviews came from. They can typically tell when friends and family are leaving reviews by checking whether you've ever sent each other gifts through Amazon or shared an address.

Most people can get away with one or two close friends leaving a positive or leaving a review too, but is it worth it? For one, it’s unethical. And secondly, it throws off the algorithm. If you wrote a book about bulldogs and none of your friends even have dogs, then they wouldn't be your target audience anyway. Their data would then affect the types of readers Amazon suggests your book to, and this can skew your marketing plans. Just something to keep in mind!

How Many Reviews Is Enough?

When it comes to the number of reviews you need on Amazon, there's no magic number that will instantly turn your book into a bestseller. Good reviews can essentially sell the book for you, so the more positive reviews you have, the better.

A good goal to aim for (and what we teach our Publishing.com students ) is at least 50 reviews for every new book that you publish. This may seem like a lot, but we've found this to be the sweet spot for gaining traction, and this blog post is full of ideas to help you get started.

Another pro tip? The timing of your reviews can have an impact on your book's success. Ideally, you want to have as many reviews as possible around the time of your book's initial launch to help it get more visibility.

Identifying Your Ideal Readers

There's no use reaching out to people who won't get any value out of reading your book. Sure, they may leave you an honest review, but it might not be a good one. Here's what to consider when trying to connect with the readers who are most likely to leave you a positive review:

What genre does your book fall into? You can use Amazon's categories and subcategories to help you identify your genre. Maybe you want to target fans of romance or hobby books, or you want to tap into the children’s book market. These categories will help you when you're looking for various social media groups to connect with reviewers (more on that later).

Keywords are the words or phrases that readers use to search for books on Amazon. By including relevant keywords in your book's title, subtitle, and description, you can make it easier for potential readers to find your book. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Amazon's keyword tool to find relevant keywords.

Demographics

Think about who your book is intended for. Is it for young adults or older readers? Is it for men or women? Is it for people who enjoy a certain type of hobby or interest? If you're publishing children's books, you'll need to remember that the parents are the ones who will be purchasing your book and deciding whether to leave reviews. 

How to Ask a Reader to Leave an Honest Review on Amazon

There are plenty of ways to get free book reviews, which we'll talk about here. The best strategy to find reviewers usually comes from a combination of these tactics. So, don't be afraid to experiment and see what method works best for you!

Let's dive right in:

Leverage Your Mailing List

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get reviews is by leveraging your mailing list. That is...if you already have one. Many authors and publishers take the time to create their own websites and collect readers' emails to keep them up to date with their latest book launches.

If you don't have a mailing list yet, you can start building one by offering a free sample chapter or some kind of bonus content in exchange for someone's email address. You can then follow up with emails that have the link to purchase and review your book. 

Pro Tip: The more steps something takes, the less likely people are to follow through, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them. Always include direct links so they don’t have to go searching for them!

Email Template to Ask for a Book Review

Need some book marketing inspo? We've got you covered.

Here's a handy email template you can tweak to your style and voice for launch day!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email Subject Line: 🌟 It’s Finally Here! Want to Help Other Readers? 📖

Hey [Reader's Name],

Big news: “[Book Title]” is out today! 🎉 I’m super excited (and a bit nervous) to share this story with you. It’s been quite the adventure bringing it to life.

If you enjoy the read, I’d be over the moon if you could take some time to drop a quick review on Amazon. Your honest thoughts really help—both me and other book lovers.

Here’s how:

• Pop over to [Insert Link].
• Scroll to "Customer Reviews" and hit "Write a Customer Review."
• Share what you think about the book—there's no right or wrong answer!

That’s it! Short and sweet does the trick. 🌟

Thanks a million for your support. It means the world to me, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of “[Book Title].”

Happy reading and happy reviewing!

Cheers, [Your Name]

Connect with Book Bloggers and Top Reviewers

Book bloggers and full-time reviewers can help you get the word out about your book by engaging their audiences. 

Here are some tips on how to connect with them:

1. Do Your Research

Not all bloggers and reviewers are the same. You want to target those who are interested in your genre and have a following. Look for bloggers and reviewers who have already reviewed books similar to yours.

2. Personalize Your Pitch

When reaching out to bloggers and reviewers, make sure to personalize your pitch. Address them by name and mention why you think they would be interested in your book.

3. Follow Up

After you've sent your pitch, follow up with the blogger or reviewer. Politely ask if they've had a chance to read your book yet and if they have any feedback. Following up shows that you're interested in their opinion and can help build a relationship for future reviews. 

Just be careful not to cross into begging territory. If someone doesn't want to read your book, there are millions of other potential readers out there who might!

4. Be Genuine

When engaging with bloggers and reviewers, be genuine. Focus on their experience rather than the review itself. Be open to their feedback, even if it's not what you were expecting. It can help you grow and connect with future readers.

Pro Tip: The only real failure in the publishing world is giving up!

Create a Call-to-Action Inside Your Book

A Call-to-Action (CTA) is simply a marketing term that means giving your intended audience a very specific action to take. You've probably seen a ton without realizing it, like "click here," "sign up now," or "order now!"

Another simple way to increase reviews for your book on Amazon is to create a call-to-action (CTA) inside your book. This is a message that encourages readers to leave a review immediately on Amazon. By doing this, you're taking advantage of the fact that readers are more likely to leave a review while the experience is still fresh in their minds.

Here are some common locations for CTAs:

• Your author bio
• In the middle of your book, at a natural stopping point between two chapters
• The end of your book

Many authors and publishers include a QR code that takes the readers to a website. This website can be a simple landing page that thanks the reader for their support and encourages them to leave a review on Amazon. Make sure to emphasize the importance of honest reviews and how they help other readers make informed decisions about whether or not to buy your book.

Other CTA tips:

• Be clear and concise
• Focus on only ONE action you want the readers to take
• Use strong action verbs
• Offer up your gratitude even if they choose not to take the next step but still took the time to read your work

Create an ARC Team

An ARC Team stands for an Advance Reader Copies Team or Advance Review Copies Team. The idea is simple: You build a dedicated team of people who are ready to give all your new books an honest customer review.

To build an effective Advance Reader Team, start by reaching out to your email list, social media followers, and other fans of your work. Let them know you are looking for readers who are willing to read and review your book before your book is live. Be clear about what you expect from them, including the timeline for reading and reviewing the book.

Once you have built your Advance Reader Team, provide them with a full copy of the book of your book in a format that is easy for them to read, such as a PDF or Kindle file. Follow up with them to make sure they have received the book and are on track to finish reading it by the agreed-upon deadline.

Note: Participating in ARC review methods isn't against Amazon KDP's terms; however, posting your full manuscript online would be if you were planning on making your book available through Kindle Unlimited.

Take Advantage of Social Media

One effective way to use social media is to create a Facebook page for your book. This page can be used to share updates about your book, interact with readers, run ads, and, most importantly, request book reviews. You can also join Facebook groups that are specifically designed for authors and reviewers.

Goodreads is another social media platform that can be used to request book reviews. Goodreads has a large community of readers and reviewers, making it an ideal platform to promote your book and request reviews.

Pro Tip: No one likes spam, so stick to the golden rule. Treat readers how you would want to be treated.

Leverage Free or Low-Cost Book Review Sites

Some popular free or low-cost book review sites include Goodreads, Pubby, and Online Book Club. These sites have large communities of readers who are eager to discover new books and provide feedback.

When submitting your book for review on these sites, be sure to follow the submission guidelines carefully. Some sites may have specific requirements for the format of your book or the information you need to include in your submission.

Remember : Amazon doesn't allow incentivized reviews. 

Here's how these platforms tackle compliance:

Pubby operates on a book review exchange model. Authors who join Pubby agree to review other authors' books in exchange for reviews of their own books. This peer-to-peer system is designed to increase the number of reviews without direct financial incentives or specific demands for positive reviews.

This differs from review swaps, where both parties leave a "5-star" review regardless of their true opinions about the work.

Goodreads is a community platform for book lovers. It allows users to leave reviews, rate books, and engage in discussions about books. Reviews on Goodreads are user-generated and are not part of a paid or incentivized system.

Although Goodreads is owned by Amazon, the review system on Goodreads operates independently of Amazon’s review system. Reviews on Goodreads are generally not subject to the same strict guidelines as Amazon's product reviews, but there are still ways to go about asking for reviews ethically and unethically. 

Consider Ethical Paid Services to Get Reviews

While it's always best to get book reviews on Amazon organically, sometimes it's necessary to use paid services to get your book reviewed with the attention it deserves and to scale your publishing business more quickly. Ethical services offer legitimate ways to connect with reviewers and get more reviews on Amazon without violating any rules.

A quick word of caution: Some UNethical services may violate Amazon's terms of service by offering to buy reviews directly, so always be sure to do your own research!

• Authentic reviews for their services
• A proven track record with the genre you're publishing in
• Transparent pricing and policies
• Access to support (whether through email, chat, or phone) in case you ever need it

Some legitimate services offer a variety of a la carte options, such as running a review campaign or connecting authors with reviewers who are interested in reading their books. Some services may also offer to promote your book to their audience, which can help increase visibility and generate more sales.

Overall, using ethical paid services to get reviews can be a great way to boost your book's visibility on Amazon and get more readers interested in your work. Just be sure to choose a reputable service and always follow Amazon's publishing guidelines to ensure that your book stays in good standing on the platform.

What Are Editorial Reviews on Amazon?

Editorial reviews are essentially "bonus" quotes and reviews housed on your Amazon book page through your Author Central Account . They may be written by professional reviewers, such as book critics and editors, or they may simply be quotes you want to highlight about your books from others.

To get editorial reviews for your book, you can submit your book to publications and websites that review books, or you can hire a professional reviewer to write a review for you. Once you have an editorial review, you can then submit it to Amazon to be published on your book review page.

Editorial reviews can be a great way to get exposure for your book and build credibility with potential readers, but customer reviews are just as important for building out your review page.

Avoiding Fake Reviews and Ensuring Genuine Feedback

Your reviews set the stage for your reputation as a self-publisher.

Here are some tips to avoid fake reviews and ensure genuine feedback:

Seek Verified Purchase Reviews

Amazon marks reviews from customers who have purchased your book on their platform with a “Verified Purchase” label. These reviews carry more weight as they are more likely to be authentic. You can encourage your readers to leave such reviews by reminding them to buy the book directly from Amazon.

Aim for Balanced Reviews

Genuine reviews often provide a well-rounded perspective of your own book. They don’t just heap praises or pile on criticism; instead, they offer a nuanced view, discussing various aspects like plot, characters, writing style, formatting, and pacing. Be on the lookout for reviews that offer specific, balanced insights into your work.

Stay Alert to Fake Reviews

Be cautious of reviews that may not be legitimate. These can be overly effusive or excessively negative, exhibit repetitive language or phrasing, or appear in an unnaturally large number within a short span. Amazon allows you to report suspicious reviews by using the “Report Abuse” option.

Sabotage is rare, but it does happen. If you suspect that a competitor has given you a false review, flag it and keep moving forward. You can rest easy knowing that you’ve put in the work and you’re running your publishing business from a place of integrity. 

Foster Authentic Engagement

Encourage genuine feedback by interacting with your readers. Express gratitude for their reviews and engage with their comments. Addressing their thoughts and concerns not only shows your appreciation but also demonstrates your commitment to putting out quality content.

Although you cannot respond directly to Amazon comments, you can interact with your mailing list and social media following. 

Optimize Your Book Launch for Reviews

Getting book reviews on Amazon is crucial for book sales, traction, and visibility.

Here are some tips to help you get the most reviews from your book launch.

1. Set a Launch Date

Setting a specific launch date helps you plan your book launch, coordinate your promotion plan with your publishing team (if you have one), and start your PR campaign two to three months before the launch date. It also enables you to coordinate book signing events with local bookstores three to four months before the launch or publication date.

Pro Tip: Some niches are more profitable during particular times of the year. See what your competitors are doing to get a better idea of what works and what doesn't.

2. Create a Pre-Launch Checklist

Creating a pre-launch checklist helps you explore your book launch to-do's at a glance. It might even include a marketing and PR plan tailored to each social media platform.

3. Stay Up to Date with Amazon's Review Guidelines

It doesn't hurt to check Amazon's guidelines every quarter or so to make sure there aren't any updates that might impact your plans. The truth is this industry is constantly changing—especially as AI becomes more and more common!

4. Don't Be Shy Asking for Reviews

Asking for reviews can be uncomfortable at first, but this is just another one of those skills that take time and practice, like strength training and weightlifting.

5. Think Outside of the Box

You're in charge when it comes to marketing your Amazon book , and within reason, the sky is the limit. Virtual events like Q&As can help your audience get to know you, but there are thousands of other ideas out there to help your book stand out in a crowded market.

Here are just a few:

• Collaborative Storytelling Event : Host an online event where readers contribute to a live, interactive storytelling session based on your book's universe.
• Interactive Web Series : Produce a short web series or interactive videos that explore your book's characters or setting, inviting audience participation.
• Flash Fiction Contest : Organize a writing contest where participants create short stories inspired by your book, with the best entries featured on your website.
• Podcast Series : Launch a podcast discussing themes, background stories, or characters from your book, possibly including guest speakers or experts.
• Themed Cook-along or Craft Workshop : If your book involves unique cuisines or crafts, host a live cook-along or crafting session teaching these skills.
• Charity Event Partnership : Tie your launch to a charity event, where aspects of your book's theme help raise awareness or funds for a relevant cause.
• Book Playlist Release Party : Curate a playlist of songs that captures the mood of your book, hosting a listening party with discussions about how each song relates to the story.

Publishing.com's Student Reviews

Which of the following types of people have found success with publishing?

A) Grandmas and grandpas who weren't necessarily tech-savvy but wanted to find a way to supplement their retirement

B) Stay-at-home moms and dads who wanted to find a way to make money without missing out on any of their children's milestones

C) College students who wanted to find a way to stop drowning in student loan debt

D) All of the above

The Publishing.com team has earned a verified review average of 4.8 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot , and the answer is D! All of the above!

Here's what some students had to say:

If you're looking for a sign to take that first step, it's this! 

Just head over to our free beginner-friendly webinar to see the exact formula that can completely transform your schedule and income and bring you the freedom you crave!

Happy publishing!

Amazon reviews: 3 ways to generate 25+ reviews for your book

Amazon reviews. When you see a book (or any product) with a lot of them, how do you think they got there? Most people assume that the book is popular. If a lot of people are reading it and enjoying it, they must be leaving reviews. Right?

In fact, most of the time this isn’t the case. Most of the time, authors who wait for reviews to trickle in don’t see many results. I should know – even before my recent relaunch with  Morgan James Publishing , there were over 1,000 copies of  Book Blueprint in circulation. Hardly any of those sales and giveaways led to reviews.

(Having said this, if you’ve read  Book Blueprint  and it helped with your writing journey, I’d love it if you left a review  on Amazon .)

Yet I still managed to relaunch with 28 reviews.

I asked for them.

In most cases, when a book has more than a handful of Amazon reviews, those reviews have been solicited.

Is soliciting Amazon reviews ethical?

One of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to soliciting book reviews is, is it ethical? Is it ethical to ask people to leave a review for your book?

Don't approach friends and family who haven’t even read your book. And don't ask random people on the street to leave a vague comment with a 5-star rating. Those are both, of course, unethical.

However, if you are asking people to  read your book  and then  share an honest review , then that  is ethical. You can even request that they mention that you they received a free copy of your book in the review itself.

The key here is asking for  honest  reviews. When I reached out to my reviewers, I made this very clear, and was open to negative reviews, if they were their honest thoughts. Fortunately, if you have written the best manuscript you can, and have engaged  an awesome team to turn it into the best possible book it can be, this shouldn’t be an issue. Even if there are one or two people who don’t ‘get’ you or your content, the good reviews will balance them out.

It's also important to note that the free copy cannot be dependent upon the recipient leaving an Amazon review. That is also strictly against Amazon policies. Rather, provide the free copy first, make the request, and trust that many will in fact leave a review.

Is it worth it?

I can hear what you’re thinking – it seems like an awful lot of work, doesn’t it?

Yes, it is a lot of work. In fact, of all of the people you approach for reviews, less than a quarter will actually leave them. So is it worth the time you’ll spend crafting emails and social media posts, or submitting your book to review sites?

My thoughts? Absolutely. Soliciting reviews  is  worth it, for three reasons:

1. Amazon reviews establish your book’s credibility

When we’re looking for products, choosing between restaurants, searching for a hotel room and even shopping for books, we all look at reviews and ratings.

A product that has a lot of positive Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4-5 stars looks like a better deal. It looks like it will deliver on its promises. In the case of a nonfiction, how-to book, it looks like it actually teaches readers what it says it will teach them.

This is especially true if we’re comparing two similar products – if one product has dozens, or hundreds, of 5-star reviews and in-depth feedback, while another has no reviews (or worse, an average rating of only 1-3 stars), which would you choose?

2. Amazon reviews are another weapon in your book’s marketing arsenal

One of the most challenging pieces of marketing anything is trying to think of new things to say.

You’ve shared a  behind-the-scenes look at your publishing journey . You’ve shared all of the benefits your book can offer. And you’ve even shared excerpts of content to entice people to buy. Once you’ve done all of that, what else is there?

Reviews give you a reason to continue talking about your book. Every time a good review comes in, you have something to share on social media and with your email list. And if you’ve built a genuine relationship with your followers, they will be genuinely excited on your behalf. This leads to likes, comments, and clicks through to your book’s listing on Amazon.

This brings me to the third benefit of soliciting reviews.

3. Reviews help drive traffic to your Amazon listing

When you share your good reviews on social media or with your email list, it reminds your followers that your book exists. It also reminds them to visit its Amazon listing.

On top of this, some reviewers have other channels where they publish their reviews. Their own blogs, Goodreads, and review sites where they are members all help your book get in front of more people.

Finally, there are a number of book advertising sites out there where you can promote your book if you’re running a special discount. Examples include BookBub ,  Kindle Nation Daily , and  The Fussy Librarian . Some of these sites require a minimum number of reviews before they accept books. Once you break through that threshold, these new marketing opportunities become available to you.

How do you do it? 3 tactics to launch your book with 20+ Amazon reviews

So how do you do it?

There are several roads to reviews. Here are the three that I’ve found to be the most effective.

1. Ask your beta readers for Amazon reviews

If you have time, a great way to ensure you write the best book you can is to enlist a team of beta readers in the publishing process. Beta readers are simply trial readers who read your book before it is published to give you feedback on how you can improve your book. If they like it, why not ask for a review at the same time?

Here’s how you do it:

a) Find your beta readers

Because you want people who can give meaningful feedback, your mum probably isn’t the best choice. Instead, look for other people in your industry (who can give feedback on the veracity of your content) or people who meet your target reader demographic (who can give feedback on how engaging and useful they found the book).

You can make a shortlist of specific people, or reach out to communities (such as Facebook groups targeting certain demographics) asking for volunteers. I targeted a business Facebook group where a lot of the members want to write a book.

b) Make your pitch

Like when you’re making any pitch, you want to focus on the benefits for the person you’re approaching. In my case, the benefits were a) learning how to write an awesome book, and b) get their testimonial featured in my book, along with their name and business name. Here’s the pitch:

I’m looking for volunteers!

My book ‘Book Blueprint : How any entrepreneur can write an awesome book’ teaches entrepreneurs how to create a blueprint so detailed that their book will write itself. While I’ve done this work with clients and used the process to write my own book, I’m looking for someone who can test the process in book form.

What’s in it for you – if you’ve been struggling to get your book out, this will teach you how to write it fast while avoiding the big mistakes many entrepreneurs make when writing their first book. You’ll also get a signed copy of the book once it comes out and, if you’d like to write a testimonial, that testimonial along with your business name and book (if you already have one) will be featured inside the front cover.

Caveat – I’m on a very tight publishing deadline, so need feedback in the next week (i.e. by next Tuesday). Because of this, please don’t volunteer unless you can read a 37,000 word book and do the exercises (these include mind mapping, brainstorming and answering questions) in the next week.

Thanks in advance    :)

The results​

I had 37 people volunteer to read the book (though I stopped taking on volunteers at 20). I sent out the book to the first 20 of them and ended up with 13 testimonials I could use before the one-week deadline was up.

When it comes to timing, I recommend sending the draft to beta readers after you’ve had an  initial structural edit , as sometimes this can lead to significant changes in your book, making it hard for them to give good feedback on earlier drafts.

It’s also important to be clear about when you need them to come back to you with their feedback. If you have a tight publishing schedule, you don’t want it to get put on hold because they don’t have time to look at your book. Instead, be clear about your deadlines up front and only send your draft to people who agree to have feedback back to you in time.

c) Get their feedback

Review their feedback, and look at how you can address it in your book (if you want to, of course). If their feedback is positive, ask if they’d be willing to leave a review on Amazon once your book is published – they could just copy and paste what they’ve already sent you.

d) Remind them to leave Amazon reviews

If they are happy to leave the review, copy and paste their feedback somewhere safe. Once your book is live on Amazon, send them an email (or Facebook message) asking if they’re still happy to leave a review, including the text that they’ve already sent you. Most of us are busy with a lot of our own things going on. It’s your job to make it as easy as possible for them to leave you a good review if they can just copy and paste what they’ve already written.

2. Reach out to people who leave a lot of Amazon reviews

Beta readers are fantastic, but if you don’t have time to engage beta readers in your publishing journey (or if they don’t get around to leaving a review – remember, people are busy), where else should you look?

Amazon has over  300 million users , who have collectively left hundreds of millions of reviews for books and other products. When it comes to those reviews, other shoppers can vote on whether or not they found the review helpful, which then contributes to the ranking of the reviewer themselves on Amazon.

If you look at  Amazon’s top reviewers , you’ll find that these people have reviewed a lot of products (often in the thousands). But their reviews also tend to be balanced and go into a lot of depth, which is why they have so many ‘helpful’ votes.

Why should this matter to you?

Because Amazon gives you free access to reviewers who have the ability to read your book and provide a review quickly. They will also put a lot of thought and energy into your review to ensure it's of value. This makes the review more helpful for your potential readers and a more powerful endorsement for your book.

Just consider these examples of reviews for  Book Blueprint  –  review 1 ,  review 2 , and  review 3 .

But how do you do it?

a) Find relevant reviewers

I’ve found the best way to find reviewers is to find people who have already reviewed books like yours. After all, this demonstrates that they have an interest in your subject area, which means they are more likely to read and review your book.

This is how you find them:

1. Search on Amazon for books like yours.

In other words, you want to find other books in your genre that are targeting a similar audience. In my case, I looked for other books on writing, self-publishing and book marketing that were targeted at an entrepreneur audience. For example,  Your First 1,000 Copies   by  Tim Grahl  and  Published  by  Chandler Bolt .

2. Make a list of people who have reviewed that book.

Because time is precious and I want the best return on the time I invest, I restricted my approach to people who had:

• Reviewed the book in the last 12 months
• Left a review longer than one paragraph (after all, I want credible reviews, not someone writing ‘great book’)
• Also reviewed similar books (you can see this by clicking on their profile link, which has a list of all of the products they’ve reviewed)

Keep in mind that not everyone will respond. Not everyone will agree to review your book. Some of those who do agree might not get around to it. So, aim for at least 50 names on your list. You can also compile a new list in a few months’ time, when more books like yours have been released, and when more reviews have been added to the old ones.

3. Compile their information in a spreadsheet. ​

I created a spreadsheet with columns for the reviewer’s name, the book they reviewed, a link to their profile and their contact details. If you come up with the initial list of books, a VA can be a great help when it comes to building the list of reviewers and tracking down all of their information.

Next pitch them! Ideally via email, using the contact details you’ve sourced (though I’ve also approached reviewers over Facebook Messenger and via contact forms).

Here’s a template you can use for your own pitch:

Dear  [Reviewer Name] ,

I saw your review of  [Book Title]  on Amazon and, when I clicked through to your profile, I noticed that you’ve reviewed a number of other books like this in the past.

[Explain why you like this person’s reviewing style. Is it that they go into depth? Is it their honest criticism and feedback? Is it that they summarise the main learnings of the books they review?]  Because of this, I wanted to reach out about my book.

[Tell them about your book, including the title with a link to its Amazon page, as well as what it will help your readers achieve.]  I’m happy to send you a free copy of the paperback and/or a PDF and would love it if you could share your thoughts.

I understand you probably get a lot of requests like this, so if you could let me know either way, I’d appreciate it.

[Your Name]

c) Follow up

Again, people are busy, so if you don’t hear from someone after a week, don’t stress. Instead, follow up to confirm that they got your email and to check whether they’d be interested in reviewing a free copy of your book.

If they agree to review your book, then be patient. These reviewers are reading and reviewing your book as a favour to you – someone they probably don’t even know – so be patient. If you haven’t heard anything in 4-6 weeks (allowing time for postage), follow up again.

3. Submit your book to Amazon review sites (paid and free)

There are also a range of book review sites where you can submit your book, some of which will republish their review on Amazon. For those that don’t, you can republish the review yourself as an editorial review through your  Amazon Author Central  account.

The submission process can vary depending on the site (or publication), with some being paid while others are free. Some require physical copies while others are happy with a PDF, Word doc, .mobi or .epub file. Further, some guarantee reviews, while with others you just send your book out into the ether and hope for the best.

However, here are some common steps involved.

a) Online submissions

• 1 Compile a list of review sites:  There are  a lot of these sites out there, so vet them based on the types of books they cover. Do they cover other books like yours? Also look at the size of their audience.
• 2 Gather information about your book: Most review sites require a standard suite of information. If you have all of this ready to go, you can easily submit to a range of sites in a single sitting (or ask a VA to take care of it for you). This information includes:
• Book title, book subtitle, author name, and price (eBook, paperback or both)
• Your author bio
• Book synopsis/blurb
• Links to your book’s listing on Amazon and other retailers
• Image of your book’s cover
• Author headshot
• Keywords (usually genre and other relevant terms)
• 3 Submit! Once you have all of the information together, gather it into a Word or Excel file and simply copy and paste the information into your submission forms. Note that many of these sites have a lot of traffic, so it might take a few months before your Amazon reviews go live.

b) Paperback submissions

As mentioned earlier, some reviewers prefer paperback submissions to eBook ones. Some of these review publications and websites include  the Barnes and Noble Review ,  Booklist Online ,  BookPage  and  Foreword Reviews .

With electronic submissions, you’ll receive a submission confirmation by email and will be alerted when your review is live. Paperback submissions are much harder to track. You probably won’t get told when your book arrives, if it will get reviewed, or if it has  been reviewed. However, the only cost to you is a copy of your book and the cost of postage, so why not?

The steps are:

1. Compile a list of reviewers and review sites​

Let me know in the comments if you’d like a list of the different sites where you can submit your book!

2. Write a cover letter to go with your book

​ Most review sites require a standard suite of information, which they will list on their website. You can then write a standard cover letter and add, remove, information as is necessary. Here’s a sample cover letter you can use:

Dear  [Contact Name] ,

Please find enclosed a copy of my book,  [Book title] , for review consideration in  [Publication] .

The details of the book are:

– ISBN:  [If your book is available in multiple formats, include all ISBNs]

– Publication date:

– Publisher:  [If applicable]

[Your name]

​ Post a copy of your book and cover letter to them. Note that many of these reviewers require books 2-4 before their publication date, so you’ll need to be looking into this well in advance of your date of publication.

And there you have it – three simple ways to collect Amazon reviews for your book, even before you launch.

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Your good knowledge and kindness in playing with all the pieces were very useful. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not encountered such a step like this.

Leave a Reply:

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Great article and a detailed way of getting your book reviewed. Well done!

FYI, and to perhaps add to this article, we do free book reviews for independent authors.

We are a group of retired people in New Zealand who get tired of bungee jumping or diving icebergs (Haha!), so we play golf, read books, write books, and do free book reviews if we like your book.

We write books too, so we like to see what other authors are currently doing.

We try to post our reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N and our social media. In other words, we give a free review (it may take some time) if we like your book and we read your book if it interests us.

See our book review page for more info > > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

Thank you for this helpful article! I would like a current list of the different review sites where I can submit your book!

Super helpful. Thank you. Would love to receive a copy of that list. Thanks much!

Super helpful post, thanks so much. I’d love a list of online review sites if you could send me one!

I like the post. Could I get a list of review sites please?

Nice post. I would definitely like a list of review sites!

Useful information, however, when I go to Amazon reviewers and click names to contact them there is no way to get in touch . Is this something Amazon no longer allows? Maybe I’m not looking in the right place?

Hi there, great article. Do you have the list of review sites that we could use for our book – it’s a book on family travel? Thanks so much!

What a great article filled with exactly what I needed. I would love a list of review sites! Thank you for putting this information out there.

This is an excellent article on how to get book reviews. It is very comprehensive too. If you need a review it doesn’t hurt to ask Team Golfwell since these retired people offer free book reviews and have done many positive reviews >> https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html #freebookreviews #authors #freebookpromotion

great article-appreciate all your helpful tips and I would love a list of the review sites thank you!

“In most cases, when a book has more than a handful of Amazon reviews, those reviews have been solicited.” I’m going to go ahead and say that there’s probably no data to back up that statement. We’ve gotten some solicited, but many not. I think it depends on the content of the book. Since it looks like you’ve also written a “real” book, i.e., non-fiction, I will share some marketing ideas that may not be found anywhere else. As it stands now, all the big players are in bed together: Google, Amazon, Facebook, WordPress, etc. As proof, we got 15 or so Facebook likes on our website one day. Correspondingly, our ranking on Amazon _dramatically_ shot up. Of course, purchases on Amazon also affect ranking as do pages being read through their shared forum, KDP select. Anyone who has written NF will most likely find Smashwords or any other platform to be a waste of time. At one point, we sold 3 books on Smashwords and 1 on Google books. At that same time we had already sold hundreds (Amazon).

Another thing on Amazon that may not directly affect your ranking but should certainly increase sales is being active in their community. Find other books in your genre and comment helpfully on the reviews others have written for them, particularly books getting a lot of attention, i.e., best sellers, new releases, or those with many reviews. We’ve done this and have gotten great results, especially when recommending another author whose work is nearly as important as ours for Americans. Our work has been called “the most important book written for Americans this century!” And, quite frankly, it is.

Other ways to market your book: 1) Take advantage of affiliate marketing. This is perhaps the most powerful tool and was essentially the way the internet operated pre-search engines. We’ve got our own affiliate program that’s the best in the business, and I will give the source code to whoever wants it.

2) Offer a quiz on your site or something else interactive whereby you can offer a free or discounted book to anyone who gets a perfect score.

3) Have a referral program for anyone who buys your book or anything related to it on your website. Our referral program is 3-level: 5%, 8%, and 12%. Again, I’ve written the code and will give it to anyone who wants it.

4) Host a show and have guests on it wherein the discussion is related to your book or his/hers.

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How Many Amazon Reviews Do You Need?

Lamentably, though, many self-published books don’t get any reviews–or at least legitimate ones. Too many authors focus almost exclusively on the writing and not enough on the marketing of the book. Of course, you can always pay to play.

Publishers Weekly offers something called  PW Select . You pay $149 for the chance to have your book reviewed on the PW site. Note, though, that there’s no guarantee that it will be reviewed or that said review will be positive.  Kirkus Indie  charges authors a fee of roughly $400-$550, depending on the speed desired for the review.

All else equal, more reviews mean more sales. Paradoxically, even bad reviews can help sell books.

The Age of the Platform has garnered nearly 100 Amazon reviews and I want more. At my speaking gigs, I’ll sign books and politely ask people to put honest reviews on Amazon.

Brass Tacks

Reviews help sell books. Period.

Filed Under

Related posts, announcing new author marketing course.

In The Author Flywheel, Motion founder Phil Simon opens up his book of author hacks developed and refined over the past twelve years.

Author Hack #1: How to Get Your Book into B&N

The first in a series of practical tips to authors.

Is a book really a bestseller? A litmus test.

The lack of a single Amazon review belies an author’s “bestseller” claim.

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Mini Guide: How to Get Legitimate Amazon Reviews for Your Books

April 2, 2020 in  Book Marketing , Mini Guides

Most of us have been there. Acquiring reviews is the bane of the fledgling indie author’s existence. I struggled with it for years ; hell, I only cracked the code in 2016, after heading down the review rabbit hole hard.

That’s when I learned a surprising truth.

If your book isn’t selling, reviews are usually  not the culprit .

That being said, if you have no reviews, or are staring at two reviews with a 3.5 Amazon rating, you likely don’t believe me. Only the ice-water of harsh experience convinced me otherwise.

But although they’re hardly the skeleton key to success, reviews are still important for a few reasons we’ll discuss below. Thus, I’ve assembled a comprehensive mini guide outlining the four primary methods that you can use to get legitimate, unbiased Amazon reviews (no black hat stuff here):

• Review services which distribute review copies of your book to their readers
• Asking your newsletter subscribers
• Creating your own ARC (advance review copy) team
• Setting your book to free and putting a review request with a direct link to the review form in your book’s back matter.

But before we get into the how-to, we first need to answer an oft-overlooked question.

Why the hell should we bother to get Amazon reviews at all?

Note: this guide was last updated in August 2020.

Why You SHOULD Bother

Let me be clear: Reviews don’t impact sales nearly as much as many authors think .

Reviews do not:

• Directly generate sales . Reviews are largely a product of a book selling well; not the other way around. It’s easy to get this causality reversed, which leads to some trying to hoard reviews like Gollum hoards the precious. This obsession is not productive.
• Trigger Amazon’s famed algorithms . While the official documentation for Amazon’s A9 algorithm suggests that  verified reviews might be a factor, in reality, this impact is minor or nonexistent. There’s also an old myth still making the rounds that Amazon will only promote books with 50+ reviews. This is 100% false. Your book does not need to cross a minimum review threshold for Amazon to start recommending it via also boughts, emails, and other automated mechanisms. A book with 10 reviews (or zero) can easily outsell one with 70, or even 700.
• Have any other career-making mythical effect you may have heard about.

Why bother getting reviews at all, then?

Two marketing reasons:

• Qualifying for promo sites . This is the main reason—many advertisers require either 5 – 10 reviews (with a 3.5 – 4-star average).
• Social proof is important . All other elements being equal—blurb, cover, writing quality—a book with 15 reviews will be purchased over a title with none. Despite this tendency, reviews are far less important for books than, say, socks or a new television. That’s because fiction quality is subjective and all other elements are never equal. A book with twenty reviews and a genre-relevant cover will likely trounce one with a terrible, off-genre cover and a hundred glowing reviews.

I want to be clear: There aren’t many good reasons to acquire reviews besides the those outlined above. A la Facebook likes, Amazon reviews quickly become a vanity metric. After you get past 50 for a given title,  there are diminishing returns. That being said, is having 250 or 500 reviews better than 50? Of course — but remember, when a book has hundreds of reviews, it’s almost always a byproduct of it selling well. Spending hundreds of hours or thousands of dollars accumulating this many reviews is a poor use of resources.

50 is an arbitrary threshold, but chosen for the following reasons:

• Criticisms tend to repeat themselves at this point. You’re generally not learning new things about your craft from review #156 that you didn’t learn at #45.
• You qualify for all promo sites . Yes, that includes the mighty BookBub (which contrary to myth, does not have a minimum review requirement).

And about that criticism: a good critical review can improve your craft.

This point is important enough to warrant its own section.

Qualitative Feedback: Using Reviews to Improve Your Craft

Feedback is at a premium when you’re a writer. Most of your day is spent alone, at a keyboard, typing into what is essentially a void. It is not until someone else reads your work that you receive feedback — often weeks or months after a passage has been written.

This can make it difficult to improve, since feedback is key to building skill in any discipline.

Reviews can be a critical source of quality feedback.

You’ll no doubt get lots of unhelpful, vague reviews (“terrible” or “deleted it from my kindle”) if you pursue writing as a full-time career. But don’t ignore genuinely helpful feedback because of this. I’ve learned a number of things (both positive and negative) from a small handful of reviews—points like my overuse of expletives, poor endings, confusing tendency to mash-up disparate genres/tones, and (on the plus side) that readers found my work funny . This unbiased feedback is invaluable, as it is what paying customers (re: not your mom, writing group or dog) genuinely think about your work. I wasn’t aware of these problems (or positives) until I read my Amazon reviews.

Some authors never read their reviews and advocate ignoring them. I believe this is a borderline career killing mistake. As already mentioned, unbiased feedback is the rarest of commodities for a writer; editors, proofreaders, beta readers, and so forth are inclined to say positive things about your work since they have a financial or personal relationship with you. This is human nature.

Paying readers — who are the arbiter of your success in this game — have no such biases, and will give you the straight truth. Sometimes that’s brutal; sometimes it’s unhelpful; on rare occasions, however, it’s gold. If you feel like downing a bottle of bourbon after browsing Amazon, however, then don’t read the reviews . Personally, I would work on building a thicker skin, because criticism is inescapable in this business . But that decision is up to you.

Quantitative Feedback

I’ve already touched on how reviews can qualitatively be used to improve your work.

But they can also be used in a more quantitative fashion. Most people look at the review score to assess whether readers liked their book. This seems like a good idea; in practice, however, not all 4 star ratings are equal. That’s because the true measure of a book’s quality is whether the reader got to the end — and, after that, whether they go on to purchase the next book.

Nothing else really matters when you’re trying to make a living.

Enter expected reviews versus actual reviews.

Using these two numbers, we can compare our expected review numbers (using a rule of thumb) to the actual number of reviews our book has.

On average, you can expect 1 Amazon review for every 1,000 free downloads and 1 review for every 100 sales. This is just a very general rule of thumb; the review rate will fluctuate from book to book. However, if lots of people are picking up your book, but no one is reviewing it, this indicates they’re not reaching the end. This is a problem, since your career is built on sellthrough (that is, people finishing a book and then purchasing another one of your books).

Thus, if your review rate is dramatically below the rules of thumb stated above, there may be a craft problem lurking in the pages.

Take these numbers from actual titles:

More people are reviewing Books A and B than expected; by contrast, Book C has fewer reviews than expected. Again, this is a very rough estimate; making any decisions based on this exercise alone would be ill-advised. But a low review rate is cause for further examination.

When I looked at the sellthrough numbers (the % of people who go on to purchase Book 2): Book B’s sellthrough is the highest, while Book C’s is anemic. This suggests readers aren’t resonating with Book C.

In conjunction with the actual qualitative content of the reviews, you can use your review rate to troubleshoot craft problems. If it’s much lower than expected, dive into what people are saying to find out why.

But enough about feedback and improving craft. Let’s jump into getting reviews.

Common Practices to Avoid

We only want legitimate reviews. To that end, you should avoid anything that might get you into hot water with Amazon. In recent years, Amazon has cracked down on many review gathering techniques—from the obvious black hat ones to grayer areas. To keep on the right side of their TOS, it’s vital to abide by a few rules:

• Do not ask friends, family and other acquaintances for reviews. This is not allowed under the TOS. Some of these folks will leave reviews anyway, without asking. Don’t be concerned about this (Amazon won’t punish you)—just know that these reviews can disappear.
• Do not offer to exchange reviews with other authors (known as a review swap) — e.g. you review their book and they review yours in return.
• You can’t compensate reviewers in any way, beyond the actual product (the book, in this case). This means entering contests, paying them, swapping reviews and other tactics aren’t allowed.

On a semi-related note, if you interact with someone on social media, Amazon’s bots might pick this up and remove reviews of your work by this person. This is largely unavoidable and not something to be worried about; if the review count on a book suddenly drops by one or two, however, this might be the culprit.

Method #1: Use a Review Service

In theory, if funds were unlimited, you could book all of the sites below. Getting loads of reviews, however, is not the best use of marketing funds. Instead, focus on getting 10 reviews , as this is the threshold where most paid promo sites allow you to advertise. Then invest the leftover money into paid advertising.

If you’ve been struggling with reviews for a long time, rest assured that you can use all of these services & options for any book, old or new. I’ve used them for brand new releases (e.g. during launch week) and for books over a year and a half old. Anecdotally, I haven’t seen any difference in reader demand for new titles as opposed to old titles; even pre-order books (e.g. where the reader is receiving a true advance review copy) don’t seem to generate more interest. Demand is mostly dictated by your genre, cover, and blurb.

Important: You aren’t purchasing reviews via these services. Instead, these sites play matchmaker between authors and prospective reviewers—matching your book with interested, unbiased reviewers who request a review copy of your title based on its cover, blurb, and genre. These reviewers are not compensated, beyond the free copy of the book. If a site claims to compensate reviewers—either via monetary payment, contest entries or other incentives—run the other way immediately . Due diligence is a must .

I’ve used the sites below without issue, but the song does not remain the same—so look into their current policies and make sure they’re on the up and up.

The Best Option

• # expected reviews: 20+ (50+ in some genres)
• Setup time: 5 minutes
• About: The most effective review service in the business by a large margin (think of them as the Bookbub of review services). Not only do they generate a ton of quality reviews — the reviewers clearly have read the books, and often post multiple paragraph reviews — they even send you a follow-up email with selected additional comments from their ARC list. The only knock against Hidden Gems is the booking time, which extends out half a year or longer for most genres.

Personally Untested, But Good For Others

I don’t generally include things that I haven’t personally used, especially not this high. But in this case, I’ve worked with a client who has used BookSprout to generate a considerable number of reviews, which gels with the general overall author consensus.

• BookSprout (free trial, $10 – $20/mo)
• About: BookSprout is a subscription service that offers a combination of ARC list management and discovery features that connect you with potential reviewers.

I’ve used Story Origin before for cross promos, but not specifically for reviews. I found that part of the service useful, and have seen some promising results from the review section. So this is worth testing, especially since it’s totally free.

• StoryOrigin (free)

Unfortunately, much like with promo sites, where Bookbub reigns king, there’s a precipitous drop off in results from Hidden Gems to the rest of the pack. If you can’t snag a Hidden Gems spot, I’d start with these.

• # expected reviews: 1 – 2
• Setup time: 2 – 3 hours (have to send winners files yourself)
• About: Library Thing allows you to run free eBook giveaways that help you get reviews. Set the giveaway to 100 eBooks (make sure you do eBooks and not paper copies) and you’ll usually get 30 – 50 people claiming it.

If you’re in a pinch, and need some reviews, you can look to these services. Their prices and results make them less appealing, however.

• # expected reviews: 3 – 5
• Setup time: 1 – 2 hours
• About: this is different than the other services, in that you provide a link to your ARC (advance review copy) mailing list sign-up. Then they send out an email blast telling their list that they can join your ARC team and get a free review book. You’ll want to set up a separate form/segment for these ARC reviewers. Don’t mix them in immediately with your regular ARC reviewers, as some of them won’t review or won’t like your work.
• Setup time: don’t remember
• About: There are a number of co-ops that allow you to book a Net Galley slot for your title. I’ve linked to the one from Xpresso Book Tours; to be 100% clear, I’ve never used their services, but they’ve been around for a long time (the co-op I used is no longer offered). You can search for alternatives on Google or ask around in author groups. You can also book directly from Net Galley, but that’s far more expensive. Reviews from Net Galley are fair, but tend to be harsher and with lower overall scores.
• About: this was good when I tried it in January 2016 (got 10 reviews), but less effective when I tried it in January 2017 (got 2 reviews). They provide you with updates via email on how many reviews your book has received from the program.
• About: Process took about 7 – 10 days from submission to when it was sent out to readers. They distribute all the book files. Setup is super painless and the easiest of all the options. Book Review 22 sends an update about two months after you order with links to the reviews procured by their service. I received two Goodreads reviews and an Amazon review for an urban fantasy book when the price was $60. It has since increased to $250.
• # expected reviews: 0
• About: for years, Goodreads allowed you to give away paperbacks for free (although the shipping and printing costs associated with actually delivering said paperbacks were fairly pricey). This was useless, but cheap; I never traced a single direct review back to such a giveaway. The new Goodreads Giveaways, alas, are still useless but have the added bonus of being expensive. You can use them for both eBooks and paperbacks, now, although I would simply skip this option and use them for neither. I ran one, gave away 20 copies, got zero directly attributable reviews, and called it a day.

Additional Options I Haven’t Personally Tested

• Blog tours (cost depends): haven’t tried a blog tour; from the research I’ve done, tours used to be much better for generating buzz and reviews (e.g. in 2012/2013) than they are now.
• Contacting bloggers (free): I sent out one email to one blogger, never heard a response, and decided screw that . Other authors have gotten reviews, but I’m skeptical of the required time investment required to get said reviews. This was a popular strategy four or five years ago, before bloggers got bombed with review requests as a result.

You may see these recommended by other posts or guides; they’re mentioned here so you don’t wonder what happened to them.

• Story Cartel
• Contacting Amazon reviewers (free): Amazon used to publicly display the email addresses of reviewers who ticked a box to show their email on their profile. You could then email this person to offer them an ARC copy for review. Amazon no longer displays any reviewer emails publicly, so this method is no longer viable.
• Book Razor : a number of review services sprung up that gathered the emails from Amazon profiles and sold them to authors. These were all shut down by the aforementioned change; Book Razor was the best known of these services.

Method #2: Ask Your List

If you have a mailing list (which you do have, right?), all that you need to do is send out a regular broadcast email to your subscribers asking for reviews. Explain the importance and include the direct link to the review form. Don’t incentivize people in any way; this is against the Amazon TOS. Just ask nicely.

Maybe you don’t want to send out a newsletter that solely ask for reviews. You could include the request as a “PS” at the bottom of one of your emails instead.

I like (and have used) the subject line “Can You Do Me a Favor?”

You can even automate this process by adding such a request to your autoresponder. The same principles apply: ask nicely and include a direct link to the review form.

Method 3: Cross Promo to Autoresponder

You can use sites like BookFunnel and StoryOrigin , or giveaways to build your list of newsletter subscribers rapidly. The idea is simple with cross promotions: you join forces with multiple other authors, share the cross promo to your list, and essentially share your subscribers with one another. You need a book that you can offer as bait for people to sign up, which is usually a free novella, story, or novel.

While this is a good way to start building your list, what you’ll often find is that the volume of subscribers is high…but engagement (and buy rates) are low. That does not, however, mean that these subscribers are necessarily useless, or that they’re not interested in reading your stuff.

Instead, these people might be interested in becoming ARC Readers (method outlined below) or to review your book.

How to set this up:

• Join a cross promo on BookFunnel or StoryOrigin. Or join an author giveaway.
• Make sure these subscribers are on a separate list or have a specific tag so you can clearly identify their source.
• Set up an autoresponder that all new subscribers from these sources receive. An autoresponder (also referred to as an “automation sequence” or “drip sequence”) automatically sends emails to these new subscribers on a set schedule. You write the emails in advance, set things up, and then it runs in the background forever (or until you turn it off).
• Within this autoresponder, have an email that requests a review for one of your books. It can be the one you gave away for free when they joined the list (especially if that’s a novel available for sale on Amazon) or it can be the book related to what they got free for joining the list (i.e., the full-length novel related to the free prequel novella). Link them directly to the Amazon review form.
• Or, you can ask if they want to join your ARC Team, which we’ll outline below.

By the way, this autoresponder process works with your organic subscribers (those coming from the front/back matter of your book) as well. The reason I highlight cross promotions and giveaways specifically? If you’re struggling to get reviews, your current organic list is likely small. This is a quick way to dramatically increase the number of people you can either add to your ARC team or ask for reviews from.

Method #4: Create Your Own ARC Team

Why keep paying for review services with each book — essentially shotgunning your book out to readers who may or may not like it — when you can instead build a team of mega fans who will review your latest release on launch day? Like the previous two methods, this technique requires a mailing list — but after you finish setting up your mailing list, one of the next steps should be to start building your ARC (advance review copy) team.

Luckily, building an ARC team is super-easy. And it works with organic and non-organic subscribers.

Way #1 : create an automated email inviting subscribers to join your ARC team as part of your autoresponder.

Aside from a welcome email that delivers your reader magnet (the free novella, story, or novel mentioned in the previous section) and says what’s up to your new peeps, you can also have an email—further down the line—that invites subscribers to join your ARC team. A simple message—like hey, if you want free review copies of my books before they come out, reply and I’ll add you to the list —is really all you need.

Way #2 : if you don’t know a drip sequence from a dripping faucet—or haven’t set up your autoresponder—then simply sending a regular message to your existing list works fine. Same format as above: hey, I have cool pre-release copies of my latest book—you want in? Reply if you do.

That’s it. You can do this for a specific release (e.g. respond if you want an ARC copy of my new book Magic, Vamps & Potions), or just as a general invitation to receive all future books. Add the people who respond to your ARC list (or segment/tag them, depending on how fancy you wanna get).

It is extremely important to follow up with your ARC reviewers. Here’s a basic schedule:

• 10 – 14 DAYS BEFORE LAUNCH : Send out the ARC copies. Deliver these via BookFunnel to increase the # of people who actually download the ARC. If you do the special trick outlined in the section below, you can include the review link to the paperback.
• LAUNCH DAY : Send out a link to the Amazon review form on launch day reminding people to review. Including the link is important — it makes things easier for reviewers, and will increase the number of reviews.
• 7 – 10 DAYS AFTER LAUNCH : Send a final message thanking all those who have left a review while reminding anyone who didn’t to review the book. Explain that reviews are critical to the book’s success. Most people are happy to do you a favor, particularly when you’ve already done them one by giving ’em a free ARC copy.

On a closing note, never request positive reviews; I always emphasize that reviewers should leave honest reviews. If someone signed up to your ARC team, they are almost always a big fan of your work, which makes them extremely unlikely to leave a review lower than four stars, anyway. On a related note, I do not remove non-reviewers or people who leave me low ratings; this demands a lot of time that can be better spent elsewhere. And finally, always remind ARC team members to disclose that they received a free book with language a la “I received a free review copy of this book from the author.”

Method #5: Ask in the Back Matter and Then Set Your Book to Free

I don’t do this any more, but I’ll explain the technique first, then explain my reasoning for no longer employing it.

In the back matter, right after “THE END” or “END OF BOOK 1,” on the same page , I used to have three things: a link to my mailing list; a link to book #2 with a brief, one-sentence description; and a request that goes a little something like this: If you enjoyed this book, please leave a brief review on Amazon by tapping here. Thanks.

This will increase the number of reviews you’ll receive. Make sure “please leave a brief review on Amazon by tapping here” links directly to the book’s review form. This increases the number of reviews you’ll receive.

A note: if you’re wide, use “please leave a brief review on your online bookseller of choice” and omit the direct link. Other retailers take umbrage to directly linking to competitors. It’s not worth generating a different EPUB for each retailer, in my opinion, hence the more general language. If you’re Amazon exclusive, just say Amazon (or Amazon/Goodreads, since Goodreads is owned by ‘zon).

Finally, an important note: the more cluttered your back matter, the less likely a buyer will take any action at all. If you have a million requests back there—follow me on Twitter! Here’s this thing I’m doing on Wattpadd! Oh yeah, I do dope Kabuki theater with this awesome troupe!—readers will take no action at all .

This is the reason I no longer include a review request in my back matter. While such a request increases the number of reviews you get, it decreases sellthrough. Instead of purchasing the next book in the series, readers leave a review. This gives them additional time to be distracted by a different book, and purchase it instead. Additionally, an automatic pop-up now appears at the end of books read on Kindle devices asking you to leave a review. This makes the review request semi-redundant. Here are the comparative stats for the back matter (back matter with the review ask on the left):

Ultimately, the goal is to sell more books and make more money — not collect dozens of reviews.

These days, I limit the number of CTAs (call-to-action) to one or two: a brief teaser with a link to the next book, and – depending on the series – a link to join my mailing list. Each additional link or request you add decreases the chance of the reader taking the desired action. That will almost always be purchasing the next book, so we want to make that link/teaser the focus.

However, if you are struggling to get reviews, you can use the review CTA + a free run on your book to generate some. I’d only do this if you have less than ten reviews. Otherwise, as outlined above, the review request will cut into your sellthrough too much to be worthwhile.

The technique: Give your book away free for 5 days and have a review request in the back matter . Book some paid promo so that you generate at least 3,000 – 5,000 downloads during your run. As mentioned earlier, you can generally expect one review for every 1,000 books you give away. For paid copies, you can expect around one review for every 100 books sold. However, those numbers can be much higher if your book has high sellthrough (e.g. people are finishing the book).

Understand that review averages for free books generally skew anywhere from a half-star to a full star lower than reviews for paid books. People tend to judge free products harshly. You’ll also get people trying your book who don’t like the genre and wouldn’t normally pick it up. This is normal.

Special Trick: Get Pre-Release Reviews

Unlike trad-pub authors, indie authors can’t receive reviews for their pre-order titles. There’s a clever way around this, though: setting up your KDP Print paperback ahead of time and “releasing it,” then directing your reviewers to the review link for the print copy listing.

Here’s how:

• Make sure your eBook is available for pre-order and that you have the final draft of your manuscript available . This is critical because by publishing the paperback you will be making the actual book available for sale (at least for a couple hours), and thus you don’t want readers accidentally purchasing a placeholder full of blank pages.
• Publish your paperback via KDP Print.
• Once it’s live, request for KDP support to link the paperback and pre-order eBook editions together, if they aren’t already.
• Send your reviewers the review link from the paperback edition’s Amazon page.
• Once the two editions are linked, unpublish the paperback (if you want – or just leave it as is). If you do this, the review link will remain, but the paperback will no longer be available for purchase. You can “re-release” the print edition on the actual launch day by simply going into KDP Print and making it available again.

Wrapping Up

Using this guide, you should be able to get ten Amazon reviews over the next month without much trouble.

The ultimate goal, however, should be building your own team of ARC reviewers . This is a slow process, but one worth starting now. That way, you don’t have to pay for any services or hope that readers will leave reviews. Better still, fans of your work tend to write in-depth, quality reviews (and, as a bonus, their ratings skew higher, too). And if you get something egregiously wrong in your latest release, they’ll likely email you in private instead of publicly eviscerating your book—possibly in time for you to fix your error, as well.

That’s it. Go and get some reviews. And remember, always be building your author career; not just a shiny stable of gold stars on a platform (Amazon) that you don’t own.

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A Short and Sweet Beginner’s Guide to Securing Amazon Reviews

Today’s guest post is an excerpt from 5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors by professional marketer Penny Sansevieri ( @bookgal ).

Reviews can be a tremendous help in driving the sale of a book. In fact, a marketing survey company found that 61% of online purchases were made after reading a review. Reviews on Amazon can also help your book turn up more often in customer searches.

How many reviews do you need? Well, ideally over fifty. If possible, you should have closer to one hundred reviews. However, you don’t need to get them all at one time. As a matter of fact, getting reviews incrementally can actually help boost your book’s exposure. Why? Because staggering reviews keeps your Amazon book page active, and a book with current reviews is much more attractive to a potential buyer than a book that hasn’t been reviewed in months.

So you want reviews—great reviews—but Amazon does not welcome planted reviews. They need to be authentic. Here’s how you can get great, honest reviews on your Amazon page.

First, approach the people you know

I often advise authors to use email pitching as a way to get the ball rolling on book reviews at Amazon, which can then be used to market your book. As part of this pitching process, you shouldn’t forget one of your most powerful groups: your friends, family, past reviewers, and existing readers. Take a few minutes to craft a pitch to this audience and reach out to them to ask for honest and unbiased reviews.

I stress the “honest and unbiased” piece of this because Amazon doesn’t allow an author’s mom to say, “My daughter has always been a gifted writer…” for obvious reasons. Your network should be encouraged to review your books just like they would any other product. Most everyday readers, however, aren’t familiar with writing Amazon reviews, or fully understand what makes a constructive, helpful review for other shoppers.

Oftentimes reviews consist of not much more than, “Loved this book!” And while it’s great to have fans, Amazon reviews like that do little to help convince others to buy. Also, shorter reviews are often frowned upon by Amazon and could get pulled if the review seems disingenuous. Read more about why Amazon reviews get pulled.

When a book has lots of great, detailed reviews, we tend to scan them for highlights about the things that matter to us. That’s how we often buy books. Both good and bad reviews can help us decide, and, frankly, I’ve often bought a book after I read a bad review because what the reviewer didn’t like was exactly what I was looking for. That’s why detailed reviews are not only helpful, they’re a must for your Amazon page.

So here are some tips you can share with people who want to post something about your book:

• Whenever possible or appropriate, ask the reviewer to add their expertise on the topic—especially if your book relates to nonfiction.
• If you have identified your keywords , share them with any friends who are posting and ask that, if appropriate, they include the keywords in the review.
• Ask readers to post reviews that are between 100 and 450 words.
• If a reader feels compelled to include a spoiler, ask them to post a warning first so customers can choose to read on—or not.
• Never, ever, ever offer to edit a review. You want honest appraisals, not watered-down reviews that all sound alike.
• It’s important that the reviewer cite why the book mattered to them. This also personalizes the review for the reader.

If your reviewer still isn’t sure how to craft a review, here are some start questions to help them along:

• What did you like most about the book?
• Did the book cover the content as described?
• Do you think you got your money’s worth?
• What could the author have done better?
• How does it compare to other books in this category? Please cite any books you’d compare this one to.

What about “Amazon Verified Purchases?” A lot of people ask if the Amazon Verified Purchase has more clout than a regular review posting. The answer is: Not currently. However, this could change. Early reviewers don’t often pay for their own books—books are mailed or gifted. I have had authors ask a reviewer to pay for the book to get that “verified purchase” label, but that doesn’t always go over well.

Other people you should approach with a free review copy or early access

First, try your professional network: When I re-released Red Hot Internet Publicity , I offered the book (for free) to anyone who wanted to read it and post an honest review. I was very clear that I wasn’t asking for a good or bad review, just an honest one. I got close to 100 responses from readers who wanted to do it. So that would be my first go-to. Whether you reach out to your newsletter list, a big social media following, or perhaps even a local group you belong to (like a Meetup), my first point of contact would be to go after the low-hanging fruit.

To expedite this, I create a Dropbox folder for the ebook version of the book and then email the link to everyone who requests it. This method is very easy and fairly cost-effective. And since it’s an ebook-only offer, make sure your readers know it’s a digital book.

If you write nonfiction, your mailing list may be a mix of business contacts, and if you write fiction, it will be all readers, but in either case it should also contain your superfans. If you have fans, be sure to reach out to them early and offer them a copy of the book. I did this on Facebook with a personal note to fans via the Facebook chat app. In another instance, an author I work with created an exclusive Facebook group just for her superfans and invited them to participate. They got great goodies, but, more importantly, they got early access to all her books, and were able to read them before everyone else.

Try review blogs in your genre or category

Your pitch should be short and sweet. If it’s longer than one paragraph, it’s too long. I recommend an intro paragraph that describes the book. Then you can invite the blogger  to request a copy of the book and let them know the available format(s). You should provide the book in whatever format they want—don’t make a fuss about it.

Ask at the end of your book for a review

I always encourage authors to put letters at the end of their books asking for reviews. Not a good review, just a review—good or bad. And to make it super easy, be sure to include a link to your book (the Amazon book page) in the letter. Oh, and don’t forget to thank your readers for buying the book, too!

If you enjoyed this post, I highly recommend taking a closer look at 5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors by Penny Sansevieri.

Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and Adjunct Professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit Author Marketing Experts (AME) .

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Thank you for this excellent information. I culled several new ideas from your post.

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the post and found it helpful. Best of luck with your marketing efforts!

Thanks Penny, very good points. Sorry this comment won’t be 100 words…(that was an interesting tip that I didn’t know).

thanks, Caroline! Glad you enjoyed it!

I thought much of this was highly appropriate. Objective reviews, even by friends and family, can be helpful. They should indeed be where you start. However, I strongly object to ‘asking’ for reviews at the end of your book, or even thanking the reader. I’ve never seen this in any professionally published book, and it sounds quite amateurish. Be a professional at all times.

Don, I appreciate your input – we’ve done this a lot, many of the very seasoned authors I’ve worked with do this as well. Nothing wrong with asking for a review – businesses do this quite often (review us on Yelp, etc.) Best of luck to you!

When my book was being published, the university press put it up on Amazon … and INSTANTLY, some anonymous person put a one-star review of just a few words, not even a full sentence. There was absolutely no way that at that early date, anyone could have even ordered and received the book yet, much less read it. Obviously it was a hateful smear, and to this day I don’t know who did it–a jealous professor-colleague, maybe? or someone violently opposed to the subject matter? For these reasons, the publisher immediately asked Amazon to remove the review. Haha, good luck with that! I can’t blame the book’s low sales solely on this, but I’m convinced it had a big impact.

This is so discouraging! I’m sorry this happened and believe me, I 100% get how disturbing a low-star review like this can be. Question: How many other reviews did you get for the book? Because having more reviews that are higher in star rating can help to diminish the impact of this lonely 1-star review. Best of luck!

This is perfect! A keeper! Thank you so much!

Barbara thank you! Glad you found this helpful!

I asked the followers of my FB book page to leave reviews on Amazon. When one of them tried, she was rejected because she hadn’t spent a minimum of $50 on Amazon in the last 6 months. Another roadblock in the self-publishing journey. 🙁

Mary this is such an odd rule – and (shockingly) not one that Amazon always adheres to. For example, my mother (who has never shopped on Amazon but has a basic account) went in and reviewed a book and the review stuck. So it’s a rule, I know, but oddly not always enforced…

Reviews seem to be like gold dust! On approaching a large volume of book bloggers, they seem to be inundated with requests! I like your alternate suggestions and will definitely be trying them out. Thank you for this post.

Thank you so much! Glad you liked this – and I *love* your gold dust reference. I may have to quote you!

Some great, feasible tips here, Penny. I’ve long been a fan of your books and I still learned several methods to get more reviews.

Thonie thank you so much! Glad you found the article helpful (and thanks for buying my books!!) PS I’d love a review 🙂

Lots of good advice, here – thank you! But be aware that friend and family reviews are against Amazon’s TOS and will be removed if Amazon catches them, which they seem to do with some regularity. I don’t want to post a link here, but if you Google “Authors losing Amazon reviews” you’ll see this has been a fairly hot topic over the years. The second result will take you directly to Amazon’s TOS.

Mel – that’s 100% true. There’s a lot of information the inter webs about this, too. Thanks for mentioning it!

One thing the article didn’t mention:  While it’s true the “verified purchase” badge doesn’t count as far as Amazon’s algorithm is concerned, people reading reviews have become cynical and might be suspicious if they don’t see it. If your reviewer didn’t buy the book from Amazon, ask them to tell readers how they did acquire it. I often get books from book fairs, book signings, or my local indy bookstore. Naturally, your reviewers should NOT say “the author gave this to me free!” But they can say “I discovered it during its launch promotion” or “I heard about it on Twitter and had to have a copy!” or something like that.

Kim that’s such a great idea! Thanks for mentioning this!

When the book is or was in Kindle Unlimited and people only borrowed it, then you will also not have a “verified purchase” badge on the review. But I fear that the average reader is not aware of this and will think it is suspicious, because of the bashing of the amazon review system, although in my opinion the reviews on all the other sites and retailers aren`t more trustworthy.

News and events from Ashland Creek Press

The magic number of Amazon book reviews — and the rules of the road

I almost always read customer reviews before I buy something on Amazon.

Of course, I’m well aware that you shouldn’t always trust these reviews. I’m well aware that authors often review their own books anonymously and that a few nefarious folks go out and buy positive reviews.

But by and large I find that if there are enough customer reviews, you can get a pretty good idea if a book or product is worth it. And sometimes even the bad reviews are highly entertaining. Consider, for example, the many  one-star reviews  of Moby-Dick.

The key however, is having “enough” reviews. I believe 20 reviews is the magic minimum threshold that every author should aim for. Getting to this number can be challenging. It may require asking anyone who tells you they loved your book to get online and provide a review. Trust me, I hate asking people, but more often than not people are happy to do it.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post — the rules of the road when it comes to Amazon book reviews.

Here is a handy Q&A from Amazon on what is and isn’t allowed on book reviews.

Q. Are authors allowed to review another author’s book? A. Yes. We very much welcome Customer Reviews from authors. However, if the author reviewing the book has a personal relationship with the author of the book they are reviewing, or was involved in the book’s creation process (i.e. as a co-author, editor, illustrator, etc.), that author is not eligible to write a Customer Review for that book.

Q. Can I write a Customer Review of my own book? A. No. You are not eligible to review your own book, but there are other ways to communicate with your readers on Amazon such as Author Central.

Q. Can I post a Customer Review on behalf of someone else? A. No. Customer Reviews are meant to provide customers with feedback from fellow shoppers. For this reason, you should use the Editorial Reviews section of your book’s detail page to share content that is posted on other sites or from individuals who do not have an Amazon account. You can update the Editorial Reviews section of your book’s detail page through your Author Central account.

Q. Can I ask my family to write a Customer Review for my book? A. We do not allow individuals who share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer Reviews for that author’s book. Customer Reviews are meant to provide unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers.

Q. Can I pay for someone to write a Customer Review for my book? A. No. We do not allow any form of compensation for a Customer Review other than a free copy of the book provided upfront. If you offer a free copy of the book in advance, it must be clear that you welcome all feedback, both positive and negative.

Q. A Customer Review is missing from my book’s detail page. What happened? A. Reviews are removed from Amazon for one of three reasons:

• The review did not meet our posted Customer Review Guidelines.
• The customer who wrote the review removed it.
• We discovered that multiple items were linked together on our website incorrectly. Reviews that were posted on those pages were removed when the items were separated on the site.

For more information, here is the full list of Amazon Customer Review  guidelines .

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Amazon Verified Reviews for Books: Everything You Need to Know

Verified purchase reviews are the lifeblood of a high conversion rate. With a lot of reviews, people are more likely to buy your book. No reviews, and the opposite is likely to happen.

Amazon verified purchase reviews are especially important, because they prove that your book was purchased and reviewed by real people, not just potentially biased reviewers on your ARC team.

But how do you get a lot of verified book reviews? That is the question we are asking in this article.

• What verified reviews are
• Why they are important
• How to increase your verified reviews by yourself
• A service that can potentially help

Table of contents

• What Are Verified Reviews?
• Why Are Verified Reviews Important?
• 1. Encouraging Reviewers Yourself
• 2. Pay a Company to Encourage Verified Reviews
• Verified Review Service: Bookvertiser
• Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: some of the links in this article are affiliate links, but the cost you nothing extra, and every little bit goes to the Kindlepreneur coffee fund.

The short answer: an Amazon verified review is any review left by someone who actually purchased your book on Amazon.

It is a little bit more complicated than that, though.

Firstly, the review must come from someone who has spent at least $50 on Amazon products within a year. This is to weed out spambots and people who clearly aren't regularly active on Amazon.

Secondly, Amazon specifies that the reviewer can't have bought the book at a “big discount”. However, Amazon does not specify what this means. To be safe, we recommend keeping your book priced at $2.99 or higher. While I have seen verified reviews with $0.99 books, is not a guarantee. And free books are unlikely to lead to verified reviews.

Amazon then lists verified views with a “Verified Purchase” badge within the review.

As online shoppers got more tech savvy, they began to be wary of fake Amazon reviews. Amazon has done a lot to crack down on fake reviews, but it isn't always enough.

For example, Amazon allows authors to give out free copies of their books in exchange for a review. Naturally, this group is going to be slightly biased, because they got a free book.

Don't get me wrong, we absolutely encourage you to have ARC reviewers to get those first initial reviews. But understand that those reviews will not be verified.

By including the Verified Purchase badge, it becomes much more likely that that review is genuine. This leads to increased trust from the customer. The more verified reviews, the greater the likelihood that the reviews are accurate.

And the more a reader trusts that a high volume of reviews are genuine, the more likely they are to convert (aka buy your book).

How to Get Verified Amazon Reviews for Your Books

Since verified reviews require that the Amazon reviewer purchase your book, you cannot simply send your book out for free to an ARC team.

Instead, these reviews have to come from people who have genuinely bought your book.

There is a fine line to walk here, because you cannot pay someone to buy your book and leave a review. 

In other words, you can't encourage a friend to buy your book, then refund them.

So what can you do?

Well, you have two options.

• Encourage reviewers yourself
• Pay a company to do it for you

The first option is to encourage people to review your book. This is something you should do even if you pay a company to help you.

Warning: remember you cannot pay or refund someone to leave a verified purchase review. Doing so is against Amazon's terms of services and could get you banned.

Ultimately, the best way to get more reviews is to make more sales, because the higher the volume of sales, the more people you have that could leave a verified review.

However, there are ways that you can increase the percentage of buyers who leave a review, including:

• Include a review request in your book: make sure that every book has a request for a review at the back of your book, with a link (if it's an ebook) that goes directly to your review page. This should be one of the first things that a reader sees after finishing your book.
• Reach out to your email list: every once in a while, you should reach out to your email list and request that they leave a review. Do this frequently, so your list is used to hearing about it, especially when launching a book.
• Schedule book promotions: book promotions are still one of the best ways to get readers to buy your book. The more readers buy your book, the more likely you are to have reviews.
• Create a quality product: it goes without saying, but the better your book is, the more likely it is to be purchased and reviewed.

Additionally, you should use a tool like ReaderScout to track when reviews are left. This is especially important when requesting reviews from your email list, because you can then track the number of reviews that are left.

ReaderScout is a free Chrome plugin that will notify you every time you have a new review, and it tracks a few other things as well. Plus, it's free!

If you have already done all this, and you still want to get a few extra verified reviews, read on.

Your second option is to pay a company to get you verified reviews.

Important: these companies cannot pay or refund readers to leave verified reviews either. That is why you are not paying them to guarantee reviews. You are paying them to encourage readers to buy your book and leave a review.

It is difficult to find a good company that will stay within the boundaries Amazon has set and still get you quality verified reviews.

When looking for a company like this, we recommend you focus on two criteria:

• Companies that have lasted a while
• Companies with a public face (i.e. real people and not a faceless corporation)

One of the companies that we recommend is Bookvertiser.

Bookvertiser has an audience of highly engaged readers/reviewers in a variety of different genres.

What Bookvertiser does is reach out to this list to encourage them to buy your book and leave a verified review. They will continue to do this until you have reached the threshold of reviews that you select when you purchase.

Note that the costs are not always cheap. It takes a lot of work to guarantee a certain number of reviews, especially when you cannot pay a reviewer or refund them for leaving the review. 

They also can't guarantee that every review will be a positive review. While my experience tells me these reviewers are often kind, you might still get a negative review.

But using a service like Bookvertiser is one of the best ways to rapidly gain verified reviews without putting in a lot of the hard work yourself.

If you use this link and input the code KP5 , you’ll get 5% off your purchase order.

Reviews can be an uphill battle, but they are absolutely worth it.

If you can convince as many people in your audience to buy your book, then review it, you are well on your way to being easily discovered on Amazon.

Get enough sales, and a high enough conversion rate, and Amazon will begin marketing your book for you.

Jason Hamilton

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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How To Write A Good Book Review – The Amazon Review

In this series, we take you through the anatomy of a book review..

What does it take to write a book review? What are the different types and uses of book reviews? What is a Beta review anyway, and do you need one?

This second installment looks at how to write Amazon Customer Reviews.

How To Write An Amazon Book Review

Eligibility.

An Amazon Customer Review must be written by someone who has read the book and has an Amazon account. You don’t have to have bought the book from Amazon.  You can only review on Amazon if:

• You have spent more than $50 on Amazon in the last twelve months and have an Amazon account
• Your account on Amazon is in good standing, i.e. you have not been banned from writing reviews on Amazon previously for any of the reasons below.

The review will only show up as a Verified Purchase if you bought the book on Amazon and you review it on the same account.

Before You Start

• You cannot write a review for another author as ‘swapsies’ as this counts as a biased review situation. Nobody is going to give a one-star review in a reciprocal situation, so Amazon does not allow this scheme.
• You cannot earn tokens or credits of any kind writing book reviews to trade for other authors to write reviews for you. There are new ‘book review services’ that claim it’s OK to do this. No, it is not. These services are acting against Amazon terms and will likely be shut down soon. Don’t get involved with any service that tells you it’s OK to earn reviews by writing reviews, nor any that sell tokens to trade for reviews.
• Writing reviews for friends or family is not allowed either.
• There was a craze where people would write that their review was ‘in exchange for a free book’, and thought that if they mentioned this exchange, it would be seen as legitimate behavior by Amazon. Na-ah. Leave out any wording about ‘exchange’ or ‘swap’ or ‘I wrote this review for…’ – It’s the easiest way to get your account blocked.
• If you review an ARC, there is no need to declare it in your review. An ARC should be exactly like the book on sale, so review it as such. However, unless you buy the book on sale, it will not be a Verified review on Amazon.

You can read the Community Guidelines for Amazon Customer Reviews here.

Why Should I Write Amazon Reviews?

• Other authors deserve your feedback, as you would deserve it if it were your book. Just make sure they didn’t ask for it in return for anything.
• Building up a critical armory when you read is essential for a writer. Reading books by your peers and seeing if you can see the cracks is a really great way of understanding story, even when it’s flawed. One way to do this is to write your thoughts in an Amazon Review.
• The Amazon community is full of readers and writers. It’s a good place to share tips and ideas with others interested in books.

Structuring Your Amazon Review

Remember you only have 5000 characters to give your opinion, with the best reviews coming in between 70 – 100 words.

I bought this book as I am interested in cozy mysteries set in beach communities, like this one.

I found the character of Marcy very well-written. She is a protagonist anyone can cheer for, with many issues, but also a lot of strength and hope. The setting is meticulously described, and the murder case itself is exciting and emotional in equal measures.

I wish that we had learned more about why the murderer did it in the brief time we spend after the case is solved.

However, this book ticks all the boxes in this genre and will please fans of Big Little Lies and Patricia Fisher.

• The photo upload is not an opportunity for you to add a photo of yourself! You should only add a photo of the book, or you holding the book. Reviews with videos and photos get the most traffic, so if you want to build your profile on Amazon, this could be a good way of doing so.

If you would like to promote to a list of readers who review on Amazon, browse our services here: https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/spr-bestseller-book-packages/

Read Part 1 of this series “How To Write An Editorial Review” here.

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What if I dislike the book? I normally don’t post a negative review, and simply resolve to never buy another book from that author again. But every now and then I come across a book with so many inconsistencies, or characters that are Too Stupid To Live, or one too many historical anachronisms, or secondary characters that exist only to be plot points, that I simply have to warn readers. I know I’ve appreciated it when other reviewers give well-written and thought-out negative reviews.

Good question. I think constructive criticism can be helpful to an author in a review. We often have authors come to us to get their book looked at after receiving reviews mentioning problems with editing or story, so we recommend honesty in your reviews!

How long should it take you to get 100 reviews, if you are traditionally published? ( http://www.maryhill-wagnerauthor.com )

That really depends on what advertising and promotion efforts you are making, and how large your mailing list is. It takes quite a big push to get any reviews at all, which is why we offer the mailer promo service to help authors get exposure, where we have an extensive reader list who like to review books.

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Author : Shirley Gibson

24th Jul 2023

The Insider’s Guide: How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon

Suppose you write a book that is absolutely a masterpiece. But it will not matter, and all your hard work goes into vain if people don’t know it will be worth it to read it. This is where you need to get book reviews. They play an important part when promoting a book . Amazon book reviews influence buying decisions and provide social proof, even for those who might not buy the book.

How often do you buy a book or even something else without checking the reviews first? We are sure that your answer will be “Every time.” People always read a few Amazon book reviews before they make a purchase. So, before you sell an eBook on Amazon , make sure you get book reviews on a large number, and those are mostly positive.

Amazon is filled with countless books vying for attention. Some of them will be worth reading. Amazon book reviews are guiding lights that help readers find those hidden gems. When your book receives more positive reviews, it climbs the ranks and becomes more visible to potential readers. The higher the visibility of your book, the more chances of discovery and increased book sales. A win-win for you.

Amazon book reviews can make or break the success of your book. So, how can you get book reviews, most importantly, good ones? This guide will tell you how to get Amazon book reviews.

How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon?

If you want to boost your book sales, you need to include and emphasize book reviews Amazon in your book marketing plan . Amazon book reviews are necessary when your focus is on the Amazon platform. Let’s guide you on how you can get Amazon book reviews.

Understand Amazon’s Book Review System

Amazon has its own set of rules and guidelines for book reviews. These guidelines ensure fairness and authenticity. It makes the review system a reliable source of feedback. As an author or reviewer, you should know and follow these guidelines to avoid any issues and make sure to get book reviews that stay visible.

The Role of Verified and Unverified Reviews

You may see “Verified Purchase” tags on some reviews. Verified reviews are from readers who purchased the book directly from Amazon. It adds a touch of credibility to their feedback. On the other hand, unverified reviews are from readers who got the book elsewhere, received it as a gift, or borrowed it. Both types are valuable, but the “Verified Purchase” tag carries a little more weight.

How Amazon Ranks and Displays Book Reviews?

Amazon uses a mystical algorithm to determine how reviews impact the visibility and sales of your book. The number, quality, and relevance of reviews all play a part in it. If you get book reviews that are more positive, you will rank higher, gain more visibility and attract more readers.

But the story does not end here. Amazon also looks at how recently reviews were posted. Fresh reviews carry a potent charm. They help books stay relevant and engaging to readers.

Prepare Your Book for Amazon Book Reviews

Before you set out to gather Amazon book reviews, you have to make sure your book is polished and ready to enchant readers.

A polished book captivates readers and earns positive reviews. Therefore, you should have a well-edited and proofread book. You can seek the expertise of professional editors and proofreaders. They can catch any sneaky typos or plot holes.

An eye-catching cover invites readers to explore the wonders within. So, your book cover must charm readers at first sight. You can use a book cover maker to create a captivating book cover that reflects the essence of your story.

Choose the Right Book Categories and Keywords

You must navigate to the correct section in the vast library of Amazon. So choose the right book categories and keywords to ensure the right readers find your book. If you pick the perfect categories and keywords, it will help Amazon match your book with interested readers. As a result, you will get book reviews in higher numbers.

Set Reasonable Expectations for Amazon Book Reviews

As you go on this quest to get book reviews, keep in mind that it has its twists and turns. So, set realistic expectations for the number of reviews you hope to receive. It takes your patience and time to collect honest reviews.

Build a Launch Team

A Launch Team is a group of supportive people who help authors promote their books. They are like trusted friends who come together to assist in spreading the word about your new book. Having a Launch Team is essential because they can create excitement and generate early buzz for your book’s release.

Identify and Recruit Potential Launch Team Members

Reach out to your existing network to build your Launch Team. Look for friends, family, and fans who have shown interest in your writing or genre. You can also connect with your social media followers, email subscribers, and anyone who has left positive Amazon reviews of books previously for you. These are the people who are likely to support you on this journey.

Engage Your Launch Team Effectively

The key to a successful book launch is to keep your Launch Team engaged. Regularly update them on the progress of your book. Share sneak peeks or exclusive content. Offer them special insights into your writing process. It will make them feel valued. Encourage them to leave honest reviews for your book once it’s released, as reviews play a crucial role in attracting more readers.

Work together with your Launch Team. As a result, you can create a strong support system that will help your book reach a broader audience. Keep in mind that their support and word-of-mouth promotion can boost the success of your book.

Leverage Your Existing Network

If you want to expand the reach of your book, you need to utilize the power of your existing network. When you build genuine connections, it plays the role of the base for enchanting readers. So, leverage your existing network. As a result, you can create a ripple effect of excitement and set your book on a path to reach new and eager readers.

Tap into Your Personal and Professional Connections

Your existing network holds the key to potential readers who already know and trust you. So, share the news of your book release with friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. Their support can be like a gentle breeze that whispers the magic of your book to new readers.

Utilize Social Media and Email Lists for Reviews

You can also leverage the power of social media and email. Announce your book release on social media platforms such as:

Share captivating snippets, cover reveals, and updates to engage with your followers. Email your subscribers with personalized messages. Invite them to join you on this literary adventure.

Encourage your social media followers and subscribers to leave reviews after they’ve read your book. Their honest opinions will make your book authentic. As a result, you will attract more readers in the process.

Engage with Bloggers, Influencers, and Book Clubs

Within the world of the internet, bloggers, influencers, and book clubs hold great power. Therefore, seek out bloggers who specialize in your genre and kindly request book reviews or features. Also, connect with influencers who resonate with the themes of your book and collaborate on promotions.

Book clubs are like gatherings of avid readers ready to embark on a shared journey. Reach out to book clubs that offer author Q&A sessions or provide discussion guides for your book. When we engage with these communities, it can spark interest in your book among like-minded readers.

Request Amazon Book Reviews from Book Reviewers

When you gain reviews from book reviewers, it sprinkles your book with stardust. Also, it captivates new readers along the way. Let’s talk about how you can approach book reviewers.

Research and Identify Relevant Book Reviewers

Among many book reviewers, you need to find the right ones. So. take time to research and identify reviewers who specialize in the genre of your book. Look for those who have reviewed similar books or have a following of readers who enjoy your type of story. Suppose you are marketing children’s books . In that case, you have to find reviewers who review books for kids. It ensures your book reaches its most receptive audience.

Craft a Compelling Review Request

If you want to catch the attention of a book reviewer, your request should be as good as the story itself.

• Begin with a warm intro.
• Acknowledge their love for books in your genre.
• Share a brief synopsis of your book.
• Highlight its unique charms.

Offer to provide a complimentary copy, either in physical or digital format. In addition, express your gratitude for their time and consideration.

Follow-Up Etiquette and Best Practices

Book reviewers know how important timing is. Give them ample time to read and immerse themselves in your book. After a reasonable period, kindly follow up to express your gratitude for their interest and inquire if they had a chance to review your book.

Always be respectful and courteous in your interaction. Even if a reviewer declines your request or does not respond, remain gracious and thank them that they consider your book.

As you connect with book reviewers, keep in mind if you build genuine relationships, you can unlock the power of their reviews. A compelling request and polite follow-up can set the stage for an ongoing partnership. It makes the way for more readers to discover your book.

Utilize Amazon’s Vine Program

If you want to harness the full potential of Amazon, the Vine Program is a great opportunity. Let’s talk about how it can elevate your book to new heights.

What is Amazon Vine and How It Works?

Amazon Vine is like a circle of elite reviewers who receive early access to new products, including books. These reviewers are known as “Vine Voices.” They have earned the trust of Amazon through their honest and helpful reviews. If you join this exclusive circle, your book can make the most of the spotlight of experienced and influential readers.

How to Enroll Your Book on Amazon Vine?

You can follow these steps to enroll your book in the Vine Program:

Eligibility Check

Ensure your book meets the eligibility criteria of Amazon for the Vine Program. It may include factors like sales rank and availability.

Enrollment Invitation

Amazon will invite you to enroll your book in the Vine Program if it meets their requirements. So, keep an eye on your email for this invitation.

Provide Copies

Once enrolled, you will need to provide some copies of your book to Amazon. These copies will be distributed to Vine Voices for review.

Honest Reviews

The Vine Voices will read and review your book. Then, they will share their genuine thoughts with the Amazon community.

Maximize the Benefits of Amazon Vine Reviews

The Vine Program doesn’t end with the reviews themselves. You need to utilize this chance. Here are some tips to make the most of Amazon Vine reviews:

Amplify Promotion

Leverage the Vine reviews to create promotional materials, such as:

• Quotes for the cover of your book
• Book marketing campaigns

Build Credibility

Vine reviews increase the credibility of your book. They encourage potential readers to take a chance on your book.

Engage with Reviewers

Express your gratitude to the Vine Voices who review your book. Engage with them in a friendly manner. This way, you will foster these connections. As a result, it can lead to more opportunities in the future.

When it comes to Amazon Vine, it is not just about the reviews. It is about the connections you forge on this enchanting journey.

Engage with Readers to Get Book Reviews that are Organic

Connect with readers and forge bonds. It can lead to positive reviews. When you engage with readers, it encourages organic reviews and creates a loyal following for your book.

Build an Author Website or Blog

Create a captivating online presence with your author website or blog. It is where readers can:

• Explore your writing
• Learn more about your book
• Discover your unique voice

Share stories from behind the scenes, character insights, and upcoming projects. It will keep readers on their seats waiting for more.

Respond to Reader Feedback and Reviews

When readers reach out to you with their thoughts, respond to them with grace. Whether they send emails, comments, or reviews, acknowledge their words with genuine gratitude. Embrace constructive feedback as a gift. Then, use it to improve your craft. Engaging with readers creates a special connection. It makes them more likely to spread the word about your book through an Amazon book review.

Cultivate a Community Around Your Book

Engage with your audience through social media, forums, or book clubs. Encourage discussions, host Q&A sessions, and share fan art or fanfiction inspired by your book. As you nurture this community, readers will become brand ambassadors. They will share their love for your book with others through organic reviews.

Engaging with readers is not about controlling them. It is about building authentic relationships. When you create a welcoming and interactive space, you invite readers to become part of your journey. The reviews that come with it will be genuine and heartfelt and carry the power to attract even more readers to your book.

Handle Negative Amazon Book Reviews Gracefully

Every quest has its share of challenges. But it’s how you navigate them that defines your journey. Likewise, negative reviews may come your way. With wisdom, you can transform these reviews into valuable opportunities for growth.

Deal with Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism can strengthen your writing. So, take it with an open heart and a will to learn. Take a step back and consider the feedback objectively. Look for patterns or recurring themes in multiple reviews. Then, use it to improve your future works and refine your storytelling skills.

Avoid Unprofessional Responses

As a wise wordsmith, you need to maintain your composure even in the face of negative reviews. Resist the temptation to respond defensively or with anger. Instead, take a deep breath and remind yourself that not every reader will connect with your book, and that’s okay. Respond professionally or choose not to respond at all. It is the true mark of an accomplished author.

Turn Negative Reviews into Opportunities

You should know how to turn negative reviews into opportunities. Consider negative feedback as a guidepost. It shows you areas to focus on for improvement. Use this to:

• Craft better stories
• Enhance character development
• Refine your writing style

Negative reviews can also help set expectations for future readers. You should address potential concerns in your book description or materials for marketing a book . As a result, you can align your book with the right audience. It reduces the likelihood of future negative reviews.

What are the Benefits of Amazon Book Reviews?

Amazon book reviews offer you a number of benefits. They can help you sell your book more rapidly. But you need to write an excellent book in order to get book reviews that are positive. Similarly, if there are no positive reviews, there will be no benefits. So keep this in mind. Let’s look at some of the benefits of Amazon book reviews:

Help Market Your Book

When accompanied by positive feedback and ratings, Amazon book reviews can play the role of book advertisements for you. When you receive positive reviews from readers, it serves as a form of organic advertising for your books.

Boost Sales

If you earn the maximum amount of Amazon book reviews, it does not mean you will become an Amazon best seller. However, you can get more visibility on Amazon. As a result, the chance of more book sales will increase.

How Do I Get Book Reviews on Amazon?

To get Amazon book reviews, follow the below steps:

• Understand Amazon’s book review system
• Prepare your book for reviews
• Build a launch team
• Leverage your existing network
• Request reviews from book reviewers
• Utilize Amazon’s Vine program
• Engage with readers to encourage organic reviews
• Handle negative reviews gracefully

Does Amazon Pay for Book Reviews?

No, Amazon does not pay to get book reviews. In addition, Amazon has always had rules against using paid reviews. They don’t allow people to post reviews in exchange for money. Also, they’ve even taken legal action against those who offer such services.

How Do I Get Reviews on My Book?

Here are some effective strategies that will help you get book reviews:

• Distribute advance reader copies (arcs)
• Reach out to book bloggers and reviewers
• Join writing/reading communities
• Leverage your network
• Book review swaps
• Book review services
• Offer giveaways or contests
• Utilize book promotion platforms
• Reach out to local media
• Request reviews at the end of your book

Are Amazon Book Reviews Reliable?

Amazon book reviews can be both reliable and unreliable. So, it is essential to approach them with a critical mindset. A book with many reviews may be more reliable since it reflects a broader range of reader opinions.

Can Anyone Review a Book on Amazon?

On Amazon, anyone can submit a review for almost any product, even if they have not personally bought it from Amazon. Also, Amazon allows users to leave reviews for products they purchased elsewhere.

How to Write a Book Review on Amazon?

• Sign in to your Amazon account. If you don’t have one, create an account first.
• Locate the book you want to review by searching for the title or author in the Amazon search bar.
• Once you’re on the book’s page, scroll down until you reach the “Customer Reviews” section.
• Look for the button that says “Write a customer review” and click on it.
• Assign a star rating to the book based on your overall impression.

Now you know how to get book reviews on Amazon, it is time to put in your effort and earn some positive Amazon book reviews. Remember, you only earn good reviews if you write a good book and market it effectively. You can utilize our book marketing services so that your book reaches the targeted audience. Authors Breeze is a game changer. We have helped authors to earn some stellar ratings and reviews.

Shirley Gibson

As a book advertiser, Shirley combines her natural storytelling abilities with a keen understanding of marketing strategies. She excels at crafting captivating promotional campaigns that capture the essence of an audiobook, enticing both avid readers and those new to the world of literature. Through her work, Shirley has helped numerous authors and publishers find their voice in the competitive audiobook market.

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How to get book reviews on amazon.

Amazon book reviews help drive your sales and establish your credibility as an author. In this article, we’re going to look at the importance of having good book reviews and how to get them.

Importance of Good Book Reviews

Let’s take a minute to understand the importance and benefits of good Amazon book reviews.

1. Increase Book Sales

The formula is quite simple: more positive reviews plus potential readers equals more sales. Good Amazon book reviews leave a mark on your potential readers and paint your book in a positive light. So, avid readers of your genre will be more likely to purchase a copy of your book.

2. Establish Authority and Gain Visibility

Good book reviews will have the dual effect of establishing your credibility as an author and gaining potential readers who are missing out on your book. In other words, your current followers will be happy they’re fans of your work, and new readers will become new followers.

3. Influence Search Algorithms

Amazon’s algorithm demands a steady flow of reviews for your book to rise above the ranks. To put it simply, if you want continued sales of your book, you need a steady source of new book reviews.

How to Get Book Reviews for Free

Here are six ways you can get free book reviews:

1. Connect With Top Amazon Reviewers

This is time-consuming, but it could get you two to three reviews from Amazon’s top 1000 reviewers. These are people who review products through the Amazon Vine Program .

To find a reviewer, follow these steps:

• Go to the Amazon’s Top Customer Reviewers list.
• Look for customer reviewers who’ve reviewed books, specifically those from your genre.
• After compiling a list of reviewers, reach out to each of them individually to request a review.
• Wait for a reply. If you don’t get one, reach out to them again or look for other reviewers.

This can be a tiring process, but if you find one reviewer, you can save their contact information should you need them to review your next book.

2. Post a Link on Your Website/Page to Prompt a Review

One simple way to get reviews is to simply ask your readers for one.

Your current readers are your biggest supporters, so they’re the people who are most likely to leave a positive review for your book.

On the day of your book release (maybe a day in advance), post a social media announcement or send an email to your reader list about your upcoming book. Embed a link to the review page of the book while kindly requesting them to leave a positive review if they liked your book.

If you have a good following, you should be seeing several reviews being generated only a few days after your book release.

3. Free Book Review Websites

There are several book review sites where you can find reviewers for your book.

Here’s a small list of some free review sites:

• Rain Taxi Review of Book
• Compulsive Reader
• Affaire de Coeur
• American Book Review

Make sure you first look at the submission guidelines to get an idea of their dos and don’ts.

4. Ask For It in Your Book

Another simple way of getting readers to leave a review for your book is to ask for it . . . in your book.

Dedicate a page in the back of your book where you personally address your readers.

First, thank them for purchasing your book and making it all the way to the end. Second, advertise yourself. Take a few lines to mention upcoming books and how readers can connect with you. Third, kindly request them to leave a review if they liked your book.

Mention how important it is for you and your upcoming books that they leave a review. And then sign off by thanking them in advance.

In your print book, make sure to give instructions on how they can leave an Amazon review. For an eBook, make it easy and leave them a link.

5. Reach Out to Your Network

A few months before your book launch, reach out to a network of trusted individuals to whom you can send a copy of your manuscript.

Request them to read through it completely, and on launching day, leave an Amazon review.

Perhaps you can reward them with a discounted copy of your book (by setting the price on KDP to the discounted amount for a period of time) in return so “Verified Purchase” appears next their review.

6. Relaunch Your Book

If you begin to notice your book sales drop and your reviews slow down (or stop), then it might be time to remove your book from Amazon and relaunch it.

Think of your book as fire. You need to keep feeding it so the flame doesn’t die out.

Relaunching your book will allow you to tackle previous errors (like editing mistakes), rebrand your book (a new cover design, perhaps), and add new content which you can advertise on your website. It also gives you the opportunity to start off with a new launch team.

All of this will help recreate a sense of interest in your book.

How Many Book Reviews Do I Need?

You should try and get at least twenty reviews within the first two months of releasing your book. Getting around 50 reviews is a good standard to aim for.

How Long Does It Take for an Amazon Review to Go Live?

Amazon reviews are usually posted within 72 hours after submission. Sometimes, it may take a little longer because Amazon has a system that filters out fault reviews.

Go, Get Those Reviews

Now that you’ve written your book and are ready to publish, it’s time to show current and potential readers that your book is worth reading with the help of book reviews.

Connect with Amazon’s top reviewers to get the ball rolling. Take the help of your current reader base. Request them to leave a book review on the day of your book launch, and set a reminder in your book when they reach the end.

Take advantage of the many free book review sites.

Finally, don’t worry about relaunching your book if sales go down. Sometimes, it helps taking a few steps back before running in for a big leap.

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How to get book reviews the safe and ethical way

Posted on June 4, 2020 at 2:50 PM by Guest Author

Updated on 05/03/2021

Honest, positive reviews from readers can have a huge impact on your book sales. Here’s how to get book reviews in a safe, ethical, and effective manner...

Table of Contents

Why Book Reviews Matter to You and Your Readers  

A Look at Amazon Guidelines for Book Reviews  

5 Tips on How to Get Book Reviews  

Book Review Don’ts to Avoid  

Takeaway  

Why Book Reviews Matter to You and Your Readers   

As an author, you know that generating interest in your work is key to increasing book sales. You need to demonstrate to people that your book is worth reading. 

This means you must learn how to get book reviews from those who have already read (and hopefully enjoyed) your book — and use them to your advantage.  

Of course, this isn’t an easy task. And if you’re like a lot of authors, you may find it to be an uncomfortable one.

However, the fact is reviews play a big part in whether someone will pick up your book or ignore it altogether.  

Book reviews are important for several reasons. Here are just a few examples...

They act as social proof. 

People don’t want to waste time and/or money on a book they end up disliking. That’s why they rely on others’ experiences to determine whether they should take a chance on a book. 

Positive reviews act as a form of social proof, convincing potential readers to take the next step because doing so has yielded a good outcome for others.

Ultimately, reviews reduce risk and help overcome some of the objections potential readers may have about getting your book.      

They help build credibility. 

Book reviews also help build credibility for both your book and your author brand.

When potential readers see that your book has several rave reviews, they feel confident it’s high quality.

Honest, positive reviews make people feel they can trust your work as an author.  

They boost your visibility. 

Achieving greater visibility in the marketplace is crucial if you want to increase book sales.

As you get book reviews from more and more readers, it allows you to do just that.

In addition to providing you with a way to promote your books online, it also improves your search rankings.  

They serve as a free yet invaluable marketing tool.  

Regardless of the route you take to publish your book , you play a vital role in the marketing of it.

This can be tough (especially for new indie authors), but you’ll be happy to learn you can put your good reviews to work for you.

You can include positive reviews in your ads, highlight them on social media, feature them in the back of your ebook, add them to your product listing, and more. 

They provide insight into your reader base.  

All the reviews you get (yes, even the bad ones) can provide insight into your reader base.

When readers tell you exactly what they liked and/or disliked about your book, it allows you to understand what your target audience is looking for in a book.

This is especially helpful if you’re a new author who’s just getting started. 

They can help you improve your writing. 

When it comes down to it, book reviews are a form of feedback from your target audience.

And as you start collecting this feedback from those who’ve read your work, you can use it to improve your writing and grow as an author.

Of course, not all reviews will be constructive. But just remember that every author receives negative comments now and again.  

A Look at Amazon Guidelines for Book Reviews 

Given that many readers purchase books on Amazon and search for reviews submitted on the site, chances are you want your book’s detail page to make a good impression. However, you need to cover your bases.

In learning how to get book reviews, it’s crucial that you familiarize yourself with Amazon book review guidelines.   

Here’s what to keep in mind…  

You can’t write a review of your own book. 

This should go without saying, but it’s worth touching on anyway. Book reviews on Amazon should come from other people who have read your book — not you.

Writing a review of your own book isn’t just a dishonest practice. It’s also a surefire way to get penalized by Amazon.   

Readers must submit reviews themselves. 

If you get book reviews on other sites or via email, you can’t post them in the Customer Review section of your Amazon listing.

The company makes it very clear that reviews in this section “are meant to provide customers with feedback from fellow shoppers.”

However, you can add such reviews to the Editorial Review section of your book’s detail page.  

Your close friends and family members can’t provide customer reviews. 

Although your loved ones undoubtedly want to support your author career, you need to make sure they don’t take it a step too far and post reviews on your Amazon page.

The goal of Amazon’s Customer Review section is to offer unbiased feedback to shoppers. Unfortunately, your best friend’s glowing recommendation doesn’t fit the guidelines.

What they can do is submit a review for the Editorial Review section of your book page. 

Another author can review your book if you don’t have a personal relationship with them. 

Authors are welcome to submit reviews for one another’s books on Amazon. That said, you need to be careful about which authors you allow to post on your book page.

If you have a personal relationship with another author, or they’ve played a role in the creation of your book in any way, they aren’t eligible to leave a review in the Customer Review section.

You can’t offer compensation for a customer review.  

This is another rule that should be obvious but is nonetheless worth addressing.

Per Amazon guidelines, you can’t offer compensation for a customer review beyond a free copy of your book in advance. This means you can’t pay someone money, gift certificates, etc.

And when you do offer a free copy of your book, you need to make it clear that you welcome all feedback — good and bad — in the interest of fairness. 

An additional point is that you can pay for a more formal review of your book (e.g., by an editor, journalist, or genre expert), but it must be featured in the Editorial Review section.  

( Note : To take a deeper dive into what Amazon does and does not find acceptable, check out some of the FAQs about customer reviews and their full Community Guidelines .) 

5 Tips on How to Get Book Reviews

There’s no doubt about it… Learning how to get book reviews can be challenging. It’s not just about convincing readers to share their feedback; it’s about doing so in an appropriate manner. 

Fortunately, the tips below can help you along the way. Consider implementing these tactics to encourage those who’ve read your book to offer their input. Handled properly, you can increase your chances of receiving a positive response. 

1. Send a request to those on your email list. 

If you’re struggling with how to get book reviews, this is the best place to start. After all, those on your email list have already proven themselves fans of your work. As such, they’re more willing to read your latest book and provide their feedback. 

Simply send out an email (or include a short call to action in your newsletter) asking your subscribers to share their thoughts on your book. Include a brief description of your book in case they haven’t read it yet. And make it clear that you want honest reviews. 

(Don’t have a big email list? When you promote a free ebook in our newsletter , you can include a link to sites like Book Funnel or your own website to collect email addresses and start building up your own list!) 

2. Include a link in the back of your ebook. 

Oftentimes, readers don’t leave reviews because it takes too much time and effort. However, when you make the process as easy and convenient as possible, you eliminate that barrier.

That’s why you should put a call to action (CTA) in the front and back of your ebook, including a link that directs readers straight to your review page on Amazon. 

By putting the CTA and corresponding link in the front of the ebook, you plant the seed in the reader’s mind right off the bat.

By placing the CTA and link in the back of the ebook, you give them a reminder about what to do next (if they’re so inclined).  

3. Reach out to book bloggers.  

There are countless book bloggers out there, many of whom have large followings. If you want to get more book reviews, consider reaching out to those who’ve demonstrated an interest in your genre.

This may take some research on your part, but it’s worth the effort. 

Once you’ve identified relevant book bloggers, look for reviewer specifications. In most cases, they’ll have a page on their site outlining their specifications for replying to and accepting requests for reviews.

However, if that information isn’t listed anywhere, reach out to them directly.

Just get their contact information from the site, send them an email, and ask if they’re accepting books for review. If they are, check to see if they’ll submit their review to Amazon and other sites besides their own.

Remember to be polite, respect their time, and provide a description of your book so they’re more likely to see the value in reading and reviewing it.  

4. Build a street team.  

It may take some time, but you’ll quickly find that having a “street team” of honest reviewers is incredibly beneficial. It can go a long way toward marketing your latest book.

There’s a reason so many published authors use this as a way of  getting more reviews … 

So, how do you build a street team ? Simply recruit some of your diehard fans to join the team, giving them the opportunity to read your latest title prior to the official book launch.

Ask them to provide their opinions about the book, and don’t forget to let them know you welcome all feedback.  

5. Use book promotion sites. 

One of the most highly recommended tactics in book marketing is offering a giveaway and promoting it with a reputable site.

Doing so allows you to reach a much broader audience than you’d be able to reach on your own. And the more people who read your book, the greater your chances of getting reviews. 

It’s all about volume.  

Of course, you should still combine this tactic with another to ensure the best results. For example, it’s wise to include links in the front and back of your free ebook so readers can submit a review with the click of a button.

By now you should have a better understanding of how to get book reviews according to Amazon guidelines and best practices.

However, it’s not uncommon for new authors to make mistakes in requesting and handling reviews.

That’s why it’s in your best interest to take note of some book review don’ts — so you can avoid making these mistakes yourself.  

Don’t ask for good reviews. 

This was touched on a few times, but it bears repeating. You should be clear that all reviews are welcome. Be careful about the language you use when encouraging people to provide their feedback.

Even something like “If you enjoyed this book, leave a review” can leave readers feeling like they must only offer positive feedback.  

Don’t respond to the reviews you receive.  

Although it can be tempting to respond to reviews, you should curb this impulse. This is especially important in cases when the feedback is negative.

Engaging with reviewers — either privately or publicly — could end up causing more harm than good. 

Don’t be too pushy when requesting reviews. 

When you reach out to anyone about reviewing your work, you should avoid coming across as too pushy.

This doesn’t just apply to the initial request either. If you haven’t received a response after a while, don’t send follow-up after follow-up.

Doing so can result in the person forgoing a review altogether and leave them with a negative impression of you. 

Don’t participate in review swapping.  

Review swapping — the practice of two authors reviewing one another’s work – violates Amazon’s guidelines and those of most websites.

Because of this, you should avoid taking part in such an exchange. Otherwise, you and the other author could be penalized.

So, don’t promise a review in return for another author providing feedback on your work or accept requests you receive from others.

Learning how to get book reviews in a safe, ethical, and effective manner can go a long way toward increasing your book sales.

Although the reviews you get from readers are only a single piece of the puzzle, they’re an important one.

Using them to your advantage, you can generate more interest and expand your reader base, which will help improve sales now and in the future.

So, use the tips and information provided here to encourage potential reviewers to share their feedback about your book!

(Looking to get more eyes on your book? Offer your ebook for free and promote it in our newsletter!)

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Marketing / promotion , Reader reviews

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How to Become an Amazon Vine Reviewer and Get Free Products

Amazon Vine is a program that gives customers free products in exchange for reviews on the site. Here's everything you need to know about the scheme.

Do you think leaving an Amazon review is a waste of time? Then, an Amazon program that's been around since 2007 might have you thinking twice. Amazon's Vine Program consists of a group of handpicked reviewers who get products for free in exchange for honest reviews.

Amazon doesn't give away too much about how reviewers are selected, but there are some basic guidelines that you can follow in an attempt to be one of the lucky ones receiving free swag.

What Is the Amazon Vine Program?

While plenty of companies offer a review program, Amazon's Vine Program is an anomaly. Put briefly, it's an invite-only group of reviewers that receives products for free in exchange for impartial reviews. The reviewers will often receive products before they are released. Amazon explains its purpose:

"[...] an invitation-only program which selects the most insightful reviewers in the Amazon store to serve as Vine Voices."

Anyone who is a member of the Vine Program will have a badge on all the reviews they leave on Amazon, distinguishing them as Vine Voice.

That doesn't mean every single review they leave is the result of a freebie. If they received the item as part of the program, that review will be labeled Vine Customer Review of Free Product .

While Vine members used to receive a monthly newsletter featuring books and other products they chose from to review—with products valued at anywhere from a few dollars to close to $1,000—they now have access to a rolling list of items they can order at any time.

According to NPR , Vine members cannot sell items as secondhand offerings or give items away. Plus, Amazon can ask for the items back, although it doesn't appear to do that. Amazon says that Vine reviewers are not expected to leave positive reviews, and that writing a negative review will have no impact on an Amazon user's ranking.

How Do You Get an Invite to Amazon Vine?

So, how do you become one of Amazon's most trusted reviewers? Amazon will reach out to you if they feel you are a good fit for the program, but the company does offer some guidance on what it's looking for in a Vine reviewer.

Rather than focus on the quantity of reviews, they are focused on quality. It's no good if you're out there on Amazon leaving one-word reviews left and right. Being a prolific reviewer is no guarantee of joining the Vine program. Amazon's guidelines for a Vine Voice are:

• A reviewer's rank, which is based on the overall helpfulness of reviews, while also factoring in the number of reviews.
• Demonstrated expertise in one specific product category.
• More weight is given to recent reviews. (Rankings are updated every couple of days.)
• An interest in products similar to those enrolled in the Vine program.

While an interest in the products enrolled in the program is key to getting an invite. Besides looking for Vine reviews on Amazon (which is not an easy task, but you can filter Amazon reviews to make things easier), there's no real way to know which products are enrolled.

All we know is that vendors pay to have their products included—a fact that Amazon did not initially disclose, leading to some negative coverage of the program in the past. In any case, in its explanation of the program, Amazon writes:

Ultimately, Vine Voices become eligible based on the value and trust other Amazon.com customers place in the Voices' ability to provide helpful and insightful reviews.

There are some factors you can work on that might improve your chances of getting an invitation:

1. Helpful Votes

So if you want to be considered, avoid leaving extremely brief reviews. Avoid complaining about something in the product that is clearly stated in the description. Think about the questions you were asking yourself before you took the plunge and ordered that $200 gadget that you knew you didn't need but really, really wanted.

Amazon likely scours the thousands of reviews left on products available on the site and looks at how those reviews are being received by fellow customers.

Reviewers whose feedback is consistently marked as helpful have a better chance of being invited to the program.

2. Stick to One Category

As for the second criteria—Amazon looks for your interest and expertise in specific product categories. Anecdotal evidence shows that sticking to one product category, and becoming a recognized and helpful expert in that field, gives you a better chance of becoming a Vine member.

There's No Clear Science

Amazon doesn't provide much information on how it makes that decision. For example, we found Vine Voice reviewers who received 4,000 helpful votes. Some Amazon reviewers have received over 88,000 votes but are not a part of the program.

There is clearly no exact science in play here. One Vine Voice reviewer posted on Quora that he received his invite with over 30 reviews and over 300 helpful votes.

One major piece of information that Amazon does not share is how often it invites users to the Vine program, so it's never clear if Amazon is actively recruiting new reviewers. So if you want to be considered, you'll simply have to keep at it. Most anecdotes found online of Vine members being invited are somewhat dated at this point.

Tips for Writing Useful Amazon Reviews

The last thing to consider if you're trying to get an invitation to the Amazon Vine club is to pay attention to Amazon's own review guidelines. This is what Amazon suggests when you're about to write a review:

• Explain why you liked or disliked it.
• Compare to similar products or services and share how long you've used this product.
• Identify specific attributes (such as the battery life of a camera) and whether items met your expectations.
• Don't describe your seller or shipping experience.
• Steer clear of promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation.

Make sure that the review you're writing is actually useful. It's fairly easy to spot a fake or useless review , so you won't be able to fool Amazon with quantity over quality.

You're In Amazon Vine, Now What?

Once you’re accepted as a Vine reviewer, you will want to make sure you follow the guidelines of the program. You are limited to two products at a time, and you must write and post your reviews of received products before you can request additional items. Be sure to leave a review within 30 days of delivery.

Only choose products you're genuinely interested in, and don't feel compelled to select something just for the sake of a review. If you don't really want or need the item, you can just skip a month or two. A 2016 study by ReviewMeta found that, while they may not be perfect, Vine reviews are often better than incentivized reviews.

Becoming an Amazon Vine Reviewer

For all the criticism that it's received, there are some really dedicated reviewers among their ranks, including the current top-ranked Amazon reviewer, who has written 3,451 reviews and received over 84,000 votes from other Amazon users for the helpfulness of her reviews.

And, you can't disagree about the value of a good review when you go shopping on Amazon. But keep in mind that you might not always be able to trust a review online.

Want to finish more books? Super readers share their tips.

Spring is here, the birds are singing and we’ve got ever more daylight to read by — so it’s the ideal time to check in on our bookish resolutions . Good news: If you finished even one book in 2023, you’re already in the 46th percentile of American readers, as The Washington Post’s Andrew Van Dam reported earlier this year .

What about the people at the other end — way at the other end — of the scale?

We talked to a few super-readers, who routinely finish hundreds of books a year, about their habits and goals — and asked them about what tips they have for the rest of us. (These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.)

Olivia Ambrogio, science communications trainer in Silver Spring, Md.

Reads about 200 books a year.

How she does it: I do a mixture of paper and e-reader. I don’t really do audiobooks because I get very impatient with them. I just think the whole time, “I could be reading this faster.” I will say that tracking books has made me a little less willing to give up on a book . The worst is when it’s on an e-reader and you say, “I’m at 42 percent! I can get through the rest of it.”

Pro tip: Take advantage of wait time, no matter how small. I’ll read whenever I have time and whenever I’m not around others — so in the morning, when I’m eating breakfast. I mostly telework these days, but if I’m commuting on the Metro, I’ll read then. Maybe I’m the one cooking dinner and I’m waiting for something to boil; if it’s my night to sit with my daughter, and she’s falling asleep, I’ll read. Little intervals of time.

Goal for 2024: 203 books. It’s more or less what I would read in a year. If I were to do 250 to 300, it would probably be a real challenge that I would have to strategize for.

Paul Scott, retired in Los Altos, Calif.

Goal for 2024: 400 books. Last year I did 388. The year before I did 350. So I’ll just see if it’s possible to do 400. I think I’ll make it.

I say, half joking, that it makes up for a bad public school education. I will go down a rabbit hole on an issue that I “learned about.” It was partly the texts we were using — when I read about the Dust Bowl in school, it was like one paragraph. So I started with a fictional book, Kristin Hannah’s book , then I read Timothy Egan’s nonfiction book . That led me to read about soil conservation, and that led me to read about prairies.

How he does it: When I was working, I probably read 100 books a year because I traveled quite a bit, probably 250 days out of the year. This was before we were all plugged in and before you could really do any work on an airplane.

People say to me, “Are you playing a lot more golf since you retired?” But now that I can golf every day, what I’d rather do is read. The pandemic crystallized how I wanted to spend my spare time. There was nothing on TV. All of a sudden I had this time from 4:30 to 8:30 in the morning, and I thought, “Gosh, I should really spend more time reading.”

I’d say about 350 to 400 pages a day is what I can do. Yesterday I read a book that was about 600 pages, partially because I wanted to finish it. I didn’t want to waste any more time with it. I usually get three to four good hours in the morning, and then I get a couple of hours in the afternoon or early evening.

You have to say to yourself, “This time of the day is sacrosanct.” When I was coaching salespeople, one of the things that people never liked to do was cold call. I told them, “If you want to get good at it, you’ve got to put it on your calendar and make sure you follow the calendar.” So I apply that to reading.

Pro tip: Invest time on the front end to gain momentum. If you really want to read a book, you’ve got to get into the first hundred pages, 200 pages. If you can’t, you’ll find reading is really hard. In the old days, I can’t tell you how many books I’d start and read 15 pages one day, and the next day I’d read the same 15 pages, just trying to get into it. If I can get a big chunk of a book started, it’s much easier for me to finish it quickly.

Allison Wack, veterinarian in Frederick, Md.

Reads about 300 books a year.

How she does it: I mostly read audiobooks. I’ll sneak in a paper book once in a while, but I just don’t sit very much — I’m always running around, especially with two young kids; I also do a lot of volunteering for the Girl Scouts. I pretty much have my headset on all the time when I am around my house, doing chores or making dinner. In an hour, I can get through 3 hours of a book (I listen to everything on 3x. Don’t be intimidated by going fast! You can get there.)

Pro-tip: See if your library has agreements with others in your region, allowing you to borrow from their collections, too. For some of the libraries, you have to go in person to get the card. I have a book club, and we did this really fun crawl where we all went together to all the libraries, to get cards. I think I have eight?

Goal for 2024: At least 300 books.

Vivian Taylor, book blogger in Charleston, W.Va.

Reads 365 books a year. I’m in awe of people who have full-time jobs, who have children, or they’re married or in a serious relationship and they’ve got all of the responsibilities related to that. And they find time to read! Those people, to me, are more astonishing.

How she does it: I moved back to West Virginia to take care of my aging parents in 2008. Initially, my annual goal was 200 or 250. It wasn’t really massive numbers, simply because I was so heavily involved in taking my father to medical appointments. I was getting up usually around 6 in the morning, then I’d read for about an hour before getting my dad out of bed. After I dropped him off at dialysis, I had two, three hours when I could read before picking him up and taking him back to my parents’ house and getting him comfortable for the remainder of the day. Once I left, I had the rest of the day that I could devote to reading. I read from 6 to about 11 or 12 o’clock at night.

For me, it’s not only a great escape, it’s my self-care. I don’t go out and get manicures and pedicures and massages or anything like that. My self-care is expanding my home library and reading books.

I have found that e-books work best for me. I deal with chronic migraines, so I do have days when I can’t read. But reading digitally means that I can change the color of the background, I can make the font larger, and as I’m aging that is a big plus. I do collect physical books. There are some books where I have the paperback, the hardcover copy, the e-book copy and an audiobook. Casey Cep’s “ Furious Hours ” is one.

Goal for 2024: 365 books. Every year the only resolution I make is, “This is going to be the year where I don’t reread a lot of favorite books.” And I never make it past the second week of January! I read the entire “In Death” series by J.D. Robb every other year. Although I’m very familiar with the series and the characters and the action and everything, picking up those books is like meeting old friends all over again.

Rachel Dawson, social media manager in Richmond

Reads between 150 and 200 books a year. After college, it took me some time to find my way back to reading for fun. In 2015, I set my first goal, which was to read 50 books. I surpassed that — I read 80 books or so — and every year, I’ve increased my goals. It helps me to have a number to strive for.

How she does it: I track my reading in a couple of different apps, and I do a lot of book bullet journaling. I have a spreadsheet that I put all my numbers in, and it tracks the percentage I am toward my goal. It also changes colors based on how far behind or ahead I am. Every month as I read, I stack up my books; that visual cue is motivating to me, too.

Creating content about books is a hobby that became a revenue stream on the side. I make revenue from brand partnerships, a book club and a Substack. It’s money that I throw toward savings or my credit card. In the circles I run in online, there’s a lot of comparison, and you get caught up in that and feel like you need to keep up or read every popular book as soon as it comes out, or read several hundred books to be impressive.

Goal for 2024: 12 books. I was finding myself reaching for really short books, really light and fluffy books, just to try to finish something quickly, to add another book to that stack. I revisited the American Girl books from my childhood, which are so tiny.

This year feels exciting because I’ve already hit my reading goal. I can let that go. I really want to prioritize books that matter, books that are quality and books by authors of color. I always had time — but I just didn’t feel like I did.

Pro tip: Get a reading app. If I put the app in the same folder on my phone where Instagram is, it’s a helpful trigger: What if I read for a couple of minutes instead of scrolling?

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NIGHTMARE SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACK SCENARIO —

What we know about the xz utils backdoor that almost infected the world, malicious updates made to a ubiquitous tool were a few weeks away from going mainstream..

Dan Goodin - Apr 1, 2024 6:55 am UTC

On Friday, a lone Microsoft developer rocked the world when he revealed a backdoor had been intentionally planted in xz Utils, an open source data compression utility available on almost all installations of Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. The person or people behind this project likely spent years on it. They were likely very close to seeing the backdoor update merged into Debian and Red Hat, the two biggest distributions of Linux, when an eagle-eyed software developer spotted something fishy.

Further Reading

Researchers have spent the weekend gathering clues. Here's what we know so far.

What is xz Utils?

xz Utils is nearly ubiquitous in Linux. It provides lossless data compression on virtually all Unix-like operating systems, including Linux. xz Utils provides critical functions for compressing and decompressing data during all kinds of operations. xz Utils also supports the legacy .lzma format, making this component even more crucial.

What happened?

Andres Freund, a developer and engineer working on Microsoft’s PostgreSQL offerings, was recently troubleshooting performance problems a Debian system was experiencing with SSH, the most widely used protocol for remotely logging in to devices over the Internet. Specifically, SSH logins were consuming too many CPU cycles and were generating errors with valgrind , a utility for monitoring computer memory.

Through sheer luck and Freund’s careful eye, he eventually discovered the problems were the result of updates that had been made to xz Utils. On Friday, Freund took to the Open Source Security List to disclose the updates were the result of someone intentionally planting a backdoor in the compression software.

It's hard to overstate the complexity of the social engineering and the inner workings of the backdoor. Thomas Roccia, a researcher at Microsoft, published a graphic on Mastodon that helps visualize the sprawling extent of the nearly successful endeavor to spread a backdoor with a reach that would have dwarfed the SolarWinds event from 2020.

What does the backdoor do?

Malicious code added to xz Utils versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 modified the way the software functions. The backdoor manipulated sshd, the executable file used to make remote SSH connections. Anyone in possession of a predetermined encryption key could stash any code of their choice in an SSH login certificate, upload it, and execute it on the backdoored device. No one has actually seen code uploaded, so it's not known what code the attacker planned to run. In theory, the code could allow for just about anything, including stealing encryption keys or installing malware.

Wait, how can a compression utility manipulate a process as security sensitive as SSH?

Any library can tamper with the inner workings of any executable it is linked against. Often, the developer of the executable will establish a link to a library that's needed for it to work properly. OpenSSH, the most popular sshd implementation, doesn’t link the liblzma library, but Debian and many other Linux distributions add a patch to link sshd to systemd , a program that loads a variety of services during the system bootup. Systemd, in turn, links to liblzma, and this allows xz Utils to exert control over sshd.

How did this backdoor come to be?

It would appear that this backdoor was years in the making. In 2021, someone with the username JiaT75 made their first known commit to an open source project. In retrospect, the change to the libarchive project is suspicious, because it replaced the safe_fprint funcion with a variant that has long been recognized as less secure. No one noticed at the time.

The following year, JiaT75 submitted a patch over the xz Utils mailing list, and, almost immediately, a never-before-seen participant named Jigar Kumar joined the discussion and argued that Lasse Collin, the longtime maintainer of xz Utils, hadn’t been updating the software often or fast enough. Kumar, with the support of Dennis Ens and several other people who had never had a presence on the list, pressured Collin to bring on an additional developer to maintain the project.

In January 2023, JiaT75 made their first commit to xz Utils. In the months following, JiaT75, who used the name Jia Tan, became increasingly involved in xz Utils affairs. For instance, Tan replaced Collins' contact information with their own on oss-fuzz, a project that scans open source software for vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Tan also requested that oss-fuzz disable the ifunc function during testing, a change that prevented it from detecting the malicious changes Tan would soon make to xz Utils.

In February of this year, Tan issued commits for versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 of xz Utils. The updates implemented the backdoor. In the following weeks, Tan or others appealed to developers of Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Debian to merge the updates into their OSes. Eventually, one of the two updates made its way into the following releases, according to security firm Tenable:

There’s more about Tan and the timeline here .

reader comments

Promoted comments.

It should be noted that the attack only works because Debian and Redhat added functionality to sshd that is not present in it as distributed by its developers. The extra functionality adds systemd interaction, which requires libsystemd which requires liblzma, a component of the (compromised) xz package. One should be wary of distributions adding functionality. Often it increases the attack surface, not only because of the modifications/additions themselves, but also by adding dependencies.

So a prime reason this became potentially exploitable is libsystemd in OpenSSH. Need I say more.

The prime reason is a very well funded and capable attacker looked for a way in. if not xz or systemd then they would have attacked via the next candidate weak point.

"This developer persona has touched dozens of other pieces of open-source software in the past few years.". Well, I guess the Opensource community have some codes to review. Maybe the xz incident is only the tips of the iceberg.

Channel Ars Technica

What to Know About Donald Trump’s New $60 Bible

“all americans need a bible in their home, and i have many. it’s my favorite book.”.

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Mother Jones illustration; Shealah Craighead/White House/ZUMA

One month after releasing a line of gilded high-tops for $399, Donald Trump revealed on Tuesday a new item: the Bible. “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many,” the former president explained in a video promoting the country singer Lee Greenwood’s version of a King James translation, the “God Bless the USA Bible.”

“It’s my favorite book,” Trump added.

Throughout the rest of the clip, as if daring us into a collective disgust, Trump swerved through random opportunities to rail against bureaucrats and a country under threat—all while hawking a holy text.

But his latest sales pitch also prompted some legitimate questions. Such as: What the hell is going on? And: Excuse me? Here, we try to answer some of the queries.

So, that first question—what the hell—but more formally: What exactly is Trump promoting and how much will it cost me to shell out for this? 

Trump is encouraging his supporters to buy a Bible endorsed by himself and Lee Greenwood. It costs $59.99, without taxes or shipping included. That seems to sit on the more expensive end of Bibles on sale at Barnes & Noble . But those books presumably don’t include copies of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the handwritten lyrics to the chorus of Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”

The “God Bless the USA Bible” does include these items .

Trump is in a serious cash crunch . So is he going to make money with this Bible?

According to the book’s official site , the God Bless the USA Bible has nothing to do with Trump’s campaign. It is “not owned, managed, or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC, or any of their respective principals or affiliates.” Instead, Trump’s “name, likeness, and image” are being used “under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.”

Wait, what is CIC Ventures LLC, though?

Okay, so CIC Ventures LLC is, according to the  Washington Post , basically a pipeline to Trump:

In [Trump’s] financial disclosure released last year, he’s identified as the [CIC Ventures LLC’s] “manager, president, secretary and treasurer” and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is identified as a 100 percent owner of the business. The same entity also receives royalties from his book “A MAGA Journey” and speaking engagements.

In case it’s not already obvious: if you look at the company’s documents, you’ll find the principal address for CIC Ventures LLC is 3505 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida. That is a Trump golf course . Moreover, in a 2022 disclosure, Nick Luna is listed as a manager. Luna was Trump’s personal assistant and body man.

So, I’m sorry, but let me ask again: Is Trump making money off this?

The New York Times reports that “according to a person familiar” (classic) Trump will receive royalties from sales.

You could have just said that.

I wanted to tell you about the other stuff I found. Any other questions?

Yes. Who is Lee Greenwood?

The country singer who wrote “God Bless the USA.” Greenwood is a fierce MAGA guy who otherwise made news after pulling out of an NRA concert in response to the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting.

Does Greenwood have a Christmas album with an oddly sexual cover?

Yes. Look at this .

Perfect sweater. Anyway, I feel like I’m experiencing deja vu. Hasn’t Trump made headlines before with a Bible?

You’re probably recalling that despicable photo-op when Trump held up a Bible in front of St. John’s Church, which had been a location of racial justice protests in the days prior. There was a complicated saga, afterward, about whether or not Trump deployed the police to clear protesters to get to the church. An Inspector General’s report ultimately concluded that he did not.  

Man, it’s pretty rough remembering all the awful shit we went through with him as president.

Yep. If you ever want to wallow in political depression, check out this quick compilation .

But wait. Wasn’t there another time Trump and the Bible made waves for something far more stupid?

Christian nationalists adore Trump, so there have probably been many times that Trump has referenced the Bible. But you might also be thinking of this incredible clip of Trump attempting to name his favorite verse .

Has a presidential candidate ever partnered on a holy text sale with a country musician?

Not to my knowledge. But this is from a dude who just last week seemed to compare his current legal jeopardy with the persecution of Jesus Christ. Happy Easter!

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How to Get Free and Honest Book Reviews on Amazon

By c.s. lakin.

Imagine seeing an ad pop up on Facebook advertising your recently published book—an ad you didn’t pay for. Imagine seeing your book appearing first in a line of recommended books on the product pages of similar books, and you didn’t pay for a sponsored ad.

Table of Contents

Imagine hearing from readers that they learned about your book from an Amazon email blast that encouraged them to buy it. Wouldn’t it be great to get all that free promotion? You can—when you get enough authentic, approved reviews on Amazon.

Will Amazon Promote Your Book?

While Amazon’s algorithms are somewhat of a mystery, it’s a known truth that when your book accrues a certain number of reviews, or a lot of reviews in a short amount of (unspecified) time, Amazon kicks into gear multiple promotions for your book. Free promotion that would probably cost a fortune if you had to foot the bill.

The magic number to start the ball rolling in this free promotion is 50. Fifty reviews merits cross promotion and ranking your book higher than others in the same categories based on search terms. With 75 reviews, Amazon is triggered to send email blasts to customers who’ve bought similar books. Amazon utilizes customer data to provide relevant recommendations.

I get tickled when I’m reading a blog and suddenly one of my books pops up on the side—an Amazon-sponsored ad—suggesting I buy that book. No thanks, already have it. But it brings a smile to my face. Did I mention I love free promotion? I am sure you will too.

Every time your book is reviewed, the algorithms are updated, and your book’s internal ranking increases.

While Amazon isn’t the only site where writers need reviews, it’s where most customers shop for books. Reviews you get on Amazon can often be used on other platforms, but no other marketplace engages in free author promotion as extensively and generously as Amazon.

Getting numerous, honest reviews on Amazon should be at the top of your market strategy list. Having the best keywords might help your book turn up in search results, but if you don’t have a slew of reviews, your book will be overlooked or dismissed by a large number of potential readers. High numbers of reviews adds cred to your brand and your talent as a writer .

Amazon also allows authors to give away their book for free for 5 days over a 90-day period (when enrolled in KDP Select). Why is this helpful in getting book reviews? Because it gives you great exposure to potential readers who might pick up your book because it’s free.

This also increases your chances of ranking high in the Top 100 Free Books list, exposing your title to many more potential readers (readers who might very well write a review for it—but watch for my warning further down).

Want to sell more books? Click here to get your free copy of 8 Simple Secrets to Big Book Sales on Amazon

What are amazon’s rules on reviews.

Due to problems with dishonorable people, Amazon has developed tight rules regarding reviews. While these might seem annoying to authors, they serve to protect unscrupulous people from publishing gobs of fake or paid reviews to skew rankings and algorithms.

Here are some of the things Amazon forbids and flags (and may cause your book to be removed): paid reviews, reviews garnered through bribery (you offer something free in exchange for the review), and swapped reviews (arranging with other authors via social media sites to review each other’s books, which usually does not include actually reading said books).

What Are Verified vs. Unverified Reviews

While it can’t be quantified, it’s likely that some potential customers look at how many reviews are “verified” purchases as opposed to unverified. A “verified” purchase means the reviewer bought your book on Amazon, whereas anyone who acquired your book via some other means (purchased elsewhere, given as a gift, a free ARC) will have their review marked “unverified.”

As a potential customer, I don’t pay attention to that. I’m more interested in what the reviewer says about the book. I know that many authors—myself included—send out files of their books to people for an honest review, pre- and post-publishing. So some of those reviews are going to be unverified. But it stands to reason, having predominately verified reviews could positively influence some potential readers. I wouldn’t stress about this.

How To Balance Quantity and Quality

Getting book reviews takes work and time, and the last thing we writers want to do is waste time, spinning our wheels and getting no useful results.

However, it should go without saying that we don’t just want a lot of reviews; we want good reviews. Ones that are thoughtful, detailed, and personal. And that can take time to accumulate.

It stands to reason that having a lot of positive reviews for your book is social proof that you’ve written something worth reading.

If you want to get a lot of reviews fast, and you’re willing to pay, promo sites like Bookbub (there are many!) can help. I’ve gotten up to 50,000 free downloads in one week via a Bookbub ad offering one of my ebooks for free. And that led to a truckload of reviews (not to mention future sales of my book and other installments in my series as a bonus). However, it can also be hard to land such ads, as the competition for slots can be fierce. It’s worth repeated submission, though, for the book review payoff.

Another way to garner reviews is to do some legit giveaways (but, here, you again run the risk of getting some negative or not-so-great reviews because the winner may not generally read or like your genre). Some of the sites writers use to do giveaways are Goodreads , Bookriot , BookishFirst , BookDivas , FreshFiction , and  Kingsumo , to list a few.

While it can take some time, researching top Amazon ( Vine ) reviewers can net you some weighty reviews. You can peruse the list of these 1,000 reviewers and find ones who review books like yours (and if they leave a lot of negative reviews, beware). Even if you only get a handful of Vine reviewers to read and review your book, that can be super helpful and influential.

You can Google “free book review sites” and look for ones that promote honest, legal reviews, like OnlineBookClub . Reedsy has a list of 200+ book blogs, updated for 2020, that you can use to find reviewers of your type of book.

How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon: 3 Effective Strategies

You might utilize the above strategies to get a lot of book reviews quickly, but if you’re a writer hoping to build a solid, enduring, and stellar reputation, you’ll want glowing reviews to come in steadily that come across authentic and sincere.

Here are 3 aspects to focus on for the long run:

1. Develop Relationships

One suggestion that I never see mentioned but is one that has served me very well is to attend writers’ conferences. Not only I but many writers I know have gotten endorsement blurbs from some of the most successful blockbuster authors by attending conferences and creating genuine relationships.

Let me emphasize those last three words. If you go around conferences strong-arming famous authors [read: ingratiating yourself], begging them to spend precious hours of their life reading your book and write a glowing review, you are going to be labeled a pesky pariah.

Conferences provide opportunities to rub elbows with these authors, and engaging in sincere and considerate conversation could open the door to a generous and willing heart happy to help out. You may find only one, but that’s a great start!

This is also good advice for any effort to garner reviews—be it from friends, writing associates, or your coworkers at your job. Don’t be pushy or whiny. People who sense your humility and genuineness will be drawn to take you up on your request to read and review. Give it a try!

2. Build Your Mailing List

The best way to get quality reviews is to reach out to those on your mailing list, your social media contacts, and those you’ve sent advance copies to. Ask them in a friendly, non-pressuring way to leave a review, expressing gratitude for their taking the time to read and review your book.

Even if you haven’t finished writing your book, you should get a mailing list started and work on building it. These folks are going to be your most faithful fans and reviewers. Some authors set up street teams (a group of super fans) and get them enthusiastically involved in sharing news about their new release, and once the book is published , they’re usually asked to post their honest reviews right away. With a mailing list, you can share excerpts of your new release and offer an ARC to any who want to read and review. I do this often with my new releases.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t bribe, coerce, or cajole.
• When you send a copy of your book to a potential reader, thank them and tell them: “Be sure that when you leave a review on Amazon for me, you state that you were given a free copy in exchange for writing an honest review.”
• DO ask them to give you an honest review. DON’T threaten them. You’ll make more friends this way, stay out of trouble, and have a clear conscience (reread above section on developing relationships).
• Be professional. Remember: there is nothing disgraceful about asking for reviews or blurbs of endorsement for your book.
• Provide a choice of epub, PDF, and mobi (Kindle) files. You can save a Word doc as a PDF, and there are free sites online that can convert from one file type to another. I like to put my cover on the first page, and it’s wise to test the file (send the mobi to your Kindle and download a program that can open an epub file (I use Adobe Digital Editions )

3. Encourage Readers to Leave a Review Right after They Read

While Amazon emails customers to leave reviews some days after they purchase anything on their site, a personal encouragement at the back of your book, along with a link (if an ebook), will probably persuade readers to leave that honest review.

This is what I write: “The best way to thank an author for writing a book you enjoyed is to leave an honest review! Click here to post your review of [book title]. Thank you so much for taking the time to let other readers know what you thought of my book.” I put a hyperlink in connected to the words click here (don’t show the very long URL).

If your book isn’t published yet, you will have to wait until you’ve at least got it up for presale (one good reason to use that feature) in order to get your Amazon book page URL. Once you have that, plug in the URL to your request for a review.

Once the book is published, you can use the link that directly goes to the book review page for your book. Here’s how you do it:

• Go to your product page once your book is live, click on the reviews button, then scroll down to the bottom and click on “see all __ customer reviews. Click on that link.
• Now, grab the URL in the search bar at the top.
• Only grab to the end of the numbers and include the forward slash. It should look something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Hope-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/ product-reviews /B00PIAD22K/

Notice that the URL includes “product-reviews” in there. That’s the nice, clean link to your reviews page.

So what happens when the reader clicks that link?

She gets taken right to the top of your review page where there is a nice button that says “write a review.”

Why You Should Never Stop Attracting Reviews

In order to stay ranking high and keep Amazon’s algorithm attention, you’ll need to get a steady stream of reviews over time. That’s why it’s not a great idea to tell all your fans or mailing list recipients to post their review on one specific day. It’s better if they flow in as a stream and not a tsunami.

Don’t run that free KDP promotion during launch week . Offer your book for free one or two days a month, and that will draw in new readers whose reviews will come in over time.

Consider using a free, reputable book review site—maybe one each month—to attract new readers. I recently did a NetGalley promotion (yes, I did pay for that), and netted a lot of readers who downloaded (for free) my book file. NetGalley reviewers are bloggers, librarians, booksellers, educators, journalists, and members of the media. Reviewers give your book a rating and offer feedback. My next step is to contact the reviewers who haven’t yet left a review and politely ask if they would post one on Amazon.

Keep in mind that any reviews you get, you can manually enter them through your Author Central account on Amazon so the reviews will show up on your product page. So no worries about pressuring readers to head over to Amazon to post it themselves. However, these reviews appear on your page’s Editorial Reviews section, not in the usual Amazon review pages (and so won’t be ranked by 1-5 stars or counted as part of your number of reviews).

Go back to your list of book bloggers and review sites. Consider contacting blogs on a weekly basis to accrue new contacts and get more reviews. Keep a chart of who you contact when.

How to Avoid Negative Reviews

Let’s face reality here: you will get negative reviews. But you’re in good company. The most famous, successful authors have plenty of negative reviews. Not everyone will love your book.

The few negative reviews I’ve gotten over the years have mostly been from readers who picked up my book during a free promotion. Some admit in their review “I never read this genre” or “this isn’t my type of book.” Meaning, they wouldn’t have bought my book (which makes me groan and mutter, “So why did you bother reading my book?”).

This is part of the tradeoff with doing free promotions. You will probably get reviews from those who don’t like or understand your genre, and, sadly, you can’t block or forbid them from leaving a review or remove said review. Good news is they probably won’t download your next book during a freebie period.

Here are some ways to fend off negative reviews:

• Have your book professionally edited and proofread.
• Better yet, have a professional critique of your book before editing to ensure it’s well structured.
• Make sure your formatting looks good, for both ebook and paperback. It’s not hard to learn how to format an ebook. Get Mark Coker’s free style book (Smashwords founder). I download Amazon’s templates for paperback and paste all my content in. Or you can hire a designer to help you. But do it right.
• Write description copy that accurately describes the genre and story—don’t mislead potential readers. Also, if your book contains “heat” (venturing into erotica) or descriptive violence, warn your reader. It’s the responsible thing to do. And, honestly, you want your target readers to be enjoying your book.
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep. This applies to self-help and other types of nonfiction. You might hope your readers will get healed, rich, happy, or successful by following your five-step secret method, but if you guarantee they will get these results, you are going to have some pretty angry customers leaving scathing reviews.
• Your book shouldn’t be a thinly veiled advertising platform for other books or services. It’s fine to list some of your other publications or resources at the back of your book, and it’s wise to include an excerpt of one of those other books to entice readers to buy it (and putting in a link to buy is fine). But don’t have promotions and special offers sprinkled throughout your pages. It’s spammy and off-putting.
• Did I mention you must have your book professionally edited and proofread?

Getting reviews on Amazon—honest, authentic reviews—will take time and effort, but it’s worth it. As the reviews pile up, you’ll see your sales ranking rise and your book will come up higher in search results.

But don’t forget the big picture: it’s about relationships. Build a fan base of happy readers who love your books. Take the time to master your craft, write the best books you can, take pride in them, and make sure they are professionally edited, with attractive covers and description that accurately describes your content. If you focus on those things and put out the effort, you will have a lot more than just reviews. You’ll have a joyful writing career.

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Cash-strapped Trump is now selling $60 Bibles, U.S. Constitution included

Rachel Treisman

Then-President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., during a controversial 2020 photo-op. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Then-President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., during a controversial 2020 photo-op.

Former President Donald Trump is bringing together church and state in a gilded package for his latest venture, a $60 "God Bless The USA" Bible complete with copies of the nation's founding documents.

Trump announced the launch of the leather-bound, large-print, King James Bible in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday — a day after the social media company surged in its trading debut and two days after a New York appeals court extended his bond deadline to comply with a ruling in a civil fraud case and slashed the bond amount by 61%.

"Happy Holy Week! Let's Make America Pray Again," Trump wrote. "As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible."

Consider This from NPR

Why trump's persecution narrative resonates with christian supporters.

The Bible is inspired by "God Bless the USA," the patriotic Lee Greenwood anthem that has been a fixture at many a Trump rally (and has a long political history dating back to Ronald Reagan). It is the only Bible endorsed by Trump as well as Greenwood, according to its promotional website .

The Bible is only available online and sells for $59.99 (considerably more expensive than the traditional Bibles sold at major retailers, or those available for free at many churches and hotels). It includes Greenwood's handwritten chorus of its titular song as well as copies of historical documents including the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Pledge of Allegiance.

"Many of you have never read them and don't know the liberties and rights you have as Americans, and how you are being threatened to lose those rights," Trump said in a three-minute video advertisement.

"Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country, and I truly believe that we need to bring them back and we have to bring them back fast."

'You gotta be tough': White evangelicals remain enthusiastic about Donald Trump

Trump critics on both sides of the aisle quickly criticized the product, characterizing it as self-serving and hypocritical.

Conservative political commentator Charlie Sykes slammed him for "commodifying the Bible during Holy Week," while Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota critiqued him for "literally taking a holy book and selling it, and putting it out there in order to make money for his campaign."

Trump says the money isn't going to his campaign, but more on that below.

Klobuchar added that Trump's public attacks on others are "not consistent with the teachings of the Bible," calling this "one more moment of hypocrisy." Tara Setmayer, a senior adviser for anti-Trump Republican PAC the Lincoln Project, called it "blasphemous ."

And former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, trolled Trump with a social media post alluding to his alleged extramarital affairs.

"Happy Holy Week, Donald," she wrote. "Instead of selling Bibles, you should probably buy one. And read it, including Exodus 20:14 ."

Christianity is an increasingly prominent part of his campaign

Trump has made a point of cultivating Christian supporters since his 2016 presidential campaign and remains popular with white evangelicals despite his multiple divorces, insults toward marginalized groups and allegations of extramarital affairs and sexual assault.

And his narrative of being persecuted — including in the courts — appears to resonate with his many Christian supporters.

Trump has increasingly embraced Christian nationalist ideas in public. He promised a convention of religious broadcasters last month that he would use a second term to defend Christian values from the "radical left," swearing that "no one will be touching the cross of Christ under the Trump administration."

He made similar comments in the Bible promotional video, in which he warned that "Christians are under siege" and the country is "going haywire" because it lost religion.

What to know about the debut of Trump's $399 golden, high-top sneakers

"We must defend God in the public square and not allow the media or the left-wing groups to silence, censor or discriminate against us," he said. "We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and back into what will be again a great nation."

Trump himself is not known to be particularly religious or a regular churchgoer. He long identified as Presbyterian but announced in 2020 that he identified as nondenominational .

A Pew Research Center survey released earlier this month found that most people with positive views of Trump don't see him as especially religious, but think he stands up for people with religious beliefs like their own.

Trump said in the promotional video that he has many Bibles at home.

"It's my favorite book," he said, echoing a comment he's made in previous years. "It's a lot of people's favorite book."

The Impact Of Christian Nationalism On American Democracy

Trump's relationship to the Bible has been a point of discussion and sometimes controversy over the years.

In 2020, amid protests over George Floyd's murder, he posed with a Bible outside a Washington, D.C., church, for which he was widely criticized. U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops had tear-gassed peaceful protesters in the area beforehand, seemingly to make way for the photo-op, though a watchdog report the following year determined otherwise .

That same year, a clip of a 2015 Bloomberg interview, in which Trump declines to name his favorite — or any — Bible verse resurfaced on social media and went viral.

Bible sales are unlikely to solve Trump's financial problems

An FAQ section on the Bible website says no profits will go to Trump's reelection campaign.

"GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign," it says.

However, the site adds that it uses Trump's name, likeness and image "under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC."

Trump is listed as the manager, president, secretary and treasurer of CIC Ventures LLC in a financial disclosure from last year.

Here's what happens if Trump can't pay his $454 million bond

Trump's sales pitch focuses on bringing religion back to America.

"I want to have a lot of people have it," he said at one point in the video. "You have to have it for your heart and for your soul."

But many are wondering whether Trump has something else to gain from Bible sales while facing under mounting financial pressure.

There's his presidential reelection campaign, which has raised only about half of what Biden's has so far this cycle. Trump acknowledged Monday that he "might" spend his own money on his campaign, something he hasn't done since 2016.

There's also his mounting legal expenses, as he faces four criminal indictments and numerous civil cases. Trump posted bond to support a $83.3 million jury award granted to writer E. Jean Carroll in a defamation case earlier this month, and was due to put up another $454 million in a civil fraud case this past Monday.

Trump is on the verge of a windfall of billions of dollars. Here are 3 things to know

His lawyers had said last week that they had approached 30 companies for help making bond, but doing so was a "practical impossibility" — prompting New York's attorney general to confirm that if Trump did not pay, she would move to seize his assets . On Monday, the appeals court reduced the bond amount to $175 million and gave Trump another 10 days to post it.

Trump has evidently been trying to raise money in other ways.

The day after the civil fraud judgment was announced, he debuted a line of $399 golden, high-top sneakers , which sold out in hours . The company behind his social media app, Truth Social, started trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Tuesday, which could deliver him a windfall of more than $3 billion — though he can't sell his shares for another six months.

• Donald J. Trump
• sales pitch
• Christianity

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Trump’s Newest Venture? A $60 Bible.

His Bible sales pitch comes as he appears to be confronting a significant financial squeeze, with his legal fees growing while he fights a number of criminal cases and lawsuits.

• Share full article

By Michael Gold and Maggie Haberman

• March 26, 2024

Before he turned to politics, former President Donald J. Trump lent his star power and celebrity endorsement to a slew of consumer products — steaks, vodka and even for-profit education, to name just a few.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, added a new item to the list: a $60 Bible.

Days before Easter, Mr. Trump posted a video on his social media platform in which he encouraged his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” named after the ballad by the country singer Lee Greenwood, which Mr. Trump plays as he takes the stage at his rallies.

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” said Mr. Trump, who before entering politics was not overtly religious and who notably stumbled while referencing a book of the Bible during his 2016 campaign. “It’s a lot of people’s favorite book.”

Though Mr. Trump is not selling the Bible, he is getting royalties from purchases, according to a person familiar with the details of the business arrangement.

Priced at $59.99, plus shipping and tax, the “God Bless the USA Bible” includes a King James Bible and a handwritten version of the chorus of Mr. Greenwood’s song, and copies of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

In his video, Mr. Trump expressed his approval of the book’s blend of theology with foundational American political documents, framing that mix as central to the political call that has been his longtime campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.

“Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country,” Mr. Trump said. Later, he added, “We must make America pray again.”

As he runs for president this year, Mr. Trump has framed his campaign as a crusade to defend Christian values from the left. He often makes false or misleading claims that Democrats are persecuting Christians. Last month, he told a religious media convention that Democrats wanted to “tear down crosses.”

His Bible sales pitch comes as he appears to be confronting a significant financial squeeze. With his legal fees growing while he fights four criminal cases and a number of civil lawsuits, Mr. Trump is also being required to post a $175 million bond while he appeals his New York civil fraud case — a hefty amount, though one that is significantly smaller than the $454 million penalty imposed in the case.

According to the Bible’s website, Mr. Trump’s “name, likeness and image” are being used “under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions about the business arrangement. But CIC Ventures is also connected to another product Mr. Trump has hawked while campaigning: $399 “Never Surrender” sneakers that he announced at a sneaker convention in Philadelphia last month.

Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Our Coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election

News and Analysis

While President Biden and Donald Trump scored overwhelming victories  in primaries in New York, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Connecticut on April 2, small but significant protest votes in both parties have persisted .

Trump again cast Biden’s immigration record in violent and ominous terms , accusing him of creating a “border blood bath” and once more using dehumanizing language to describe some migrants entering the country illegally.

Biden called a decision by the Florida Supreme Court to uphold a restrictive abortion law “outrageous” and “extreme,”  while Trump demurred  on taking a clear position.

Biden’s alternatively cozy and combative relationship  with America’s business leaders has rippled through the national economy, federal policy and now the 2024 election.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Biden a bigger threat to democracy than Trump , who has denied his 2020 election loss and praised Jan. 6 rioters. After Kennedy’s stance drew scrutiny, he quickly backtracked.

Trump, who ends many of his rallies with a churchlike ritual, has infused his movement with Christianity .

Covert Chinese accounts are masquerading online as American supporters of Trump , signaling a potential shift in how Beijing aims to influence U.S. politics.

Money blog: What makes up the cost of a £6 pint - and how much is profit?

The cost of draught lager has gone up nearly 30% since January 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. Read this and more in the Money blog, your place for personal finance news. Leave a comment on stories we've covered, or a question for our experts, in the form below.

Thursday 4 April 2024 15:26, UK

• British Savings Bonds announced in the budget go on sale - but experts aren't convinced
• What makes up the cost of a £6 pint - and how much is profit?
• How to make your money work harder while it's sat in your current account
• How much will your take-home pay increase this month with NI cut? Use our calculator
• 'Are they going to go around sniffing people?' Big Issue founder says government has 'lost the plot' over homelessness plan
• Eight big price hikes this week - and six boosts to Britons' pockets
• All the places kids can eat cheap or free this Easter

Ask a question or make a comment

Ted Baker is the latest in a string of high-street giants to call in administrators in recent years. 

But how does it affect you? 

Let's use Ted Baker as an example. 

Purchases and returns

You can still purchase online or walk into a Ted Baker shop and buy items, but you could run into trouble returning them. 

If the retailer stops trading, it may not be able to get your money back to you.

If that is the case, you would have to file a claim with Teneo (Ted Baker's administrator) to join a list of creditors owed money by Ted Baker – and even then there's no guarantee you'd get your money back.

You could also file a claim with your debit or credit card provider - but again, no guarantees. 

TL;DR: If you have one - use it as soon as possible. 

Teneo has made no changes to the way gift cards can be used at Ted Baker, but as is the case with all administrators, it can change the terms and conditions at will. 

As above, if you lose out on cash because of a company going into administration, you can raise it with the administrators themselves. 

Credits and debits

As we mentioned earlier, you can file a claim with your debit or credit card provider to recover lost funds - but how exactly does that work?

• Credit card:  If you bought any single item costing between £100-£30,000 and paid on a credit card, the card firm is liable if something goes wrong. If any purchase was less than £100, you may still be able to get your money back via chargeback
• Debit card:  Under chargeback, your bank can try to get your money back from Ted Baker's bank. However, be aware that this is not a legal requirement and it can later be disputed and recalled back to Ted Baker's bank

A US state is considering a bill giving employees the right not to respond to calls, emails and texts from their bosses outside of paid work hours.

The so-called "right to disconnect" would allow California's labour commission to fine employers for interrupting personal time, reports our partner network NBC News.

The bill makes exceptions for emergencies, scheduling and collective bargaining.

The state's Chamber of Commerce called the proposed legislation a step backwards for flexibility.

However, Professor Amira Barger told NBC the changes would help tackle an "epidemic of burnout" and were a "necessary adaptation" for the future of work.

The planned £15bn mega-merger of UK mobile networks Vodafone and Three is to face an in-depth investigation by the competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority confirmed it will launch a so-called Phase 2 probe after both firms told the regulator they would not be offering measures to ease its concerns ahead of the deadline, 2 April.

The CMA said last month that the tie-up could have a "substantial" impact on competition, warning it may lead to higher prices and reduced quality.

Read more in our full story .

School strikes over teachers' pay and funding could be staged in September, the leader of a teaching union has warned.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), the largest education union in the UK, did not rule out launching a ballot on walkouts for the autumn term.

Teachers at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth will vote today on whether the union should "build capacity" to deliver national industrial action.

Ofgem is considering plans for rules on the use of artificial intelligence in the energy industry amid fears the technology could risk "tacit collusion", reports  The Times.

Algorithms that make pricing decisions for companies would make it more difficult to identify who is accountable when it comes to competition issues, the regulator said.

Customers also need to be protected from higher-risk AI used to help balance supply and demand that could cause power outages if they fail.

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

The FTSE 100 is up more than 0.4% this morning, after a rise in the price of gold boosted precious metal mining firms.

Also up is British fintech Cab Payments. Its shares have shot up 11% in early trading.

It comes after the firm secured a payment provider licence in the Netherlands, paving the way for it to expand in the country.

Meanwhile, the cost of oil continues to slowly creep up in the wake of investor concerns over the Middle East and Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries.

A barrel of Brent crude is currently trading at just over $89 (£70).

The currency markets remain stable, with £1 buying you $1.26 US or €1.17, with the rates almost unchanged from yesterday.

Google is considering charging for premium AI-powered features, the Financial Times reports.

It would be the first time the tech giant put any core products behind a paywall, as it seeks to gain ground in the fast-moving AI space

The FT cited sources familiar with Google's plans as saying it could incorporate a generative AI-powered search engine in its subscription services, which already provide access to its new Gemini AI assistant in Gmail and Docs.

Google's traditional search engine would remain free of charge and ads would continue to appear alongside search results even for subscribers.

"We're not working on or considering an ad-free search experience. As we've done many times before, we'll continue to build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our subscription offerings across Google," the company told Reuters.

Google, which invented the foundational technology for today's AI boom, is locked in battle with two industry players that have captured the business world's attention - ChatGPT's creator OpenAI and its backer Microsoft.

Every Thursday we look at a different savings option, explain the pros and cons, and reveal the best deals on the market (see table below for that).  This week we're talking about the top interest-paying current accounts. Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  writes...

From time to time there are plenty of incentives available to attempt to encourage people to switch their current accounts - but switching is not always necessary. There are also some current accounts that offer competitive interest rates, even if there's not a switching incentive. 

While not as prevalent as they have been in the recent past, interest-paying current accounts can offer some very competitive interest rates – especially bearing in mind that most current accounts offer no interest at all. In fact, according to the Bank of England, there is £253bn currently held in these non-interest bearing accounts.

These accounts are usually more complicated than a traditional savings account and there are a number of hoops to jump through and potential hazards to avoid, in order to get the returns on offer. 

Potential traps to look out for are: low maximum balances, introductory rates, monthly fees, a requirement to set up direct debits, a minimum amount to pay in each month and a minimum amount to maintain in the account.

All of these factors need to be taken into account when choosing an account and if you feel that you may fall foul of the rules, take a look at one of the alternatives that will suit your circumstances better. 

Setting up standing orders is an easy way to ensure you deposit and withdraw the qualifying amounts each month and can be effective in managing multiple current accounts. It may take a while to set it all up, but the rates on offer could make it worthwhile. It is also worth remembering that many of these accounts can be opened without having to switch your main current account. 

A final point to bear in mind is that some of these accounts give you access to exclusive savings accounts, which often pay competitive rates - especially true with regular savings accounts.

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

Many of us have noticed the price of pints creeping up in recent years. 

The cost of draught lager has gone up nearly 30% since January 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS says the cost of the average pint in Britain is £4.70 (it was £3.67 in January 2019), but many pubs frequently sell beers for over £5, £6 or even £7 in cities like London, Edinburgh and Brighton. 

The beer doesn't taste any different despite the increase in price - so where exactly does that £6-7 for a pint go? 

Sky News spoke with management at The Duke of Greenwich pub in Greenwich, London, for some insight. 

A pint of The Duke of Greenwich's eponymous lager costs £6 - but just 83p (about 13.8% of the cost to the consumer) is profit for the pub.

They pay the brewery £1.36 per pint and allow for 5% wastage - which people in the industry say is perhaps a little on the low side, given the number of top-ups and over-lively pints poured. 

Nearly 30%, or £1.76, of your £6 goes towards paying staff - with hospitality wages needing to rise given inflation, the national minimum wage and in order for pubs, restaurants and cafes to compete in the worsening inter-industry dogfight for employees. 

£1.16 may seem steep for rent and utilities per pint - but remember they aren't just paying for the building and the lights. They also need to wash your glass with very hot water using a dishwasher or glass cleaner, provide heating for punters, water for the bathrooms and electricity across the wider pub for bandits (aka trusty fruit machines), music and for that bloke at the bar to charge his phone. 

No one will need reminding that there's a cost of living crisis that affects pubs as much as everyone else. 

There's also beer gas that needs to be paid for. 

This goes some way towards explaining why pubs charge so much - they simply have to survive. 

More expensive means more profit, right?

As you go further up the scale, the trend continues. 

Despite a pint of Crush IPA by the Drop Project Brewery in Mitcham costing £1.80 more than the lager (£7.80), there's actually a decrease in the profit margin - from around 13.8% to around 12.7%. 

Less than £1 of that £7.80 is profit for the pub itself - and this is before we've accounted for extra expenses like refurbishments, cleaners, breakages, expired products, etc. 

While being aware of these facts may not make you wince any less when that card machine turns around, you will have a better idea of where that money is going. 

British Savings Bonds, which were announced in the budget, have gone on sale.

The bonds, issued by the Treasury-backed NS&I, offer a fixed rate for three years - and the rate has been revealed at 4.15%.

This has left experts feeling a little underwhelmed.

Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes gave us her view: "In essence, this is simply a re-issuance of the NS&I three-year Guaranteed Income and Guaranteed Growth bonds, rather than anything new or British.

"As was reported just after the budget and as is often the case with NS&I products, while the interest rate is not rock bottom it’s mid-table, so is likely to still be utilised, especially for those rolling over old bonds, and those with more than the FSCS limit of £85,000, because of course all cash held with NS&I is guaranteed by HM Treasury.

"NS&I is a trusted institution so will always be popular, but savers can earn quite a lot more if they shop around and perhaps choose a provider they are less familiar with."

The Guaranteed Growth Bond option is available at 4.15% and the Guaranteed Income Bond option has a rate of 4.07%.

Funds of between £500 and £1 million can be invested, with the money locked in for the duration of the three-year term.

The investments have 100%, Treasury-backed security, and are invested back into the country via government financing.

British Savings Bonds can be purchased online at nsandi.com .

Those looking for three-year deals can find a range of options with rates above 4.60% AER in the wider market, according to Moneyfactscompare.co.uk .

Bonds with shorter terms also offer higher rates, such as 5.25% AER for a one-year deal or 5.10% for a two-year deal.

Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk , said: "As it stands, savers can get an account that pays more than 5% on either an easy access account or fixed-rate bond. As has been evident, fixed rates on savings accounts are coming down, so the deals that sit towards the top of the market will likely be in high demand."

Bim Afolami, economic secretary to the Treasury, said: "This is a new opportunity for UK savers to benefit from the three-year fixed-rate British Savings Bonds knowing that their money is fully protected by HM Treasury.

"The bonds will help to grow the savings culture in the UK while providing cost-effective financing for the government."

More than one in three UK water employees has reported being verbally abused at work, according to GMB Union.

A survey of almost 1,300 staff found industry workers have been physically assaulted and unsafe working alone, the Guardian reported.

The survey comes after backlash to news of sewage dumping practices.

The government has declined to launch a public inquiry into Thurrock council's bankruptcy , the Financial Times reports.

Residents had petitioned for an investigation into the Conservative-run Essex council.

But minister for local government Simon Hoare said a best value inspection report published last year was an effective way to look into the issue.

Co-op is reintroducing the  remote wine-tastings  first piloted during lockdown.

Winemakers will host sessions to members each month over Zoom following demand from customers, according to the supermarket.

Participants will receive advance notice of which wines will be the subject of the tastings.

Superdrug has axed the cost of VAT from its own-brand sun care range.

The retailer says the products should be deemed a healthcare essential and not a beauty treatment, and believes all sun protection should be exempt from the 20% levy.

The UK government is coming under increasing pressure to remove VAT on all sun care after a rise in calls for donations of such products, with some having to go without sun protection completely. 

The reduction is expected to save consumers around £1m.

Jamie Archer, own brand director at Superdrug, said: "Sun cream is currently classed as a cosmetic product and therefore carries the VAT associated with it, making it unaffordable for some people.

"We believe that everyone should have access to the products that protect their health and wellbeing and at an affordable price. 

"Therefore, we're proud to support our customers by removing 20% from our sun care range for a second year."

The cut means Solait Sun Cream SPF50 (200ml) costs £3.59 and the Solait Kid’s Roll-on Sun Cream SPF50+ (75ml) £2.79.

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