Book Reviews: Are They Really So Important?
It’s almost two weeks after the holidays, and many people have probably received gift cards of some sort. I know quite a few who love to get Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards, and they’ll spend their full amount on nothing but books. That’s great! As an author, I love that people buy books and read them, even if they aren’t my own.
So now is the perfect time to talk about book reviews.
What most people don’t realize is that leaving a review after you read a book is often more important to the author than your purchase of the book. Many of us don’t write to make a profit (in fact, some of us lose more money than we gain in the process of publishing and marketing.) No, we write for the love of storytelling itself. But those reviews we’re constantly seeking? Those are how word gets out about our work.
I’ve had some people tell me, “Nobody wants to hear what I think.” That is 100% not true! Your words might be the reason someone chooses to try out an author’s work that they’ve never heard of before.
Even if you don’t like a book, your review might convince someone to buy it anyway. Why? Because like any artform, writing is subjective. Not every reader is going to like every book out there – and that’s okay. I’ve actually purchased several books after reading the 1-star reviews left on Amazon because the reason why that person didn’t like the book is the very reason that I wanted to read it.
(If you’d like to watch a fun take on “bad” reviews in the form of a guessing game, check out this video from the Wizards, Warriors, and Words podcast featuring Jed Herne, Dyrk Ashton, Rob Hayes, and Michael Fletcher: Click here to view YouTube video)
A review doesn’t even have to be long. Something as simple as “I loved it!” or “This book wasn’t for me,” is oftentimes sufficient. More detailed reviews are always more helpful and rewarding for the author, but we understand that like us, you’re busy, too. Short reviews are still reviews, and most authors are happy with that.
If you’re not sure where a good place to leave a review is, here are a few ideas:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Goodreads
- BookBub
- Or on the retailer’s website where you purchased your book
So this is your friendly reminder to please leave a review – no matter whose book you just finished reading. We authors appreciate it more than you know. Thank you!
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