Mythbusting – The Truth About Paid Book Reviews in 2021

Authors worry relentlessly about ‘paying for reviews.’ What are the concerns, and are they founded? What are the differences between the services offered online? Cate Baum, resident Amazon mythbuster steps in to calm your concerns.

When should I pay for a book review?

MYTH: NEVER! OR YOU AND YOUR BOOK WILL BURN!!

TRUTH: You should pay for a professional book review when you need a respected opinion to use as copy for promotional purposes. This is exactly what any author, from Stephen King to JK Rowling does when they hire a publicist. You then own the copy and can use […]

Cate Baum2021-08-03T07:25:11+02:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Reviews, Mythbusting Amazon For Authors|

2021 – How To Get Amazon Reviews Without Breaking The Rules

There are various discussions about getting Verified Amazon reviews for your book, but there’s only one sure way that works.

While the humble mailing list has been touted in many corners of the publishing world, it still rules as the only definite way of selling your book and getting Verified reviews.

But not all mailing lists are equal.

Amazon Rules

While it seems easy enough to add friends and family to your mailing list, here’s what to bear in mind: Once they bought your book, you can’t keep touting them for business.

The second issue is that Amazon does not […]

Cate Baum2021-07-21T02:11:16+02:00July 20th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Reviews, Newsletter Campaign|

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Beta Report

In this series, we take you through the anatomy of a book review.

What does it take to write a book review? What are the different types and uses of book reviews? In this final installment, we look at Beta reviews.

A Beta Reader’s Report (or Review) is written by an experienced reader with a good understanding of story, grammar, and style. A Beta read should be carried out on the final edited version of your book just before you publish it for sale. A Beta report is not a review, but a private assessment of your work as a […]

Cate Baum2021-07-20T07:30:20+02:00July 14th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Reviews|

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Amazon Review

In this series, we take you through the anatomy of a book review.

What does it take to write a book review? What are the different types and uses of book reviews? What is a Beta review anyway, and do you need one?

This second installment looks at how to write Amazon Customer Reviews.

How To Write An Amazon Book Review

Eligibility

An Amazon Customer Review must be written by someone who has read the book and has an Amazon account. You don’t have to have bought the book from Amazon. You can only review on Amazon if:

You have

[…]

Cate Baum2021-06-28T03:14:46+02:00June 28th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Reviews|

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Editorial Review

In this series, we take you through the anatomy of a book review.

What does it take to write an editorial review? How does this differ from a customer/reader review on Amazon or Goodreads? What is a Beta review anyway, and do you need one?

This first installment looks at professional reviews, otherwise known as Editorial Reviews.

How To Write an Editorial Book Review

Editorial Book Reviews are considered to be the premium type of book review, written by a book professional who critiques books for a living: highly qualified people who take their work seriously and produce succinct, lean […]

Cate Baum2021-06-28T03:07:50+02:00June 18th, 2021|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Reviews|

All About Book Reviews and Amazon – A Quick Guide and Rules

What reviews are allowed on Amazon?

There’s been some panic in the self-publishing streets about reviews being removed from Amazon and who is going to get sued for their reviews – and a lot of outrage blogging about Evil Amazon. Here’s a quick guide to why you should stop worrying too much and start understanding the different types of book reviews a little better.

There are three kinds of reviews on Amazon:

1. Customer Reviews

These are the reviews that Amazon is exercising their right, as a private company remember, to investigate more closely. What Amazon is trying to achieve […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T06:33:58+02:00February 17th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

How To Get Honest Book Reviews in 2020

Here are four simple methods to get honest book reviews in 2020. Authors are always looking for new ways to get reviews for their book, but most want an honest opinion. Attracting readers to buy your book is difficult enough, but getting them to leave a review is even harder.

Use a reader mailing list service. There are only two main services you can rely upon that result in Amazon Verified Customer Reviews (proof the reader actually bought the book) and sales within Amazon’s Review Guidelines. Both services have huge mailing lists of readers who buy, read, and review books. […]

Cate Baum2020-02-12T09:45:16+02:00February 12th, 2020|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

Six Reasons Why Amazon is Not Banning Indie Authors

There has been a lot of panic recently with horror stories about Amazon banning indie authors en masse for promoting their books. Here’s why that’s fake news.

1. Amazon is a business that wants to make money.

There are millions of books on Kindle, something like 7 million. Around 10% of Amazon’s total book stock. There’s no way Amazon wants to ban indie authors from Amazon, who must account for at least a quarter of those books, just by pure common sense.