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44
Steve Weber
Carefully screen out reviewers whose profile indicates they aren’t
interested in your book’s topic. For example, don’t send your fiction title
to a reviewer whose profile says, “I review only nonfiction.”
Some Amazon Top Reviewers make it a practice not to review a book
from a new author unless they can honestly recommend it to others and
give it a rating of at least three or four stars out of five.
Only a small portion of Top Reviewers are likely to respond to your
offer. Some are inundated with review copies from publishers who
already have their mailing address and know their reading preferences.
Other Top Reviewers are skeptical of books sent directly from authors,
after having received poorly written self-published books. Some busy
Top Reviewers disable the Amazon Friend invitation system by adjusting
their profile’s privacy settings.
Etiquette in approaching reviewers
Naturally, every author wants good reviews. And although it’s
perfectly ethical to seek reviews, don’t do anything to suggest you’re
expecting favorable treatment. If you succeed in getting lots of reviews,
you can expect some negative ones.
“I see a fair number of books that I don’t like, and I say so—including
those sent to me as review copies,” says Jane Corn, one of Amazon’s Top
150 reviewers. “Anything else seems unethical to me.”
You can safeguard yourself a bit by requesting that Top Reviewers
not post a review if they simply hate the book. But it’s the reviewer’s call.
Sometimes reviewers are willing to give prepublication feedback,
providing valuable advice on fixing a book’s weaknesses. Don’t expect
that, though, and don’t ask for it.
You might want to avoid sending your book to reviewers who usually
post harshly negative reviews, but don’t shy away from those who offer
frank criticism. These voices lend credibility to your book, Corn says:
Readers are smart. They can figure out who to trust,
and those are the reviewers you want to reach. Always
be clear about your willingness to have a fair, honest
review. Anything else is self-defeating.
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