Okay, so, there’s a foregone conclusion here. The answer to are reviews worth it is definitely yes. But in today’s post I want to explore why . . .
. . . Because it can be a sticky issue, right? There’s paid reviews, and organic reviews, and bribed reviews, and bad reviews. And for readers, there’s ARC lists, forms, calls to action, and requests for just a moment of your time. One of my favorite hobbies is reading–that’s why I’m an author!–and for several years now I’ve consistently reviewed each book I read on Goodreads . . . but it’s not automatic. I often worry over how to write constructive or helpful reviews. And sometimes when I’m trying to help a fellow author by reviewing their book, I run into technical issues too. (True story, for a long time Amazon wouldn’t let me review books because I hadn’t spent enough money on their site. What can I say–I like Etsy and shopping in person!)
Anyway, the point here isn’t to complain or talk about online shopping, haha. I suppose I use my own experience and feelings toward reviews, which is neutral or uncertain, as the reason that I hesitate to ask my readers for them. However, I read recently that the last thing you should do as an author is assume that everyone out there is just like you. 😉 So perhaps it’s time to start asking.
Because the ultimate point here, the reason reviews are worth it, is that they’re effective. They act like word of mouth, recommending a book–and the more of them there are, the more effective they are. That just seems to be how human brains work. 🙂 But also, in the background, reviews are more than word of mouth–they’re also a gateway for many authors. In order to be considered for certain awards or promotions, a book must have a certain number of reviews (often twenty or more, from what I’ve found). Usually, that means 20+ reviews on Amazon specifically.
So–that’s why authors are always asking us as readers for reviews. I get it, I totally do–and I guess this is just another way I’ll have to grow in 2023. And with that said . . . if you’ve read Beauty and the Alchemist, would you please review it on Amazon or Goodreads? Provided you’re allowed, of course. 😉
