Are review sites a good investment?

[Representing_Tromba]

So, reviews are one of the best ways for people to consider reading your book after the cover and synopsis. However, these reviews are often difficult to get without an established massive readerbase. Review swaps are a dime a dozen but often the reviews can be poor or, on occasion, never given at all. This leaves reviews entirely up to those who actually read your story for the most part and review websites. There are a few free review sites but they can be untrustworthy at times or have a small community of reviewers. Paid review sites on the other hand are fairly trustworthy and can post the reviews wherever you like. Some of which include, booksprout, onlinebookclub, netgalley, and booksirens. If anyone has used these sites to promote their stories with reviews, let me know what your experience was like.

 

[Deeprotsorcerer]

It's better to use outlets like twitter for reviews. There's a number of people with personal blogs dedicated to it that have small readerbases. Sure, one or two won't raise your numbers that much, but en masse they make a difference.

Don't pay for reviews.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Depends.

 

[Mortrexo]

Why do I feel like people there will treat the synopses you present as if they are meant to make them wet their pants with excitment, and if they fail to do so, they will smash your book as if it had killed their families?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Why do I feel like people there will treat the synopses you present as if they are meant to make them wet their pants with excitment, and if they fail to do so, they will smash your book as if it had killed their families?

K5 took this personally. ?

 

[Representing_Tromba]

It's better to use outlets like twitter for reviews. There's a number of people with personal blogs dedicated to it that have small readerbases. Sure, one or two won't raise your numbers that much, but en masse they make a difference.

Don't pay for reviews.

I see. Do you have any recommendations for reviewers on Twitter and/or Instagram? I haven't been on either up until recently out of necessity.

Depends.

on what?

Why do I feel like people there will treat the synopses you present as if they are meant to make them wet their pants with excitment, and if they fail to do so, they will smash your book as if it had killed their families?

No clue.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

So, reviews are one of the best ways for people to consider reading your book after the cover and synopsis. However, these reviews are often difficult to get without an established massive readerbase. Review swaps are a dime a dozen but often the reviews can be poor or, on occasion, never given at all. This leaves reviews entirely up to those who actually read your story for the most part and review websites. There are a few free review sites but they can be untrustworthy at times or have a small community of reviewers. Paid review sites on the other hand are fairly trustworthy and can post the reviews wherever you like. Some of which include, booksprout, onlinebookclub, netgalley, and booksirens. If anyone has used these sites to promote their stories with reviews, let me know what your experience was like.

Honestly, both buying reviews and swapping reviews (even worse) don't seem like good strategies to me. They are probably even harmful, as they often come across as artificial and fake. Spontaneous reviews, even if sporadic, are the best you can hope for and you just have to be patient. What you can do is encourage your readers or followers to leave reviews.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

on what?

On your goals, for whom do you write, and what you are writing. Example. Your goal is to write something similar to chinese WN. I beleive reviews on such sites can be detrimental in that case. You should listen to people who actually like and reach chinese WNs, since I believe they want a completely different thing than those on review sites, or even review threads.

 

[Daitengu]

Depends on the reviewer. When Tumblr died all the woke crowd scattered. They've infiltrated a variety and many review sites. So some review sites can have some very anti-male, anti-white, anti-straight bias. You know, racism, sexism, and hate for a particular sexuality, just the opposite of the classical stuff. Literally got people hating on the classical family unit structure.

So, read a variety of reviews before you even consider submitting your work to any particular review site.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

If it’s on Amazon, just pay for 100 fake positive reviews.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Depends on the reviewer. When Tumblr died all the woke crowd scattered. They've infiltrated a variety and many review sites. So some review sites can have some very anti-male, anti-white, anti-straight bias. You know, racism, sexism, and hate for a particular sexuality, just the opposite of the classical stuff. Literally got people hating on the classical family unit structure.

So, read a variety of reviews before you even consider submitting your work to any particular review site.

Tumblr isn't dead. Though I get what you mean.

 

[Paul__Michaels]

@Paul_Tromba Have you looked into doing advertisements on Amazon? That might be a possible avenue for getting eyes on your book. And hopefully, you can get user reviews that way.

Other than that. I don't know who is an influencer on whatever social platformer that can review your book. Frankly, I would be interested in seeing who's out their myself.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

@Paul_Tromba Have you looked into doing advertisements on Amazon? That might be a possible avenue for getting eyes on your book. And hopefully, you can get user reviews that way.

Other than that. I don't know who is an influencer on whatever social platformer that can review your book. Frankly, I would be interested in seeing who's out their myself.

I am currently advertising through Amazon. It hasn't been helping that much so I'm looking into other avenues. If I find anything or anyone, I'll share it with you.

 

[Paul__Michaels]

Another possibility is Reddit. I don't really use that site. But there has to be some type of sub-reddit for fiction

 

[HungrySheep]

Don't pay for reviews.

 

[Paul__Michaels]

Don't pay for reviews.

Are you speaking from experience?

 

[HungrySheep]

Are you speaking from experience?

I'm too poor to be speaking from experience, unfortunately.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Another possibility is Reddit. I don't really use that site. But there has to be some type of sub-reddit for fiction

Probably. I don't use reddit anymore so I would have to check

 

[Paul__Michaels]

I'm too poor to be speaking from experience, unfortunately.

Gotcha... I was curious

 

[HungrySheep]

Gotcha... I was curious

If I ever get like $5k/mo on Patreon or something, I'll pay for a review and get back to you.