I have written several posts about reviews. It can be one of the most frustrating aspects of being an author. Many platforms are set up to guide readers to free review copies, and even though they say that reviews are not guaranteed, one would think that if someone downloads your review copy from a book reviewer site, there should be some expectation of a review. So, I have tried a few sites with limited success. More on that later.
I always sent out a welcome email, thanking the reader. Here is what I say:
To all reviewers,
Thank you for your interest in reviewing my books. As readers, you are so important to new independent authors as your reviews allow us to compete with the multitude of other authors, signed and unsigned. We have found each other through various book platforms. Some of my early subscribers are taking advantage of my free book offer for reviews.
Reviews do not have to be long. Even one or two sentences can attract new readers, and at the very least, a star rating would be appreciated. As for the timeline, I’m hoping that they can be done within 4 weeks of receiving your review copy. (Note: I don’t think 4 weeks is unreasonable)
For some of you, that 4 weeks is getting close. Let me know if you need more time. If you had any difficulty downloading a book, please email me with your preferred format: PDF, ePub, Mobi.
When you have completed your review, please let me know so that I can link it to my website. If you choose not to leave a review for any reason, could you please inform me, and I will remove you from the list.
Here are the review links. Please leave a review on any (or all) of the sites. As my science fiction book is only available on Amazon at the moment, that would be my preference if you are just going to post on one.
I put direct links here to make it easy!
Final Note: Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, so if you enjoyed the books, please tell your friends and family and share the review on your social media!
End of letter.
I think that it covers my expectations and empowers the reviewer to submit whatever form they wish. I added the part about not leaving a review because it is frustrating to not hear from them and I don’t want to keep sending reminders. I appreciate honesty over being ‘ghosted’.
Here are the results:
Platform A: Voracious Readers Round One - Free trial 20 readers = 3 reviews Round Two - 6 week promo, now pay/reader 30 readers = 2 Reviews so far Platform B: Booksprout - Free 3 readers = 1 review Platform C: StoryOrigin - Free Beta version, transitioning to paid 8 readers = 3 reviews Platform D: Library Thing -Free 12 readers = 3 reviews Platform E: Sandra’s Book Club - Free 3 Readers = 0 review Platform F: Reedsy - Paid 1 review Platform G: Goodreads – Free 7 readers = 5 reviews - GRs takes a lot of work, finding the review groups and threads.
I suspect that most readers are in it for the free books (as you can see by the stats), which is disheartening, as it does feel like you are getting taken advantage of.
What has your experience been?
-Leon
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Lines by Leon 
I don’t expect many reviews from free books. Some people take them just because they’re free and might not even enjoy reading a free book in a genre they dislike – in which case they might leave a one star review. In my experience it’s better if people pay for a book they like the look of in the first place.
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I read somewhere that 5-10% of readers who purchase books leave reviews. My hope that it would be higher on sites that market themselves as review sites, though. Like I said, there are many who take advantage of that.
I think that the 5-10% figure is the same for a good click rate on ads and for readers that purchase a book after getting a reader magnet.
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Damn, those stats are so low. It is very frustrating and disheartening to think about and I’m not even a book writer. The welcome email is a nice touch and I would it would appeal to the reader’s sense of reciprocity. But I guess not. Sigh. I hope you find a site where readers actually give reviews in return for a free book.
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It’s a learning process for sure.
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