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Whether you’re an author wishing you had more reviews, or a reader who is unsure about writing them, reviews are something that is frequently debated. The results from my lesbian and bi women fiction survey had some surprising results when it comes to reviews. Over 56% of responders only sometimes review books they have read. 16% never review. Many people said they didn’t review because they didn’t know how, or they were frightened of being criticised for their own spelling or grammar. Some even questioned why their point of view was important. You can see the results for yourself here.
The topic of reviews is a big one. With reviews being essential for the success of authors, I wanted to spend a bit of time talking about why reviews are so important, how they work and how the novice reviewer can start their very first review.
Why do authors need reviews?
Believe it or not, a lot of time and money goes into creating the average book. When you download an eBook or pick up a paperback, it’s easy to forget the sheer work that has gone into producing that book.
We all know about the months of writing, but what about the months of editing? Beta checking, developmental editing, rewriting, copy editing, proofreading. Then there’s the cover artists, the formatters.
Those professionals need to be paid, and that’s before the book has even made a penny.
Many authors/publishers shell out thousands to create a book, in the hope that it will one day turn a profit. On top of this, the royalty system is set up in such a way that from day of purchase to the funds being received could be up to three, or even six, months.
To put it another way, a book I write today could take six months to be released, and another six for me to see a penny. Thousands are spent during that time, but money doesn’t come in to replenish those costs for months.
Okay, but what’s that got to do with reviews?
I’m glad you ask 
