We've all heard (and some of us may have even heeded) the advice to never read our own reviews. Here are a few other things about online feedback worth considering, from the perspective of both a reader and writer. Quality vs. Quantity
A high average might earn more buyer trust, but when it comes to qualifying for free promotion on Amazon, the number of reviews matters more. 50 gets you free cross promotion and increased ranking over other books in your category, 75 triggers email blasts to customers with similar purchasing history. As my publisher recently learned, certain other restrictions apply. My novella, along with the rest in the series, has blood on the cover and therefore does not qualify, which is why we're all getting new covers soon!
Writers with a healthy marketing budget may want to pay for support from promo sites like NetGalley, or Bookbub, though there is no guarantee of selection amongst all the competition. Repeated submission increases your odds. For more information on how to maximize your potential, come to the Colorado Gold Conference in October and watch for Andre Gonzalez's workshop titled "What's the BFD? Bookbub Featured Deals and Promo Stacking."
Paying for support is one thing, but resist the temptation to pay, bribe, or barter for reviews themselves, or your book may be removed from Amazon.
Online communities like Amazon Vine and OnlineBookClub offer free, honest reviews, but make sure you avoid accounts that leave primarily negative ones. And don't underestimate the power of your own social circles, both online and beyond. Reach out to bloggers and podcast hosts who review and promote similar books. Practice ways to ask friends, co-workers, and relatives with humility (not self-pity) and gratitude for their time. Make it as easy on the reader as possible by including links to your book page URL. Mailing lists are a great resource for asking en masse, but be sure to thank reviewers personally whenever possible. If they took the time to post a review, you can afford the time to send a quick thank you text, email, or DM. Building a reputation of integrity is one of the best ways to gain lifelong fans.
When You're the Reviewer
Most of us writers were readers first, and it stands to reason you may be posting your own reviews of friends' and colleagues' work. Whether or not you know the author or are likely to ever meet, avoid posting negative reviews. Remember when your mom said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all"? Same rule applies in the writing community. Unless a book is openly problematic from an idealogical perspective (and even then, you'd better be sure it's the author's intent, and not the character's) keep your criticisms to yourself. An author who trolls the internet slamming other books looks desperate, petty, and insecure. If you moonlight as a book reviewer, instead of attacking the work of other authors, turn down the ones you anticipate disliking with a simple, "I'm not the best reviewer for this book." Building your own brand by trashing others will only hurt your career in the end, and make for a lonely path in the meantime as trust and respect erodes. You also risk retaliation from disgruntled writers and their fans. No need to sing inauthentic praises or ingratiate yourself to every author in a disingenuous way, just keep your humble opinion to yourself (I know, challenging for some of us loquacious folk) when it only serves to demean.
I've spoken with many writer friends on this topic in the past few months, and I agree with and practice the following policies when it comes to writing my own reviews:
1. I only post five star reviews. Saving your precious five for the "best book(s) I've ever read" makes about as much sense as refusing to date until you meet the perfect person. I think of the books I read and enjoy like my children. I don't pick favorites. Maybe one gets on my nerves more than the others on any given day, but over a lifetime, it will all balance out. Five stars aren't like pie. They're like love. There's plenty to go around.
2. I remind myself my opinion doesn't matter as much as my reputation. Who am I helping by posting a negative or even less-than-glowing review of a peer's work? It is no one's single-handed job to protect poor unsuspecting readers from books they may not find worthy. Let people with less important things to do take it on, people outside the community with less to offer or lose. I promise no one is judging your taste as lacking because you only post kind reviews, and if they are judging, again, they clearly have too much time on their hands. If you truly don't like a book, say nothing, at least publically. Feel free to eviscerate it with your book club, partner, or dog, as long as you trust them never to repeat what you said. And if the unfortunate book happens to be written by a friend, ask yourself whether being honest means more than being considerate. You need not lie, claiming it's your favorite read ever, but I'll bet the seasoned critique partner/editor in you can find something to compliment in the writing.
Please share your own experiences, tips, and philosophies around reviews, whether you're chasing or writing them!
Rachel Horak Dempsey is the author of the novella PN0K0, a sci-fi/horror retelling of Pinocchio. She has been published by TriQuarterly, Creepy Pod, Brigids Gate Press, Twenty Bellows (Pushcart nominated 2024), Stars and Sabers, and others. Rachel is also the editor of the anthology Horizons 2 from Twenty Bellows. She currently serves on the Executive Boards of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Women in Horror Arts and Media Association. Rachel holds a BFA in Drama and English from NYU, a Master’s in Journalism from Georgetown and an MFA in Creative Writing from Regis University in Denver where she lives with her family.