Thursday, June 17, 2021

How to Get More Book Reviews


by Susan U. Neal
@SusanNealYoga

Book reviews show readers that your book is worth their investment of money and time. The more reviews your book has, the more books you will sell because people believe what consumers say about products. In fact, ninety percent of consumers read online reviews. One of the most critical things you can do for your book’s salability is obtain at least fifty Amazon reviews.

 

Ask Your Book Launch Team

Did you create a book review team? This team is vital for your book’s promotion. Weeks before publication, I send a copy of my eBook (via BookFunnel.com) to my book launch team members and ask them to please post a book review within two weeks of the book’s release. I lower the price of my eBook to 99 cents and ask the team members to purchase an eBook and peruse it. That way they will be designated as a “verified purchase” on the Amazon review.

 

I use BookFunnel because this platform sends a unique, nonsharable download link so only one person can open it, and you can check to see if they opened it or not. Therefore, your manuscript cannot be shared with anyone else. It is also beneficial to send your book launch team book promotion memes to different social media channels. The more people you have posting on social media about your book, the better.

 

Ask Friends and Acquaintances 

Ask your friends, acquaintances, and other authors in writers’ groups to please post an online review. Continuing to request reviews is an essential component of any book’s viability. Whenever I receive positive feedback from a reader, I graciously respond by thanking them and ask if they would please post an Amazon review. I always send a clean Amazon link. If you do not know how to create a clean link, click here to find out. If your Amazon link is not clean, it contains a code that tells Amazon that you generated the code. If a reader uses this code to post a review, Amazon will probably not post it. Yet it is vital to make it as easy as possible for readers to click a link and post the review. 

 

After you get fifty Amazon book reviews, the reviews begin posting organically without solicitation. So work very hard to get those first fifty reviews. If I give my book to someone, I add to my calendar to contact them in two months and request a review. It is the least they could do. Be brave and ask. 

 

My book, Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates, has over 100 reviews. Here is an example of that book’s dirty link versus a clean link:

 

Dirty: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Study-Guide-Steps-Carbohydrates/dp/0997763671/ref=sr_1_3?crid=22XV039TU853Y&dchild=1&keywords=christian+study+guide+for+7+steps+to+get&qid=1620258300&sprefix=Christian+study+guide+for+7+st%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-3

 

Clean: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Study-Guide-Steps-Carbohydrates-ebook-dp-B07G9SLNNW/dp/B07G9SLNNW

 

To create a clean link, you remove all the coding from the link after ASIN number. I create a Word document that contains the clean links for all my books. When I need a link, I retrieve it from that document, not Amazon. Send the same clean link to everyone when promoting your book.

 

Ask For Reviews at the End of Your Book

Readers enjoy engaging with authors. Put your contact information in either a brief paragraph or letter to the reader from you—the author—at the end of your book. If a reader contacts you, thank them for communicating with you and ask them to post a book review. Explain that their review will help other potential readers know how they can benefit from the book as they have. 

 

Find Bloggers to Review Your Book

Bloggers are influential. If they review your book, more people find out about it. Check out book review services and blog directories that list bloggers who perform book reviews. Develop a list of ten to twenty bloggers, and send them a query to see if they would be interested in reviewing your book. Some book review services and blog directories include:

 

NetGalley.com includes book reviewers, librarians, retailers, and bloggers. Expensive with no guarantee you will get reviews.

 

BookReviewBuzz.com affordable, but is not Christian. It is for general market books.


 

TheIndieView.com

 

BookReviewerYellowPages.com

 

Use Book Giveaways to Garner More Reviews

A book giveaway provides exposure for your book and increases the likelihood that the recipient will write a review for your book. Host book giveaways on Goodreads, LibraryThing, and BookLikes. First, become a member and set up an author profile on the site. Next, host a book giveaway. Only give away one to two copies of your book at a time, but do this every few months. However, giveaways don’t guarantee a review. 

 

Seek Book Review Sites 

You could also seek reviews on book review sites. Both Christian and secular sites exist. If you have a Christian book, you may want to stick with a Christian site so you do not get a negative review. Some Christian book review sites include: 

 

Book Bargains and Previews

 

Faithwebbin.net

 

General Market Review Sites include: 

 

Readers Favorite

 

Reader Views

 

Feathered Quill Book Reviews

As the Director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) and Christian Indie Awards, the number one mistake I see authors make is not getting fifty book reviews. If your book has not achieved this goal, implement some tips listed above to get more reviews. If you would like more information on this topic check out CIPA’s Course: Tips for Getting More Book Reviews

TWEETABLE

Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS: Susan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHwith the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATESCHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATESHEALTHY LIVING JOURNALSCRIPTURE YOGAa #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and YOGA FOR BEGINNERS which ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA is a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COM You can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOKTWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.

4 comments:

  1. This is super good, Susan! Thanks so much for all of these ideas.

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  2. So many great ideas packed into this post! Thanks for sharing, Susan.

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  3. These are excellent ideas! I learned something new about clean links, too. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  4. Good stuff! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete