How does it work with reviews on sites like Amazon etc as an author of a book? Do you get notified of them or do you actively have to go and read them?

No, Amazon doesn’t notify you - but I don’t read my reviews anyway! The only reviews I read are the ones from professional trade publications like Publisher’s Weekly. Reader reviews are for the sake of other readers, not for the author. Honestly, I don’t think any authors should be on sites like Amazon and Goodreads to check reviews on their own work - I’ve only ever seen it cause trouble.

That being said, I do greatly appreciate it when people leave reviews, because it helps bring in other readers so that the book can potentially find a wider audience. And I love talking to readers who reach out to me with their thoughts on my works - to me, that’s a much different context. It’s the distinction between being invited into a conversation and eavesdropping on one.