Review Rates

[Zero Angel]

Just saw a post over at the KDP forums that included this tidbit:

Read-review rate is something like 750-1 for paid books; 1500-1 for free books, so don't panic and don't hold your breath.

Holy cow! I know Michael has posted tips on how to lower the reader::review ratio, but I was curious what data other people have in their personal experiences? (Not sure if it is clear, but this is probably not including people that you know or have a personal relationship with).

I got ONE unknown-source review on my nonfiction eBook after around 300 free downloads. No other reviews in the dozens of paid downloads and none for my second nonfiction eBook.

 

[PaulineMRoss]

Self-published author Lexi Revellian, who keeps very precise records of such things, reckons she gets one review for every 187 sales.

 

[BWFoster78]

I think it helps to request a review from your readers. How to Make a Killing on Kindle recommends a page at the back of your book asking for readers to help you and listing the ways.

Since reading his argument, I've tried to pay attention to my own behavior.

It's true. I am much more likely to do something for an author if he asks.

 

[Devor]

Aside from what's been talked about before, I'm not really sure. The way I see it, if it helps, three kinds of people post reviews:

- Someone who had a reaction to the work, positive or negative.
- What you call a "Market Maven," who just wants to help people figure out which books to buy.
- People who've been asked to write one.

But aside from asking people to write one, which is what's been talked about in other threads, I don't have a good answer for you. I keep thinking of things like, "What if you asked for a review in the acknowledgements?" or "Offered to give reviewers a coupon for the next book" or "Inserted subliminal references to amazon throughout the book," but I'm not inclined to think they'll work.

Really, I think Michael Sullivan nailed it in his previous comments. Maybe 750:1 is the aggregate number, but that's going to change if you isolate different groups of readers. The Book Mavens hang out at places like Good Reads, so if you make yourself a presence there, you should be getting a higher number, which is what Michael Sullivan said worked for him.

 

[Devor]

How to Make a Killing on Kindle recommends a page at the back of your book asking for readers to help you and listing the ways.

I came so close to typing that exact thing, a page at the back of the book, but it sounded so cheesy to me. Give people a moment to absorb the ending already. But aperture is like five minutes later, so maybe if there's an epilogue, or an appendix, or a sample chapter from the next book, you could ask after those. ((edit, but people ignore those on a kindle and won't see it, so d'oh.))

 

[Zero Angel]

But aside from asking people to write one, which is what's been talked about in other threads, I don't have a good answer for you. I keep thinking of things like, "What if you asked for a review in the acknowledgements?" or "Offered to give reviewers a coupon for the next book" or "Inserted subliminal references to amazon throughout the book," but I'm not inclined to think they'll work.

Really, I think Michael Sullivan nailed it in his previous comments. Maybe 750:1 is the aggregate number, but that's going to change if you isolate different groups of readers. The Book Mavens hang out at places like Good Reads, so if you make yourself a presence there, you should be getting a higher number, which is what Michael Sullivan said worked for him.

One scammy looking blog I recently read argued for the use of "up to hundreds of dollars in free digital content" in exchange for purchasing your book on a specific day (proven with the Amazon receipt) so that your ranking would top out at that point in time (coordinated with mass opt-in e-mail blasts).

Although I don't approve of THAT, coupons or free books sounds reasonable(?)...I think? Well, maybe for purchasing. I wouldn't want to bribe people to review (because it would be too much like buying their review...which by the way, if people believe in that, there are websites where you can hire people to write reviews for literally nickels).

I'd really like to offer people my first nonfiction book for free if they purchase the second nonfiction book, but there's no way to do this with Amazon...well, no easy way, if I contacted people individually it could work...although I'd have to check ToS.

Smashwords has coupons that you can generate codes for (and include up to 100% off a book), but there's no preventing that from being mass-distributed to people that didn't purchase the second...other than expiration dates. Aaaaand, the meatgrinder at Smashwords butchers the formatting of the nonfiction works anyway, so I'd only be able to do use that platform with my novel.

P.S. I also agree Michael Sullivan nailed it with his blog articles and posts here. I was more interested in the actual ratios people were seeing, which Pauline's post was great for, although it would be nice to know more about the platform of that particular author in regards to what goes into mining for the reviews from the basic sales. One reason why I'm turning to the rest of yins to see what your experiences have been for some "hard" data.

 

[Zero Angel]

I came so close to typing that exact thing, a page at the back of the book, but it sounded so cheesy to me. Give people a moment to absorb the ending already. But aperture is like five minutes later, so maybe if there's an epilogue, or an appendix, or a sample chapter from the next book, you could ask after those. ((edit, but people ignore those on a kindle and won't see it, so d'oh.))

I actually include it in the "About the Author" page along with other ways to connect with me. Something like, "You can connect with Zero at blah blah blah and if you got this far, he'd love to hear what you thought in a review where you bought the eBook."

 

[robertbevan]

It's true. I am much more likely to do something for an author if he asks.

i wonder if women feel the same way. i wish i'd been an author back when i was single.

 

[PaulineMRoss]

Reviews are so critical to sales nowadays, so why wouldn't you ask for them? Yes, put a page at the end of the book - right next to the final page, and don't forget to mention all the other books you've written. Yes, contact anyone who wrote a review of an earlier book. Yes, build a presence on Goodreads (I pick up most of my never-heard-of-before reads from authors who post on the fantasy forums there regularly and just mention in passing that they're authors). Yes, contact any bloggers who review your particular sub-genre. Do whatever you can (politely, and without being pushy). And when you have a new book out, or a special price deal - tell people about it wherever you can.

Sell yourselves, people!

By the way, the aforementioned Lexi Revellian is a great source of information for self-publishers. Here website is here: LEXI REVELLIAN writer - Welcome to my website and her blog is here: Lexi Revellian. Both are models of how to present yourself-as-author to the world (in my opinion).

 

[Zero Angel]

Reviews are so critical to sales nowadays, so why wouldn't you ask for them? Yes, put a page at the end of the book - right next to the final page, and don't forget to mention all the other books you've written. Yes, contact anyone who wrote a review of an earlier book. Yes, build a presence on Goodreads (I pick up most of my never-heard-of-before reads from authors who post on the fantasy forums there regularly and just mention in passing that they're authors). Yes, contact any bloggers who review your particular sub-genre. Do whatever you can (politely, and without being pushy). And when you have a new book out, or a special price deal - tell people about it wherever you can.

Sell yourselves, people!

By the way, the aforementioned Lexi Revellian is a great source of information for self-publishers. Here website is here: LEXI REVELLIAN writer - Welcome to my website and her blog is here: Lexi Revellian. Both are models of how to present yourself-as-author to the world (in my opinion).

So I've never disliked a single blog you've ever recommended Any more recommendations?

 

[Chilari]

Well if anyone here wants to increase their review rates, there is now a review requests forum here on Mythic Scribes. Posting from my Kindle so can't link but it's not hard to find.

 

[PaulineMRoss]

So I've never disliked a single blog you've ever recommended Any more recommendations?

Lindsay Buroker (author of The Emperor's Edge series) is another who posts a lot of very useful information for other self-pubbers, and her blog is also a good example of how to do it - very clear information for potential purchasers AND existing fans. Her blog is here: Lindsay Buroker -- Fantasy Author

 

[Graylorne]

Well if anyone here wants to increase their review rates, there is now a review requests forum here on Mythic Scribes. Posting from my Kindle so can't link but it's not hard to find.

And that is a very good idea

I'll be there, in a few months time (after editor & illustrator are finished).

 

[Zero Angel]

Well if anyone here wants to increase their review rates, there is now a review requests forum here on Mythic Scribes. Posting from my Kindle so can't link but it's not hard to find.

Thanks for the heads up! Added this to my (quite long) to-do list. Also going to post on the other thread offering review swaps to let everyone know there.

Lindsay Buroker (author of The Emperor's Edge series) is another who posts a lot of very useful information for other self-pubbers, and her blog is also a good example of how to do it - very clear information for potential purchasers AND existing fans. Her blog is here: Lindsay Buroker -- Fantasy Author

This is a great resource again. This was the first one I've seen you recommend and I've subscribed to this blog since then. I second the recommendation.