I got a review. Every author will be delighted by reviews of his book. It means someone read it and posted an opinion.
Reviews are hard to get because competition is big. Also, readers in Amazon read books from famous authors, and we, indie authors are getting a piece of cake.
Probably you heard about this magic number of reviews. 20-25 reviews, your book will be marked as "you might also read". 50 reviews will bring you to mention in the Amazon newsletter. It looks tempting and authors are struggling to get a huge number of reviews, but in reality, things look different.
7 myths about reviews:
Bad ratings mean that book is trash, the same as bad reviews.
It is not true, as tastes are different. Someone can spit on your book because of the genre you write, or because this person doesn't like the author. Also, many trolls are around, who can't wait a chance to ruin someone's rating.
Excellent reviews mean that book is a bestseller.
It is hard to please everyone, and if a book is rated with 4.9 it doesn't mean it is a recommended read.
Many reviews will make many sales.
It doesn't have to be true. You will need a few years to get reviews in big numbers, and your sales might stand in one place.
People who buy the book will review the book or at least, rate it.
It is not a priority either. Some people will collect books, but you will never see their reviews. Some are not eligible to review, others have too many books on their TBR list, and some lost interest in the book. Don't wait for Godot.
A well-edited book is a good read.
For the good story is not enough to be clear and clean in grammar sense. You need to write a good plot, trigger for readers, and hold their interests. Sometimes, if you find an editor who digs too much, you might lose an idea of the book.
Reviews from other authors will draw more attention.
It is not true, because competition is big and just if someone who is an author recommends the book, the audience will not increase.
A group for review swap will increase the number of reviews.
Take care of that, don't ask your reviews from friends or try to swap. Those groups just bring you the possibility to be erased by Amazon. Try to promote the book with creativity, pull your cover and content that will attract readers.
What makes a difference from one author to another?
Be professional. Don't spam, beg, don't offer paid reviews, don't jump in other inboxes if you don't know people well.
Take patience. Sometimes it needs time for your book to gain attention.
Don't give up so easily. Promoting a book is a process, not a speed action.
Try to build your circle. People who read your book will read another one too if you gain their interest.
Get rid of fake people. Those who are promising are not reliable. Avoid long negotiation, you have no time for this.
Celebrate small victories. This month I have 300 pages in KENP read, it is cool.
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