7 Tips on Author Promotion and Getting Reviews - Self-Publishing Tips Part #9 - #IndieAuthor - #BookPromotion

I don’t think authors should waste time promoting a book and contacting book promotional sites to buy an ad until they get at least double digit reviews on Amazon (at least ten or more), and preferably 25 reviews would be better. Get the reviews  posted on goodreads, too.

TIP 1  
I wouldn’t “exchange reviews” with other authors, unless you know each other fairly well and you both read the genre. This  could lead to some negative reviews being posted and awkwardness.  

TIP 2

Don’t ask your friends and family to post reviews. Those always seem fairly obvious on Amazon and it might decrease the validity of “real” reviews. My own family and friends don’t read my books and they are not very supportive. (Well, only one  friend read one of my books about 4 years ago, but she did not leave a review.) 

TIP 3

Don’t freak out if you get a one or two star review. Even bestselling authors get them. I feel they validate the positive ones. Plus, that is just one person’s opinion. As long as it is not a personal attack on you as a writer, than I would ignore them. Everyone has different tastes in literature, and since the Internet, everyone can post their opinion for the world to see.

Before I was published, I only wrote reviews for books that I loved and I just didn’t waste my time writing reviews of books I didn’t enjoy. I was criticized for doing this once by another reviewer. 

Over ten years ago, one of my trade published books was slammed so hard in a nasty review (and re-posted on several sites) that I almost quit writing. It was humiliating and humbling and an ego-crusher. However, now I can admit that the book was pretty awful. I was a newbie writer back then and I hadn’t yet mastered the art of storytelling. 

In truth, I’m still learning and I like a techie nerd (no offense), I get very excited when I do discover new ways to become a better writer. 

TIP 4
Be careful of approaching people on goodreads. A few years back, my publisher and I made the mistake of messaging people on the site to ask for a review and got flagged as spammers. Instead, join discussion groups and make friends on goodreads. I’ve sold a few books this way, but NOT mentioning my own novels. And I had fun doing it and sharing my love of books.



Hope this info helps you to find success!

Read the Next Part of this Book Promotion Series