There are really two distinct levels of authors. There are the kinds who make tons and tons of money with everything they write — the famous ones. You can probably name those authors right away. Stephen King. J. K. Rowling. George R.R. Martin. Lee Child. Terry Brooks.
These guys are all doing well. They make a living off their writing. But then there are the rest of us.
We are the independent authors. We are the authors with tiny print runs. We are the authors filling your Kindle Reader. We are the authors who do it all on their own.
Well, we do everything! Well, everything but one thing … We don’t review our own books. In fact, we CAN’T review our own books. That’s where you come in! We need you. And we don’t need you just a little. We need you a lot!
We need your voices to help us reach more readers. We need you to help us climb a little higher. We need to know that we should keep going.
WHY SHOULD I LEAVE A REVIEW?
Naturally, you should write a review to urge others to try a book you liked. You can also warn them to not waste their time, too. When you do, things change in the way Amazon.com handles our books.
In fact, it’s when reviews start accumulating that Amazon.com actually begins to notice a book. With a certain number of reviews, Amazon’s algorithms start working their magic! That’s when Amazon begins telling other people who share interests with you that they may also like this independent book that you like.
And when that happens, the world finally discovers a new independent author!
WHAT SHOULD I WRITE IN A REVIEW?
Want to know the perfect formula for a book review? It’s actually not a big secret because you can literally write whatever you want!
You could write “I just finished the dishes, and now it’s time to walk the dog,” give the book four stars and Amazon would score it as a review.
Yep, it’s that simple.
Of course every author out there would prefer a something a little more in context. We love seing a detailed chapter by chapter breakdown of everything you liked about their book, and I’d urge you to do so. But, at the same time, we know your time is valuable, so do what you can. You’re not required to go crazy on the details. This isn’t a term paper. This is your opinion and you can express it any way you want.
My advice? Just write two words. Yep, two words is all we really need. “Loved it” is fine. “Hated it” is fine. Anything in-between is fine, too.
Those two words and a star rating are all you need to help an author climb out of the abyss of Amazon’s depths.
In short, do your favorite independent author (like me!) a huge favor and leave a review. Two hundred words or two words — whatever you have time to do. Just give us a little help!
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