Why Should A Reader Review A Book?

Maybe I should retitle this post to: how much do you love your favorite author? :)

I've been thinking about book reviews lately, probably because I have a new release and you know, us authors tend to lurk on Amazon and Goodreads to see what ya'll think. But I'm also an avid reader. I never used to make it a habit to leave reviews, unless Amazon prompted me, because I honestly didn't see the point. I didn't usually read reviews myself. I'd glance at the stars. Two stars? forget it. I'm that type of reader. (yikes!)

But now I understand reviews a little bit better, and from a different perspective. So if you'll indulge me, I'll give you three big reasons why you should leave a review on your favorite author's latest work:

1. It helps sell copies. And not just in the way you'd think. I mean, 4 or 5 star ratings help, for sure, but did you know that the more reviews a book gets (positive or negative), that novel gets pushed further to the forefront of buyer's eyes? For example, once a novel has over, I believe it's 25 reviews, Amazon will start added it to people's recommended reading lists based on their buying habits. That's huge. This means, potential buyers who don't know about your favorite author's novel might buy it.

2. It gives authors authentic feedback. Well, I hope it's authentic. Because truly, if you don't like my writing, I'd like to hear why. Sometimes it's personal preference. We get that. But sometimes, maybe we missed something important we can flag and remember not to do again. That's always helpful. Most writers want to better their craft and improve their stories. Who better to help them with than the people who read them?

3. Reader reviews DO influence buyers. Straight up, I read reviews now. I do look beyond the star ratings to see what people think. I often skip to the negative reviews. Often they impress me to buy. Oddly. LOL Especially when a book is graded as too clean, or not racy enough. YAY! I'm in. But the positive reviews are helpful too. Especially the straight forward ones that state what worked well in the book.

Reviews are critically important to authors. And, as readers, this is one way we can thank them for the work that they do. I'm making it a practice to review all the books I read, not just on the blog here, but on Amazon and Goodreads too.

What are your thoughts on writing reviews?

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Professional coffee drinker Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Coffee fuels her snarky personality. She lives in Neverland with her Cap’n Hook who stole her heart and will not give it back, their little fairy TinkerBell, and a very mischievous Peter Pan. The foursome embark on scores of adventure that only make her fall more wildly in love with romance and intrigue.
Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimejowright.com.
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