Reviews are a powerful tool to gain credibility and increase your book’s visibility. Asking for and receiving reviews does not have to be an awkward encounter. There are a number of ways to receive reviews and each will have major payouts in the end. We will discuss five ways to get more reviews on your book, leaving you feeling ready to watch the reviews roll in.
Call Your Network
Utilize Book Bloggers
Join Author Networking Groups
Offer Your Book for Free
Leverage Book Review Websites
Call Your Network
The best reviewers are the ones on your side. Your network, and people in your inner circle, are your biggest cheerleaders and want to see you succeed. Asking for reviews from the people you know gets the ball rolling and opens doors for more people to notice your book. Each person in your network has a network of their own. There are a number of ways your network can help you spread the word: social media posts highlighting your book, sharing the news with co-workers and family members, or posting a review on your website or the website where the book was published. It may feel intimidating to ask for reviews, but ask yourself the question, “What’s the worst that can happen?”
Utilize Book Bloggers
With the rise in popularity of blogs, and social media, book bloggers have become a key source for authors to get reviews and feedback on their work. Book bloggers are everyday people who turned their enjoyment of reading into a side hustle or full-time job. Reaching out to popular book bloggers or websites about reviewing your book is a great way to receive detailed reviews of your book, as well as feedback from a reader in your targeted demographic. Book blogging websites range from all different kinds of genres. Websites such as Book Nerdection and the Book Nanny cover a broad range of genres, Sweet Savage Flame covers romance novels, and websites such as Best Thrillers and Mystery by Moonlight cover mystery/ thriller. There are hundreds of other book blogging sites covering all your favorite genres. As an author, you have a plethora of bloggers ready to read and review your work!
Join Author Networking Groups
Expanding your network to authors can help with support and guidance. The more experienced authors in the groups are great resources to use for receiving feedback and reviews on your work. If you are motivated to improve, produce more high-quality books, and increase your sales revenue, leaning on fellow authors for support can help immensely! Being a part of networking groups also gives you the opportunity to review and give feedback to other authors. Building rapport and trust with other authors will help to maintain that network and friendships. There are a number of networking groups you can find through social media such as Facebook and Linkedin. These groups range from solely online to local groups meeting up at a coffee shop.
Offer Your Book For Free
Offering your book for free can help expand your following of readers. It provides the opportunity for more readers to take a chance on your book without a financial investment at first. It also provides the opportunity to cross-promote your other platforms such as future books, social media, and websites in the back of your book. With your work in the hands of more people, there is a greater chance for reviews and buzz around your book. This is an investment to build the following now and in return, have more of an audience to purchase your work in the future.
Leverage Book Review Websites
Sites such as Goodreads and LibraryThing are popular book review and rating websites where people are able to post their reviews for other readers to see. A way to gain more traction on these sites is to add a call-to-action at the back of your book prompting readers to rate and review after reading, promote on social media and link to a book review website, or by word-of-mouth through your network and inner circle. People like to get a feel for other readers' experiences before investing time and money into a new book. More reviews results in more sales, so while it may take time and energy, it is worth it to push the reviews!
When it comes to reviews, consistency, patience, and perseverance are your best friends! Asking for reviews or putting yourself out there for the first time can be a daunting feat. Remember to have grace for yourself as an author, and remind yourself that all new challenges are learning experiences. The more reviews you receive, the more feedback you have on your writing, and the potential for an increased following and revenue. For more self-publishing tips and tricks check out Habitize Publishing on Instagram!
