How Book Reviews Can Help You Sell More Books

How Book Reviews Can Help You Sell More Books

Aerio Staff

Do you want to sell more books? Do you need help finding book marketingideas? Consider book reviews.

Getting and promoting book reviews, whether you pay for them or get themorganically, can really boost your book sales.

Why are reviews important to selling books?

If reviews aren't already part of yourbook marketing plan, you might want to rethink your marketing strategy. Here's why reviews areimportant:

  • Reviews help your book be more discoverable , which helps with sales. Every time your book is mentioned online, it becomes more discoverable to future online searches. Plus, book reviews include other helpful discoverable/searchable information - like your name! - that helps push your book toward the top of online searches.
  • Reviews make your book appear more credible. When potential readers (think buyers!) see that your book has received a lot of reviews, they see that lots of people are reading it. This lends more credibility to your work and can be just the thing that leads readers to press the "buy now" button.
  • Reviews factor into Amazon’s algorithm , which determines how much they’re willing to recommend your book. You've undoubtedly heard about the mysterious algorithm and few people know exactly how it works. But you know that it does and that it matters when it's time to sell your books. If your book has a lot of verified reviews, your book is more likely to appeal to potential buyers. Thanks to the algorithm, reviews help sell books.

How do I go about soliciting book reviews?

So now that you understand why reviews are crucial to increasing sales, howdo you get them?

Ask Away

  • Ask current readers including friends, family, and fans. The old adage is true: It never hurts to ask!
  • Ask online and offline book clubs. Have a contest or even host a book giveaway campaign . Many book clubs only read books that are available at minimal or no cost. Make yours easily available in exchange for online reviews.

Research & Pitch

  • Research and pitch top reviewers on Amazon. Take the time to see what kinds of books several top reviewers are reading, reviewing, and rating highly. Pitch those who enjoy reading books in your genre or those that have similar themes.
  • Research and pitch top bloggers and influencers related to your book. Follow and interact with bloggers and professionals who work in fields related to your book. If you've written a biography of your grandmother who became a famous cook, reach out to foodie bloggers and chefs who have an online presence . Comment and compliment on their blogs and become familiar with their readers. Their followers are your target audience.

Offer Reviews

  • Review other books. Get your name out there as a reviewer yourself. Solicit and offer peer-to-peer reviews and don't be afraid to approach any website that sells books online.

How do I incorporate reviews into my book marketing strategy?

Whether you hirebook promotionservices or learn how topromote a book for free, you must have a solid book marketing plan. Book reviews can be a helpfulpart of that strategy if you know how to use them. Try the following tips:

  • Add reviews into your website. Offer book promotions at the end of each review. Keep in mind that your website has to have well-written, fresh content all the time for people to keep coming back to it.
  • Take into account the formats of each review. Select headlines and bite-size chunks to highlight, and use bold-type and bullet points that people want to scan through.
  • Incorporate reviews into your social media strategy. Share, share, share those positive reviews! Provide links and use engaging images in your posts and comments. Interact with reviewers and show your gratitude by thanking, tagging, and following reviewers.
  • Update your book covers and ebook files to include prominent reviews. After your book has been selling awhile, you're bound to have some great reviews racked up. Add them to your book's back pages, covers, and electronic files. It's ok to let reviewers brag up your work!
  • Try to combine video with your book promotion ideas. Record yourself reading reviews and thanking the reviewer, and/or ask reviewers to record their own reviews. Then post and share in as many places as possible including your website, their website, Facebook , YouTube, etc.
  • Share reviews in your email marketing strategy. Include snippets of the best reviews and links to longer reviews when you send out your email newsletter . Track your newsletters to see which reviews get read and where. Use that information to your advantage by spending your time (or money) on the social media sites where your reviews are read and discussed.

Book reviews can make your books more discoverable in online searches, lendcredibility to your book, and can affect the way Amazon recommends yourbook. Take advantage of book reviews by posting them on social media sites,including them in your email newsletters, and experimenting with video tohighlight the best ones. Then - share everywhere! You've probably alreadyseen reviews of your books online and elsewhere. Let them help you sellmore books!