How to Get More Book Reviews
Part 5: Give to Receive Reviews
Online book reviews can be an independent author’s best friend, and like any good friendship you only get out of it what you put in. This leads us to our last tip for getting online book reviews – posting your own reviews to other authors’ pages. The best thing you can do for an author, other than purchase their book, is to leave a great review. Consistent thoughtful posts to other authors’ pages will demonstrate your engagement in the greater online community. It also opens the doors for future mutually beneficial relationships, as it may inspire another author to comment on your work, which in turn could lead curious, new readers to your page where they can discover your work. This is the perfect opportunity to generate some positive return by simply reading a book and writing a review, or at the very least a comment.
Give Reviews to Receive Reviews
Start by posting to authors you know, and then branch out to other authors in order to expand your reach. These authors will appreciate you taking the time to review their book and may feel inclined to return the favor! Here are a few key things to remember when posting.
- Don’t Outright Ask for a Review in Return
Although getting a review in return may be your goal, you don’t want to disrupt the attention away from the book you are reviewing. This will diminish the authenticity of your post. The goal should be to spark a genuine conversation between other reviewers and authors in hopes of developing a mutually beneficial relationship. A long-lasting relationship of constructive criticism or genuine support is much more valuable than one persuaded post from a stranger.
- Ask Questions
A good technique for sparking a two-way conversation within this online platform is to leave your full review and include any questions you have about the book. This way you will be more likely to warrant a response. You can ask about the author’s process, certain character attributes, related works, and other relevant questions of that nature. You’re not always guaranteed a response, but it is always wise to strive for conversation through constructive questioning.
- Authenticity is Vital
Never leave a post to someone’s page without reading a sample of their work, and ideally from beginning to end. Authors may be tempted to post reviews to as many books as possible to get their name out there on review pages. This is not only lazy, but it leads to uninformed posts that will do much more harm than good to your reputation. You want to come off as knowledgeable and thoughtful, not uninformed and inattentive.
Now that we’ve covered the last tip of this series, you’re all set to enter the world of online reviews and build upon your reputation. We hope you continue to refer to and build upon the strategies we’ve outlined for you throughout these articles. Now it’s time to get out and start racking up your review count!
Happy Reviewing!
-Marquina
Get More Book #Reviews – Part 5: Give Reviews to Receive Reviews https://t.co/PNQoI3MwXQ via @Marquina plz RT
— Marquina (@Marquina) December 6, 2016
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