Amazon Reviews- How Do You Tell If They Are Real?

There is nothing more disturbing than buying a book on Amazon, only to be disappointed by how bad it is. With so many self- published authors out there, how do you decipher if the review is real or faked? Yes, Amazon has the “Amazon Verified Amazon Purchase” link but is that really enough? The answer is NO!

Author’s frequently ask friends to read their books to boost reviews. Think about it for a moment, if your best friend reads your book and hates it, do you really think they will tell you? Author’s just want their books to sell and sometimes don’t realize the implications of such behavior. For instance, what if the book is poorly edited? Do you think that your friends are going to tell you that? No. You can bet that readers with no emotional investment are going to write about the poor editing.

Here are some tips I use to figure out my buying experience:

1. First of all, if all of the reviews are 5-Star, be wary. Different people have varying tastes. Many people may like the book, but there will also be people who don’t. That is the nature of reviews.

2. Click on the reviewer’s name and see what other books that reader has reviewed. If the reader has reviewed many books, chances are that the reader is giving an honest assessment. If the reader has only reviewed this particular book or this book and three appliance purchases, move onto the next reviewer.

3. Amazon Reviewer Ranking System- Amazon reviewers actually get a ranking number. The smaller the number, the more participation in the review process. People who are ranked low, are avid readers.

 4. Lastly, you can always tell how well a book is selling by the Amazon Best Sellers Ranking. Check both the Kindle and the book sales. Many times, Kindle copies are selling better than the actual book. This section will tell you where the book falls in the sales ranking. If the book is in the top 100,000 best sellers, it is probably selling fairly well. If it is ranked at 400,000 or more it is probably not selling well. This ranking changes frequently so check a couple times before purchasing.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of six books and the CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self- publisher. For more information on how you can get your book published and maximize your royalties, call (661)251-6900.