If you exist in the land of the living, chances are you know someone who has written a book. There are so many books in the market today from business method books to fictional fantasy worlds. No matter what author you encounter, there is one thing that every author on earth who publishes anything covets. And that is your review.
You may think they only want your five star review, but you’d be wrong. Of course, five stars are preferable, but you’d be amazed how many people will click on that one star review just for entertainment with no intention of letting it influence whether or not they read a book. In some cases, it may even make them want to read it more.
In the beginning, a lot of authors make the mistake of asking family and friends to read their books to give them a good start. They think, “They’ll read it to support me and give me a good review which will help me.” They end up sorely disappointed at the lack of interest and support they receive. It’s a true struggle for writers everywhere to get their work noticed in a plethora of other works that exist in the world. Add to that the fact that most friends and family don’t see writing as a real job unless you’re traditionally published and raking in the cash. This all adds up to many discouraged writers who may have valuable things to contribute to all of us through their scribblings.
So, dear reader, my point is this. If you read a book, any book, and no matter how you feel about it, authors everywhere would be endlessly grateful if you would work it into your book reading existence to leave a review of that book. More reviews can rank a book up in recommended reading hundreds or thousands of slots that could be crucial for visibility, which is essential to their success. I’d even venture to say that new authors would rather you get a free book and leave a review than to just sell you the book with no review.
Having said all of this, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that all reviews are wanted, but they aren’t all created equal. Sites like Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble offer more opportunities for writers to be seen and discovered by readers who love their genres. The pinnacle of every writing career is finding your audience. Those are the people that devour any and all books in the author’s genre and come back again and again for every book release and every story starving for more.
In summation, please review all the books you read. The hours, days, months, and years that went into creating that thing that you spent a few hours listening to or reading are priceless. Consider it altruism, a public service, a favor to the person who wrote that book you adore or hate, or anything else you want to label it, but please, I beg you, do review.