Simple Ways to Get Book Reviews

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As many authors know, one great way to improve book sales is to have a large number of positive reviews for your book. The advantage of having reviews demonstrates to potential buyers and readers that they can have confidence in taking a chance on purchasing and reading your book. This is especially true for authors that are just starting out since your name is unknown. Getting book reviews can be a challenge though, so here are some ways you can get more reviews for your book.

Ask Personal Networks Directly

It doesn't hurt to ask! Some authors don't feel as though they can reach out to friends and family, or social networking acquaintances, but the truth is, most of the people you're connected to will want to see you succeed as an author. This is especially true when you release your first book. If you give them clear and easy to follow directions on how to write a review for your book, there's a good chance that you'll get a significant number of free book reviews.

To make this strategy work well, email a group of people and offer free copies to each person who is willing to read the book and post a review. Follow up with those that agree to write a review by sending a gentle reminder. Also, if you intend to keep writing, make a note of the people you know who have reviewed your book and contact them when you release your next book.

Ask for a Review in the Back 

This seems fairly obvious, but many authors don't add a request at the end of the book asking for a review if the reader enjoyed it. This is a great time to share that you're a new author and tell them that reviews go a long way towards supporting your work. Many readers don't understand how important a good review can be, but are usually willing to leave a positive review if asked. Be sure to ad a link to make it easy for your readers to find and review your book.

Build a Group with Similar Authors

Create or join a group for writers and authors. Forming a group with other authors is a great way to be successful and form important networks. There are even many author groups available that you can be a part of, either online or in person. Ask for reviews and ensure that you provide reviews for other authors in the group as well. By participating in a group with like-minded authors, you will join forces to create improved results for everyone.

Reach Out to the Top Reviewers

If you're selling your book through a website, they probably have a list or category of their top reviewers. These are people who have reviewed a large number of products and their reviews have been voted as being helpful. A small set of these people commonly read and review books. One of the advantages of reaching out to this group is that they're much more likely to write a review than others. Find this list through your site and narrow down the profiles to find those who review books in your genre. Contact them and offer a free copy of your book in exchange for leaving a review. Similarly to asking friends and family, make a note of anyone who follows through and contact them when you release a new book.

These are some key ways to get reviews for your books. If you've been struggling to get reviews and get noticed, use these tips to start putting your work out there and gaining more attention.

This article was contributed by Tanisha Williams. Tanisha is the author of two non-profit e-books “501c3 In 12-Steps” and “Simple Internal Controls That Protect Your Assets”. Her desire for more interaction with readers was the key inspiration behind the development of her latest business venture ChatEbooks (https://www.chatebooks.com/). ChatEbooks, launched in October 2014, harnesses the strengths of social media in order to help authors and their readers engage and connect within the context of the selling/reading experience.