I’ve written about my publishing journey a bit on this blog, and today is about another aspect of it: getting folks to review your book once they’ve read it. This one is more important than people think, and I’ve found it to be one of the most difficult parts of the whole publishing process.
Book written? Check!
Book edited? Check!
Book published? Check!
Audio book recorded? Check!
Book publicity (60+ podcasts/interviews, various excerpts published, website, socials)? Check!
Book launch team? Check!
50+ reviews in six months? Nope.
Writing the book was hard. Publicity was a bit draining, but fulfilling (wrote about that here). Getting reviews has been the hardest. The reality is that about 1-2% of buyers write reviews on Amazon — yet more than 80% check the reviews to determine if they want to buy a product. Reviews matter to us, but how often to we review something we liked? Apparently, not very often.
Why do reviews matter?
I found this great list from Liana George that explains why book reviews matter to authors:
She follows up that list with one about why book reviews matter to readers:
Authors and readers alike value book reviews. They can be insightful tools as to how we can help our audience (with more information on our blogs, for example). They can also be an insightful tool for readers to pick their next read. If you liked it, they might, too.
I hear from some people that they don’t know what to write in a review. It’s not hard. One or two sentences can be enough! A review should be concise but specific. Tell the reader what you liked and (sometimes) what you didn’t like. Share honestly. Talk about what resonated with you, and what you wish the author could have spent more time on. If you’re familiar with the author’s work, you could mention that, too. There are options on Amazon and Goodreads to simply provide a rating (rather than a full review). That’s helpful, too.
One caveat: DO NOT REVIEW SHIPPING METHODS!
How many reviews is enough?
The magic number of reviews on Amazon seems to be 50. The average number of reviews for products is around 40, but consumers look for products with 51+ reviews.
My book, Bridge-Building Apologetics, has 46 reviews on Amazon as of today, February 13. That does not meet the 51+ threshold. I know more than 46 people have read it, and I have heard from many who loved it, but they didn’t write a review. Don’t get me wrong! I love hearing from you, so please don’t stop telling me what you think about the book or how it’s helped you. But would you please review it publicly? It doesn’t have to be a 5-star review. I know it’s not a book everyone will love, and that’s okay. Just read a couple of 2- and 3- star reviews on Goodreads:
Again, I know my book isn’t for everyone. I don’t love every book I read, either! For balance, though, let me show you a couple of 5-star reviews:
All that to say, if you’ve read my book, would you please take a few minutes to review it on Amazon and/or Goodreads? If you’ve read other books (especially by authors without huge platforms — here’s a reel where I touched on that topic), please review those, too!
Thanks so much for all of the support you’ve shown me! It has really meant a lot, and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.
Lindsey Medenwaldt is the author of Bridge-Building Apologetics. She is the director of operations for Mama Bear Apologetics, and she is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern College in Iowa and Midwestern State University in Texas. For more information, visit lindseymedenwaldt.com.