Heya folks, Bryan here. I’m writing to let you know that your reader reviews have an outsized impact on any author’s success. If you like a book, there is no greater thing you can do to encourage that author to write more books than to leave a review wherever you bought it.
For instance, more than 1,800 people have bought and downloaded Accidental Intelligence and King Liam, First of His Name. So far, 21 people have left reviews for Accidental Intelligence on Amazon, 10 on Apple Books, with 19 ratings on GoodReads. And 9 people have left reviews for King Liam on Amazon, with 1 review on Apple Books, and none on GoodReads. (While I have lots of sales on Barnes & Noble/Nook, Kobo, and Google Play, I don’t have many reader reviews at all on those sites.
Thanks for Leaving Your Book Review
Thank you to everyone who has left a review. Because I get it. Doesn’t matter how much you like (or dislike!) a book, taking time out of your day to drop a review…well, I’ll get to it eventually, amirite?
But, man, oh man does it help new people find and decide to buy (or not) your books. And I don’t mean you have to write an essay exploring the literary themes touched on by the author. One or two sentences explaining why you liked or disliked a book is wondrous!
If you don’t have time for that, leaving a star rating will be very useful for authors and readers, both, where it’s allowed. This is especially true for indie authors (like me!).
Why Reader Reviews Help!
Reader reviews help for a multitude of reasons. The ones that stand out for me the most are:
1.) Lots reviews are a signal that many people have bought a book. It says This Book Is Important™. This isn’t always cut and dry—and many bad reviews would send a different kind of signal—but the reality is that popular books get many reviews. Ipso facto, a book with many reviews must be popular.
2.) The opinions you express may well resonate with someone. Someone who loves character-driven books may well be scanning the reviews looking for people talking about the characters. Same with action, military stuff, intrigue, romance (or the lack thereof)—the list goes on.
3.) A large number of reviews truly do offer a solid consensus view on whatever’s being reviewed. That can also help readers make up their mind. An author has a very brief amount of time to entice someone to buy or even to download a sample chapter. A large number of reviews with a high average rating could well be the deciding factor.
A Note about Leaving Bad Reader Reviews
Here’s the thing about leaving a bad reader review: you do you! Even bad reviews—when they are honest—will help readers decide whether to buy your book. And I don’t mean that as just helping them decide NOT to buy your book. When I see a couple of bad reviews mentioning something I don’t mind—or even like—I know I can disregard those bad reviews.
In other words, I am not asking you to leave a good review, I am asking you to leave a review. I hope you will leave a good review—because I’m hoping you liked my book(s)—but I am just wanting you to take time out of your day to leave an honest review.
Reviews Are Not for Authors
That said, it’s important to remember that book reviews are not for authors. Many authors don’t read their reader reviews in the first place. But, regardless, reader reviews are for (and should be) for other readers.
