It is commonly agreed upon that an independent author with well-written work must seek out positive feedback. Indeed, book reviews have the power to sell books. How? By assisting others in their quest for fresh reading material. Word-of-mouth advertising is what reviews are. In many cases, that’s exactly what you want.
Despite this, book evaluations aren’t always written with the author’s interests at heart. Many book reviewers on Goodreads and Amazon think that the author has no place in the review area, and they are not alone in this belief. On the other hand, authors benefit from book reviews since they assist consumers in deciding whether a book is suited for them.
Reviewing Books: What It Is and Isn’t
The book reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other online platforms are mostly determined by the person who writes it. Book reviews are more often than not a person’s response to what they’ve read, rather than an objective assessment of the quality of the content.
Many reviewers write to assist themselves in remembering what they’ve read or informed other readers about the book (good or bad). Still, the book reviews that aid independent writers are the ones placed where readers will finally make their purchase decision—or where readers go for reliable opinions.
When it comes to choosing a book, most readers rely on three primary review sources: Amazon, Goodreads, and recommendations from other readers they respect. More and more readers are finding one other via social media, book blogs, and the like.
"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
In a Book Review, What Do Readers Want to Know?
To write an engaging book review, you must first understand what information your audience is seeking. It’s not uncommon for individuals to look at a review’s star rating, the number of reviews, or the prevalent themes in the book reviews when making a purchasing choice based on that information.
Here is a list of the most often requested information by readers in book reviews and book information:
It’s easy to get an idea of what others think about a book by looking at its star rating since this should be included in the review. But don’t stop there. But don’t stop there. Not a review: A rating with no explanation is a rating and will not attract future readers.