Ever wonder, “What is a book review going to do for me?” Well, authors know that book reviews are a good thing. Sure, occasionally you’ll get one that says your work stinks, but that one-star review actually helps balance the four and five-star reviews and gives a more balanced look. It really makes the whole group of reviews look fair and honest. So don’t worry.

Those of you who sell books know that book sites like Amazon gather reviews, and they can help readers decide whether to purchase a specific book. Strangely, according to several sources, the number of reviews can be even more important than the ranking. In other words, many readers browsing a book would prefer to see 25 mixed reviews than 10 five-star reviews.

There are two reasons for this phenomenon, the first being that people like to make up their own mind. They like that many people have read the book and taken the time to review it. Second, there is some mixed fear that reviews are somehow rigged and a series of top numbers is actually a warning sign. Right or wrong, studies show this to be true. Get more reviews, get more sales.

Maximizing Your Book Review

If you are a reader, you can maximize the impact of your review by citing specific examples in a book for why you rate it the way you do. Saying, “It sucks” just makes people skip to the next review. Be specific and people will consider your rating fair and honest.

If you are an author who has just received a review, you need to maximize its impact by getting it to your readers. If you have a blog, you need to link to that review! Even if it isn’t exactly what you hoped for, it is verification that people are reading your work. And, it can be a link that sells a book for you this week, or next month, or next year! Articles have a life of their own, and it’s a long life, on the Internet.

I’m certain you did the other things necessary to maximize your articles too, like Tweeting, getting the link to your Facebook page, the cover on Pinterest and so on, but did you comment on the review yourself? Did you “Like” the review? Did you thank the person who took the time to read, digest, and pass on the good points of your work? If you didn’t, shame on you. Missed opportunity and bad manners.

Not only do reviews help book sales, but the discussion does too. A review with no “likes” and no comments is pretty standard because people forget to take advantage of the great possibilities. However, if your book review gets several comments, new readers want to know what’s being said about the review and ultimately the book!

Help yourself and your career long term by following your book review blogs, by liking and joining their social media, and by making sure there is at least one comment for your review, even if it is just “Thank you.”

You’re Welcome. Oh, and you do know that the comment will have a link to your website, right?