How Do You Get Book Reviews After Writing and Self Publishing Your Book?

Are you a new or soon to be newly published author who needs some advice about getting book reviews? Maybe you’re hoping to complete the 2021 NaNoWriMo competition, and end up with a new novel this year.

If that’s the case, at some point, you’re going to have to worry about how to get book reviews for your advance copies, pre-releases, launch date, and ongoing sale of your book. Those are the things that will be relevant to you pretty soon. As a former 3-time participant myself, I know how important these issues will eventually be to the success of your new book.

This brief bit of information I’m about to share is something all smart new writers should take heed of. My advice has to do with the way new writers go about looking for help with getting book reviews.

No, I’m not about to give you a long list of fruitless ways to go about getting book reviews. The truth is, I don’t have the answers when it comes to securing a lot of book reviews.

But one thing I can tell you for sure, is what NOT to do when you search for answers. When it comes to what new authors should avoid, trust me, I’m an expert in that.

How important are book reviews for a self published author?

During my many years of online writing, I’ve self published close to two dozen ebooks, two novels and two novellas, under various pen names. While I’ve been able to manage a steady drip drip of income from many of the titles, my fame as an author never happened.

I’m quite sure that the lack of book reviews had a lot to do with my inability to get a lot more book sales. Any self published author online will probably tell you that trying to get book reviews is their biggest challenge.

In spite of all the advice I tried to follow from writers who claimed to know, I was never able to achieve whatever the winning formula is for obtaining book reviews.

It’s not even enough to be willing to pay for help, until you know exactly what help you need to be paying for.

The fact of the matter is, there’s a lot of advice and opinions about book reviews and self publishing tips,but that doesn’t mean you can trust it all.

New writers have a tendency to want to try everything that someone else swears by. This is a terrible habit to get into. I know from firsthand experience.

Why question advice about book reviews?

A few years ago, I made a serious blunder, after self publishing my novel I completed during the 2017 National Novel Writing Month challenge.

It happened when I took some writing advice I read online, but didn’t bother to confirm the information, or at least learn a lot more about the person giving it. Big mistake!

As I brought out in a previous story about my error, I performed some activities that were not only time consuming, but my actions resulted in me sending out what amounted to a bunch of spam.

I later realized that not only were my efforts unsuccessful in getting me even one book review, but they may have jeopardized any future relationships with the readers I solicited.

This fruitless experiment into what not to do when trying to promote your book really taught me a lesson. You can’t believe all the writing advice you get about obtaining Amazon book reviews.

Not all advice about obtaining book reviews is effective

Nowadays, before I simply plunge in, and do things that may have a counterproductive affect, I do a lot of questioning about the advice I’m getting.

This is not to say that people don’t mean well when they provide their writing and self publishing related advice. Writers of self-help advice, no matter what the topic is about, mean well just like me, and the points I’m bringing to your attention right now.

But that doesn’t mean the information is not flawed, or sometimes, it might be good advice, but just not good advice for you and your circumstances. Not all advice about obtaining book reviews will be effective for you, just because it worked for someone else.

Ultimately, you are the one who has to decide on what actions you will and won’t take, and when you do, it should be based on more than one or two opinions.

For instance, notice what one self-published author (Cyndy Aleo, author of Undying and The Forest’s Son) had to say about writers who do what I did, when I tried to reach out to Amazon book reviewers.

"There is no better way to alienate reviewers than to spam — yes, I said spam — them with requests to review your self-published book."

When she emphasized how my behavior amounted to ignoring the social niceties, it really had an impact on my thinking.

Of course, her all too simple solution to getting book reviews didn’t exactly sit well with me, so I’m still clueless about the best approach. She suggested that the best way to get reviews is to “SELL YOUR BOOK.”

All I could think when I read that was “Duh?” No offense Cyndy, but that puts us right back where we started. In order to “sell your book” on Amazon, you need book reviews to help pull people in.

Clearly, this is what they call a Catch 22, and one of those situations where somehow, it works itself out in time.

Remember, it was the same thing when it came to getting your first job. You thought you’d never get hired, but eventually you did.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, in answer to the question: How do you know what advice to follow about getting Amazon book reviews?

All I can say is:

• Read and pay attention to what you’re being told to do, and ask yourself whether it amounts to breaking any rules.
• Do your due diligence by reading more than just one or two articles on the topic and make sure the people giving the advice have actually self-published books themselves.
• Be wary when you receive advice and tips about getting book reviews, when it appears to be based on wild claims about the results.
• Look for proof of any positive claims about securing book reviews, based on the advice they provide.

******************************************************

FOLLOW JUSTISS GOODE FOR MORE ADVICE, TIPS, SELF HELP, AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR STORIES. HELP IMPROVE YOUR BODY & YOUR PSYCHE - Enjoy a little bit of Justiss every day :-)