Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is one of the best new tools for up and coming writers to showcase, publicize,  and ultimately sell their work. 

But how easy is this, and how can a writer get book reviews to encourage more sales? 

Is Amazon KDP Effective?

Most writers who employ marketing tactics and social media (see also ‘What Is The Best Social Media Platform For Authors? [5 Examples]‘) can achieve some degree of success on Amazon KDP, earning a tidy profit – particularly when they have multiple books on the site. 

However, this is by no means an easy feat, and there can be many hindrances to writers achieving success – not least of which is being lost amongst a saturated market. 

One of the ways they can hope to make their work a success is by trying to get good reviews, and luckily there are a couple of ways writers can make this happen. 

How To Get Book Reviews

When it comes to attaining book reviews for your work, there are a couple of techniques that writers can use. 

Ask For Reviews

First and foremost, you could always ask your customers to leave you a review when they find the time. This is a common thing for most online sellers, who need reviews to gain traction with their particular business models. 

There are a couple of ways you can do this with a Kindle book. Firstly, you could message the customer directly, thanking them and asking for their feedback, or you could print it at the end of the book – asking them to leave a review if they enjoyed the story or content. 

Ask Your Network

Another way is to set up a launch team. 

A launch team is a group of close friends, confidantes, and colleagues who will be on hand to assist you where possible in the run up to your book launch.

Granted, not everyone has this luxury, but if you are blessed with a wide circle of people, then why not get them to write reviews for you? 

This could be done in advance of time, where you send them a copy of the manuscript for their feedback, which you could then get them to put on the book page when you upload it. 

Post On Social Media

You could also post on your social media to encourage people to leave reviews. You could pin a tweet to the top of your feed, or alternatively, post regularly about how much you would appreciate a review to help you along. 

A lot of people who follow authors tend to be other writers – or like minded creatives – and as such they are usually more than happy to help one another out when they need a favor. 

Reach Out

You could also reach out to top reviewers, and those respected in literary circles for their reviewing prowess. This could be people on twitter who have made a name for themselves in literary circles, or it could be a local journalist. 

This can be scary, and not for the faint of heart – however it can be a useful boost to the popularity of your book, and can send more potential customers your way. 

Paid Services

If things aren’t going well, and you desperately need a review to boost your sales, then there are always numerous services online that will review your work. 

This does not mean paying for good reviews, and thus scamming Amazon and your readers – this is considered bad form after all – but websites like Goodreads allow readers to submit a book onto their wish list, with the winner receiving reviews through their site. 

Why Are Reviews Useful? 

There are also many reasons why reviews are useful for both the writer and their potential audience. 

Credibility 

One such benefit is that it gives the writer a certain amount of credibility – both on the wider marketplace, and amongst their peers. 

It also makes you as the writer more trustworthy to potential customers – who will read the reviews and make up their mind accordingly. 

We are all familiar with some of the less reputable sides to Amazon sellers – who sell questionable products with no reviews or contact information. Well, the same goes with books, and having some honest reviews can go a long way to making you seem legit. 

Boosting Sales

It can also be a good way to boost sales, both from casual clickers, and from recommendations by satisfied customers. 

People in literary circles share the books they have read, as do students studying in English Literature and Creative Writing courses, and reviews – both written and verbal – can be great ways for your work to spread like wildfire. 

Likewise, a good written review on Amazon can be the difference between a casual browser buying your work, or carrying on scrolling. 

Boosting The Algorithm 

Amazon also works using algorithms – which in turn are effective by number of reviews, the quality of the ratings, number of searches, and certain keywords (see also ‘What Are Broad Keywords In Amazon? How To Use Them To Your Advantage‘). 

By gaining reviews for your work, you stand more chance of appearing at the top of search pages, and thus potentially attaining more sales and customers – if only mathematically, as more people will be able to instantly see your work without having to scroll down too much, or indeed without searching for your work directly. 

Final Thoughts

And there we have it, everything you need to know about Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, and the best way to get book reviews on your written work. 

It’s true that Amazon KDP has changed the game for up and coming writers, allowing them to showcase and potentially sell their own creative works without interference from outside sources – such as professional publishing houses, and other business entities. 

So if you are looking to publish your own written work online, then why not give Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing a try? Something tells me you won’t be disappointed!