Why are reviews so important? For a number of reasons but mainly because, the more reviews a book receives, the more Amazon promotes it - for free. "Free" being an essential element for small press and self-published authors because we don't have the financial resources the big name authors do.
But writing and posting a review, a process that takes very little time and effort, seems to be something that intimidates a lot of readers. Please keep in mind that writing a review is NOT like writing a book report when you were in school. All you have to do is compose a couple of sentences, telling what you most enjoyed about the book. Was it the characters? The plot? The setting?
I prefer to post my reviews as soon as I finish a book, while the story is still fresh in my mind and before I start reading another book. I also like to keep my reviews short and simple. But that's just how I do it. If you choose to write a longer review or to wait to review the book you've read, that's fine too. But please do NOT reveal the ending!
In the spirit of short and simple, here are 5 steps to posting a book review:
1. Go to www.amazon.com. Sign in or create an account if you don't already have one.
2. Type the title of the book you want to review in the "Search" bar and click the book's link.
3. Scroll down to "Customer Reviews" and click on the button "Write a Review."
4. Rate the book from 1 to 5 stars (5 is the highest rating) and type your review in the space provided.
5. Give your review a title, double-check what you've written and click "Submit."
We're all busy. I get that. But, if you're a reader, you "make" time to read. Why not take a few extra minutes to write a review? I hope you'll jot down or print out these tips to use as a reference the next time you read a good book.
Happy Reading - and reviewing!
Excellent tips, Pat! I often read reviews when deciding if I want to read a book. They really help, and they can be short and still helpful. Thanks for reminding us.
ReplyDeleteMarja McGraw
Marja,
DeleteI read an article recently that said "only 1% of the people who read a book review it." That's so sad! This post is my humble attempt to let readers know two things: First, how important reviews are. And, second, how easy it is to write and post them.
Thanks for commenting!
Great suggestions that will help both readers and writers. I review every book I truly enjoy and hope others will as well.
ReplyDeleteI hope they do too, Jacquie. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYes, it takes very little time if you write a one or two sentence review about how you loved the book. For reviews of depth it takes far longer.
ReplyDeleteOh, absolutely, Kevin. And, although most of the reviews I write are short and simple, I do sometimes write longer reviews. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI have seen some speculation recently that Amazon is about to reinstate the minimum word count and take other steps to end the --best book I ever read--style of reviews. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteI know the minimum used to be twenty words, which was never a problem for me. I guess we'll see what happens. :)
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