Reviews are the Life’s Blood of Independent Authors

At my day job, I talk about reviews’ importance and the authority they lend to your reputation. The other week I wrote a piece on building up Social Proof on your website and how much potential value clients place on seeing reviews by others who have used your services. As it turns out, such Social Proof is also valuable to Independent Authors, especially ones who have just started their journey.

Have you ever had a book suggested by Amazon or found it on your own and thought, “I wonder if this book is any good?” You read the blurb, and it sounds like something you might like, but you still aren’t entirely convinced. The cover and title seem to suggest something you would like. What’s the next step?

If you said checking the reviews, you would be correct. There’s a reason Amazon puts the star ratings up at the top of the book information page. As a reader, you want to know what other readers think of a book. It can be the difference between buying a book and moving on to greener pastures. So, for that reason, star ratings and reviews are essential, especially for Independent Authors.

As an independent author who recently crossed the first anniversary of being published, I can say that reviews are critical to me. They are also challenging to get. In the first year of being published, I can tell you that out of the many people who have read my book, only a tiny percentage have left a star rating, and an even smaller number of people have left a review. Research shows the number of readers who leave reviews or star ratings has been declining for a while now. That’s sad because Amazon makes it easy for readers to leave stars or reviews after they finish the book. But, for whatever reason, reviews are on the decline, which makes them all the more critical, especially for a relatively unknown independent author.

Of course, some services allow you to pay for reviews, but that’s a scam if I’ve ever seen one. Plus, I don’t want to see many reviews on a book with the knowledge they were all from a paid source. So, how do you go about it if they are so important and you want to get them the correct way?

I can’t speak for other authors, but I have several things I do. First, on social media, I call attention to the fact that reviews are critical and a cheap way to support your favorite authors. Believe it or not, that strategy has paid off. I’ve picked up quite a few reviews that way. I almost doubled my reviews by doing a Kindle Free Book giveaway. It also increased the reading of my second book. However, I would caution you against this unless you have published at least one more book. If you only have one book, you won’t get as much of a lift from the free book giveaway. I have more to say about free book giveaways and Kindle Countdown Deals, but I’ll do that in the future. However, that has been an excellent way to increase my ratings and reviews.

Another way is to cultivate a good email list. I mean, that’s a good idea anyway because they are your people, and you don’t have to worry about losing them if a social network goes out of business. That’s a homegrown audience who are hopefully strong supporters since they signed up for your list. Building up a large inventory takes a while, and I’m still working on mine. However, I will tell you it’s imperative to your author career, especially if you are a self-published/independent author. If you’ve done an excellent job cultivating your list, your readers should be more than happy to write a review for you.

I have to tell you there is no better feeling than checking your Amazon product page and seeing a new review, especially a good one. I appreciate every review I get. To those who have taken the time to write a review, or even if you only left a star rating, it means the world to me. This first year as a published author has been an incredible adventure, and I’m excited about the future. Thank you all for your support! As always, don’t hesitate to drop me a line; I respond personally to each email I receive. You guys take care, and we’ll talk soon!

– Ryan