Book Promotion Articles

Editorial Reviews vs. Customer Reviews: How Each Moves the Needle on Amazon – Part III

Timing, Ethics, and the Long Game: When to Seek Endorsements, What to Expect, and How Not to Trip the Wires

This installment sets expectations of when to pursue endorsements, and highlights the policy guardrails that keep your campaign safe.

Timing options, with evidence-based expectations

Pre-launch (T–12 to T–16 weeks for selective outlets)

  • Pros: Quotes are ready to populate Editorial Reviews on day one; you can weave them into the description and A+ Content and use them in outreach. Early framing influences the first shoppers who also become your first reviewers.
  • Cons: Longer lead times and less flexibility if you wish
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2026-02-09T13:31:23+02:00February 9th, 2026|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Editorial Reviews vs. Customer Reviews: How Each Moves the Needle on Amazon – Part II

Placement, Framing, and Findability: Engineering Editorial Endorsements for Impact

“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.” —Neil Gaiman.

Treat endorsements as your on-page librarian: the thing that steers a skimmer to the right reason to care.

Why Amazon elevates editorial endorsements (and how to use it)

Authors can add endorsements in Author Central under “Your Editorial Reviews.” This section appears high on the detail page and is under your control, unlike customer reviews. It is the appropriate, policy-compliant place for promotional language, whereas the customer review space is explicitly not for […]

2026-02-09T13:32:25+02:00February 6th, 2026|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Editorial Reviews vs. Customer Reviews: How Each Moves the Needle on Amazon – Part I

Two Engines of Trust: Editorial Endorsements and Customer Reviews

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” — Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Executive Argument

On Amazon, readers encounter two distinct “trust engines”: curated editorial endorsements (short, attributed pull-quotes you control) and customer reviews (ratings plus text you don’t control). They don’t compete; they specialize. Endorsements frame expectations at the top of the page; customer reviews compound social proof over time. Treat them as complementary levers in one system.

What the Strongest Evidence Says About Reviews

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2026-02-09T13:32:12+02:00February 5th, 2026|Categories: Features|Tags: |

Why 5-Star Reviews Aren’t Ideal for Self-Published Authors

For self-published authors, Amazon customer reviews are more than just nice-to-have — they’re essential. They influence how often your book is shown to readers, how it ranks, and whether someone clicks “Buy Now” or keeps scrolling. While racking up five-star customer reviews may seem like the goal, a wall of perfect ratings can actually hurt more than help.

In fact, readers today are savvy enough to recognize when a book’s reviews seem “too good to be true.” If you want sustainable success as an indie author, focusing on authentic feedback rather than perfect ratings is key.


Why High Ratings Help

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2025-04-28T10:22:38+02:00April 27th, 2025|Categories: Features|Tags: , |

The Long-Term Value of Metadata: How to Best Choose Your Keywords, Categories, and Book Description

In the vast and often unforgiving landscape of self-publishing, the difference between a book that thrives and one that languishes in obscurity often comes down to something invisible to most readers: metadata. Like a hidden force, metadata determines how your book is discovered, who sees it, and whether it has a chance to claim a place in the hearts and libraries of readers worldwide.

For self-published authors, mastering keywords, categories, and book descriptions is not just an exercise in optimization – it is a necessity for survival in a marketplace where thousands of books are released daily.

Why Keywords and […]

2025-04-27T12:21:20+02:00March 22nd, 2025|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: |

How to Promote Your Book on Bluesky

The world of book promotion has always been tied closely to the latest trends in social media. In 2025, authors are grappling with major changes in the digital landscape, forcing them to rethink how they connect with readers, and how to convince those readers that their words are worth reading, their labors of love worth the scant price of a paperback. With ongoing controversies surrounding X (formerly Twitter) and the potential banning of TikTok in the United States, many authors are searching for reliable alternatives.

One rising star in this evolving space is Bluesky, a decentralized social platform that […]

2025-02-03T16:37:35+02:00February 3rd, 2025|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: , , |

How To Get An Agent For My Book – Part One: The Submission Letter

How To Get A Literary Agent 2020

Thousands of writers submit their books to literary agents every year, but only very few are chosen. Why is this, and how can you give yourself the best chance?

Part One: The Submission Letter

Literary Agents are jumpy as all hell. Slip up on one aspect of your submission and you’re written off forever. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Agents are like this because they get literally hundreds of crappy submissions every week. They can only sign one or two people a year. That is why you must follow their submission guidelines to the letter because they will probably only […]

2020-08-25T05:19:05+02:00August 18th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: , |
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