Do you post reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters.Indigo, Kobo or Goodreads? If you’re an author, the answer is probably “yes.” That’s because, as an author, you know the value of a review. But what if you’re “just” a reader? (I should clarify that there is really is no “just” about it—without readers, there isn’t much point in writing anything—including this post).
The thing is, reviews mean a lot to authors. More than a lot, if we’re being honest (and if you know me, you know I can be honest to a fault). This isn’t just ego-boosting—though the thrill of seeing a 5-star review never gets old, at least to this author—it’s that reviews help to sell a book. Think about it. A friend tells you that “You have to read this book.” You look on Amazon or Goodreads and it has two reviews. Are you as keen to plunk down your hard-earned cash as you might have been if there had been 15? What about 50? 100? The reality is, reviews matter, whether you’re buying a bike, a bag, or a book.
Of course, the hope is that every review will be a great review, but that’s unrealistic. Even bestselling novels like Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn had a few 1-star reviews (“Worst ending ever,” “Sorry I wasted my money,” “I want my money back.”)
So this post, and poll, is all about reviews. Why you leave them and why you don’t. Leave a comment and thanks for reading.
PS: NEWS, VIEWS & CLUES will be back in September after a summer hiatus. But I do encourage you to check out our social media pages for A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier. New posts daily on Facebook and Instagram. Sporadic posts on BlueSky.
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I started writing reviews when I was accepted to Netgalley. Now I feel more like a book advocate than “just” a reader. I admire writers very much. So I’m happy to help out with a review.
I know that to be true, Lori, and you are appreciated! We won’t be using NetGalley for A Fatal Affair but I do hope you’ll find it and leave a review 🙂
I post reviews on Bookbub. I stopped posting on Amazon when their bots decided anyone with any connection to the author couldn’t post a review, and they’d refuse to accept them. That meant other authors, which is crazy because publishers are always asking their authors to review book by their other authors.
BookBub won’t let anyone but those in U.S. post reviews. In order to post, I have to change my preferences from Canada to U.S. (but then I don’t get Canadian deals, only U.S. deals which might not be available in Canada. For a while I tried to change it back and forth but it became too cumbersome. Agreed that
Amazon makes it difficult, though even if you have a connection to the author, if you are a verified purchaser it will be accepted.
That mirrors my experience too Debra!
Before I became an author, I always tried to post reviews to share my thoughts on the books I read. Now that I am both a reader and an author….and I understand the value of them … I am more determined to post reviews (and to buy the books, too).