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Sarah wrote: "Does anybody agree that a review "in exchange for a free book", accompanied by 4, or more often 5, stars is an immediate turn-off?"I've received free copies of books in exchange for honest reviews, and those have resulted in a range of star ratings and critiques, not just 4- and 5-star ratings.
I think the key thing to remember is that a reader's time is valuable, so when I do accept to review a book, I've often already screened the book to see whether or not it would be interesting. That means I'm going in with the expectation that the book will be at least somewhere in the 4-star range. The ones that perform poorly are ones that fail to live up to my expectations for them, while the ones that perform well are the ones that I'd recommend to friends and family.
I've never had my review swayed by the fact that the book was a free copy given by the author. I don't know how others perceive this disclosure; I include it to avoid any allegations of colluding with the author (which may be backfiring, actually, but it's part of the process). I just like to read books.
Do you find these free-copy reviews to be dishonest more often than not, Sarah?
Groovy wrote: "Like most everyone here, it took a month after I published my first book on Kindle. And I agree with what Dwayne said, don't worry they'll come, believe me. Readers just looovvve to give their opin..."Groovy,
Since the four novels, which you wrote, have generated a combined total of 82 ratings and 12 reviews to-date, I would advise any author, anxious about ratings/reviews, to heed your advice. Whatever you are doing, you're doing it right, and it seems to be working well. That said; I personally believe that, since most readers never post a review or pay much attention to them, authors should not obsess over them.
Jim wrote: "Groovy wrote: "Like most everyone here, it took a month after I published my first book on Kindle. And I agree with what Dwayne said, don't worry they'll come, believe me. Readers just looovvve to ..."Thank you, Jim. You are so kind. And when you said that we as authors should not obsess with reviews, I wholeheartedly agree. You were one of the ones that helped me in a post I started to understand that, and it has helped me tremendously to have a better view of ratings and reviews. All of you who answered my thread, lifted a giant black cloud from my shoulders. I almost quit writing.
So, I hope the advice that you and other members are giving in this thread will help this author who started the thread.
Thanks!
It is like the great struggle. However, my readers do reach out to me on social media that they have finished the book and I kindly ask them to leave a review. It worked for some but I would like more. Just to know what people really thought!
It is difficult to get loads of reviews. I sell a lot of books, but a very small percentage of readers actually review. But then I don't go out and actively look for reviewers. Mind you I don't suppose 43 reviews, 42 of them 5* is bad, but I wonder how some people seem to get thousands.
With just one review to my credit (from my first book), I approached a leading blog book reviewer who agreed to review my second title. I guess the fact that *she* had marked it 'to read' worked in its favour, for a mainstream published author decided to buy a copy and reviewed it within about a week of purchase. She rated it at five stars. :)I've found, though, that a very small minority of readers will review my books. Most of my reviews are from book-bloggers that I've approached.
Jim wrote: "A positive review may inflate an author's ego and a negative review may deflate it. Just remember that it is merely an opinion and, therefore, subjective. Its effectiveness as a promotional tool is debatable..."Actually, not so much. Trad publishers aren't shy about flogging good reviews of their books. If it didn't work as a sales tool, why would they spend the money? And as Sarah pointed out, a number of promotional sites require X number of reviews averaging Y stars before they list a book. Agree or disagree with that approach, it's nonetheless the way things are.
While a review is an opinion, where it shows up can have a significant effect on a book's success. I learned this the hard way. A reviewer for a blog gave my first novel two stars. Oh, well -- I had plenty of other better reviews and this one was an outlier, so I didn't stress about it. However, it became the only "native" review for that novel on Amazon.uk, meaning that rating is the one the book wears on that 'Zon storefront. I haven't sold a copy of this book on Amazon.uk since. Never let it be said that a review can't affect sales.
OTOH, "push cards, business cards, websites, blogs, [and] interviews" have done absolutely zero for my sales. I don't think there are any sure-fire strategies, and the things that worked in 2010 don't seem to work anymore.
Lance wrote: "Jim wrote: "A positive review may inflate an author's ego and a negative review may deflate it. Just remember that it is merely an opinion and, therefore, subjective. Its effectiveness as a promoti..."Yes, I agree with you. Reviews matter. As you say, many promotional sites choose their titles through the content and ratings of reviews. And a solo negative review is very problematic.
A side question off this topic I would like to ask is where do you mainly receive these reviews? I would assume the majority of us receive reviews on Amazon and here on Goodreads. Excuse me if I'm in the dark on this but are their really any other places to which people post reviews? I know of smashwords, Kobo and Shelfari if they are members of the site but yeah, just curious. It sort of ties in with how long it takes to get reviews.
Justin wrote: "A side question off this topic I would like to ask is where do you mainly receive these reviews? ..."My first novel still only has three reviews on Amazon, and none on Goodreads. This surprises me a little, since most of the downloads came after I announced a promotional period on a Goodreads forum.
Hmm..that is odd Michael. Though perhaps some consider and prefer Amazon for writing their reviews then Goodreads.
I had promoted my self published book (I did pay for editors - from developmental to proofreading, and used a cover design company). Because of the editing and cover design I was delayed as they took more time than I had anticipated. But people on FB waited anxiously and I offered free paperbacks to anyone who asked for one (I gave out about 40). Some of those people bought the e-book since I did send the paperbacks and gave me reviews pretty quickly.
I did a Goodreads giveaway, and it has not given me much. People 'shelved' it, but sales were nil. The most I have had so far, and the book is selling very little, is when I did my first free paperback giveaway and a local ad in my hometown newspaper.
I do get messages from people, either through e-mails or text for those that know me, and they all love the book, and the major compliment is "I couldn't put it down." One person took it to work because she didn't want to wait. I do ask these people to review it but only a couple have.
I've had people ask me how to review on Amazon and Goodreads. I am going to do a blog how to post reviews on my blog: lindaannramirez.wordpress.com in the future. It seems some people are just not comfortable putting anything out there in cyber world and are not going to do it, no matter how much they like your book.
When I first published my book, I did a few read-to-review programs to drum up reviews. I've gotten a few spontaneous reviews, but I've found you can't count on those. Like everyone else mentioned, it takes a month or so to see reviews come in. I know Groovy mentioned that he had trouble with people actually completing the reviews, which I encountered a few times as well, but I found when I followed up with them once or twice to check when they expected to have the review up helped get the reviews :)_____________________
Colleen Fleshman
Get your free report on successful self-publishing at http://selfpublishing.gr8.com
Colleen wrote: "When I first published my book, I did a few read-to-review programs to drum up reviews. I've gotten a few spontaneous reviews, but I've found you can't count on those. Like everyone else mentioned,..."I was afraid to get in touch with them because they might think I'm bothering them. I read a lot of advice that says unless they get in touch with you first, it's a good idea not to contact your readers, good reviews or none. Besides, I'm thinking they didn't bother because they didn't really like it.
Oh, and Hi, everybody, I'm a girl:)
Elizabeth, I know how you feel. I've spent a lot of money gifting people who responded to my review threads and was so eager to review my books for me. I would say out of the fifteen or so I've gifted out for a review, only about four have come through. The majority of reviews I've received are from those that purchased the books.I honestly think that a lot of people claim they will review just to get a free book, and feel good about themselves because they got one over on you. My books only cost $2.99. How hard up can you be?
It's very trusting of you to send money, Elizabeth. I would be too afraid of the possibility of something like that being a scam.
The first giveaway I ever did on here I gave away two copies. I of course anticipated their reviews within a couple months. I checked, nothing. After a year I just happen to check out their profiles and my book was no where listed on their shelves... expecting and waiting for a review isn't worth it, just cut your losses and move on to the next hopeful person.
Regarding the view that readers don't like being asked for reviews, I once commented favourably on a book I'd enjoyed on Twitter and the author tweeted me back asking me to review it. I was happy to - given that I was already wanting to share the love about the book, it was a pleasure to do so elsewhere.
The funny thing is, I've always felt more fond of the writer as a result of my having done him a favour - I feel kind of maternal pride in him and want to see him succeed!
Regarding reviewers who have had a free copy of a book in return for promising a review, I don't think it's unreasonable to contact them once. There's always going to be a natural wastage of readers who just didn't get on with the book, and it's not worth stressing about that, but personally I have promised to review things and then needed that nudge to get round to actually doing it. Any more than once would feel like nagging, though.
Immediately. Find bloggers reviewing in your genre. Read their submissions guidelines and submit your work.In general, the consensus among writers is that you get about 1% reviews out of your readership.
Elizabeth wrote: "There is a review organization which is "Top 500" on Amazon reviews. It's called "Great Reads". They had a reviewer who said he would review my book. He didn't want Kindle (he lives in India, I liv..."Never pay for reviews.
Massimo wrote: "Immediately. Find bloggers reviewing in your genre. Read their submissions guidelines and submit your work.In general, the consensus among writers is that you get about 1% reviews out of your rea..."
I have tried very hard but struggled with this. Very few young adult bloggers that I have found will review self-published books, and I write young adult historical which is rather niche, thus narrowing down the number even more. If anyone has advice on where to find bloggers that aren't already overwhelmed with books, I'd be eternally grateful!
Katharine wrote: "Very few young adult bloggers that I have found will review self-published books."True, Katharine. It's a time consuming task.
You could look at sites such as:
http://bookbloggerlist.com
http://www.theindieview.com/indie-rev...
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.co...
Hope this helps.
Thank you, Massimo - I will have a look at those!
Katharine wrote: "Thank you, Massimo - I will have a look at those!"You're welcome, Katharine.
All, please, remember: Writing a review is time consuming and requires reading the book first, so it is actually requesting a big favor from a complete stranger. The prospective reviewer has no incentive in investing time and effort in a review. The least a writer can do is to show the prospective reviewer respect: be courteous and professional. Adhere to reviewers' guidelines (in the case of bloggers.)
Massimo wrote: "Katharine wrote: "Thank you, Massimo - I will have a look at those!"You're welcome, Katharine.
All, please, remember: Writing a review is time consuming and requires reading the book first, so ..."
Indeed. It struck me the other day that there aren't many favours we would ask of complete strangers that would involve them giving you as much as 10 hours of their time!
Katharine wrote: "Massimo wrote: "Katharine wrote: "Thank you, Massimo - I will have a look at those!"You're welcome, Katharine.
All, please, remember: Writing a review is time consuming and requires reading the..."
My additional advice is: never complain, nor enter in an argument with the reviewer. The writer has nothing to gain, but acquiring the reputation of being a jerk.
When your story is out there for readers to pick and enjoy (or dislike), it is no more yours, it's the readers'. They are entitled to say anything they like. Sure, you would expect a "professional" treatment from bloggers, but if that doesn't come, cross out that person's name and move on.
Massimo said it best, never pay for reviews. There's just too much uncertainty behind it and either you don't know if the review is legit or at the very worst you pay and never get a review out of it at all...
Apart from that bad reviews can have a promoting effect, too. See 50 shades of grey. More importantly is the reviewer her-/himself. If he or she only gives 5- and 4-star reviews, what's the point? That puts off some potential readers...
I'd rather know how I keep new reviews coming?
Elizabeth wrote: "Massimo, I wasn't paying for the review. I was paying for the book,..."Correct. It is true some bloggers claim to only read physical books, but unless the reviewer is an icon, or from a reputable organization like the Midwest Book Review, I wouldn't send a book either. :)
D.S. wrote: "I'd rather know how I keep new reviews coming?..."DS, unless you go after reviewers/bloggers, the only thing that will keep new reviews coming is your story. To me, every successful fiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn't have before. Should raise more questions than provide answers, make the readers think: "what would have I done..." "how would I react..." or make them question their certainties. Then reviews come, maybe positive, maybe negative, but it is certain then that what you wrote struck a chord.
That's not new to me. So, I actually only have to keep my fingers crossed then. Apart from trying to find more ways to actually promote the book. the reviews speak for themselves, obviously not enough...
D.S. wrote: "Apart from that bad reviews can have a promoting effect, too. See 50 shades of grey. More importantly is the reviewer her-/himself. If he or she only gives 5- and 4-star reviews, what's the point?..."
Do you think many readers go to the trouble of looking at the reviewer's average? Obviously if you've been burned by someone's judgements before (they gave something five stars and you read it and felt it was a waste of time) you'd be sceptical of them, but if you're looking at whether to read a book don't you just look at the overall spread of reviews rather than going too deeply into them?
I believe some are. I find it interesting that you think you can make such an assumption about me without knowing me. Be careful doing that with people.When I look at a book I also scan for the not-five-stars reviews, especially the one and two ones and look at the reviewers arguments for not giving them a better rating. This often helps me with making a decision to buy or not buy a book.
See, you don't know me at all, please do assume you can make a judgement over a person from just one post.
I'm sorry? I'm not sure what judgement or assumption you think I've made. Anyway, if I have inadvertently offended or annoyed you I apologise.
When I read, I didn't the the 'if's in your answer. For that I apologize. Still, I don't think anyone would just look at the overall rating in general, but also read some of them, but if these are too superficial and actually can have a negative effect.
Some bad reviews sell more than good reviews.I see reviews falling into 4 categories:
• Good good review
• Bad good review
• Bad bad review
• Good bad review
you want your novels to attract thoughtful reviews, where the readers show the story had an impact, either positive or negative, but an impact nonetheless.
The Bad reviews are those that could be written for whatever book so much they're deprived of any meaningful information about the book itself.
In all cases, I'm thankful for the time the readers have dedicated in order to write down their notes.
Katharine wrote: "Very few young adult bloggers that I have found will review self-published books, and I write young adult historical ."I don't write or read YA but I recall a fellow writer mentioning that she got a request for a review and interview combo from a thirteen-year-old blogger. There are young adults who do their own book blogging who may be less inundated than adults blogging about YA books. I remember seeing a site organized by a fifteen-year-old. Sorry I can't think of the names of these sites, but maybe there's a way to search for them.
Katharine wrote: "D.S. wrote: "Apart from that bad reviews can have a promoting effect, too. See 50 shades of grey. More importantly is the reviewer her-/himself. If he or she only gives 5- and 4-star reviews, what..."
My two cents--I like to think that my reviews are meaningful :) You will only find four- and five-star reviews by me because I avoid reviewing books that I do not endorse. As I have a weekly storytime with kindergartners and also explore books with my granddaughter, I'm exposed to a wide variety of children's literature. I post reviews of perhaps one out of every twenty books I read.
Anne wrote: "Getting the ball rolling depends how proactive you are in my experience. I did the contacting bloggers thing and was reasonably successful, though it probably helps that I'm writing in a popular ge..."Thanks for making me smile…the bus analogy is so true!
That was the question, Justin, and I agree a bad review, if it contains constructive criticism, whether you like it or not, is valuable.
You can use it, and the side-effect is often a surge in sales. I wonder, Groovy, if a mixture might be the cause of your improving readership.
Jim reminded us "There's no such thing as bad publicity".
Does anybody agree that a review "in exchange for a free book", accompanied by 4, or more often 5, stars is an immediate turn-off?
It would be interesting to know because one or two people seem to be suggesting something of the sort.