Reader reviews are actual $$

What book marketing tools have a better sales conversion than social media?

Surprising opinion: I don’t think social media is the best marketing tool for authors.

Now, social media CAN have an important role.

The usefulness of social media is in building community with your readers (also called the “Know, Like, Trust” principle.) Last month, I offered some alternatives to community-building without social media, for those who would prefer to not use it. But undeniably, the easiest and most successful community-building tool is still some social media platform.

But community is not the entire sum of marketing. And while connection to your fans is important, what you need most is sales of your books. And social media is awful at sales conversion. (It is estimated that about 1.5% of your social media engagement converts to a sale.)

Friends, there are much higher-converting tools than this for authors! (Thank God!)

Here are some better options:

👉🏻 Focus on getting reader reviews on your sales platforms (Amazon, Goodreads, your website and anywhere your book is for sale).

👉🏻 Get your book listed in book promotion email lists that go to readers of your genre

👉🏻 Build relationships with booksellers (YES, people are shopping at independent bookstores again! Finally—a WIN for our culture!)

👉🏻 Land publicity (get interviewed by podcasts and other media.)

Yes, but how…

Over the next few months, I am going to break down all four of these as part of my Beyond Social Media newsletter series. Today, we are starting with the first one: reader reviews.

Why do written reader reviews matter?

The more reviews a book has online, the more popular it looks. This means that all the algorithms—whether Amazon or Google (for your website sales) or even Target.com—will automatically favor your book and suggest it to shoppers without you doing or paying anything. Who doesn’t want free and effortless visibility?!?!

The algorithm is not trying to be generous, of course. It is designed to make its employer money. If your book is selling well on Amazon, then Amazon is making money on every sale, too. Reader reviews make your book look popular and the algorithm wants to cash in on that popularity…by making it even more popular.

How to get reviews

Well, this is the hard part. But yes, I have some hacks.

1. Use a book review service such as booksirens.com.

   
   There are several services like this, but I have found Book Sirens to be easy to use and affordable. Both publishers or authors can use them. Before your book is published, you pay to distribute the ARC (Advanced Review/Reader Copy) to their reviewers. In return, they offer honest (not necessarily positive!) reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and BookBub.
   
   You are supposed to sign up for their service BEFORE your book is published, but if your book is already out, it doesn’t hurt to send them an email and ask if you can still submit.
   
   But getting a bunch of reviews right out of the gate when your book launches is GREAT for momentum-building (not to mention hitting best-seller lists), so this strategy really is gold if you get it set up before your book is officially available.
   

2. Request reviews in the back of your book.

   
   This one is mostly utilized by self-published authors, since they have full control of their book’s content. But it has become quite common to add a page in the back matter of your book (especially the ebook version) that simply says, “Did you enjoy this book? If so, I would be grateful if you would leave a written review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you!”
   
   You are catching readers when they have just finished your book and are still basking in the warm emotions that your story or poetry gave them. This is when they are most likely to make the effort to leave a review!
   

3. Regularly ask/remind your fans for reviews.

   
   Have a dedicated spot on your website, the bottom of every newsletter, regular social media posts, etc. where you remind readers how much you would appreciate a review. Remember, most readers don’t know how much this will help you and simply explaining it to your loyal fans goes a long way.
   

4. Beg your friends directly.

   
   General requests have a pretty low return-rate, but a direct ask? That will get you great movement!

   The first week your book launches, set aside one day (or a couple mornings.) Get out your contacts list and call/text/email everyone you see and ask them to leave you a review. Start with your mom, because she has to say yes. If you don’t want to beg, you shouldn’t have become a writer. Once you’ve made it through your regular contacts, pull out your high school yearbook. (Don’t forget to skip the people who have already died.)

   
   Obviously I am kidding. But every person has a core group of friends that are their Ride or Die, Got Your Back group. Ethically-speaking, these people should have actually read your book before they review it, but who is going to know if your hates-to-read bestie just pulls up Amazon on his phone and types “Loved this book! Chilling Story!” when you are out together for beers one night? You don’t have to make a direct ask become something formal or weird. You don’t *actually* have to cold-email the High School bully you haven’t seen in decades. But your best friends? You MUST tell the people closest to you how they can support you.

   
   Sure, your close friends alone won’t get you hundreds of reviews, but in my experience, the first 10 reviews are the hardest to get. So if you can find ten friends, that will get the ball rolling so momentum builds and more organic reviews start rolling in, too.

Busting A Review Myth

Regarding Amazon: Many people think that reviews are only allowed if your reader bought the book from Amazon. It IS true that those “verified reviews” have more weight/impact than if the book was purchased elsewhere. But reviews on Amazon are allowed from ANYONE. Your readers can buy your book at their local Indie store and still leave you a review on Amazon. If anyone claims they weren’t able to, tell them to try again and if their review still doesn’t post, they should contact Amazon’s Help Desk.

What NOT to do

It is against Amazon’s terms and services to directly pay or bribe people for positive reviews. And yes, they take that seriously and police it. So while you can use a professional, third-party service like Book Sirens that offer honest reviews, you cannot bribe your readers with freebies in exchange for giving you a positive review. I’m sure that BookBub, Goodreads, and all the other sales channels have similar terms, so just stay away from anything that is a direct “exchange” for a positive review.

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