Your book has been published and it’s up on Amazon. Now your focus is on marketing your book. In reality, you should start marketing your books long before they are published. But… one way to market is with reviews.
You’ve heard that reviews sell books. Book reviews definitely increase sales and add credibility for the author.
However, how do you get reviews?
Getting Reviews
One of the best ways to get reviews is to ask for them from book buyers. You can also approach influencers and ask them to review your book. If you plan to do this, it’s a good idea to give them a complimentary copy.
It will feel like a bait and switch if you ask someone to review your book and then ask them to buy it. Especially if you know their name and market position will benefit you more than them reviewing your book benefits them.
Case in point… I, like some of my colleagues in the book publishing and marketing space, am frequently asked to review books for new authors.
The author knows it will be beneficial to have an influencer review their book. Truth be told, there are days I can have several people ask me to review their books. Doing so can be very time consuming. Time I don’t always have.
Don’t Overprice Your Book
If I’m asked to review a book, I don’t expect to have to buy the book. The author may think it’s no big deal to buy their book, but $20 here and there adds up.
And… some authors overprice their books. Recently, I had an author ask me to review her book.
I went to her Amazon page to read a bit about the book to see if it was something I would want to spend time reading.
I was actually shocked to see the book priced at $25 for the paperback version and $19.99 for Kindle. This is not in keeping with market price. A Kindle book for nearly $20 is truthfully, too much (in most cases).
What some authors may not realize is that overpricing their book will reduce the number of sales.
Buying Books Adds Up
Like many experts, I love reading and love reviewing books in specific genres, but I sure don’t like spending a small fortune in the process.
If you’re an author and you want others to review your book(s), make it as easy for someone to say yes as possible. If you ask someone to review your book, be willing to give them a copy.
Budget for Review Copies
Part of your overall marketing budget needs to include the cost of giving out review copies; to the media, to industry experts, to influencers. When my book, Power Up for Profits was published, I was very generous with review copies. After all, reviews do sell books and to get reviews from the media and influencers is what most authors look for.
Have you budgeted for review copies? If not, I highly recommend you do. And know this, if you’re approaching an influencer to review your book(s), doesn’t it stand to reason that others are too?
Marketing Your Book
For more on reviews and other ways to market your book, get my FREE report on how to rise up on the charts with your book. Go to www.oneonamazon.com
