Tips and recommendations for book reviews

[EricTAuthor]

I'll be self-publishing on KDP/Amazon in the next 3-6 weeks (I believe).

Have any of you had any success (or problems) using book review services? Any tips or recommendations on getting reviews posted? I see there are various blogs and social media accounts and some good write-ups reviewing them. Thought I'd check with this community as well.

Thanks!
-Eric

 

[Zee]

I have never used a book review service...as I understand it, most of them charge fees for their reviews, and that's not considered good practice, and can get your reviews (and possibly your books?) booted off sites like Amazon.

I have offered free (digital) copies of my books to bloggers who enjoy my genre in exchange for honest reviews. I've found that works fairly well.

 

[EricTAuthor]

Thanks, good feedback. I found a site that seems to offer Indie reviews with no payments. Will check it out. Not recommending as I don't know enough yet, but linking here in case anyone is curious.

The IndieView

For Indie Readers, Reviewers, and Authors

www.theindieview.com

 

[Accord64]

Here's a link to more review resources from Indies Unlimited.

I got great results from LibrayThing and Goodreads giveaway programs. But that was years ago, and before Goodreads started charging for their giveaways. Not sure how effective these sites are anymore.

As already mentioned, please be very careful about paid sites as they could violate TOS of certain retailers (like Amazon). Also AVOID the temptation of having family and friends leave reviews. Yeah, places like Amazon do monitor for things like that.

Ideally, you want to get reviews organically, and especially from readers who commonly leave reviews. Make sure you're on Goodreads. They tend to be tougher over there, but it's always been viewed as a more credible system.

 

[Zee]

Thanks, good feedback. I found a site that seems to offer Indie reviews with no payments. Will check it out. Not recommending as I don't know enough yet, but linking here in case anyone is curious.

The IndieView

For Indie Readers, Reviewers, and Authors

www.theindieview.com

Click to shrink...

I have used that site to find reviewers…mixed success, but totally legit.

 

[AHumbleWarrior]

Here's a link to more review resources from Indies Unlimited.

I got great results from LibrayThing and Goodreads giveaway programs. But that was years ago, and before Goodreads started charging for their giveaways. Not sure how effective these sites are anymore.

As already mentioned, please be very careful about paid sites as they could violate TOS of certain retailers (like Amazon). Also AVOID the temptation of having family and friends leave reviews. Yeah, places like Amazon do monitor for things like that.

Ideally, you want to get reviews organically, and especially from readers who commonly leave reviews. Make sure you're on Goodreads. They tend to be tougher over there, but it's always been viewed as a more credible system.

Click to shrink...

Y'all know Amazon bought Goodreads, right? Just some random info popping out of my half-empty noggin'.

 

[Accord64]

Y'all know Amazon bought Goodreads, right? Just some random info popping out of my half-empty noggin'.

Click to shrink...

Yes, and not too long after Goodreads started to charge for their giveaway program.

At least they haven't yet linked their review systems.