Writing a book is hard work and publishing can be a hair-pulling experience (except when publishing with us!), but getting reviews on your book and marketing it to others is what most authors dread the most. Most authors are gifted writers, not marketers, but these days you must be both.
One of the most important ways to market your book is to get amateur Amazon reviews on your work. The top 1,000 Amazon reviewers can write a great review for you and can really influence sales. One estimate says that every 5-star review on Amazon is worth 23 book sales – that’s a lot of books!
I have been a top reviewer on Amazon (currently at 623) for two years now. I receive at least one request every day, and usually get at least 2 or 3 books in the mail to review each week. With all the requests that I get and the books I receive, I can offer authors some advice on how to get their book reviewed by the top reviewers.
Below are 8 tips for getting your book reviewed, but there are two prerequisites. First, you must have a well-written, edited book to give them. Secondly, it must be a book that was published well (read more about publishing your book ). If you send someone a book that is haphazardly thrown together, you will get poor reviews no matter what you do. The same is true if you send them a book from one of the ‘instant-print’ companies and your book looks like a word document with a glossy cover. Write and publish well first, then proceed to getting the reviews you need.
7 Tips for contacting top Amazon reviewers:
1. If possible, address the potential reviewer by name.
2. Offer a digital or print version. I turn down all digital books automatically – too much junk, too easy to send.
3. Mention something about their profile (a review they’ve done, their business, etc.).
4. State at the end that there is no obligation to give a five-star review.
5. Saying a thanks for being a consistent reviewer on Amazon and helping others is always nice.
6. Follow up a few weeks after sending. I receive at least 2-3 books every week for review, and most of them I never pick up. Remember that most of the folks you are sending to likely have a lot of books to review. A gentle reminder ( even an email to just insure they received it) can make it more likely they will put yours on top of the stack and review it.
7. Send a personal note from the author with the book. Goes a very long way. Even just a \”thanks for taking a look\” and an offer to contact you with their thoughts would be huge.
BONUS TIP: Send two books to every reviewer and ask them to give one away to someone who will enjoy it and leave a review as well. This serves as an extra ‘gift’ to the reviewer (making it more likely they will review and review positively) and it lets them give away to someone who will really like it. Someone who takes the time to review a lot of books already gives a lot of books away, and they will know a friend that will enjoy it and leave another review (hopefully) as well.
In general, you want to make the email as personable as possible. If it’s obvious it’s just a mass email, you won’t have a good response. I’m much more likely to respond to a request that’s personal, absent of typo’s, and includes a note from the author.
For our authors: we have compiled list of the top reviewers for you to use, free of charge. When you are ready to start contacting, just let us know and we will send you an updated list.
