If you have purchased a book from Amazon, the author will likely ask you to post a review of the book. While you may not think much of the application, the author focuses on getting good reviews.
There are a variety of reasons why book reviews matter on Amazon, but here are the top eight from the author’s point of view.
1. A book review helps other readers decide whether or not a book is right for them. There’s nothing worse than someone who already knows a lot about a subject buying a book, only to find out it’s for beginners. Or vice versa.
While the authors generally try to explain who the book is about, a good review can reinforce the point more effectively.
2. A well-written review indicates things to look for in the book. Since you often highlight favorite parts of the book in your review, it makes it easier for other readers to look forward to this section. It also helps highlight the most relevant content to readers – which provides valuable feedback to the author for their next book.
3. One revision encourages the next. Not everyone wants to be the first in line, so you’re doing a great favor by being the first person to write a book review. Once the ball rolls, one review leads to another, and readers are often supportive of their own comments, responding to the comments of others.
Also note that you don’t have to write a review to comment on a review. You can join a conversation about a book at any time.
4. The more positive reviews a book receives, the better the book will rank. The better it ranks, the more people will see it. The more they see it, the more likely they are to buy it. So, by posting a positive book review, you are helping writers move up the ranks to get more exposure.
And a note about the star rating – anything less than 4 stars is considered “not recommended”, so it pays to be generous with your stars.
5. The simple act of “liking” a review helps boost that review in the review list. As a result, book reviews appear in order of most helpful first. So, whether you are writing a review or not, take the time to read and rate the reviews already posted.
6. Once a book has 10 reviews, it is eligible to be included in the “Also Bought” list, as well as “You Might Like It” recommendations. These lists, in turn, add up to the number of sales the book is likely to receive.
7. After an indefinite number of positive reviews, a book may be included in “Recommended for You” emails sent to individual Amazon readers. As with every other step in the review process, this adds significantly to the number of sales a book may receive.
8. Many book review sites will not consider a book for review unless it has a number of reviews on the Amazon book page.
With these 8 items in mind, you’ll understand why book reviews matter and why an Amazon author may ask you to write a review on the books you buy.
