The Easiest Way To Get More Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Relief

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The Easiest Way To Get More Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Relief

Social proof is the best way to boost your self-published book sales, and the most effective type of social proof is a great book review. The experts at Self-Publishing Relief know that the more positive book reviews you have, the more your sales numbers will benefit! But, as a self-published author, how do you accrue large numbers of good book reviews, other than tapping the kindness of friends, colleagues, newsletter subscribers, and social media followers? You need to encourage organic reviews from a new, targeted audience. One easy way to get more book reviews is to include a “Leave A Review” page in your e-book.

   

Get More Book Reviews With A “Leave A Review” Page

What’s A “Leave A Review” Page?

A “Leave A Review” page is a strategically placed, well-crafted request for a book review set inside the e-book itself. Ideally, the request will streamline the process to make it easy for the reader to leave a review. The goal of the page is to encourage someone who has bought your book to leave an honest review at the e-book vendor or review website of your choice.

Why Add A “Leave A Review” Page?

It’s always a good practice to ask for reviews, but having a “Leave A Review” page offers an additional benefit. Amazon, which profits from 80% of worldwide e-book sales, periodically sweeps through product pages in search of fraudulent reviews. This practice is central to Amazon’s dedication to quality control. The company will delete any reviews they deem to be fake, from paid bots, or due to author “logrolling.”

Fortunately, book reviews written by buyers are marked “verified,” and thus are “stickier” than reviews posted by friends, family, or anyone else who may have been granted a free advanced reading copy. Amazon has been known to make mistakes in their deletions, mistakes that are hard to reverse. Verified reviews, however, are rarely deleted.

Where Should I Add The “Leave A Review” Page?

The empty page that follows “THE END” is the optimum position for a review request. It can be the first page of any back matter you’re including.

Readers who purchased your book have just spent several hours (or more) enjoying your story. Once they’ve completed the read, you’ve succeeded at your primary goal: You’ve held their interest. Grateful that you’ve entertained or educated them, they’re likely to value your work and rate it highly.

What better time to ask a favor?

   

What Do I Say On My “Leave A Review” Page?

Your page doesn’t have to be text-dense or complicated. It’s a simple request for a favor. You can be short and sweet, funny, honest, heartfelt, or original. The goal is to connect with your reader and present the process as a simple one.

Here are some examples:

  • Thanks for sticking with me until the end! If you enjoyed [Book Title], I’d be grateful if you let others know by leaving a review [HERE – HOTLINK to vendor].
  • I’ll be honest; I’ve got a favor to ask. Authors always need reviews, and the best ones come from booklovers like you. Would you do me a solid and post a review [HERE – HOTLINK] while the book is still fresh in your mind? I’d be eternally grateful.
  • Like most booklovers, you probably perused a few customer reviews before buying this book. Reviews are vital to help spread the word. Now that you’ve finished [Book Title], would you add your voice and write a review [HERE – HOTLINK]? Many, many thanks.

How Can I Make It Easy For Readers To Review?

Some readers may balk at the task. Crafting a paragraph can be daunting, and readers may wonder what you expect. To overcome this hurdle, you may want to add a short comment to your review request, such as “Even a brief few words would be much appreciated.

The second issue that may deter readers is unfamiliarity with the process. Not everyone knows where the “write a customer review” box is located on an e-book vendor page. One way to overcome this difficulty is to use hotlinks that lead directly to the book’s review page.

How can you find the direct-to-review URL link? Here’s an example from Amazon:

  • Go to your e-book page and scroll down to the top of the list of reviews.
  • On the left, you’ll see the “Write A Customer Review” box. Click through until you get to your review page, then copy the URL that pops up in your browser’s address bar.
  • Use that URL as the hotlink on your “Leave A Review” page. This will bring customers directly to the review page with one click.

A “Leave A Review” page works behind the scenes to grow your list of book reviews in a steady and organic way. And the benefit to your bottom line will make having a “Leave A Review” page in your self-published e-book a no-brainer!

 

Question: What method have you used to encourage more reviews?

 

2 Comments

  1. Matthew J Stenning

    That’s a really helpful bit of advice. I’ll do just that. Many thanks.

    Reply
  2. MaryAnn Hinrichs

    Thanks for this advice! I’m definitely going to put it to good use!

    Reply

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