Most resources rely on tactics<\/a> that require already existing fan base, elaborate platforms, and major connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s all fine and dandy\u2026if you have those resources at your disposal or are willing to trade in your friendship for a favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what about the rest of us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ones who don\u2019t have raving fans ready to drop reviews on request. Or those of us without a giant email list, social media following<\/a>, and oodles of friends that we \u2018want\u2019 to send our books to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despair not my friends, because in this guide on how to get book reviews, I\u2019ll show you how you can legally, and legitimately get those reviews, even if you\u2019re a brand new author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In This Article I Will Show You:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And yes, as you\u2019ll see at the end of this article, each step is fully compliant with the up-to-date Amazon rules for getting book reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, while I\u2019m writing this with the new author in mind, it\u2019s totally applicable to all authors\u2026even the pros. Finally, please be aware that I did use some affiliate links in this article. Those links did not sway my thoughts on the article, nor does it affect your pricing. It's just a little something that goes towards my coffee fund to keep me writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One mistake many authors make is when they request for someone to give their book a review, they just send the person a link to their book, making the person click around till they finally get to the review page where they can write the review\u2026yeesh, that\u2019s a lot of steps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, readers will more than likely not follow through. I know I haven\u2019t in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, what if there was one special link you could send them that would take them straight to the review of your book? All they\u2019d have to do is click, and they start writing the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, you can and here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1.<\/strong> Depending on the format you want the review to be directed to, either find your ASIN for the eBook, or the ISBN -10 for the book (NOT ISBN-13), or the ASIN for the Audiobook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2.<\/strong> Take the following link, and add your number from step 1: Step 3<\/strong>. The above link is only to the US market. If you want a different market, you need to just change out the “.com” to the appropriate one like “.de” for german, or “.co.uk”, and so on. However, be sure to check that country's ASIN or ISBN-10 for that same book…because sometimes it will be different – although this is mainly for published books and usually isn't the case for self-published books. But just check – you don't want your links to not work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example of What The Result Should Look Like<\/strong>: As you can see, that will take you directly to The Way of Kings Audiobook review, since I used the ASIN for the audiobook. (PS: I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and will be meeting him in a couple of months to discuss book marketing<\/a>…fan boy scream).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, any time you request a review in an email, message, or whatever, send them that special link to your book. That way, all they have to do is click the link and type the review. You\u2019ll have a much higher chance that they\u2019ll follow through and leave the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caution: Your Link Not Working?<\/strong> First, if your link isn't working, just remember that Amazon won't allow you to leave a review for your own book. So, have someone else try your link. Also remember that in order to leave a review, someone needs to have made $50 purchase on Amazon that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, for the rest of the steps below, make sure you use this link when necessary. That\u2019s why it is the first point in this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may sound crazy but when you ask for a review after your book is done, you\u2019ll not only increase the number of reviews, but also improve your review grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I did this one simple addition to one of my books, I saw the conversion rate of book purchases to reviews left increase by 3x<\/strong> and has stayed that way since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see, we authors know how important a review is. But we forget that readers don\u2019t always understand this and need more coaxing to take the little bit of extra effort to write a book review. Therefore, just by asking, you\u2019ll see much higher conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that\u2019s not all. There are actually some tactics to this section that can and will improve the number of book reviews you get, as well as the review grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When creating the ask, it is best to do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humanize Yourself<\/strong>: Find ways to remind the reader that you are actually a human with emotions and feelings. Remind them of how hard it was to put this book together. By doing this, they\u2019ll be more likely to leave \u2018you\u2019 a review. Extra bonus tip: I sometimes like to post a candid non professional or staged picture of me with my family in this section because it really goes a long way to getting to know me, and feel more personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impress Upon Them the Importance of the Review<\/strong>: Like I mentioned above, readers don\u2019t fully understand the importance of a review. Therefore, remind them how they help you as an author and your book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell Them You\u2019ll Read the Book Review<\/strong>: When readers think that you\u2019ll read and take to heart their review, two things will happen: they\u2019ll feel more obligated to leave one since you\u2019re depending on them, and their review grade will probably improve since they\u2019ll know you, the human, will actually read it. We\u2019ve all been there where we have a bunch of gusto against sometime, but the moment they\u2019re there, we soften our tone. Same thing with reviews. I assure you, most criticism will become more constructive in nature when they know you\u2019ll be there to read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is an example that Ken Lozito did with his absolutely incredible book series \u201cFirst Colony<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n I can\u2019t show it all, but ultimately Ken told the story of the sacrifice he made to become an author and some inside information about his life, and struggles to get that series out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did all three of the things listed above without sounding cheesy or coming across as begging. It\u2019s a fine art!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Needless to say, I had listened to 7 of the books in that series, but on the 7th one where he put this in his audiobook, it legitimately made me not only give the 5 stars at the end, but take the time to write a well-thought-out review. I felt like it was the least I could do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, as you can see, there needs to be a fine balance of asking without overstepping. But when done right, you\u2019ll see more reviews come through with better grades for every reader you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n Over 47,000+ authors, NYT bestsellers, and publishing companies use Publisher Rocket to gain key insight to the market.\u00a0Help your book now<\/b><\/p>\n Get Rocket Now<\/a> <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n\n\n\n There are websites out there where some fans of a genre or subject loves to read books and leave reviews. Many of them have different reasons for this, but overall, they can be beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be advised though, most of the review sites out there will read your book and make a review on their website, but that it won\u2019t be an Amazon review (see below to read more about Amazon reviews vs Editorial Reviews). Even without the Amazon review, a book review site\u2019s review can still be a powerful editorial review. Imagine being able to put in your editorial review for your scifi book, a glowing acknowledgment from TopSciFiBooks.com<\/a>. Just the domain alone will carry anyone to better belief in your book, then some person or author name they've never heard of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of my favorites free book review sites:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Love Books Group<\/a>: Reviews books on their site is a easy process to submit. If you\u2019d like to see more niche-specific examples, Reedsy has done an AMAZING job of curating a list of book review websites<\/a>, their requirements and even how much traffic each site potentially gets. However, do note, many sites on that list aren\u2019t always free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check out that list here: https:\/\/blog.reedsy.com\/book-review-blogs\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I also wanted to mention StoryOrigin<\/a>. When you use StoryOrigin, not only do you join a community of other authors, you basically have all the not-so-fun back end of things taken care of by using them. They help you build your email list, find reviewers, deliver lead magnets and more. Be sure to check them out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In truth, I almost didn\u2019t include this one. Not because it breaks any rules, but because you need to ABSOLUTELY follow my steps in order to stay compliant with Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when done right, this tactic is extremely killer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you do is create a giveaway contest. In this contest, if they click the link that points to your book\u2019s review page (see special link discussed above), they are automatically entered into the contest. That's it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This works because, when they click the link, many readers will decide to leave a review since they are already there. This is compliant in Amazon\u2019s eyes because they are entered in the contest by just clicking the link, not by submitting a review. Therefore, the review is not incentivized. You can see an example below on how to word this for best optimization as well as staying compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1<\/strong>: Build a giveaway There are two ways to build a giveaway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Use Your Email System<\/strong>: You can send out an email blast to your readers with the instructions on how to do this. With most email systems like ConvertKit<\/a>, you can mark which subscribers clicked on the link in the email. Then when the time is up, you can select from there.<\/p>\n\n\n 2. Use KingSumo<\/a><\/strong>: This is a paid app that is around $49 for life, but it makes creating contests SUPER simple. Furthermore, it handles the legality issues on contests, and you can post links to the contest on Social Media, email, or even embed it on your website. You can check it out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Using a launch team or Beta Readers and sending Advanced Review Copies (ARCs) is an important tactic that help with your book\u2019s overall launch by ensuring you have good reviews on day-one of the launch. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with that, then check out this article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the short and simple to this tactic is that prior to launching your book, you send ARCs to people who will hopefully read the book, and or be prepared to leave a review upon your book's launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, working with lots of authors, it\u2019s become apparent that most DO NOT do ARC reviews as effectively or efficiently as they should, creating a super low conversion rate of beta readers who leave a review. Most times, this tactic sounds promising but is actually a complete let down.<\/p>\n\n\n Well, not if you do the following extra saucy tips, which will ENSURE you get more reviews out of it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Stop sending mass emails to all Beta Readers<\/strong>: If you really want people to take action, ensure you talk to them personally. Send each beta reader a personal email asking him or her to take certain actions. They\u2019ll feel more obligated to act when you are specifically emailing them and counting on their review. Whereas when it's obviously a mass email, many will inherently think that it's fine and you won't notice if they don't.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Track Your Readers<\/strong>: I actually develop a spreadsheet listing each beta reader or launch team member, when I last talked with them last, if they've left a review and any other notes. It\u2019s important to keep track of them and that way no one slips through the cracks. You can also use a plugin like ReaderScout<\/a> to know exactly when someone has left a review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Have Them Notify You When It\u2019s Dropped<\/strong>: Tell your beta readers or launch team members that once they\u2019ve dropped the review, to let you know so you can read it. It isn\u2019t just the expectation that you\u2019re specifically waiting for their review, but also that you really want to know what they thought. Make it clear that it would mean the world to you. With this, they\u2019ll feel as though you truly care and are waiting on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Remind them They Don\u2019t have to Read All Of It<\/strong>: The biggest hang-up I get from Beta Readers is that they couldn\u2019t finish the book in time and will leave one “later” (which they never do). However, remind them that they do not have to finish the book in order to leave a review, and that they can always change the review once they\u2019ve finished it if they\u2019d like. They can instead talk about what they\u2019ve read so far, or even your legitimacy on the subject or genre. This way, there is not excuse to not leaving a review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you employ these four tactics to beta readers or launch teams, you\u2019ll absolutely double your conversion rates of reviews left.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n Write and format professional books with ease. \u00a0Never before has creating formatted books been easier.<\/p>\n Click here to see it in action<\/a> <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n\n\n\n If you have an email list, then make sure to use your auto responder to help with your reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n If they signed up for your email list, then it means that they read your book and liked it. However, it definitely does not mean they left a review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, set in your auto responder an email that specifically uses the tactics of 1 and 2 above to convince them to leave a review. This will help increase your book\u2019s review frequency, its grade, and even help with your email system. Furthermore, employing #2 above, in the email, you'll build a stronger author brand<\/a> and connection with your readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Table of contents<\/h2>
1.<\/span><\/a> Create Special Links to Go Straight to Your Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/review\/create-review?&asin= + (ASIN or ISBN 10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US: http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/review\/create-review?&asin=B0041JKFJW<\/a>
UK: https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/review\/create-review?&asin=B004H4XAXO<\/a>
DE: https:\/\/www.amazon.de\/review\/create-review?&asin=0765365278<\/a>
etc…<\/p>\n\n\n\n2.<\/span><\/a> Design a Book Review Ask in Your Book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Author-asking-for-a-book-review-243x300.png\" "\\"Example")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"KDP](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/KDP-Rocket-Box-copy-4.png\")
\r\n \r\n <\/a> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n Best Book Marketing Software<\/h3>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n
3.<\/span><\/a> Free Book Review Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Affaire de Coeur<\/a>: A bi-monthly magazine that publishes reviews in historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, YA, and nonfiction primarily.
Book Page<\/a>: Must send an ARC 3 months prior to publication date
The Kindle Book Review<\/a>: Offers a list of reviews to contact individually based on preferred genres.
Compulsive Reader<\/a>: Mainly focuses on literary fiction and poetry, they also review music CDs and other interesting things.
Crime Fiction Lover<\/a>: Recommends sending a Press Release (***) and a bit hard to get into.
Book Smugglers<\/a>: a highly read book blog that likes to focus on Horror, Urban Fantasy, SciFi, and YA.
Crime Scene Reviews<\/a>: Reviews Crime and Mystery novels
SF Book<\/a>: Started in 1996, SF books offers a list of Scifi Book reviewers you can contact individually
Fantasy Book Critics<\/a>: Lists a bunch of legit book review sites, as well as offers their own in the Fantasy realm
Top Sci Fi Books<\/a>: This website lists the best scifi and fantasy books based on certain subgenres. They have a sweet spot though for self published authors.
Barnes & Noble Review<\/a>: An incredible name for a Editorial Review, however, they require you to physically mail a copy and a cover letter in for consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4.<\/span><\/a> A Giveaway Contest that is Legal!!!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 2<\/strong>: Make it clear that to enter the giveaway, they just need to click the link that points to your book\u2019s review page (see #1 above)
Step 3<\/strong>: And that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Build a Giveaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Amazon-book-review-contest.png\" "\\"Giveaway")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Giveaway-for-book-reviews-226x300.png\" "\\"Giveaway")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n5.<\/span><\/a> Using Launch Teams & ARCs Effectively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Author-vs-Beta-Reader.png\" "\\"Authors")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Atticus](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Atticus.png\")
\r\n \r\n <\/a> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n Formatting Has Never Been Easier<\/h3>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n
<\/a>6.<\/span> Reminder in Your Auto Responder System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7.<\/span><\/a> Relaunch Your Book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n