Jessica Russell's Blog - Posts Tagged "cover"
Do Reviews Lead to Sales?
Here's some info that may clear up some confusion for some of my fellow writers out there. I was at breakfast this morning with two friends of mine, who, like me, make their living writing web content but who also launched their first novel in the infamous 2020! 😮 Well, they got into a heated debate about reviews versus sales: One said "You must get good reviews and that will lead to sales." The other said "No no no, focus on sales and that will automatically take care of the review problem."
Naturally, I was suppose to be the tie breaker.
Well, they are both correct and they are both incorrect. Here's why:
A high rating and great reviews on Amazon (or wherever you sell your book) will definitely get you some sales. That's because when someone is considering taking a chance on a new writer, that person often wants to read reviews. if your rating is low and you have bad reviews, some customers will automatically pass. If they are on the fence and your rating is high and your reviews are good, they may very well get pushed off the fence in a good direction! So yes., reviews can be responsible for some sales. HOWEVER...reviews in and of themselves will not guarantee sales, because people have to SEE them for the reviews to benefit you. If traffic to your link has slowed down and no new eyes are seeing your book online, the reviews are useless, since no one is there to read them. In other words, reviews can get you sales if someone clicks on your link, but reviews can't get you the
CLICKS. Only advertising can.
As far as sales getting you reviews, again...yes and no. More sales obviously increase your chances of reviews, BUT...most people do not review the books they read. Experts estimate it's approximately one out of a hundred who read a book and actually review it. I know. Pretty grim. So sales alone do not guarantee reviews, and of course, there is always the problem with Amazon continuously deleting legitimate reviews due to faulty software that tells them the review is "fake." (insert eye rolling) So even if you get a pocket of sales and GET reviews, you may lose some to that nonsense. On the upside, yes...even if it is only one in a hundred who leave a review, it stands to reason that the more batches of "hundreds" you get, the better the chances are that more reviews will show up.
Ultimately, focus on advertising because it all starts with clicks. Then make sure your write up and cover are good, because those are the two things that affect sales the most for new authors. More on that next time. Hope that was helpful.
Keep Calm and Write on!
Naturally, I was suppose to be the tie breaker.
Well, they are both correct and they are both incorrect. Here's why:
A high rating and great reviews on Amazon (or wherever you sell your book) will definitely get you some sales. That's because when someone is considering taking a chance on a new writer, that person often wants to read reviews. if your rating is low and you have bad reviews, some customers will automatically pass. If they are on the fence and your rating is high and your reviews are good, they may very well get pushed off the fence in a good direction! So yes., reviews can be responsible for some sales. HOWEVER...reviews in and of themselves will not guarantee sales, because people have to SEE them for the reviews to benefit you. If traffic to your link has slowed down and no new eyes are seeing your book online, the reviews are useless, since no one is there to read them. In other words, reviews can get you sales if someone clicks on your link, but reviews can't get you the
CLICKS. Only advertising can.
As far as sales getting you reviews, again...yes and no. More sales obviously increase your chances of reviews, BUT...most people do not review the books they read. Experts estimate it's approximately one out of a hundred who read a book and actually review it. I know. Pretty grim. So sales alone do not guarantee reviews, and of course, there is always the problem with Amazon continuously deleting legitimate reviews due to faulty software that tells them the review is "fake." (insert eye rolling) So even if you get a pocket of sales and GET reviews, you may lose some to that nonsense. On the upside, yes...even if it is only one in a hundred who leave a review, it stands to reason that the more batches of "hundreds" you get, the better the chances are that more reviews will show up.
Ultimately, focus on advertising because it all starts with clicks. Then make sure your write up and cover are good, because those are the two things that affect sales the most for new authors. More on that next time. Hope that was helpful.
Keep Calm and Write on!
Low Book Sales? Examine These Three Things
If your book isn't doing well, don’t start second guessing the content. For new writers, whether or not you wrote something interesting and engaging will show up in the reviews. With regard to sales, however, it’s a little different. If you launched several advertising campaigns and your book is not selling, the things you need to rethink are the title, the cover and the write up before ANYTHING else. Those are the three things that sell a book once someone clicks through to your link.
Obviously, good reviews go a long way too, but if a book doesn’t catch the shopper’s attention, he or she probably won’t stick around long enough to read the reviews. Thankfully, it is not nearly as difficult as it used to be to change your book's write-up, title or even it’s cover. This is why you should consider getting an expert’s opinion on those three things if you find that sales aren’t happening, despite effective marketing.
Ask a pro if your title is catchy enough or if it is uninspiring. Get some advice about your cover from a professional artist as well. Boring covers do not sell books. A dull, bland cover subconsciously signals the brain that it’s a dull, bland book. (It’s also important to make sure the cover depicts what is actually in the book so readers don't get mad at you later.)
If possible, when it comes to the write-up, get the opinion of several different professionals to see if it pulls the reader in or if it sounds like 100 other write-ups. Just as books often become formulamatic in today’s modern world, so do write-ups.
Try to avoid overused phrases and clichés and search for unique ways to explain what’s happening in your novel. Of course, there could be many reasons for low sales, but the cover, the title, and the write-up are the three vital aspects that readers often base their purchase decisions on...whether they know it or not! Write on.
Obviously, good reviews go a long way too, but if a book doesn’t catch the shopper’s attention, he or she probably won’t stick around long enough to read the reviews. Thankfully, it is not nearly as difficult as it used to be to change your book's write-up, title or even it’s cover. This is why you should consider getting an expert’s opinion on those three things if you find that sales aren’t happening, despite effective marketing.
Ask a pro if your title is catchy enough or if it is uninspiring. Get some advice about your cover from a professional artist as well. Boring covers do not sell books. A dull, bland cover subconsciously signals the brain that it’s a dull, bland book. (It’s also important to make sure the cover depicts what is actually in the book so readers don't get mad at you later.)
If possible, when it comes to the write-up, get the opinion of several different professionals to see if it pulls the reader in or if it sounds like 100 other write-ups. Just as books often become formulamatic in today’s modern world, so do write-ups.
Try to avoid overused phrases and clichés and search for unique ways to explain what’s happening in your novel. Of course, there could be many reasons for low sales, but the cover, the title, and the write-up are the three vital aspects that readers often base their purchase decisions on...whether they know it or not! Write on.
