Struggling to get book reviews for your latest offering? (And who doesn’t struggle with that from time-to-time?) In this video, we go over the challenging task of getting quality book reviews, and boost your work’s marketability.
(Transcript of Video) How to Get Book Reviews
Hi there it’s Michael from Self Pub Nation and in this short video we’re going to explore the mysterious and strange field of self publishing…getting complete and total strangers to actually write good (ish) reviews for your book.
Warning: the tips in this video may make you so successful that paparazzi may follow your every move. Ready to be as famous as a Kardashian sister? Let’s do it!
So…whether you’re self publishing your book on the Kindle platform or ibookstore or just selling copies out of the trunk of your car…
…getting good reviews on your book is an essential part of getting paid for your writing.
The trouble is, most people are lazy, even those who love you and share your last name, and getting them to actually log on and leave feedback for your book is like performing major surgery.
So here are four tips to help you fill your self published books with awesome killer reviews from people who actually exist.
Tip No.1: Don’t Pay!
Notice I said people who actually exist. That means don’t go on sites like fiverr or craigslist looking for “people” who will write you a review for a couple bucks here and there.
First of all, most people can tell which reviews are a sham. And secondly, if Amazon finds out they will ban your account. No bueno.
Tip No.2: Bribe Your Existing Fanbase
Now this doesn’t mean you can’t “pay” for reviews in other ways.
If you’ve got an email list or facebook fan page with a decent number of fans….offer them something cool. (Maybe an exclusive behind the scenes video. Maybe a copy of your book. maybe a bonus audio version of your book.
maybe an autographed copy. (of a book)
Don’t worry if most people don’t take you up on it. some people will.
Just be sure to SPELL out you want them to be honest. You don’t want to PAY for a positive review. That’s against terms of service. But tell them you just want feedback.
tip no.3: Find Ravenous, Slightly Irrational Possible Fans for your Book
if you’re just starting out then you may not have a tribe of fans for your book. That’s okay. It just means you have to do a bit of leg work.
If i wrote romance novels, then I would reach out to romance novel forums for possible reviewers.
If i write non fiction crime then I’d look for facebook fan pages r message boards devoted to fans of that genre.
I wrote a series of screenwriting books a few years back and couldn’t get anybody to review it. Then I conteacted some junior college screenwriting teachers to see if they’d be willing to give their students free copies of my book in exchange for a review.
(With the promise of doing a skype Q and a session with the class afterwards. the q and a was a blast; and i got 30 new reviews over night.
4) Tip NO.4: Reach out to Members of Book Social Networks
I’m mostly thinking of platforms such as Bookblogs, goodreads, and shelfari.
These have a ton of avid readers who will give you their honest feedback.
but be warned, they will give you their honest feedback.(picture of someone yelling) So if your book isn’t quite ready, or you’re not quite thick-skinned just yet you may want to wait a bit on this one.
Anyway I hope these tips have helped. Ideally you want at least five reviews for your Kindle book page, and 1 or 2 reviews for other platforms. if you use them.
and if you’ve liked this video would you please click like below or leave a comment or facebook, tweet it or whatever the heck social media thing you use.
and if you got a question, leave it in the comments below.
and if you’d like a free copy of my new ebook “7 Secrets to Making a Damn Good Living From Your Writing” just head over to the link below this video.
and don’t forget to write well. publish often, and don’t let anybody stand in your way!
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