How to Solve a Problem Like Reviews

Writers have to beg (or at least force the issue)

Writers always learn the hard way.

As the author of five books and the editor of several more, I’ve learned the hard way. The hopeful inner voice of every writer says ‘Surely, readers will discover my book and be so impressed that they leave a glowing review.’

Unless they have a marketing plan, those hopes are almost always dashed. There are perhaps four reasons people would leave an Amazon or Goodreads review on a book:

1. To contrast the existing poor reviews because they LOVED it.

2. To contrast the existing good reviews because they HATED it.

3. Because they have a personal connection to the reader and want to help.

4. They are seasoned reviewers who gain meaning by leaving thoughtful and trustworthy reviews.

Authors must learn this lesson the hard way: no one wants to review your book.

OK, maybe the few reviewers from the fourth category might, but they have 4,503,456 books ahead of yours on their reading list.

It’s certainly true that authors can’t attract more reviews from readers who fit into the first two categories. We can’t control readers’ reactions to our work.

So what CAN we do?

It’s well-known that getting your first 10-20 reviews for a self-published book is crucial. In a marketplace where many major releases and popular books have hundreds or thousands of reviews, authors need social proof. 10+ reviews can be the difference between prospective buyers perceiving a book as amateur or interesting.

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Getting reviews on the board

Let’s talk tactics.

Tapping into your personal network is the best way to get some guaranteed reviews. Send emails, WhatsApp messages and ask people in person. Don’t be shy to chase people up either!

Even those who personally promise a review, often say things like:

• Sorry, the dog ate your book, and then I ate the dog, so I haven’t read it.

• I would love to write a review, but I’ve just been incarcerated on Christmas Island for the next 18 years for doubting the existence of Rudolph the Reindeer. It’s a real pity (good luck with the launch though)

• What is Amazon?

• I haven’t forgotten! I promise to post the review on or before March 58th, 2089.

It’s maddening.

In my experience, around 30% of those who read the book and promise a review end up posting one (even with a lot of cajoling). Of course, I am grateful to those who deliver.

Another tactic is outbound requests in fiction or author groups. I’m talking book clubs, Facebook groups, forums, and anywhere online that permits authors to post about their book and request reviews.

My experience with this method has been less successful. If groups are free and permit promotion, the feed fills up with a thousand ‘get my new book’ posts. Then, no one wants to hang out in that group. Just because the internet provides every author with a mouthpiece, it doesn’t mean anybody is listening.

My advice is to select groups and platforms where you contribute something in addition to promotion. That way, members and readers will be more likely to help you out. Perhaps Substack is a happy medium. It’s chock full of writers who understand they must give as well as receive. Although Amazon is not keen on authors swapping reviews, it may be possible to attract some reviewers this way.

Authors don’t lose anything by posting in a group or on their feed. Give it a go, but for me, it’s not a method which has garnered a lot of reviews.

The final method of getting reviews comes from a great workshop in the Multilingual Writers’ Community I attended. John Ilho, epic fantasy author, and writer of

Mute Cat Manolo

, outlined how platforms like Book Funnel, Hidden Gems, Net Galley, and Book Sirens can help authors.

In reality, publishers have been doing this for years, sending out hundreds or even thousands of free ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) to secure reviews upon launch.

Each of the sites works differently and uses different payment structures. Although they don’t pay reviewers, the mechanics behind promotion platforms require funding — and of course, authors are on the hook.

I’ve just set up my books on Book Funnel and I’ve already had 40 or so downloads (in just a few days).

The basic idea is this — authors add their books to a group promotion page and share the link. It’s like pooling audiences for author newsletters.

Fifteen Shades of Time - available now

Readers visit a link like this one (for free short stories) or this one (with two of my books listed for sale) and can download a variety of eBooks. If they like the book, they might recommend it. They might post a review.

Authors can email the readers to let them know about free promo days on Amazon or future releases.

Authors must first build an audience and do EVERYTHING they can to secure enough social proof to sell books. That means giving away a lot of copies for free. I’m with

Mute Cat Manolo

on this one — let’s celebrate piracy! Readers are valuable; it doesn’t matter how they found your book.

Let’s be honest, copyright is dead. Anyone can post copyrighted content in another location and make it available. So, authors should savor every free copy readers download. It’s all about attracting genuine readers — whether they are paying customers or not.

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So, there you have it. Three methods where authors need to beg (and even pay a fee to platforms) for reviews.

It’s wonderful that anyone can self-publish. However, nobody said selling books (or even getting reviews) was easy.

If you’d like to review any of my books, or just download some free reads, visit these links:

1. Short stories (inc. 21 Futures: Tales from the Timechain)

2. Novellas for sale (inc. ‘Fifteen Shades of Time’ and ‘Before. During. After.’)

If you’d like to review my forthcoming children’s book, The A-Z of Rotten Uncles, please follow my publication,

Third Time Right

, or just drop a comment on this post.

And of course, feel free to describe your book in the comments. All authors need more reviews!

Thanks for reading.

Until next time.

Phil (Lord and protector of the Multilingual Writers’ Community).