examples of book reviews on amazon

Join Discovery, the new community for book lovers

Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots 🤓

Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

Continue reading

More posts from across the blog.

100 Best (and Scariest) Horror Books of All Time

The definition of scary changes from person to person. For some, it might be ghosts and haunted houses. For others, serial killers. For still others, the most frightening things are the ones that go bump in the night, unseen. Despite the w...

A Guide to Cozy Mysteries

What’s suspenseful, but not too scary? Mysterious, but not exactly murder-filled? Perfect to read on vacation without freaking yourself out — even if you’re staying at a cabin in the woods? The answer: a good cozy mystery, of course! Read on to dis...

115 Best Young Adult Books of All Time

The books we read in our teen years often become our favorites. So we've compiled the best 115 young adult books to help you find your own classics!

Heard about Reedsy Discovery?

Trust real people, not robots, to give you book recommendations.

Or sign up with an

Or sign up with your social account

• Submit your book
• Reviewer directory

Want to be a book reviewer?

Review new books and start building your portfolio.

How to Write Book Reviews on Amazon That People Will Read

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Amazon has almost a quarter of a billion titles in popular demand. A good review can help spread the word about great titles and best-selling books.

Writing book reviews on Amazon can help readers find the perfect matches for their book lists. It's also one of the best ways to show readers that you're an experienced and knowledgeable person who can provide valuable insights into a book.

Here, we share some tactics you can use to write book reviews on Amazon that people will want to read.

1. Carry Out Thorough Research

If you're going to write a book review, it's important to know what you're talking about. Consider doing some research on the book itself, and the author's overall body of work.

There are plenty of books out there, so you'll need to convince readers what they're missing out on by not reading them. The more familiar you are with the content of the book and its author’s other work, the more credible your opinions will be.

Read up on the author's background and reputation to get a sense of their writing style. Doing so will help you understand the author's perspective, and you'll be able to make an informed decision on whether to recommend the book.

2. Use Correct Keywords and Active Voice for Your Target Audience

The next step is to identify who your audience is and what they want from your review. Do they want advice on how to improve their business? Do they want information on how to use technology in their daily lives? Or do they just want an entertaining read that makes them laugh?

Once you know who your audience is, it's time to start thinking about how exactly you'll address their expectations from a book. We recommend writing in an engaging tone and using real-life examples from the story so that everyone can relate easily with what you're saying.

3. Stay Up-to-Date With Amazon's Community Guidelines

You should make it a point to adhere to Amazon's Community guidelines while posting book reviews on the site. To be eligible for reviewing a book or product, you would have to spend at least $50 on Amazon.

Make sure your views are informative and constructive. These must be genuine and reflect your honest opinion of the book you've read. That said, they should not contain spoilers or excessive promotion for other products or services that are unrelated to the original content.

4. Use Appropriate Headlines

A key aspect of a book review on Amazon, or any other platform for that matter, is to craft an appealing headline. This should be short, sweet, and catchy.

You'll also need to make sure that you have a strong introduction before diving into the main body of your review. It's tempting to just touch upon the points in the blurb from the back cover, but that's not going to work.

A compelling introduction should grab the reader's attention with a powerful hook or an interesting fact about the book. Take a moment to think about what makes this book unique. What makes it worth reading?

For instance, you can try and highlight in a sentence how their life will change if they read this book, or by explaining why they need to read it in order to accomplish something important in their life today or tomorrow (like improving their career).

5. Apply Proper Formatting and Include Images or Videos

Book reviews go a long way in helping potential readers decide whether they want to buy a book or not.

Make sure your review is informative, not promotional. Readers should have all the information they need to decide whether that book is for them. You can include at least one quote or fact from the book, if you need to, but don't overdo it.

Use bullet points and bolded letters or italics to highlight key points in the text. You can also try doing a video review if that is something you're comfortable with. Use appropriate images or videos that may be helpful.

Given the huge sea of content on the Internet, you should exercise caution when it comes to reading others' reviews or doing your own research. We recommend checking tips to spot fake reviews online .

6. Give an Insightful and Unbiased Opinion

Follow up your introduction with your unbiased opinion or analysis. Talk about the best parts of the book and explain why you feel so.

You can also mention any issues that may come up while reading the book. You can talk about them in terms of how they affect your understanding of the story, or how they impact your ability to connect with characters (in fiction) in some way or another.

Your reviews might vary with genres, such as fiction or non-fiction. When reviewing nonfiction titles, your review should consider the author's writing style, accuracy and clarity, structure, and logic.

In the case of fiction books, it all comes down to a compelling plot, characters who are memorable, and an ending that leaves readers wanting more. Your review should look at the characters, setting, and plot. It should also consider whether there were any significant flaws in these areas.

For example, if you're reviewing a fantasy novel, you might discuss how well its characters were developed and how convincingly they interacted with each other. You might also comment on whether there were any plot holes or inconsistencies in the narrative.

You should include what you liked or disliked about the book. You may mention whether you agree with the author's point of view. Reedsy recommends using an appropriate tone and style for note-worthy bestseller reviews.

7. Assign Star Ratings Wisely

Reviews are a great way for you to share your opinions on what you read, but star ratings are the first touchpoint where readers often decide whether to go for a purchase, so you should assign your star rating wisely.

The ratings you give your reviews carry distinct persuasive weight and can either make or break a book. Reviewers who write three-star and four-star reviews with honest, constructive criticisms are more likely to be read than reviewers who write very brief one-star reviews, which are often unconstructive rants.

8. Use a Book Review Template

You can always start off with a book review template to help you get started. You can find them for free on sites like Sample Templates, which will give you a basic outline of everything that needs to go into each book review.

Use them to submit a well-structured and readable review. It will help you focus on the most important aspects of the book.

Download: Sample Templates (Free)

9. Feel Free to Provide a Recommendation

You can leave a recommendation if you found a book extremely engaging and helpful. Consider if the book is something that would interest your target audience. While this is by no means necessary, reviews which include recommendations are more likely to be read by others.

If you're a new or experienced author, here's a list of tips on how to get positive reviews for your book .

Make Your Reviews Stand Out

Writing book reviews can be rewarding and fun, but it's also very hard to write them well. In order to get people to read your reviews, you have to ensure they're good.

And that means maintaining both a consistent level of authority and clarity in your reviews—no easy feat! With some practice, however, you should be able to take your reviews from average to outstanding by playing off the elements mentioned above. And there are other platforms for you to take your love of reading to as well.

• Online Reviews

How to Write a Good Book Review on Amazon

Please Share With Your Friends!

Last Updated on June 5, 2024 by Sarah McCubbin

Write a book review on Amazon in just a few easy steps. For new and established authors, Amazon is the biggest seller and most common source of reviews. Reviews are a valuable resource for consumers both on and off Amazon as they help us know whether a product is right for our needs.

(Disclosure: If you make a purchase through links in this post, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you!)

Table of Contents

Why Are Book Reviews Important?

As a consumer, book reviews are important because they tell me whether a book actually provides what I am looking for. For this reason, book reviews should accurately reflect the reader’s opinion of a book as well as offer helpful insight as to why it was helpful (or not helpful) for their situation.

Sometimes books have something that is helpful to one audience but offensive to another audience. When you write a book review, you have the chance to include details that help consumers save time and money. Thank you for taking the time to write a good review!

Sample Book Review Template

I learned this first hand in 2021 when my brother and his friend wrote the book, REAL Experience: A Tactical Field Guide for Buying & Selling Homes. We were working down the “checklist” of promoting a new book and of course one of the items is asking people to write reviews for the book. This post came about as I was helping people who bought the book know how to write a review that was genuinely helpful. If you think this guide should have something else in it, please send me an email at [email protected] and let me know!

How to Review Books on Amazon

Whether a book is fiction or non-fiction does play some significance in what you share on Amazon.

5 Tips for Fiction Book Reviews on Amazon

Fiction reviews may include the following elements:.

• A brief summary of the story.
• An analysis of the characters, plot, and genre
• Description of the writing style of the author
• If the reviewer is familiar with the author’s other writing, they may offer helpful comparisons that will help potential buyers know if they would enjoy this book.
• A comparison to other books in the same genre to give the reader an understanding of whether they might enjoy this work as well

6 Tips for Non-Fiction Book Reviews

Non-fiction is a pretty broad category that may share some similarities with fiction especially if the work is a biography or other true account.

However, most non-fiction should be reviewed based on other elements. For example:

• What was the books purpose? (This is usually stated in the introduction or first chapter. It is also usually on the back cover or inside flap)
• Why did you buy or read the book? What were you hoping to learn?
• Did the book meet your expectations?
• What did you learn from the book?
• Who would you recommend read this?
• Did the book accomplish it’s purpose?

How to Give Stars on Amazon for book reviews?

In your book review on Amazon, you can rate your purchase as anything between 1 and 5 stars. Before you do a book review on Amazon, make sure you are actually rating the book and not things like the shipping time. You want your review to reflect the product. You can rate shipping times under seller profiles instead.

Additionally, be aware of your own biases when reading a book. If you strongly dislike science fiction…but you are for some reason reviewing a science fiction book, it would be unfair to give a low review based on your dislike of science fiction. Do not intentionally give low reviews on books that don’t line up with your personal preferences in the first place.

Here is a general guide to help do your book review on Amazon:

1 star: In book terms, this book was poorly written, not cohesive and does not meet its defined purpose in any way. Or, it could be that the book is a perhaps a bait and switch…the book’s purpose was not the focus of the book but more of a hook in order to push another agenda. 1 star is pretty rare. I did book reviews for years and as a reviewer, I can remember giving one star only 1 time. It was a very poorly written self-published book written by 3 nurses. Nothing about this book added up…so it was a 1 star book.

2 stars: The author of this book had a good idea but it was poorly executed. Maybe they have poor writing skills. Maybe the book needed an editor. Maybe the ideas didn’t flow…or they flat out contradicted each other. Additionally, if the book failed to meet its own purpose, this would also warrant a low rating.

3 stars: This book is neither great nor terrible. It is neutral. The author had some good ideas. Maybe the story was ok. But the book is incomplete and lacked important details that would lead to a satisfying ending. Perhaps the writing was average and it did not hold your attention well.

4 stars: This work was a very good book. You would recommend it to a friend with perhaps a single reservation…or two. Maybe you liked the whole book but you strongly disagreed with a position or two taken by the author. The book is well written, kept your attention, demonstrated a good though process or story line, but had one or two glaring things you just can’t forget.

5 stars: This is as good as it gets on Amazon. The author of this book clearly put in a lot of time and effort to make sure that the details lined up just perfectly. They must have had a team of editors double-checking for errors as well because this book flowed. You can recommend this book without reservation knowing that the next person will likely appreciate it as much as you.

You are of course welcome to review a book however you would like. Maybe there are factors important to you that are unique but other buyers might find helpful. Writing your reviews to help other buyers is the key!

Guidelines for a Book Review on Amazon (as well as for other products).

As it turns out, Amazon has some specific requirements for writing reviews. Before your review goes live, they do actually have someone check the reviews to make sure they meet the necessary criteria.

1. In order to leave a review on Amazon, you have to have an active account.

They define that as an account that has $50 spent on it on a credit card in the last 12 months. There is a limit of one review per product per account. This means that multiple individuals sharing an account CANNOT all post reviews to the same account. They would need to open a separate account…spend $50…and then be allowed to post a review. Fun right?

The good news is, there are other places you can post book reviews that don’t have any spending requirement. Goodreads is a popular place to leave reviews when one does not have an Amazon account.

2. Amazon wants Genuine Reviews

When you do a book review on Amazon, know that they want reviews that share both positive and negative opinions and are helpful to customers trying to decide whether a product is a good fit for them. They do not allow manipulative or misleading reviews.

Among other things, Amazon does not allow the following and will remove reviews that break their rules:

• Reviews that are a promotion
• Reviews by someone who has a financial interest in the product. (either directly or indirectly)
• Reviews that say they are written by someone closely affiliated (family, friend, co-worker) with the author or product owner. It is fine for these people to write the reviews…just not announce it in the actual review.
• Product Manufacturers
• Paid Reviews

Check here for a complete list of Amazon Rules .

3. Amazon Recognizes Verified Purchases

Have you ever looked through Amazon reviews after an unhappy purchase of a product that was clearly a dud? I know I have. I usually look at reviews before I buy, so it is very frustrating when something is clearly misadvertised. It is even worse when all the reviews are raving about a purchase I now realize is junk. Amazon wants to prevent buyers from having those frustrating purchases, so they identify some product reviews as “Amazon Verified Purchases.”

Can I Write a Review a Bookon Amazon without Purchasing?

Yes, as long as your Amazon has had $50 in purchases in the last year, you can review anything on Amazon without purchasing. However, these reviews will not be marked “Verified Purchase.”

While all reviews are valuable, buyers often look at Verified Purchase reviews with more confidence knowing that at actual person spent their own money to buy this. If they are happy with the purchase, then there is a higher chance that the next customer will be happy too. For this reason, when someone is launching a new book, they will often promote their book on Kindle for a very low price so that customers will “buy” the book and then submit a review on their new book.

The Most Important Key to Book Review on Amazon

If writing a book review seems overwhelming, know that there is really one important key. The key is to be honest in your review. If your motivation is to help others…you will be a success!

Need a Sample Review Template? I have one here!

Happy Reading!

Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! Socially awkward growing up, she loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership.

• Speaker for Writers Events
• Testimonials
• Call for Speakers
• Guest Blog Post
• Share Call for Submissions
• Submit Feedback/Suggestions
• Contribute an Interview (MEMBERS)
• Member Directory
• Book Award Winners
• Interviews – Authors, Members, Experts
• Join Our Community
• Get Certified
• Member Home
• Member Login

• Join Us Here
• Thought Leader Membership
• Partner Membership – Service Providers
• Tour the Member Dashboard
• Member Testimonials
• Media Leads for Authors
• All Blog Posts
• Book Marketing
• Writing Nonfiction
• Professional Speaking
• Revenue Streams for Authors
• Live and On Demand Courses
• Professional Speaking Course for Authors
• Marketing Master Course
• Publishing Master Course
• Publicity Master Course
• All Upcoming Events
• Nonfiction Writers Conference
• Podcast Interviews
• Book Awards
• Entry Application
• Book Awards Payment
• Nonfiction Book Awards Categories
• Digital Award Seals
• Nonfiction Book Awards – FAQ
• Book Reviewers Apply Here
• Recommended Resources
• Virtual Assistants for Authors
• Publishing, Marketing, Publicity Consultants
• The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan
• Free Reports for Authors
• NonfictionBookClub.com
• *CONFERENCE*

Select Page

Book Review Examples

Posted by Stephanie Chandler | Dec 5, 2019 | AMAZON OPTIMIZATION - MEMBERS ONLY , Blog , MARKETING - MEMBERS ONLY , Nonfiction Book Marketing | 0

We’ve rounded up some real-world examples that demonstrate well-written book reviews. Feel free to share this post with people from your own tribe who can benefit from studying how simple reviews should be written on Amazon and beyond.

Book Review Examples (From Amazon and edited/modified as needed)

Educated is a moving and powerful memoir. The author grew up in a survivalist family in Idaho, as the youngest child. She was not homeschooled—instead, she simply didn’t go to school at all, due to her father’s mistrust of public schools. In an effort to escape abuse, she decides to go to college, and by her force of will, does well enough on the ACT to get into Brigham Young University. This memoir is a story of her internal struggle—to believe her own version of her life and to have the strength to break away from her past. It gives a glimpse into a way of life that most of us will never know, and it’s an inspiring story of one woman’s ability to change her future. Read this book now!

Rising Strong by Brene Brown is a thorough and thought-provoking page-turner. This book takes a seeker on a journey to self-discovery; not only by providing helpful tools that encourage curiosity and introspection, but by also taking the reader’s hand and walking step-by-step through real life examples. The author’s willingness to be candid and vulnerable throughout allows for a beautifully relatable transformation. She shares knowledge, understanding and experience in a masterful book that can enrich readers’ lives in many ways. Don’t pass this book by; it’s well-worth your time.

Jim Collins’s Good to Great shows how American companies struggle to get out of the “B zone” of mediocracy and become the best. He compares and analyzes good companies against the great ones with data, charts, and graphs. He also shows how “Level 5” leaders respond to chaos when monopolies become exposed to competition, and gives readers practical tools for responding to a wide variety of challenging business situations. There are many lessons to be discovered here and I believe that everyone in business should read this book.

Jenny Lawson is the voice so many of us have been looking for years. In Furiously Happy, she is brutally and unflinchingly honest. You will cry with her, not only because the stories are heartbreaking, but because you see yourself or someone you love in her words. You will laugh with her to the point that you are cackling out loud and people think that you’re insane. But the most important message she teaches readers is that it’s okay to be broken. It’s okay to not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel because everything will eventually be okay. There is a whole tribe of people out there just like you, and she is their leader. Read it. Pass it on. Buy it for a friend. Seriously, you will love this book.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits is different because it covers an enormous amount of ground in the larger area of self-improvement while seamlessly tying all these ideas back into the central theme of habits.One of the core concepts in Atomic Habits is to focus on the small improvement. The impact a 1% improvement per day can make may appear negligible at first, but Clear makes a compelling argument that in the case of habits, thinking small produces the biggest results over time.

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement,” explains Clear. Over the months and years, the accumulated effect of small habitual daily behaviors is staggering. Clear’s book is intensely practical, giving you a huge toolkit of organized and named strategies you can apply immediately to create and strengthen positive habits and stop the negative ones. The book is conversational, and includes many interesting stories, making it easy to read – and hard to put down (I read it cover to cover in one day). It’s possible this might become your most highlighted personal improvement book because every page is packed with memorable and quotable gems of advice. Highly recommended.

If you’re looking for a better understanding of how your mindset affects your opinions , self-worth, outlook on the world, personal limitations and the trajectory of your life, read Carol Decker’s Mindset now. There are many case studies in the book about celebrities, corporate leaders, and sports legends displaying the different mindsets, and these real-world examples make for a fascinating read. If you want to learn more about yourself and those around you, this book will be a great investment in your success.

Have you written a review for a book you’d like to share with us? We’d love to see more examples in the comments below!

About The Author

Stephanie Chandler

Stephanie Chandler is the founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association and Nonfiction Writers Conference , and author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan . A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine. Visit StephanieChandler.com to learn more.

Related Posts

Author Interview: Gail Manahan, Author of Is Raising Your Teen a Piece of Cake?

Member Interview: Kimberly Dewberry, author of Three Weeks to Forgiveness

Spark Call: October 12, 2016

6 Easy Ways to Organize Your Nonfiction book for Easier Writing and Higher Sales by Roger C. Parker

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

FREE WEBINAR: YOUR NONFICTION PUBLISHING PATH

Join us for another free webinar event on Thursday August 22 at 10am PT /1pm ET and learn how to choose between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing based on your timeline, budget, and goals. Register here!

Professional Speaking Course Returns August 29th

Join us LIVE on Zoom for a powerful 3-week course on how to become a professional speaker. Speaking Course Details Here

Book Publishing Master Course Returns September 12th, 2024

Come join us for the Book Publishing Master Course with optional professional certification starting September 12th. Whether you're an author wanting to learn more about publishing or a service provider looking to add to your offerings, this course is for you! Register here

Book Publicity Master Course Returns September 24, 2024

The popular Book Publicity Master Course with optional professional certification is returning September 24, 2024. Taught by media pro Joanne McCall, this course teaches you how to get media attention for your books. It's also perfect for service providers who want to learn how to help their clients publicize their books. Register here.

FREE WEBINAR: BUILD YOUR NONFICTION BOOK MARKETING PLAN

Learn the most effective strategies to promote your book with this content-rich webinar! Get the Webinar Here

NEW BOOK! The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan – Workbook and Planning Guide

Are you ready to sell more books? This comprehensive workbook includes over 250 pages of value in a size 8.5 x 11 format. It will help you develop effective marketing plans so you can grow your audience and sell more books. Get the Book Here

Download Our Popular Free Reports

ONLINE COURSES FOR NONFICTION WRITERS

Upcoming Events for Nonfiction Writers

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE REPORT: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BETA READERS

JOIN THE NONFICTION AUTHORS ASSOCIATION

New Nonfiction Book Club site

Recent Posts

• Critique and Accountability Groups – 09/25/2024 08/12
• Critique and Accountability Groups – 10/23/2024 08/12
• Free Webinar: Your Nonfiction Book Publishing Path: Traditional, Hybrid, and Self-Publishing Options Demystified – 08/22/2024 08/12

• GET YOUR BOOK REVIEWED
• GET AMAZON REVIEWS
• SPR BOOK AWARDS
• BETA READERS
• BOOK MARKETING SERVICES
• BOOK REVIEWS
• PRIVACY POLICY

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 spent more than $50 on Amazon in the last twelve months and have an Amazon account
• Your account on Amazon is in good standing, i.e. you have not been banned from writing reviews on Amazon previously for any of the reasons below.

The review will only show up as a Verified Purchase if you bought the book on Amazon and you review it on the same account.

Before You Start

• You cannot write a review for another author as ‘swapsies’ as this counts as a biased review situation. Nobody is going to give a one-star review in a reciprocal situation, so Amazon does not allow this scheme.
• You cannot earn tokens or credits of any kind writing book reviews to trade for other authors to write reviews for you. There are new ‘book review services’ that claim it’s OK to do this. No, it is not. These services are acting against Amazon terms and will likely be shut down soon. Don’t get involved with any service that tells you it’s OK to earn reviews by writing reviews, nor any that sell tokens to trade for reviews.
• Writing reviews for friends or family is not allowed either.
• There was a craze where people would write that their review was ‘in exchange for a free book’, and thought that if they mentioned this exchange, it would be seen as legitimate behavior by Amazon. Na-ah. Leave out any wording about ‘exchange’ or ‘swap’ or ‘I wrote this review for…’ – It’s the easiest way to get your account blocked.
• If you review an ARC, there is no need to declare it in your review. An ARC should be exactly like the book on sale, so review it as such. However, unless you buy the book on sale, it will not be a Verified review on Amazon.

You can read the Community Guidelines for Amazon Customer Reviews here.

Why Should I Write Amazon Reviews?

• Other authors deserve your feedback, as you would deserve it if it were your book. Just make sure they didn’t ask for it in return for anything.
• Building up a critical armory when you read is essential for a writer. Reading books by your peers and seeing if you can see the cracks is a really great way of understanding story, even when it’s flawed. One way to do this is to write your thoughts in an Amazon Review.
• The Amazon community is full of readers and writers. It’s a good place to share tips and ideas with others interested in books.

Structuring Your Amazon Review

Remember you only have 5000 characters to give your opinion, with the best reviews coming in between 70 – 100 words.

I bought this book as I am interested in cozy mysteries set in beach communities, like this one.

I found the character of Marcy very well-written. She is a protagonist anyone can cheer for, with many issues, but also a lot of strength and hope. The setting is meticulously described, and the murder case itself is exciting and emotional in equal measures.

I wish that we had learned more about why the murderer did it in the brief time we spend after the case is solved.

However, this book ticks all the boxes in this genre and will please fans of Big Little Lies and Patricia Fisher.

• The photo upload is not an opportunity for you to add a photo of yourself! You should only add a photo of the book, or you holding the book. Reviews with videos and photos get the most traffic, so if you want to build your profile on Amazon, this could be a good way of doing so.

If you would like to promote to a list of readers who review on Amazon, browse our services here: https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/spr-bestseller-book-packages/

Read Part 1 of this series “How To Write An Editorial Review” here.

Share This Story!

Related posts.

Four Ways To Prevent Unwanted Comments on your Facebook Author Page

I was accused of using AI in my writing work. Here’s what I found.

Five Ways To Self-Publish Your Book in 2024

Is Amazon Censoring Customer Reviews? Seems Like It.

Twelve Must-Read Books on Self-Publishing for 2023

How To Rank in Amazon Kindle Categories

What’s Happening With Amazon’s Ranking Right Now?

Four Big Ways To Fail At Publishing Your Book

Five Ways I Hate Your Dinkus

Mythbusting – The Truth About Paid Book Reviews in 2021

2021 – How To Get Amazon Reviews Without Breaking The Rules

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Beta Report

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Editorial Review

SPR Awards 2020 Winners Announced!

Getting To Yes – A Book To Movie Success Story

A Lullaby in the Desert: One Woman’s Fight for Freedom

4 Tips To Focus on Writing in 2021

5 Tips For Promoting Your Book This Christmas

Infinity Publishing’s Authors FastPencil Issues – What to Do

How To Lose Word Count From Your Book – 10 Ways

What if I dislike the book? I normally don’t post a negative review, and simply resolve to never buy another book from that author again. But every now and then I come across a book with so many inconsistencies, or characters that are Too Stupid To Live, or one too many historical anachronisms, or secondary characters that exist only to be plot points, that I simply have to warn readers. I know I’ve appreciated it when other reviewers give well-written and thought-out negative reviews.

Good question. I think constructive criticism can be helpful to an author in a review. We often have authors come to us to get their book looked at after receiving reviews mentioning problems with editing or story, so we recommend honesty in your reviews!

How long should it take you to get 100 reviews, if you are traditionally published? ( http://www.maryhill-wagnerauthor.com )

That really depends on what advertising and promotion efforts you are making, and how large your mailing list is. It takes quite a big push to get any reviews at all, which is why we offer the mailer promo service to help authors get exposure, where we have an extensive reader list who like to review books.

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Current ye ignore me @r *

Leave this field empty

ATTENTION: Authors

Check out our 5-day Art of Self-Editing Challenge!

How to Write a Good Review on Amazon

Let’s say that you just finished reading a book that you loved. Perhaps it was even one of Emerald Lake Books’ latest titles. Whatever it was, following it up with a review is a good habit to get into.

Reviews provide encouragement, feedback and constructive criticism for authors, which is something we all stand to benefit from.

But reviews also serve to help future buyers and prospective readers decide whether a title is right for them or not. Your honest review can help them decide whether to invest their time and money in a book.

So let’s take a few minutes to understand how to write a compelling review for Amazon.

Every review consists of three parts: a star rating, the review itself and a headline or title for the review.

Understanding Star Ratings

Every item on Amazon can be quickly critiqued by selecting a star rating from 1 to 5. So as you’re thinking about the book you’ve just read (or any other product you’ve just finished trying), the first step is to figure out what star rating to assign to it.

Amazon’s definition of each of the stars is:

• 5 – I love it
• 4 – I like it
• 3 – It’s okay
• 2 – I don’t like it
• 1 – I hate it

Short and sweet, but easy to decipher.

As much as every author loves to receive five-star reviews, it’s also unrealistic to expect everyone to love the same book. A five-star review should be reserved for when the book has everything: strong writing, solid content, great editing, etc.

Ultimately, the test is this: If this is a book that you know all your friends and family should read, and that you know you’ll be reading again, then it’s five-star worthy.

Elements of a Good Review

Once you’ve chosen your star rating, you’ll be asked to write your review. This is the bulk of what you have to say about the book you’ve just read. While you can write anything you want here, you can make your review ultra-useful by including the following information:

• Write the review as if you’re explaining to a friend why they should read the book. While the author is certainly interested in what you have to say about their book, it’s a prospective reader who’s going to base their decision about whether to read the book based on what you share.
• Include something about the book itself so that prospective readers understand what it’s about.
• Share something that stood out to you or resonated with you. What was it? Why did it impact you the way it did?

Remember, your review is about the book and how it impacted you. It is not about you or about any technical difficulties you may have had with downloading it. So make sure that you stay on topic if you want to write a compelling review.

Give It a Compelling Headline

After you’ve written your review, summarize it by giving your review a compelling headline. Some reviewers use this as a call-to-action directed at a prospective buyer. Others use it to accentuate a key point in their review.

Whatever your preference is, use it as a means of capturing the reader’s attention so that they take the time to read what you’ve had to say about the book.

A Word of Caution

Amazon has a clearly stated policy against friends and family writing reviews for an author’s book. In their estimation, if you have a close relationship with an author, you’re unlikely to write an unbiased review.

Therefore, keep your review focused on the book itself and not on the author. Amazon does actively seek out reviews that give the impression of a close personal relationship with the author and removes them without warning.

So don’t let your review go to waste. Keep it focused on the book and its value to a prospective reader.

Want to Learn More?

Amazon has a great set of FAQs for customer reviews that answer many frequently asked questions as well as a clearly stated set of customer review guidelines .

Share this:

Privacy overview.

Discover more from Emerald Lake Books

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Non-Fiction
• Ghostwritten Books
• Making The Breast Of It Breast Cancer Stories Of Humour And Joy
• An Affair With Danger
• Secret Kill
• Obsession A Crime Of The Heart
• Murder Undone
• Perfect Sex
• How Not To Commit Murder

How To Write Book Reviews On Amazon

Readers often ask me how to write book reviews on Amazon. It’s tough being a reader these days – that is, if you buy your books on Amazon. You can’t just read the book, enjoy it and go on to the next one. No, siree!

Not only have you got the author asking you (very nicely, of course) to post a review on Amazon for them, but you then have Amazon itself emailing you to ask, ‘What did you think of the book? Would you like to leave a review?’

I don’t always read a book as soon as I buy it. It often has to wait patiently in the queue while I finish the books ahead of it. Usually those I’ve borrowed from the library, as they get a little antsy if my books are overdue. So I often get a reminder email from Amazon about posting a review before I’ve even read the book.

I almost always post a review on Amazon on the books I’ve bought there. This is because

(a) I enjoy writing book reviews and

(b) as an author myself, I appreciate the importance for authors of getting as many reviews as possible.

If you don’t know why, this is it in a nutshell. The number of reviews affects your visibility on Amazon - the more reviews your novels get, the greater your visibility on Amazon, and potentially the higher your sales.

Amazon Review Guidelines

But I do appreciate that many readers either hate writing reviews, couldn’t be bothered, forget and a myriad other reasons. Research shows that only about 2% of book buyers leave a review, so I’m always very appreciative when a reader makes the effort to post a review. Amazon has made it even easier for reviewers now, in that it gives you the option of four multiple choice questions to complete:

• How would you describe the plot of this book?  Predictable/some twists/full of surprises
• Which of these words describes the mood?  Hopeful/dark/nostalgic/light-hearted/suspenseful/thoughtful
• How would you describe the pace?  Slow/steady/fast
• How would you describe the characters?  One dimensional/developed/complex

Then there’s a box below the questions for you to write a review in your own words, perhaps to expound on the questions you’ve answered, or bring up other aspects of the book. I don’t know what happens if you just answer the questions without writing anything in the review box. I did that a couple of days ago as an experiment for one of the books I’d bought and didn’t see my answers posted on Amazon.

So if you would like to write a review, but don’t know where to start here are my tips:

Write The Headline Last

When you start to write book reviews on Amazon, coming up with a title is often the hardest part.

That's why I leave it until I’ve written the full review and hope that I'll either have a flash of inspiration, or part of the review simply screams "title". You could also write a headline that summarises your review, such as:

Lots of   twists and turns with a surprise ending .

Entertaining story with lots of laughs .

I couldn’t go to sleep until I‘d finished this book .

Or you can make it a recommendation:

Fans of hot romance will love this book .

If you love crime with plenty of action, you'll enjoy this book.

As with any piece of writing, your headline will often determine whether people read your review or not. A well-written review will help other readers decide whether to buy the book.

Use The Amazon Multiple Choice Questions

You don’t necessarily have to answer them, but use them as springboards for your comments. If you can write a sentence or two each on plot, characters and style of writing, it would be more than adequate. It doesn’t have to be to the standard of the New York Times Book Review, just write conversationally as if describing the book to a friend.

To Hard To Write Book Reviews On Amazon?

If all the above still sounds like hard work then o ne sentence is perfectly fine. Two words even. Two recent reviews for my novel How Not To Commit Murder  were ‘ Good read ’ and  Very funny .’ I’m happy with that – I would rather have them than not, particularly as they were both 5 star ratings.

If you’re reviewing a non-fiction book, your review format will be different. You could mention:

• How thoroughly the book covers the subject matter
• If the style of writing was clear and easy to understand
• If it added to your knowledge/motivated you to take action

And a headline that sums up your opinion:

Helpful Resource for Nude Bungee Jumpers.

The Only Book on Bull Castration You’ll Ever Need.

One Question That Is Frequently Asked Is:

Should I post a review if I hated the book?

Authors have varying opinions on this. When requesting reviews, particularly from book bloggers, some authors will ask them not to make the review public if it’s negative, as negative reviews bring the average star rating down. Some book bloggers will comply with that request and some have it as part of their policy. Others warn that they will post the review regardless – that’s the risk the author takes when they request a review. And of course it’s completely up to the reader – the author can’t stop anyone from posting a bad review.

I’m of the opinion that any author who tries to put an embargo on negative reviews is being a bit of a diva. (Unless they're the victim of a campaign to discredit them by posting negative reviews, in which case Amazon will take action, once alerted). When you release a book into the Amazon wilderness, there will always be people who don’t like it for any number of reasons and you just have to learn to suck it up. Even Harry Potter has had one star reviews – every literary work in history has had its detractors.

How Not To Write Book Reviews On Amazon

But what I would recommend is that if you genuinely don’t like the book, don’t just launch into a diatribe about its awfulness:

This book is so bad I wouldn’t use it to line the kitty litter tray .

Give specific reasons:

The plot was full of holes/ The characters were clichéd/ The pace was too slow and I lost interest.

Or all of the above. That way, you’re giving other readers an indication of why they might/might not like the book.

It can also be useful feedback for the author. No-one can deny that negative reviews hurt (any author who does is lying) and if it’s just the occasional one, you read it and try to forget it. Unless it happens to be one of many, all saying the same thing. If you’re getting a ton of reviews saying that your plot drags or your characters are dull, you'd need to give serious consideration to the fact they could be right.

There’s one proviso to this:

Don’t read a book in a genre that you’re not a fan of and then post a review saying how much you hated it. You just end up showing your ignorance. As in:

The  Billionaire’s Marriage Tryst  is lame. There’s way too much emphasis on unrequited love and Arabella and Brandon end up in each other’s arms at the end - so predictable!

Or  Vampires on Mars  is a crap book. Such a weird concept, full of way out creatures and places, and things that couldn’t possibly happen in real life.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on reviews. Do you write reviews of books you’ve bought? Do other readers’ reviews influence your decision to buy a book? Chime in below.

I’ve never written a review before. I was asked by the author to write a review on three books she wrote .

That’s great. Hopefully you’ll be able to put these tips to good use in your reviews.

I read a lot! I try to leave reviews for each one. I applaud anyone who can put thoughts to paper and work getting something published. I refuse to give them less than 3 stars or I don’t review. I don’t usually say anything too much about the plot so as to not give anything away. I comment on how the book made me feel or generic info on the plot. If I have to regurgitate the entire plot, there won’t be any reviews.

Hi Renee The way you review books sounds perfect. Speaking from an author’s point of view, I always appreciate it when a reader takes the time to write a review for any of my books, even if it’s only a couple of lines.

I am knew with Amazon and had needed help for writing reviews, I found your article and that helped me a lot. I just wanted to thank you.

Hi Helene I’m glad you found it useful. 🙂

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

How to Write a Great Book Review: 6 Templates and Ideas

This post may contains affiliate links. If you click and buy we may make a commission, at no additional charge to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

Whether you’ve loved or hated your recent reads, writing book reviews can be a fun and satisfying process. It’s a great way to unpack messages and information from a story, and it also helps you remember key elements of a book for much longer than you usually would. Plus, book reviews open up some interesting and exciting debates between readers with different opinions, and they also help others decide which books to read next .

Table of Contents

Where Can You Post Book Reviews?

Back in the old days, book reviews were reserved for leading publications and journals, but now, anyone can create their own book reviews, and they’re popping up almost everywhere.

Social Media

Bookworms have taken over social media, with hashtags like # bookstagram drawing in millions of readers from around the internet to share thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and of course, reviews.

Book blogs are also blowing up right now, and plenty of avid readers are making a solid income by writing and sharing their book reviews this way. You can either create your own from scratch or write guest posts and reviews for already established blogs.

Goodreads is the undisputed online home of books. It’s a great place to find inspiration for your next reads, browse other people’s book reviews, and of course, add your own reviews, too.

If you post a review of a popular book on Goodreads, it’s bound to be seen by a huge audience. Plus, it’s a great way to advertise your blog if you have one, as the Goodreads guidelines allow you to insert a link within the body of your review.

The world’s largest bookstore gets an incredible amount of traffic, so it’s one of the best places to get your reviews seen by the masses. But bear in mind that there are more rules and regulations for Amazon book reviews than on some of the other platforms listed here. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the guidelines first, or your submission could be rejected.

Booktube is a Youtube community dedicated to reviewing, discussing, and recommending books. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera, vlogging your book reviews on Booktube is an excellent alternative to the more traditional written book reviews above. It’s also a great way to get noticed by viewers around the world.

Some Booktube reviewers make their entire income from their channel, so if you’re passionate about reviewing and want to turn it into a living, this is a great avenue to explore.

Get Paid for Your Book Reviews

Some of the platforms I’ve listed above, like Booktube, Instagram, and blogging , allow you to get paid for your book reviews if you generate enough traffic, but getting to that level takes a lot of dedication, time, and patience.

Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that pay reviewers on a freelance basis. Here are three of the most popular:

Remember, each site has strict submission guidelines and requirements that you’ll need to check carefully before writing and submitting a review.

Kirkus Reviews

The Kirkus Reviews magazine, founded in 1933, is one of America’s oldest, most respected book reviewing companies.

They accept reviews around 350 words in length, and once you’re assigned the gig, you have a two-week submission deadline.

Kirkus is always on the lookout for new book reviewers, but you’ll need to prove you have experience and talent before they’ll accept your submissions. The best way to do this is to create a professional-looking portfolio that showcases your previous reviews, both paid and unpaid.

Booklist is a subgroup of the American Library Association. They feature all kinds of book reviews, both fiction and non-fiction, and publish them online and in print.

They pay their reviewers on a freelance, book-by-book basis. Their rates aren’t going to make you rich (around $12- $15 per review), but it’s a great way to gain some professional experience and build your book review portfolio without having to work for free.

Booklist has various publication outlets, such as their quarterly in-print magazine, a reader’s blog, and top book lists. Plus, they also accept pitches for book-related news and author interviews.

Online Book Club

This free-to-access community of bibliophiles has been going for over ten years, with a million active members and counting.

To join their professional freelance team, you’ll first have to submit an unpaid review to help them to determine if you’re worth hiring. If your review makes the cut, then your next submission is paid at a rate varying between $5 and $60, depending on the book’s length, the quality of the review, etc.

One of the major stipulations of Online Book Club is that your reviews are in-depth and honest. If you don’t like the book, never put a positive spin on it for the sake of it. ( The same goes for any book review platform you post on. )

It’s also worth noting that with Online Book Club, you’ll never pay for the books you review. So even if they reject your submission, you’ll still get a free book out of it.

How to Write a Book Review?

Book reviews can range from a simple tweet to a full-length essay or long-form blog post and anything in between.

As I mentioned above, some book review sites and platforms have strict guidelines and parameters to follow. But if you’re writing a book review for social media, your own blog, or any other purpose that lets you take the reins, then the following ideas will give you some help and inspiration to get started.

But before we dive in, let’s take a look at four key elements that a comprehensive book review should contain.

1. Information about the author and the name of the book

You might want to include any accolades that the author has received in the past and mention some of their previous notable works.

Also, consider the publication date; is the book a brand-new release, a few years old, or a classic from another century?

2. A summary of the plot

Writing about the plot takes skill and consideration; if your description is too thorough, you risk ruining the book for your audience with spoilers. But on the other hand, if you’re too vague on the details, your review can lack depth.

Consider your audience carefully, and if you feel like your book review contains even the slightest hint of spoilers, always add a warning at the beginning so people can decide for themselves whether to read on.

3. Your evaluation

This is the part where you get to describe what you feel about the book as a whole and give your opinion on the different elements within it. But, again, don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of positively evaluating books you didn’t actually like; no one wants to read a false review, so if you didn’t like it, explain why.

4. Your reader recommendation

Who might the book appeal to? Is it suitable for all audiences? In your opinion, is it a universal must-read, or should people avoid it?

Keep in mind that the purpose of most book reviews is to help the reader decide whether or not they would like to read it themselves. What works for you might not work for others, so consider this when writing your recommendations.

6 Book Review Templates and Ideas

1. the traditional approach.

Most traditional fiction reviews, like the ones found in newspapers and other popular publications, are based on the following format…

Introduction

The introduction is a paragraph or two which includes:

• Key information that the reader needs to know. For example, the book’s title, the author’s name, the publication date, and any relevant background information about the author and their work.
• A brief one-sentence summary of the plot. This sets the general scene of what the book is about.
• Your overall opinion of the book. Again, keep it brief. (you can delve deeper into what you liked and disliked later in the review).

This is the main body of your book review, where you break down and analyze the work. Some of the key elements you might want to examine are listed below. Approach each element one at a time to help your analysis flow.

• The characters
• The setting
• The structure of the story
• The quality of the writing

What did you notice about each one, what did you enjoy, and what did you dislike? Why?

The conclusion is usually the shortest part of a traditional book review, which usually contains:

• A summary of your thoughts about the book as a whole
• Your reader recommendation

Remember that unless you’re writing a book review for a pre-existing publication, there are no rules that you need to follow. This traditional format can be adapted to suit your own style, the book you are reviewing, and your audience.

Also Read : BEST FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

2. Social Media Book Reviews

Book reviews posted on social media tend to have a more relaxed tone than a traditional book review. Again, there are no set rules, but here are a few guidelines and suggestions for posting reviews on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

• Include an eye-catching image

This is essential on Instagram, but whatever social media platform you’re posting on, including a great photo will draw people in to read your review.

In the Instagram world, photos of books taken directly from above are called ‘flat lays.’ You can keep it simple and just snap the front cover, or you can get creative and shoot your book flat lay against an interesting backdrop or include items related to the story.

• Break up your review into short, bite-sized paragraphs

This rule applies to most web content, but it’s even more important on social media, where everyone competes for your reader’s attention.

Big blocks of text are much harder to follow and a sure-fire way to lose your reader’s attention before they even get started. Instead, stick to short paragraphs of one, two, or three sentences, and include spaces between each one.

• Know your character limit

At just 280 characters, Twitter is by far the stingiest of the major social media platforms when it comes to the length of posts. That’s why most people choose platforms like Instagram or Facebook for book reviews. That being said, you can still use Twitter as a way of linking to them once they go live.

Instagram is considerably more generous with its 2,200-character limit, but if you have a lot to say about the book you’re reviewing, it can still be limiting.

If you want to post a more comprehensive review on social media, Facebook is your best bet; they have an upper limit of 63,206 characters.

Whichever platform you post on, remember to factor any hashtags into your character limit too.

• Keep it succinct

Book reviews on social media perform better when sentences are concise. This helps to combat the character limit issue I mentioned above and gets your point across quickly, without the fluff.

Readers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook flit from post to post, so if you don’t say what you mean in as few words as possible, you’ll risk losing your audience altogether.

• Don’t be afraid of emojis.

Love them or hate them, emojis convey mood and emotion where words can sometimes fail us. They also add an extra visual element to a post, help to break up blocks of text and keep the tone informal.

Of course, there’s no rule that you have to include emojis in your social media book reviews, but if you’re already comfortable using them elsewhere, consider incorporating them here too.

• Add a star rating

Star ratings instantly tell your audience whether you loved the book or not before they read a single word of your post. It’s also another visual element to help draw your audience in to find out more.

• Avoid spoilers

I’ve already touched on spoilers above, but it’s essential to avoid them on social media book reviews. That’s because unsuspecting users are scrolling from post to post on these platforms with no way of knowing what’s coming next. As a result, it’s very easy to read something you can’t unread.

• Consider tagging the author and publisher.

But ONLY do this if you enjoyed the book and your review is favorable. It’s not good online etiquette to tag in the creators if you’re posting a scathing critique; it’s mean-spirited, and it could lead to a social media squabble, which the internet has enough of already.

3. Goodreads and Amazon Book Reviews

Both Goodreads and Amazon allow anyone to upload a review of any book, so they’re great places to get started if you’re new to the reviewing world. Plus, you can post more in-depth and lengthy reviews than you can on social media platforms.

There are endless ways to write reviews for sites like these, but if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here’s a good template that will help you to flesh out your ideas.

• Star Rating

Sites like Goodreads and Amazon usually ask for a 1-5 star rating before writing your review. 3 is your baseline which translates to “pretty good.” It can be tempting to rush straight in for a 5 star if you loved a book, but where possible, try to reserve this rating for books that really blow you away.

• A Brief Synopsis

Reviews on these sites appear directly under the book listing, so generally, there’s no need to mention the author, title, or publishing details. Instead, you can dive straight into a quick overview of the plot, using the official publisher’s summary to help you if needed.

Avoid revealing any significant details or spoilers, but include enough to outline the story and give context to the rest of your review.

Talking about how the book made you feel is a good place to start. Did you learn something you didn’t know before? Was it a page-turner or a hard slog? Were there any twists you did or didn’t see coming? Mentioning the existence of a plot twist is usually deemed ok, as long as you don’t reveal what it is.

Next, examine the book’s various elements, including the characters, setting, and plot, using examples. You might even want to include some direct quotes from the book, as long as they don’t give too much away.

Just like the traditional book review format, conclude it with a summary. Are you glad you read it? Who might enjoy this book, and who should avoid it?

4. Listicle Book Reviews

Listicles are articles and blog posts structured like a numbered list. An example from the book review world is “10 reasons why you need to read X by X”.

These types of reviews are particularly well suited to blog posts, as they’re an excellent way to encourage people to click on your link compared with a less attention-grabbing traditional format.

That being said, listicle book reviews tend only to work if your feedback is positive. Using this format to review a book you hated risks alienating your audience and coming across as harsh and judgemental. Less favorable reviews are better presented in a more traditional format that explores a book’s different aspects one by one.

5. An Essay Style Analysis

An essay-style review isn’t technically a review, as it delves much deeper into the work and examines it from multiple angles.

If you’re not limited to a word count and want to dissect an author’s work, then an in-depth essay-style analysis can be a great addition to your blog. Plus, they’re generally written for people who have already read the book, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.

But when you’re writing more than 500 words about a book, it can be easy to ramble or go off on a tangent. Here’s an example format to keep you on track:

• Include the author’s name, the title of the book, and the date of publication.
• Is the book a standalone novel or part of a series?
• What made you choose this book in the first place? Have you read any of the author’s previous work?
• Describe the cover. Does it draw you in? Is it an appropriate representation of the book as a whole?

Set the Scene

• Include an overview of the plot.
• Did you have any expectations or preconceived ideas about the book before you read it?

Your Review

Discuss the following elements one at a time. Use quotes or direct examples when talking about each one.

• Describe the geographical location, the period in time, and the environment.
• Is the setting based on reality or imagination?
• How does the setting help to add mood and tone to the story?
• Give an overview of the main characters and their backgrounds.
• Discuss the significant plot points in the story in chronological order.
• What are the conflicts, the climaxes, and the resolutions?
• How does the author use literary devices to bring meaning and life to book?
• For example, discuss any elements of foreshadowing, metaphors, symbolism, irony, or imagery.
• What are the overall themes and big ideas in the story? For example, love, death, friendship , war, and coming of age.
• What, if any, are the morals within the story?
• Are there any underlying or less prominent themes that the author is trying to portray?

Your Opinion

• Which elements were successful, and which weren’t?
• Were the characters believable? Did you want them to succeed?
• In the case of plot twists, did you see them coming?
• Are there any memorable scenes or quotes that particularly stood out to you? If so, why?
• How did the book make you feel? Did it evoke any strong emotions?
• Did the book meet your preconceived expectations?
• Were you satisfied by the ending, or did you find it frustrating?
• Summarise the plot and theme in a couple of sentences.
• Give your overall opinion. Was the book a success, a failure, or something in between?
• Include a reader recommendation, for example, “this book is a must-read for anyone with a love of dystopian science fiction.”
• Include a star rating if you wish.

6. Create Your Own Book Review Template

If you plan on becoming a regular book reviewer, it’s a good idea to create your own unique template that you can use for every book you review, whether you’re posting on a blog, website, or social media account.

You can mix and match the various elements of the review styles above to suit your preferences and the types of books you’ll be reviewing.

Creating a template unique to you helps build your authority as an independent reviewer and makes writing future reviews a lot easier.

Writing book reviews is a great way to get even more out of your reading journey. Whether you loved or hated a title, reviewing it will help you remember and process the story, and you’ll also be helping others to decide whether or not it’s worth their time, too.

And who knows, you might fall in love with writing book reviews and decide to pursue it as an additional source of income or even a new career!

Whatever your book reviewing plans and goals are, I hope the templates, tips, and ideas above will help you get started.

Do you have any advice for writing a great book review? Let me know in the comments below!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

How To Write A Good Book Review On Amazon

Imagine this.

You have just finished the last page of a great book and that familiar feeling of emptiness runs over you.

You stop for a moment and think to yourself, “What now?” because the book that has really hit home with you is now over.

How can you reflect on your experience and share it with others?

Go to Amazon (or your favorite bookseller) and write a fair and honest book review !

If you are wondering how to write a book review, you have come to the right place.

As a self-published author , you know how valuable book reviews are.

They can validate your hard work and ensure you that people are benefiting from your dedication to the book.

It is also a chance for you to read some constructive feedback to keep in mind for your future books.

It is important for you to spread the love to other authors by writing helpful book reviews so their books can move up the ranks in Amazon’s algorithm.

While you are probably thrilled to get some feedback and positive comments on your work, other self-published authors also appreciate the opinions of other readers.

Writing reviews will also make you more credible as an author because it will show that you are able to look at a book objectively to see if it portrayed its intended message and then give your subjective opinions on the content.

While it is great to give other authors reviews, you are writing the review for potential future readers, not for the author.

You give a review of a book so other readers can decide if it is worth their time and money to read.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is important to avoid writing reviews for authors that you have a personal relationship with, not only because it’s against Amazon’s rules, but also because you are likely to bring in your own bias.

Further, it is not acceptable to write or receive a review for any kind of compensation.

This also introduces a sense of bias to the book review that will not help other readers get an honest feeling as to whether this book is right for them or not.

Amazon has Customer Review Guidelines that set specific rules for giving and receiving book reviews on their website.

These guidelines are set forth to ensure that their customers are able to get truthful information about books when reading the reviews posted on their site.

There are some things you will want to keep in mind when writing any book review.

First, you want to be honest and allow readers to find you to be a trustworthy source of information. Doing so may even encourage them to look into books that you have authored.

If your opinions about the subject of the book are strong, be sure to still write an objective review of the book itself.

Don’t make the claim that a book is either extremely well-written or extremely poorly-written based on your opinion of the subject.

If the book is written by a fellow self-published writer, remember that you are working in a small community. You don’t want to write something that will come back and haunt you later.

Be respectful of your fellow authors.

Writing a Review for Fiction Books

Writing a review for non-fiction books, amazon’s bestseller ranking, here are some more specific tips on how to write a book review for fiction and non-fiction books..

There are several things you will want to include in your book review format for a fiction book to help potential future readers get information that is valuable to them.

First, you want to mention the title, author, and genre of the book . This will immediately narrow down the readership to only those who are interested in the idea of the book.

Then you will want to provide a brief synopsis including the main characters and a brief look into the plot.

In this section, you will want to be cautious to not give away anything that might ruin the book for the potential reader.

You can then move on to explain your personal impression of the book.

Some things you may address would be the credibility (or lack thereof) of the characters, the issues that the main characters have to face, the names of the characters you connected to (and why), your favorite (and least favorite) parts of the book, and if you would recommend it to other people.

When you are giving your personal impression, make sure you are writing about the story, not about yourself.

For example, you can mention how the ending was predictable, but don’t say something like, “I hate love stories.”

Doing this will have people wondering why you read the book in the first place.

Finally, mention what type of reader may especially enjoy the book.

You want to be able to gain the trust of other readers, so being honest about who may particularly like this book and who may find it to be a bit lacking is important.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are doing this. You want to write a review on how the book was written, not how you think it should have been written.

Your opinion in this matter is not going to help other readers decide if they want to read this book.

However, it is important to add some of your personal thoughts into the review instead of providing people with a summary similar to a book report.

It is good to give your opinion about the book’s quality beyond its content, just don’t go off on a tangent suggesting various endings or other directions in which the book could have gone.

Writing a review for non-fiction books looks a bit different than reviews for fiction books.

You will want to start your review with background information about the author and the information in the book. State why the author is (or is not) a trusted source of information on the subject at hand.

You then want to let the reader know what the author’s goal was when writing the book. Is the goal to inform readers?

To persuade them to do something? To teach them?

The important second step of this is to let the reader know if the author succeeded in meeting their goal.

Provide a summary of the book and an evaluation of its contents.

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Describe the tone and writing style of the book and its potential value for its intended audience. Did the author present an effective argument?

Were the conclusions that were made by the author reasonable?

Did the author give any recommendations and were they practical?

Be objective in answering this question and provide book readers with the facts.

More Related Articles

17 Steps To Earn Your First 1000

The Perfect Writing Software For Your Writing Style

How To Write A Memoir That Grabs Your Readers

You are able to give between one and five stars to a book, depending on how much you enjoyed it.

It is important, however, to think very carefully before giving either a one or a five.

Your five-star reviews should be left for books that have great writing, great editing, and an impactful storyline that makes you want to read it multiple times.

While it may seem like the nice thing to do is to give five stars to every book that you think is pretty good, it does not help potential readers really know if this book is worth their time.

If a book is written and edited well, you should not give it fewer than three stars.

You can give an explanation in your review telling readers why you did not like a book, but if it is well-written and you give it one or two stars, you are making your review too subjective.

You must allow other readers the chance to make their own decision on the content of the book because others may find the content to be great.

Unless a book has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all and the writing has errors and typos, do not give a one-star review.

As a self-published author, you likely know that poor reviews are very distressing to authors, especially if they stand no ground.

Also, getting a negative review from a fellow author can be even more painful than if it is from just a reader in passing.

Authors often focus on the negative points in reviews, even if they are mainly positive, so be careful to tread lightly.

Knowing the potential lasting effect that a negative review can have on an author’s reputation and personal feelings should show you the importance of leaving thoughtful reviews.

While this does not mean you have to be gentle in your criticism, it is important to be careful in the delivery of your opinions.

It is important to note that every book may have something about it that you don’t like.

In this case, it is best to lighten up your book critique and find some ways to put a positive spin on your comments.

For example, if you read a book on a subject and it is geared more towards beginners but doesn’t suggest that in the book’s title, say something like, “This book is a great tool for people who want to brush up on the basics” or something to that effect.

You can be critical without being harsh.

In conclusion, the trick to writing an effective book review is to approach the task in a systematic way.

Keep your focus on the main points you want to communicate to future readers and think about what readers want to get out of your review.

Book reviews should communicate the quality and style of the book without giving away so much detail that readers no longer feel the need to read the book to get more information.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Additional Resources
• A List of Writing Contests in 2022 | Exciting Prizes!
• Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen: When to Use Which
• Book Proofreading 101: The Beginner’s Guide
• Screenplay Editing: Importance, Cost, & Self-Editing Tips
• Screenplay Proofreading: Importance, Process, & Cost
• Script Proofreading: Rates, Process, & Proofreading Tips
• Manuscript Proofreading | Definition, Process & Standard Rates
• 14 Punctuation Marks: Examples & Free Guide on How to Use
• Tips to Write Better if English Is Your Second Language
• Novel Proofreading | Definition, Significance & Standard Rates
• The Top 10 Literary Devices: Definitions & Examples
• Top 101 Bone-Chilling Horror Writing Prompts
• Top 10 Must-Try Writing Prompt Generators in 2024
• 100+ Creative Writing Prompts for Masterful Storytelling
• Best 101 Greatest Fictional Characters of All Time
• Top 10 eBook Creator Tools in 2024: Free & Paid
• 50 Timeless and Unforgettable Book Covers of All Time
• What Is Flash Fiction? Definition, Examples & Types
• Discover the Best Book Review Sites of 2024: Top 10 Picks
• 80 Enchanting Christmas Writing Prompts for Your Next Story

Your Guide to the Best eBook Readers in 2024

• Top 10 Book Review Clubs of 2024 to Share Literary Insights
• 2024’s Top 10 Self-Help Books for Better Living
• Writing Contests 2023: Cash Prizes, Free Entries, & More!
• Top 10 Book Writing Apps of 2024: Free & Paid!
• Top 10 Book Marketing Services of 2024: Features and Costs
• 10 Best Book Publishing Companies in 2024
• What Is a Book Teaser and How to Write It: Tips and Examples
• Audiobook vs. EBook vs. Paperback in 2024: (Pros & Cons)
• Top 10 Book Writing Software, Websites, and Tools in 2024
• How to Get a Literary Agent in 2024: The Complete Guide
• An Easy Guide to the Best Fonts & Font Sizes for Your Book
• Top 10 Book Promotion Services for 2024’s Authors
• Alpha Readers: Where to Find Them and Alpha vs. Beta Readers
• Author Branding 101: How to Build a Powerful Author Brand
• How to Write a Book Report | Steps, Examples & Free Template
• A Guide on How to Write a Book Synopsis: Steps and Examples

How to Write a Book Review (Meaning, Tips & Examples)

• Book Title Generators: Top 10 Book Name Generators of 2024
• 50 Top Literary Agents in the USA for Authors in 2024
• Building an Author Website: The Ultimate Guide with Examples
• Top 10 Book Printing Services for Authors in 2024
• 10 Best Free Online Grammar Checkers: Features and Ratings
• How to Write a Poem: Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Poetry
• What Is a Poem? Poetry Definition, Elements, & Examples
• 2024’s 10 Best Paraphrasing Tools for All (Free & Paid)
• Top 10 AI Detector Tools in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• Top 10 Book Editing Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types, Differences & Examples
• What Are Large Language Models and How They Work: Explained!
• What Is an Adjective? Definition, Usage & Examples
• Top 10 Hardcover Book Printing Services [2024 Update]
• 15 Types of Poems Everyone Should Know About
• 2024’s Top 10 Setting Generators to Create Unique Settings
• Different Types of Characters in Stories That Steal the Show
• Top 10 Screenplay & Scriptwriting Software (Free & Paid)
• 10 Best AI Text Generators of 2024: Pros, Cons, and Prices
• Top 10 Must-Try Character Name Generators in 2024
• How to Track Changes in Google Docs: A 7-Step Guide
• 10 Best AI Text Summarizers in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• 2024’s 10 Best Punctuation Checkers for Error-Free Text
• Top 10 AI Humanizers of 2024 [Free & Paid Tools]
• Top 10 AI Rewriters for Perfect Text in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• 10 Best Plot Generators for Powerful Storytelling in 2024
• 11 Best Story Structures for Writers (+ Examples!)
• Writing Contests 2024: Cash Prizes & Free Entries!
• Pre-Publishing Steps
• Book Cover Design: An Introduction
• What is a Book Copyright Page?
• 8 Pre-Publishing Steps to Self-Publish Your Book
• 7 Essential Elements of a Book Cover Design
• How to Copyright Your Book in the US, UK, & India
• How to Format a Book in 2024: 7 Tips for Print & EBooks
• Beta Readers: Why You Should Know About Them in 2024
• How to Publish a Book in 2024: A Beginners’ Guide
• ISBN Guide 2024: What Is an ISBN and How to Get an ISBN
• Self Publishing Guide
• How to Hire a Book Editor in 5 Practical Steps
• Self-Publishing Options for Writers
• How to Promote Your Book Using a Goodreads Author Page
• What Makes Typesetting a Pre-Publishing Essential for Every Author?
• 4 Online Publishing Platforms To Boost Your Readership
• How to Find the Perfect Book Editor for Your Manuscript
• Typesetting: An Introduction
• Quick Guide to Novel Editing (with a Self-Editing Checklist)
• Quick Guide to Book Editing [Complete Process & Standard Rates]
• 10 Best Self-Publishing Companies of 2024: Price & Royalties
• What Is Amazon Self-Publishing? Pros, Cons & Key Insights
• Manuscript Editing in 2024: Elevating Your Writing for Success
• Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: 2024 Guide
• How to Publish a Book on Amazon: 8 Easy Steps [2024 Update]
• 10 Best Book Cover Design Services of 2024: Price & Ratings
• A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing a Book in 2024
• Learn How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book in 2024
• What are Print-on-Demand Books? Cost and Process in 2024
• What Are the Standard Book Sizes for Publishing Your Book?
• Top 10 EBook Conversion Services for 2024’s Authors
• How to Copyright a Book in 2024 (Costs + Free Template)
• How to Market Your Book on Amazon to Maximize Sales in 2024
• Traditional Publishing
• How to start your own online publishing company?
• 8 Tips To Write Appealing Query Letters
• How to Write a Query Letter (Examples + Free Template)

Writing Tips

• How to Create Depth in Characters
• Starting Your Book With a Bang: Ways to Catch Readers’ Attention
• How to Write a Powerful Plot in 12 Steps
• Research for Fiction Writers: A Complete Guide
• Short stories: Do’s and don’ts
• How to Write Dialogue: 7 Rules, 5 Tips & 65 Examples
• How to Write a Novel in Past Tense? 3 Steps & Examples
• What Are Foil and Stock Characters? Easy Examples from Harry Potter
• How To Write Better Letters In Your Novel
• On Being Tense About Tense: What Verb Tense To Write Your Novel In
• How To Create A Stellar Plot Outline
• How to Punctuate Dialogue in Fiction
• On Being Tense about Tense: Present Tense Narratives in Novels
• The Essential Guide to Worldbuilding [from Book Editors]
• What Is Point of View: 1st, 2nd & 3rd POV with Examples
• How to Create Powerful Conflict in Your Story | Useful Examples
• How to Write a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Write a Short Story: 6 Steps & Examples
• How To Craft a Murder Mystery Story
• How to Write a Novel: 8 Steps to Help You Start Writing
• What Is a Stock Character? 150 Examples from 5 Genres
• How to Write a Children’s Book: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide
• Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: Worksheet & Examples
• Novel Outline: A Proven Blueprint [+ Free Template!]
• Character Development: 7-Step Guide for Writers
• Foil Character: Definition, History, & Examples
• What Is NaNoWriMo? Top 7 Tips to Ace the Writing Marathon
• What Is the Setting of a Story? Meaning + 7 Expert Tips
• Theme of a Story | Meaning, Common Themes & Examples
• 5 Elements of a Short Story & 6 Stages of a Plot
• What Is a Blurb? Meaning, Examples & 10 Expert Tips
• What Is Show, Don’t Tell? (Meaning, Examples & 6 Tips)
• How to Write a Book Summary: Example, Tips, & Bonus Section
• How to Write a Book Description (Examples + Free Template)
• 10 Best Free AI Resume Builders to Create the Perfect CV
• A Complete Guide on How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Resume
• 10 Best AI Writer Tools Every Writer Should Know About
• 15 Best ATS-Friendly ChatGPT Prompts for Resumes in 2024
• How to Write a Book Title (15 Expert Tips + Examples)
• The 10 Best AI Story Generators: Features, Usage & Benefits
• 100 Novel and Book Ideas to Start Your Book Writing Journey
• Exploring Writing Styles: Meaning, Types, and Examples
• Mastering Professional Email Writing: Steps, Tips & Examples
• How to Write a Screenplay: Expert Tips, Steps, and Examples
• Business Proposal Guide: How to Write, Examples and Template
• Different Types of Resumes: Explained with Tips and Examples
• How to Create a Memorable Protagonist (7 Expert Tips)
• How to Write an Antagonist (Examples & 7 Expert Tips)

Writing for the Web: 7 Expert Tips for Web Content Writing

• What are the Parts of a Sentence? An Easy-to-Learn Guide
• How to Avoid AI Detection in 2024 (6 Proven Techniques!)
• How to Avoid Plagiarism in 2024 (10 Effective Strategies!)
• 10 Best Spell Checkers of 2024: Features, Accuracy & Ranking
• What Is Climax Of A Story & How To Craft A Gripping Climax
• What Is a Subject of a Sentence? Meaning, Examples & Types
• Object of a Sentence: Your Comprehensive Guide
• First-person Point of View: What Is It and Examples
• Second-person Point of View: What Is It and Examples

Still have questions? Leave a comment

Add Comment

Checklist: Dissertation Proposal

Enter your email id to get the downloadable right in your inbox!

Examples: Edited Papers

Need editing and proofreading services.

• Tags: Fiction , Language , Nonfiction , Writing Tips

Want to write a perfect book review that readers enjoy? Discover how to pen a book review in 6 easy steps. To help you understand, we’ve included amazing examples of book reviews. 

We’ve also answered many questions you might have such as: How long should a book review be? How to start a book review? How to conclude a book review? For beginners, we’ve also mentioned the basic book review format. So without further delay, let’s begin! 

Get a professional review for your book! Learn more

What is a book review? 

A book review is the critical analysis of the book’s content and significance. It includes an evaluation of the plot, character development, and writing style. A good book review highlights the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Reviewers often include quotes to support the opinions mentioned in the book review. A book review is different from a book report which objectively describes the book’s main content. 

Now that we know what is a book review, let’s understand their length. 

How long is a book review? 

The length of a book review can vary, depending on the purpose and the medium used. Book reviews in newspapers, magazines, and journals can range from 500-2000 words. In contrast, book reviews by readers on platforms like Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, or Google can range from 50-500 words. 

Now let us see the 6 easy steps to write book reviews. Whether you’re writing book reviews for your assignment or book promotion, these steps will help! 

How to write a book review

• Note down the key points- This is an important step before writing a book review. Jot down your analysis about the characters, themes, plot, and your personal view. Also, note down the book title, author’s name, and any relevant information about the book. 
• Start with a strong introduction- Mention the author’s name, book title, themes, and main characters in the introduction. The introduction should give a very brief book summary without giving spoilers. 
• Analyze the book- Discuss the book’s strong points and weaknesses. This can include your opinion on the narrative pacing, writing style, character development , and structure. You can also compare it with books belonging to a similar genre. To enhance the review, you can also use relevant quotes to support your perspective. 
• Reflect on your experience- Describe how the book makes you feel. Did you find it engaging or was it slow-paced? Were you happy with the climax or did you expect more? 
• Conclude the review- Summarize the important points and end the review with a final evaluative statement about the book. This is where you can state whether you will recommend the book to readers or not. This is an important step in writing a book review. 
• Rate the book (Optional)- Depending on the platform requirements, you can rate the book out of 5 or 10. 

Now that we’ve seen how to write a book review, let’s see five amazing tips to create the perfect book review.

Top 5 tips to create an amazing book review 

Here are the top 5 tips to create the perfect book review: 

• Start with an attractive hook- Begin the review with an intriguing question or statement, capturing the book’s essence. For example, “In ‘The Enchanted Labyrinth’, every page takes you into a magical world of intrigue and wonder. 
• Discuss originality- Write what makes the book unique as compared to other books in the same genre. If the book highlights an unexplored theme or gives a unique take on a common theme, you can mention it in the book review. 
• Analyze worldbuilding- Review the fictional world created by the author (Its depth, complexity and detail). You can discuss how the setting of the story affected your experience as a reader. This is a good practice, especially while reviewing fantasy and science fiction novels. 
• Evaluate key themes- Discuss how the central themes of the story are seamlessly woven into the narrative. You can do this by highlighting how the characters’ relationships and choices reflect the themes. Describe how themes add depth to the story. 
• Edit and proofread- Once you’ve completed your book review, thoroughly check it. Correct any grammatical mistakes , spelling, and word choice errors. 

Book review examples

1. a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini .

“A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini, is a profoundly moving story set against the backdrop of Afghan history. This novel tells the tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become entwined in a harrowing journey of friendship, suffering, and redemption.

Mariam, an illegitimate child, suffers from stigma and rejection from an early age. Her tragic story evolves when she is forced into an abusive marriage with Rasheed, a brutish shoemaker. Laila, born generations later, is initially a symbol of the new Afghanistan – hopeful and educated. Their shared struggles against the backdrop of Afghanistan crumbling under Taliban rule form the novel’s heart.

Hosseini’s writing is evocative, capturing the stark realities in Afghanistan while also highlighting the profound resilience of his characters. The author masterfully portrays the emotional landscapes of Mariam and Laila, making them vividly relatable.

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is more than a story of survival; it is a testament to the unyielding strength of human connection and endurance. This book is a must-read, not only for its storytelling brilliance but for its deep exploration of the often-unheard voices of Afghan women. It’s a heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful novel that stays with you long after the last page.

Now let’s see another example of a book review. 

2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 

“A Man Called Ove ” by Fredrik Backman is a heartwarming novel that takes readers on an emotional journey of its titular character, Ove. At first glance, Ove appears to be nothing more than a grumpy old man. However, as the story unfolds, we discover that there is so much more to Ove than meets the eye.

The novel skillfully explores themes of loss, grief, and the human capacity for change. Ove’s journey is one of rediscovery and redemption, as he learns to open his heart to the people around him. Backman’s writing is both poignant and humorous, capturing the essence of human relationships and the power of community.

Ove is a character who is easy to relate to, with his quirks making him all the more endearing. As we delve into his past through flashbacks, we understand the events that shaped him. These glimpses provide depth and complexity to his character, making him incredibly three-dimensional.

The supporting characters are equally charming and well-developed. Parvaneh, the pregnant neighbor, and her family are a refreshing contrast to Ove’s gruff exterior. Their interactions with Ove are both heartwarming and hilarious, playing an important role in his transformation.

What makes “A Man Called Ove” truly exceptional is its ability to elicit a wide range of emotions from its readers. It can make you laugh out loud on one page and bring tears to your eyes on the next. The story is a testament to the importance of human connection.

In conclusion, “A Man Called Ove” is a beautifully written novel that explores the themes of love, friendship, and the capacity for change. Fredrik Backman’s storytelling is both touching and humorous, and his characters are unforgettable. For those who appreciate heartwarming stories that inspire the soul, this book is a must-read.”

After seeing these book review examples, let’s see a simple book review template you can use. 

Book review template

The following template highlights a basic book review format and book review outline. You can use this template for reference. 

We hope this book review template and book review examples have inspired you to start writing. Now that you’ve understood how to write a good book review, you can begin brainstorming. Want to get a polished, professional book review? At PaperTrue, our team of experts can help you craft the perfect review for your book. Get in touch with us and forget all stress about how to do a book review. 

You can also take advantage of our self-publishing services like editing, book cover design, securing an ISBN, and creating a copyright page. This ensures that your book is ready for publication. Whether you want a simple edit or an end-to-end service package, we’re here to help! 

Here are some other articles that you might find interesting: 

• Top 10 Best Print-on-Demand Book Companies in 2024
• Top 10 Book Formatting Software for Authors in 2024
• What Is a Blurb? Meaning, Examples & 10 Expert Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a book review, what makes a good book review, how to end a book review, how to structure a book review, where to write a book review.

Found this article helpful?

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Your vs. You’re: When to Use Your and You’re

Your organization needs a technical editor: here’s why.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get carefully curated resources about writing, editing, and publishing in the comfort of your inbox.

How to Copyright Your Book?

If you’ve thought about copyrighting your book, you’re on the right path.

© 2024 All rights reserved

• Terms of service
• Privacy policy
• Fiction Writing Tips
• Dissertation Writing Guide
• Essay Writing Guide
• Academic Writing and Publishing
• Citation and Referencing
• Partner with us
• Annual report
• Website content
• Marketing material
• Job Applicant
• Cover letter
• Resource Center
• Case studies

• Article Writing
• Blog Writing
• Micro Blog Post
• NewsJacking Posts
• Power Blog Posts
• Magazine Articles
• AUTOBIOGRAPHY WRITING
• FICTION BOOKS
• BOOK PUBLISHING
• NEWSLETTER WRITING
• WHITEPAPER WRITING SERVICE
• BUSINESS PROPOSAL
• BUSINESS PLAN
• GRANT WRITING
• EMAIL WRITING
• PRESS RELEASE WRITING SERVICE
• PRESENTATIONS WRITING
• CUSTOMER LETTERS
• EDITING & PROOF-READING SERVICE
• TRANSCRIPTION SERVICE
• VIDEO SCRIPT WRITING
• BIO WRITING
• RESUME WRITING
• WIKIPEDIA WRITING
• COMPLAINT LETTER WRITING SERVICE
• RECOMMENDATION WRITING
• Guest Post Service
• Landing Page Writing Services
• Product Description Writing
• Resume Writing
• Wikipedia Writing
• Web Content Writing
• Website Design And Development Services
• Logo Design
• Business card
• Infographics
• Website Redesign
• Ebook Cover
• Ecommerce Website Design
• Facebook Cover
• Affiliate Content Marketing
• Social Media Content Writing
• Book Marketing
• Sales Emails
• Social Media Presence
• Instagram Content Creation
• LinkedIn Profiles
• SEO Content Marketing
• SEO Writing
• Reputation Management
• Apparel and Fashion
• Legal Services

Amazon Book Review Examples

• January 16, 2024

In this day and age, the plethora of available books is staggering. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult for readers to determine which books are worth their time and money. One way to navigate this challenge is by reading Amazon book reviews. These reviews, written by various personas, provide valuable insights into the quality and content of a book. By examining a variety of Amazon book review examples, readers can gain a better understanding of the products they are considering purchasing.

When it comes to making informed decisions about which books to buy, Amazon book review examples can be invaluable tools. By analyzing the perspectives of different reviewers, readers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the various subjects and themes presented in a book. Additionally, these examples can showcase the diverse range of opinions and experiences that readers have had with a particular product. Whether it’s by evaluating the writing style, character development, or overall impact of a book, Amazon book review examples can provide readers with a well-rounded view of the products they are interested in.

How-to Guide for Writing Amazon Book Reviews

Before diving into writing a book review for Amazon, it’s important to understand the impact your review can have on both the book and potential readers. Crafting a thoughtful and honest review can not only help other readers make informed decisions, but it can also support authors and their work. In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps to writing a compelling review, as well as provide tips for crafting a balanced and honest review.

Steps to Writing a Compelling Review

On Amazon, a compelling book review is one that provides a brief summary of the book’s contents, highlights what you liked or didn’t like about the book, and offers insights into who might enjoy reading the book. Start by introducing the book, including the title, author, and any relevant background information. Then, share your thoughts on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, making sure to support your opinions with specific examples from the text. Finally, consider the book’s target audience and provide recommendations based on who might enjoy the book.

Tips for Crafting a Balanced and Honest Review

Crafting a balanced and honest review is essential to helping readers make informed decisions about whether a book is right for them. Start by considering the book’s overall themes, character development, and writing style. Then, aim to provide a balanced assessment of both the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Knowing that every book has its audience, remember to offer recommendations based on who might enjoy the book while also acknowledging its potential limitations.

• Consider the book’s target audience
• Provide a balanced assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses

Reviewing a book on Amazon allows you to share your thoughts and experiences with other potential readers, helping them make informed decisions. By providing a balanced and honest review, you can contribute to the community of readers and authors while also offering valuable insights into the book’s content and merits.

Factors to Consider Before Posting Your Review

Clearly, there are several factors to consider before posting your review of a book on Amazon. It’s important to ensure that your review is helpful and fair, and that it accurately reflects the quality of the book. Taking the time to assess certain aspects and reflect on personal bias and fairness can make your review more valuable to potential readers.

• Quality of the book
• Personal bias and fairness
• Relevance to the target audience
• Impact on sales and author reputation

Any review posted on Amazon should take these factors into consideration in order to maintain the integrity of the review platform and help guide other potential readers.

Assessing the Quality of the Books

Quality of the book is a crucial factor to consider before posting your review. As a reviewer, it’s important to evaluate the writing style, plot, character development, and overall impact of the book on its readers. Consider whether the book meets the standards of its genre and provides a meaningful experience for readers.

Furthermore, it’s important to provide specific examples from the book to support your assessment and give readers a clear understanding of what to expect.

Reflecting on Personal Bias and Fairness

With any review, it’s important to reflect on personal bias and fairness. Consider your own preferences and how they may have influenced your perception of the book. It’s important to be fair and objective in your assessment, taking into account the intended audience and the book’s purpose.

Avoid letting personal biases overshadow the true quality of the book, and strive to provide an honest and balanced review that can benefit a wide range of readers.

Reviewing Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Books

Your approach to reviewing fiction and non-fiction books can differ significantly. While both require critical analysis, the criteria by which you evaluate them may vary.

Key Differences and Considerations for Fiction Reviews

For fiction books, the focus is often on the story, characters, and writing style. Readers may consider the plot’s originality, the development of the characters, and the author’s ability to create a compelling narrative. In addition to these elements, the emotional impact of the book and its ability to transport the reader to a different world are also key considerations for fiction reviews.

For non-fiction books, the criteria for evaluation are quite different. Accuracy, clarity, and relevance are crucial factors to consider, as non-fiction books are often judged by their ability to present factual information in a clear and coherent manner. Additionally, the credibility of the author and the book’s contribution to the subject matter are important aspects to evaluate.

Evaluating Non-Fiction Works: Accuracy, Clarity, and Relevance

To write effective reviews of non-fiction works, it is essential to carefully assess the accuracy of the information presented, the clarity of the writing, and the relevance of the content to the intended audience. Readers expect non-fiction books to provide well-researched and verifiable information, presented in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to their interests or needs.

Advanced Review Techniques

Despite the basic review techniques, there are advanced review techniques that can help you take your book reviews to the next level. By utilizing literary criticism and mastering the art of compelling written feedback, you can provide comprehensive and insightful reviews that are valuable to other readers.

Utilizing Literary Criticism in Your Reviews

The art of compelling written feedback.

For those looking to elevate their book reviews, utilizing literary criticism can add depth and sophistication. By incorporating elements such as historical context, author’s background, and thematic analysis, you can provide a more comprehensive review that goes beyond just summarizing the plot. This can help readers gain a deeper understanding of the book and its significance.

Reviews are more than just a summary of the book – they should provide compelling written feedback that is both informative and engaging. By mastering the art of crafting well-written reviews, you can capture the attention of your readers and provide valuable insights into the book. Compelling written feedback is essential for creating reviews that stand out and offer meaningful contributions to the literary community. It requires attention to detail, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of the subject matter.

Dealing with Negative Responses to Your Review

Not every review will be met with positivity. It’s important to know how to handle negative responses, whether they come from the book’s author or other readers.

Strategies for Handling Authors’ and Readers’ Reactions

Responses from authors and readers can vary widely. When dealing with negative responses from authors, it’s important to remain respectful and professional. Address any valid points they may have raised, but also stand by your opinion. Remember that authors may be sensitive about their work, so approach the situation with empathy. When it comes to readers’ reactions, engage in constructive dialogue if possible. If a reader disagrees with your review, consider their perspective and see if there are any valid points to be acknowledged. However, if the response turns hostile, it’s best to disengage rather than escalate the situation.

Maintaining Credibility and Professionalism Online

Reviewing products online requires a certain level of professionalism. Keep your language and tone respectful, even when dealing with negative feedback. Always back up your opinions with specific examples from the book, showing that your review is well-informed and thoughtful. Additionally, it’s important to stay consistent in your reviewing practices, as this will help establish your credibility among other readers and potential authors.

Professionalism is crucial when engaging with authors and readers online. Upholding credibility and maintaining a respectful tone in all interactions will ensure that your reviews are taken seriously and contribute to the book community in a meaningful way. This will also help you build a reputation as a reliable and thoughtful reviewer in the long run, leading to more meaningful interactions with authors and readers alike.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Amazon Book Reviews

Now that you understand the importance of writing impactful Amazon book reviews, it’s crucial to discuss the common pitfalls to avoid. By being mindful of these pitfalls, you can ensure that your reviews are helpful, ethical, and well-received by fellow readers and authors.

How to Dodge Being Overly Subjective

Pitfalls in being overly subjective in your reviews include allowing personal biases to heavily influence your opinions, using exaggerated language that may not accurately reflect the book’s quality, and failing to provide specific examples to support your claims. To avoid these pitfalls, strive to approach each review with a balanced perspective, providing concrete evidence to back up your points. Aim to articulate your thoughts in a clear and logical manner, allowing readers to form their own opinions based on the information you provide.

Steering Clear of Spoilers and Plagiarism

Plagiarism and spoilers can significantly detract from the integrity and usefulness of your Amazon book reviews. It’s important to avoid revealing major plot points or key twists in the story, as this can diminish the reading experience for others. Additionally, always ensure that your review is entirely your own work and avoid copying others’ reviews or content from the book without proper attribution. By maintaining originality and respecting the author’s work, you bolster the credibility of your reviews and uphold ethical standards within the literary community.

Common keywords such as ethical, integrity, and credibility should guide your approach to writing Amazon book reviews, helping you avoid these pitfalls and contribute constructively to the book reviewing ecosystem.

Taking this into account, it is clear that providing effective Amazon book review examples is crucial for helping potential readers make informed decisions about their book purchases. By showcasing a variety of well-written and thoughtful reviews, authors and publishers can establish credibility and trust with their audience, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a book’s success on the platform. Furthermore, by understanding the elements that make a review impactful, readers can engage with the content more meaningfully and contribute to a more informed literary community on Amazon.

As demonstrated by the examples discussed, the impact of a review on Amazon can extend far beyond simply informing a reader about the quality of a book; it can shape public perception, influence purchasing decisions, and ultimately contribute to the success of a book in the marketplace. Therefore, it is essential for authors, publishers, and readers alike to recognize the importance of high-quality, detailed, and honest Amazon book review examples and their potential impact on the literary landscape of the platform.

Amazon Book Review Examples FAQ

Q: what are amazon book review examples.

A: Amazon book review examples are existing reviews for books available on the Amazon platform. These can range from brief comments to in-depth analyses of a book’s content, writing style, and overall quality.

Q: How can I find Amazon book review examples?

A: To find Amazon book review examples, simply visit the product page of the book you are interested in and scroll down to the “Customer Reviews” section. Here, you will find a variety of reviews left by previous readers and purchasers of the book.

Q: Can I trust Amazon book review examples?

A: While Amazon book review examples can provide valuable insights, it’s important to approach them with a critical eye. Some reviews may be biased or exaggerated, so consider reading multiple reviews to get a balanced understanding of the book’s reception.

Q: How do I use Amazon book review examples to make a decision about a book?

A: When using Amazon book review examples to evaluate a book, look for patterns in the feedback. Pay attention to recurring themes or criticisms that may give you a sense of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, consider the credibility of the reviewers by checking their other reviews on the platform.

Q: Are there any guidelines for writing Amazon book reviews?

A: Yes, Amazon has guidelines for writing book reviews to maintain the integrity of the platform. Reviewers are encouraged to provide honest, unbiased feedback and avoid including any profanity, promotional content, or personal information. It’s important to adhere to these guidelines to ensure that reviews are helpful and informative for other potential readers.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Amazon reviews: 3 ways to generate 25+ reviews for your book

Amazon reviews. When you see a book (or any product) with a lot of them, how do you think they got there? Most people assume that the book is popular. If a lot of people are reading it and enjoying it, they must be leaving reviews. Right?

In fact, most of the time this isn’t the case. Most of the time, authors who wait for reviews to trickle in don’t see many results. I should know – even before my recent relaunch with  Morgan James Publishing , there were over 1,000 copies of  Book Blueprint in circulation. Hardly any of those sales and giveaways led to reviews.

(Having said this, if you’ve read  Book Blueprint  and it helped with your writing journey, I’d love it if you left a review  on Amazon .)

Yet I still managed to relaunch with 28 reviews.

I asked for them.

In most cases, when a book has more than a handful of Amazon reviews, those reviews have been solicited.

Is soliciting Amazon reviews ethical?

One of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to soliciting book reviews is, is it ethical? Is it ethical to ask people to leave a review for your book?

Don't approach friends and family who haven’t even read your book. And don't ask random people on the street to leave a vague comment with a 5-star rating. Those are both, of course, unethical.

However, if you are asking people to  read your book  and then  share an honest review , then that  is ethical. You can even request that they mention that you they received a free copy of your book in the review itself.

The key here is asking for  honest  reviews. When I reached out to my reviewers, I made this very clear, and was open to negative reviews, if they were their honest thoughts. Fortunately, if you have written the best manuscript you can, and have engaged  an awesome team to turn it into the best possible book it can be, this shouldn’t be an issue. Even if there are one or two people who don’t ‘get’ you or your content, the good reviews will balance them out.

It's also important to note that the free copy cannot be dependent upon the recipient leaving an Amazon review. That is also strictly against Amazon policies. Rather, provide the free copy first, make the request, and trust that many will in fact leave a review.

Is it worth it?

I can hear what you’re thinking – it seems like an awful lot of work, doesn’t it?

Yes, it is a lot of work. In fact, of all of the people you approach for reviews, less than a quarter will actually leave them. So is it worth the time you’ll spend crafting emails and social media posts, or submitting your book to review sites?

My thoughts? Absolutely. Soliciting reviews  is  worth it, for three reasons:

1. Amazon reviews establish your book’s credibility

When we’re looking for products, choosing between restaurants, searching for a hotel room and even shopping for books, we all look at reviews and ratings.

A product that has a lot of positive Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4-5 stars looks like a better deal. It looks like it will deliver on its promises. In the case of a nonfiction, how-to book, it looks like it actually teaches readers what it says it will teach them.

This is especially true if we’re comparing two similar products – if one product has dozens, or hundreds, of 5-star reviews and in-depth feedback, while another has no reviews (or worse, an average rating of only 1-3 stars), which would you choose?

2. Amazon reviews are another weapon in your book’s marketing arsenal

One of the most challenging pieces of marketing anything is trying to think of new things to say.

You’ve shared a  behind-the-scenes look at your publishing journey . You’ve shared all of the benefits your book can offer. And you’ve even shared excerpts of content to entice people to buy. Once you’ve done all of that, what else is there?

Reviews give you a reason to continue talking about your book. Every time a good review comes in, you have something to share on social media and with your email list. And if you’ve built a genuine relationship with your followers, they will be genuinely excited on your behalf. This leads to likes, comments, and clicks through to your book’s listing on Amazon.

This brings me to the third benefit of soliciting reviews.

3. Reviews help drive traffic to your Amazon listing

When you share your good reviews on social media or with your email list, it reminds your followers that your book exists. It also reminds them to visit its Amazon listing.

On top of this, some reviewers have other channels where they publish their reviews. Their own blogs, Goodreads, and review sites where they are members all help your book get in front of more people.

Finally, there are a number of book advertising sites out there where you can promote your book if you’re running a special discount. Examples include BookBub ,  Kindle Nation Daily , and  The Fussy Librarian . Some of these sites require a minimum number of reviews before they accept books. Once you break through that threshold, these new marketing opportunities become available to you.

How do you do it? 3 tactics to launch your book with 20+ Amazon reviews

So how do you do it?

There are several roads to reviews. Here are the three that I’ve found to be the most effective.

1. Ask your beta readers for Amazon reviews

If you have time, a great way to ensure you write the best book you can is to enlist a team of beta readers in the publishing process. Beta readers are simply trial readers who read your book before it is published to give you feedback on how you can improve your book. If they like it, why not ask for a review at the same time?

Here’s how you do it:

a) Find your beta readers

Because you want people who can give meaningful feedback, your mum probably isn’t the best choice. Instead, look for other people in your industry (who can give feedback on the veracity of your content) or people who meet your target reader demographic (who can give feedback on how engaging and useful they found the book).

You can make a shortlist of specific people, or reach out to communities (such as Facebook groups targeting certain demographics) asking for volunteers. I targeted a business Facebook group where a lot of the members want to write a book.

b) Make your pitch

Like when you’re making any pitch, you want to focus on the benefits for the person you’re approaching. In my case, the benefits were a) learning how to write an awesome book, and b) get their testimonial featured in my book, along with their name and business name. Here’s the pitch:

I’m looking for volunteers!

My book ‘Book Blueprint : How any entrepreneur can write an awesome book’ teaches entrepreneurs how to create a blueprint so detailed that their book will write itself. While I’ve done this work with clients and used the process to write my own book, I’m looking for someone who can test the process in book form.

What’s in it for you – if you’ve been struggling to get your book out, this will teach you how to write it fast while avoiding the big mistakes many entrepreneurs make when writing their first book. You’ll also get a signed copy of the book once it comes out and, if you’d like to write a testimonial, that testimonial along with your business name and book (if you already have one) will be featured inside the front cover.

Caveat – I’m on a very tight publishing deadline, so need feedback in the next week (i.e. by next Tuesday). Because of this, please don’t volunteer unless you can read a 37,000 word book and do the exercises (these include mind mapping, brainstorming and answering questions) in the next week.

Thanks in advance    :)

The results​

I had 37 people volunteer to read the book (though I stopped taking on volunteers at 20). I sent out the book to the first 20 of them and ended up with 13 testimonials I could use before the one-week deadline was up.

When it comes to timing, I recommend sending the draft to beta readers after you’ve had an  initial structural edit , as sometimes this can lead to significant changes in your book, making it hard for them to give good feedback on earlier drafts.

It’s also important to be clear about when you need them to come back to you with their feedback. If you have a tight publishing schedule, you don’t want it to get put on hold because they don’t have time to look at your book. Instead, be clear about your deadlines up front and only send your draft to people who agree to have feedback back to you in time.

c) Get their feedback

Review their feedback, and look at how you can address it in your book (if you want to, of course). If their feedback is positive, ask if they’d be willing to leave a review on Amazon once your book is published – they could just copy and paste what they’ve already sent you.

d) Remind them to leave Amazon reviews

If they are happy to leave the review, copy and paste their feedback somewhere safe. Once your book is live on Amazon, send them an email (or Facebook message) asking if they’re still happy to leave a review, including the text that they’ve already sent you. Most of us are busy with a lot of our own things going on. It’s your job to make it as easy as possible for them to leave you a good review if they can just copy and paste what they’ve already written.

2. Reach out to people who leave a lot of Amazon reviews

Beta readers are fantastic, but if you don’t have time to engage beta readers in your publishing journey (or if they don’t get around to leaving a review – remember, people are busy), where else should you look?

Amazon has over  300 million users , who have collectively left hundreds of millions of reviews for books and other products. When it comes to those reviews, other shoppers can vote on whether or not they found the review helpful, which then contributes to the ranking of the reviewer themselves on Amazon.

If you look at  Amazon’s top reviewers , you’ll find that these people have reviewed a lot of products (often in the thousands). But their reviews also tend to be balanced and go into a lot of depth, which is why they have so many ‘helpful’ votes.

Why should this matter to you?

Because Amazon gives you free access to reviewers who have the ability to read your book and provide a review quickly. They will also put a lot of thought and energy into your review to ensure it's of value. This makes the review more helpful for your potential readers and a more powerful endorsement for your book.

Just consider these examples of reviews for  Book Blueprint  –  review 1 ,  review 2 , and  review 3 .

But how do you do it?

a) Find relevant reviewers

I’ve found the best way to find reviewers is to find people who have already reviewed books like yours. After all, this demonstrates that they have an interest in your subject area, which means they are more likely to read and review your book.

This is how you find them:

1. Search on Amazon for books like yours.

In other words, you want to find other books in your genre that are targeting a similar audience. In my case, I looked for other books on writing, self-publishing and book marketing that were targeted at an entrepreneur audience. For example,  Your First 1,000 Copies   by  Tim Grahl  and  Published  by  Chandler Bolt .

2. Make a list of people who have reviewed that book.

Because time is precious and I want the best return on the time I invest, I restricted my approach to people who had:

• Reviewed the book in the last 12 months
• Left a review longer than one paragraph (after all, I want credible reviews, not someone writing ‘great book’)
• Also reviewed similar books (you can see this by clicking on their profile link, which has a list of all of the products they’ve reviewed)

Keep in mind that not everyone will respond. Not everyone will agree to review your book. Some of those who do agree might not get around to it. So, aim for at least 50 names on your list. You can also compile a new list in a few months’ time, when more books like yours have been released, and when more reviews have been added to the old ones.

3. Compile their information in a spreadsheet. ​

I created a spreadsheet with columns for the reviewer’s name, the book they reviewed, a link to their profile and their contact details. If you come up with the initial list of books, a VA can be a great help when it comes to building the list of reviewers and tracking down all of their information.

Next pitch them! Ideally via email, using the contact details you’ve sourced (though I’ve also approached reviewers over Facebook Messenger and via contact forms).

Here’s a template you can use for your own pitch:

Dear  [Reviewer Name] ,

I saw your review of  [Book Title]  on Amazon and, when I clicked through to your profile, I noticed that you’ve reviewed a number of other books like this in the past.

[Explain why you like this person’s reviewing style. Is it that they go into depth? Is it their honest criticism and feedback? Is it that they summarise the main learnings of the books they review?]  Because of this, I wanted to reach out about my book.

[Tell them about your book, including the title with a link to its Amazon page, as well as what it will help your readers achieve.]  I’m happy to send you a free copy of the paperback and/or a PDF and would love it if you could share your thoughts.

I understand you probably get a lot of requests like this, so if you could let me know either way, I’d appreciate it.

[Your Name]

c) Follow up

Again, people are busy, so if you don’t hear from someone after a week, don’t stress. Instead, follow up to confirm that they got your email and to check whether they’d be interested in reviewing a free copy of your book.

If they agree to review your book, then be patient. These reviewers are reading and reviewing your book as a favour to you – someone they probably don’t even know – so be patient. If you haven’t heard anything in 4-6 weeks (allowing time for postage), follow up again.

3. Submit your book to Amazon review sites (paid and free)

There are also a range of book review sites where you can submit your book, some of which will republish their review on Amazon. For those that don’t, you can republish the review yourself as an editorial review through your  Amazon Author Central  account.

The submission process can vary depending on the site (or publication), with some being paid while others are free. Some require physical copies while others are happy with a PDF, Word doc, .mobi or .epub file. Further, some guarantee reviews, while with others you just send your book out into the ether and hope for the best.

However, here are some common steps involved.

a) Online submissions

• 1 Compile a list of review sites:  There are  a lot of these sites out there, so vet them based on the types of books they cover. Do they cover other books like yours? Also look at the size of their audience.
• 2 Gather information about your book: Most review sites require a standard suite of information. If you have all of this ready to go, you can easily submit to a range of sites in a single sitting (or ask a VA to take care of it for you). This information includes:
• Book title, book subtitle, author name, and price (eBook, paperback or both)
• Your author bio
• Book synopsis/blurb
• Links to your book’s listing on Amazon and other retailers
• Image of your book’s cover
• Author headshot
• Keywords (usually genre and other relevant terms)
• 3 Submit! Once you have all of the information together, gather it into a Word or Excel file and simply copy and paste the information into your submission forms. Note that many of these sites have a lot of traffic, so it might take a few months before your Amazon reviews go live.

b) Paperback submissions

As mentioned earlier, some reviewers prefer paperback submissions to eBook ones. Some of these review publications and websites include  the Barnes and Noble Review ,  Booklist Online ,  BookPage  and  Foreword Reviews .

With electronic submissions, you’ll receive a submission confirmation by email and will be alerted when your review is live. Paperback submissions are much harder to track. You probably won’t get told when your book arrives, if it will get reviewed, or if it has  been reviewed. However, the only cost to you is a copy of your book and the cost of postage, so why not?

The steps are:

1. Compile a list of reviewers and review sites​

Let me know in the comments if you’d like a list of the different sites where you can submit your book!

2. Write a cover letter to go with your book

​ Most review sites require a standard suite of information, which they will list on their website. You can then write a standard cover letter and add, remove, information as is necessary. Here’s a sample cover letter you can use:

Dear  [Contact Name] ,

Please find enclosed a copy of my book,  [Book title] , for review consideration in  [Publication] .

The details of the book are:

– ISBN:  [If your book is available in multiple formats, include all ISBNs]

– Publication date:

– Publisher:  [If applicable]

[Your name]

​ Post a copy of your book and cover letter to them. Note that many of these reviewers require books 2-4 before their publication date, so you’ll need to be looking into this well in advance of your date of publication.

And there you have it – three simple ways to collect Amazon reviews for your book, even before you launch.

Other entrepreneurs also liked...

Can You Use AI to Write Your Nonfiction Book? Should You?

Brand Archetypes: Aligning Your Book Design to Your Business Brand

Monetizing your book: Writing a nonfiction book series and executing the Serial Author Strategy

Monetizing a business book: The product development strategy

Your good knowledge and kindness in playing with all the pieces were very useful. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not encountered such a step like this.

Leave a Reply:

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Great article and a detailed way of getting your book reviewed. Well done!

FYI, and to perhaps add to this article, we do free book reviews for independent authors.

We are a group of retired people in New Zealand who get tired of bungee jumping or diving icebergs (Haha!), so we play golf, read books, write books, and do free book reviews if we like your book.

We write books too, so we like to see what other authors are currently doing.

We try to post our reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N and our social media. In other words, we give a free review (it may take some time) if we like your book and we read your book if it interests us.

See our book review page for more info > > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

Thank you for this helpful article! I would like a current list of the different review sites where I can submit your book!

Super helpful. Thank you. Would love to receive a copy of that list. Thanks much!

Super helpful post, thanks so much. I’d love a list of online review sites if you could send me one!

I like the post. Could I get a list of review sites please?

Nice post. I would definitely like a list of review sites!

Useful information, however, when I go to Amazon reviewers and click names to contact them there is no way to get in touch . Is this something Amazon no longer allows? Maybe I’m not looking in the right place?

Hi there, great article. Do you have the list of review sites that we could use for our book – it’s a book on family travel? Thanks so much!

What a great article filled with exactly what I needed. I would love a list of review sites! Thank you for putting this information out there.

This is an excellent article on how to get book reviews. It is very comprehensive too. If you need a review it doesn’t hurt to ask Team Golfwell since these retired people offer free book reviews and have done many positive reviews >> https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html #freebookreviews #authors #freebookpromotion

great article-appreciate all your helpful tips and I would love a list of the review sites thank you!

“In most cases, when a book has more than a handful of Amazon reviews, those reviews have been solicited.” I’m going to go ahead and say that there’s probably no data to back up that statement. We’ve gotten some solicited, but many not. I think it depends on the content of the book. Since it looks like you’ve also written a “real” book, i.e., non-fiction, I will share some marketing ideas that may not be found anywhere else. As it stands now, all the big players are in bed together: Google, Amazon, Facebook, WordPress, etc. As proof, we got 15 or so Facebook likes on our website one day. Correspondingly, our ranking on Amazon _dramatically_ shot up. Of course, purchases on Amazon also affect ranking as do pages being read through their shared forum, KDP select. Anyone who has written NF will most likely find Smashwords or any other platform to be a waste of time. At one point, we sold 3 books on Smashwords and 1 on Google books. At that same time we had already sold hundreds (Amazon).

Another thing on Amazon that may not directly affect your ranking but should certainly increase sales is being active in their community. Find other books in your genre and comment helpfully on the reviews others have written for them, particularly books getting a lot of attention, i.e., best sellers, new releases, or those with many reviews. We’ve done this and have gotten great results, especially when recommending another author whose work is nearly as important as ours for Americans. Our work has been called “the most important book written for Americans this century!” And, quite frankly, it is.

Other ways to market your book: 1) Take advantage of affiliate marketing. This is perhaps the most powerful tool and was essentially the way the internet operated pre-search engines. We’ve got our own affiliate program that’s the best in the business, and I will give the source code to whoever wants it.

2) Offer a quiz on your site or something else interactive whereby you can offer a free or discounted book to anyone who gets a perfect score.

3) Have a referral program for anyone who buys your book or anything related to it on your website. Our referral program is 3-level: 5%, 8%, and 12%. Again, I’ve written the code and will give it to anyone who wants it.

4) Host a show and have guests on it wherein the discussion is related to your book or his/hers.

Comments are closed

• Start here!
• About Grammar Factory
• Meet the team
• Books by our clients
• Publishing for Entrepreneurs
• Editing for entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneur to Author Podcast
• Free Articles
• Free STEPS Guide
• STEPS Strategy Self-Assessment
• Nonfiction Book Strategy Planner
• Rave reviews
• Entrepreneur to Author
• Book Blueprint
• Get in touch

Table of Contents

Why Do Book Reviews Matter?

How many reviews do i need, editorial reviews, how to get amazon book reviews, how to get reviews for your book on amazon.

What good is writing a great book if no one knows that it’s worth reading?

That’s where book reviews come in.

Reviews matter. They’re a key influencer of buying behavior and provide important social proof even to non-buyers.

Just think about it: how many times have you bought a book without looking at the reviews? I can’t speak for you, but I always read at least a few reviews of every book I buy.

So how do you get more? Most important, more good reviews?

Lots of people are trying to make money off Authors’ confusion in this area, and giving out terrible, deceitful advice about getting reviews (and a few straight up scams).

That’s why I wrote this blog post.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about getting reviews effectively and ethically, especially on Amazon .

If you’ve put in the effort to write a good book, then it’s worth taking the time to get honest feedback from your readers.

Quick note: I said “a good book.” All of my advice assumes you wrote a good book. I’m going to teach you how to get honest reviews, so if your book is not good, my suggestions will backfire. You’ll get reviews, but they won’t be ones you like.

1. Credibility & Social Proof

Imagine that you’re going out for a nice dinner, and you have a choice between two restaurants. One of them has two Michelin Stars, received glowing reviews on Yelp, and even has reviews on Google Maps.

The other restaurant looks nice from the outside, but it doesn’t have a website, and you don’t know anyone who’s been. You know nothing about the chef, and your only guideline for the food comes from the very basic menu posted outside the door.

Which restaurant are you going to choose?

Books work the same way.

If you had to choose, would you buy the book with 50 5-star reviews, or would you buy the one without any reviews at all?

People want to read books other people have read. If a book has a solid number of reviews, a strong blurb, and plenty of customer feedback, it’s going to do better.

Reviews are social proof. Proof that you have something to say, that you have the chops to say it, and that you can be engaging while you say it.

A book without reviews isn’t necessarily a bad book, but it also won’t have the same appeal as a book that consistently gets rave comments.

2. Influence search algorithms

You know what the third biggest search engine is?

Google is first, YouTube is second, and Amazon is third.

When people use Amazon, what they see first is determined by Amazon’s search algorithm…and reviews are a very important part of that algorithm.

Most of our authors write books not just to sell copies, but to use as a tool to market themselves . If this is the case for you, then people searching for your book topic are very important.

The better your ranking , the more likely it is that people will find your book. And the more likely it is that people find your book, the more likely you are to sell it.

3. Drive sales

Reviews won’t automatically make you a New York Times bestseller , but it will make your book more visible to potential readers.

Every review boosts your rankings, emphasizes your credibility, or entices potential readers.

And good reviews drive sales. Think about it–when you go to buy a book, what is the first thing you do?

Read the reviews.

The more reviews you can get—assuming they are good—the better. Lots of reviews are strong social proof a book is popular, and popular books sell.

For a minimum, you should try to get 20 reviews within the first two months after your book release date. That shows your book has traction with real readers.

At around 50 reviews, you are probably good to go. Around that point, you have solidified the book as reputable and should continue to generate reviews.

A Note Before We Start: Don’t Try to Cheat Amazon

Amazon is savvy. Their algorithm is no joke, and if you try to cheat them, you will get caught. They actively look to find and remove any review that is not a real review written by a real person–and they’re very good at it.

Amazon also has a zero-tolerance policy for any review that is designed to mislead or manipulate customers. They’re not shy about removing reviews that violate that policy.

Here’s a list of things to avoid:

• You can’t pay for reviews. This includes cash or giving reviewers a free or discounted product.
• You can’t offer reviewers gifts in exchange for reviews.
• You can’t exchange positive book reviews with other Authors, so don’t head to Facebook or Twitter to find review swaps.

This may seem pretty restrictive. After all, don’t most of us rely on business associates, friends, and other members of our networks to sell books? And what about giving away free review copies? Does that violate the promotional terms?

Well, there are a few caveats .

You can give away free or discounted books to potential reviewers, but you can’t tell them what to write. If they hate it, they have to be able to rant and rave to their heart’s content.

That’s why I said earlier that you have to write a high-quality book. Any free copy you give away has to be given with no strings attached.

Most of this information applies to customer reviews, but they aren’t the only kind of reviews on Amazon.

Editorial reviews are either written by Amazon editors or they come from established publications like Publisher’s Weekly or Kirkus Reviews. Official book endorsements also fall under the category of editorial reviews.

Let’s say that you are a physical therapist, and you have a colleague who is very well known in the field. If she likes your work, it would probably be better to ask her for an editorial review. That way, when people look at the Amazon listing, her review will be front and center. It won’t be buried in the middle of 45 other reviews.

Editorial reviews aren’t subject to the same kinds of restrictions as customer reviews. It’s still not ethical to pay someone to give you a review, but you can and should make the most of your connections to get these.

Step 1: Set-up For Success: Ask for Reviews In Your Book

The easiest way to get book reviews is to ask for them. What better place to do that than in the book itself?

Usually, it’s best to include a short, direct review request towards the back of the book, since good reviewers tend to read all the way to the end.

Few people realize how important book reviews are to Authors. There are probably many people who enjoyed your book and would be willing to write about it if you give them a little nudge.

There are unethical ways to ask, and you should avoid them.

For starters, don’t say, “If you really loved my book, please leave a review.” I know that Authors say this all the time, but it’s presumptuous. It’s like telling someone that their opinion doesn’t matter unless it’s glowing.

People leave reviews because they want to express their feelings. Those feelings might be more complicated than, “I adored the book.” Of course you want positive reviews, but you also have to leave space for readers who enjoyed the book but are reluctant to call it the best thing they’ve ever read.

It’s better to ask readers, “I’d love to hear your honest opinion.”

Here’s another thing to avoid: Don’t ask readers, “Can you take a minute to review my book so I can sell more copies?” This comes across as desperate.

Other people typically don’t care how many books you sell. They need a better reason to take the time to write. Try framing your request around the impact that the book had on them and the impact it could have for others.

Here’s an example: “Did this book help you in some way? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Honest reviews help readers find the right book for their needs.”

Step 2: Ask Your Network for Reviews

One of the most effective ways to get reviews is to set up a launch team .

To do this, put together a list of people who would immediately do a favor for you. You want to aim for 30-50 people.

One month before the book release, send this team a copy of your book so they can read it in advance. It’s easiest to email the book as a PDF, along with a short call to action. Here’s a sample:

Hello there!

I’m excited to let you know that my new book, [Title], launches on [date]. It’s been an amazing journey to get it completed, and I’m excited to finally share it with the world.

If you’re receiving this email, it’s because you’re someone I trust enough to (a) send a free copy of the book to in advance and (b) ask that you leave an honest review when it goes live.

Early reviews are the single most important factor in determining if a book succeeds, so I’m incredibly thankful for people like you who I can rely on to leave one.

No action needed yet. Attached is your free PDF of the book, and I’ll follow up when the book launches with a reminder to leave a review.

Thanks so much for your support. I deeply appreciate it.

Just before the book launches, use KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) to discount the e-reader version to 99 cents for the week of the book launch.

Then, follow up with your team, asking them to leave a review. You can highlight certain things that you would like reviewers to mention, but again, it’s good to emphasize that you want their honest opinion.

Also mention that your book is 99 cents, so if they’re feeling generous, they can buy a copy so their review will be verified. A verified review means that the writer purchased the product through Amazon, and they didn’t receive it at a deep discount. These matter more for your Amazon ranking.

Here’s a sample email: Hey [Name],

The day is here! My book, [Title + GENI.US link], is finally live on Amazon.

I have one simple ask:

If you were able to look at the book and enjoyed it, can you leave a short review?

Reviews should only be 1-2 sentences and should take about 30 seconds to leave (and would make a huge difference for me). If you can’t come up with one, here are some examples:

• [Insert example review]

Finally, I wanted to give you a heads up that Amazon can sometimes block or remove reviews if they deem our digital relationship too close, or if your account is too new. This is few and far between so I’m sorry if you run into this and thank you all the more for your support!

Thanks so much for your help! I can’t thank you enough.

Best, [Author]

As you can see, this email alludes to Amazon’s “family and friends” rule. Most book reviews and sales come from word of mouth, and you will of course be asking your network for support. The key here is that you aren’t forcing or bribing people to give you good feedback.

Step 3: Set Up Your Assets to Remind Your Network

Social media is a great way to remind your network that your book is ready to be reviewed.

Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever social media assets you have to keep your book present in people’s minds.

For example:

• Pin a tweet requesting reviews at the top of your Twitter feed
• Add the book to your email signature
• Put your book in the header of your Facebook and Twitter profiles

Step 4: Reach Out to Authority Reviewers & Top Reviewers

Amazon has a list of top reviewers who are enthusiastic and authoritative about certain areas. If you notice that someone consistently reviews books in your field, they might be a good person to reach out to.

Be cautious about contacting too many top reviewers, especially if your book isn’t in their realm of interest. No one likes spam, so only reach out with good reason.

You have to know your audience , so look at book bloggers who might have some knowledge in your area or podcasters who might be interested in your book’s topic.

Alternately, you could use a site like BookRazor to find people interested in your book. If you send them a free copy, they agree to follow up with a review.

Be aware though: cold calls have a high failure rate. We haven’t found this method as effective as tapping personal networks.

Step 5: Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews

It’s highly likely that, at some point, you will get a negative review . This is just a fact of life.

One thing to keep in mind before you get upset is that bad reviews aren’t always a bad thing. Books that only have 5-star reviews often don’t seem credible. Bad reviews can actually convince people that your other reviews are real.

There are many ways to deal with negative reviews:

• Ignore it. There’s no upside to responding to toxic people.
• Answer it…but be careful. Responding can be a double-edged sword. Respond in a way that addresses the issue without coming off as defensive.
• Admit it hurts to receive a bad review, then move on.
• Keep things in perspective. Don’t give negative reviews more weight than positive ones.
• Consider if the negative comments have any lessons for you.
• Try to get Amazon to take down the review if it doesn’t comply with their guidelines. They probably won’t remove it unless the person has been fraudulent or crude.

BONUS Step: Use Paid Services

Okay, I know I said that you shouldn’t use paid services. But what I meant was, “Don’t use paid services to directly buy reviews.” That’s cheating the system, and scamming Amazon isn’t a good idea if you’re trying to be a legitimate Author.

But there are paid opportunities that you can use to get the book into potential reviewers’ hands in an ethical way.

Goodreads is a social media site for book lovers. Their book giveaways are a good way to increase exposure and create hype. Goodreads requires participants to add the book to their wish list, and they also remind winners to leave reviews. They offer several packages at different price points, depending on how many promotional options you want.

BookBub features discounted books in their daily newsletters, which have more than 10 million subscribers. You can pay to have your book featured, or you can buy ad space in the newsletters. The pricing depends on how deep the book’s discount is.

The Scribe Crew

Read this next.

Authors don’t sell books—readers do.

3 Secrets to Writing a Book People Can’t Stop Recommending

What to Do (and Not Do) in a Book Launch Social Media Campaign

How to Get Free and Honest Book Reviews on Amazon

By c.s. lakin.

Imagine seeing an ad pop up on Facebook advertising your recently published book—an ad you didn’t pay for. Imagine seeing your book appearing first in a line of recommended books on the product pages of similar books, and you didn’t pay for a sponsored ad.

Table of Contents

Imagine hearing from readers that they learned about your book from an Amazon email blast that encouraged them to buy it. Wouldn’t it be great to get all that free promotion? You can—when you get enough authentic, approved reviews on Amazon.

Will Amazon Promote Your Book?

While Amazon’s algorithms are somewhat of a mystery, it’s a known truth that when your book accrues a certain number of reviews, or a lot of reviews in a short amount of (unspecified) time, Amazon kicks into gear multiple promotions for your book. Free promotion that would probably cost a fortune if you had to foot the bill.

The magic number to start the ball rolling in this free promotion is 50. Fifty reviews merits cross promotion and ranking your book higher than others in the same categories based on search terms. With 75 reviews, Amazon is triggered to send email blasts to customers who’ve bought similar books. Amazon utilizes customer data to provide relevant recommendations.

I get tickled when I’m reading a blog and suddenly one of my books pops up on the side—an Amazon-sponsored ad—suggesting I buy that book. No thanks, already have it. But it brings a smile to my face. Did I mention I love free promotion? I am sure you will too.

Every time your book is reviewed, the algorithms are updated, and your book’s internal ranking increases.

While Amazon isn’t the only site where writers need reviews, it’s where most customers shop for books. Reviews you get on Amazon can often be used on other platforms, but no other marketplace engages in free author promotion as extensively and generously as Amazon.

Getting numerous, honest reviews on Amazon should be at the top of your market strategy list. Having the best keywords might help your book turn up in search results, but if you don’t have a slew of reviews, your book will be overlooked or dismissed by a large number of potential readers. High numbers of reviews adds cred to your brand and your talent as a writer .

Amazon also allows authors to give away their book for free for 5 days over a 90-day period (when enrolled in KDP Select). Why is this helpful in getting book reviews? Because it gives you great exposure to potential readers who might pick up your book because it’s free.

This also increases your chances of ranking high in the Top 100 Free Books list, exposing your title to many more potential readers (readers who might very well write a review for it—but watch for my warning further down).

Want to sell more books? Click here to get your free copy of 8 Simple Secrets to Big Book Sales on Amazon

What are amazon’s rules on reviews.

Due to problems with dishonorable people, Amazon has developed tight rules regarding reviews. While these might seem annoying to authors, they serve to protect unscrupulous people from publishing gobs of fake or paid reviews to skew rankings and algorithms.

Here are some of the things Amazon forbids and flags (and may cause your book to be removed): paid reviews, reviews garnered through bribery (you offer something free in exchange for the review), and swapped reviews (arranging with other authors via social media sites to review each other’s books, which usually does not include actually reading said books).

What Are Verified vs. Unverified Reviews

While it can’t be quantified, it’s likely that some potential customers look at how many reviews are “verified” purchases as opposed to unverified. A “verified” purchase means the reviewer bought your book on Amazon, whereas anyone who acquired your book via some other means (purchased elsewhere, given as a gift, a free ARC) will have their review marked “unverified.”

As a potential customer, I don’t pay attention to that. I’m more interested in what the reviewer says about the book. I know that many authors—myself included—send out files of their books to people for an honest review, pre- and post-publishing. So some of those reviews are going to be unverified. But it stands to reason, having predominately verified reviews could positively influence some potential readers. I wouldn’t stress about this.

How To Balance Quantity and Quality

Getting book reviews takes work and time, and the last thing we writers want to do is waste time, spinning our wheels and getting no useful results.

However, it should go without saying that we don’t just want a lot of reviews; we want good reviews. Ones that are thoughtful, detailed, and personal. And that can take time to accumulate.

It stands to reason that having a lot of positive reviews for your book is social proof that you’ve written something worth reading.

If you want to get a lot of reviews fast, and you’re willing to pay, promo sites like Bookbub (there are many!) can help. I’ve gotten up to 50,000 free downloads in one week via a Bookbub ad offering one of my ebooks for free. And that led to a truckload of reviews (not to mention future sales of my book and other installments in my series as a bonus). However, it can also be hard to land such ads, as the competition for slots can be fierce. It’s worth repeated submission, though, for the book review payoff.

Another way to garner reviews is to do some legit giveaways (but, here, you again run the risk of getting some negative or not-so-great reviews because the winner may not generally read or like your genre). Some of the sites writers use to do giveaways are Goodreads , Bookriot , BookishFirst , BookDivas , FreshFiction , and  Kingsumo , to list a few.

While it can take some time, researching top Amazon ( Vine ) reviewers can net you some weighty reviews. You can peruse the list of these 1,000 reviewers and find ones who review books like yours (and if they leave a lot of negative reviews, beware). Even if you only get a handful of Vine reviewers to read and review your book, that can be super helpful and influential.

You can Google “free book review sites” and look for ones that promote honest, legal reviews, like OnlineBookClub . Reedsy has a list of 200+ book blogs, updated for 2020, that you can use to find reviewers of your type of book.

How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon: 3 Effective Strategies

You might utilize the above strategies to get a lot of book reviews quickly, but if you’re a writer hoping to build a solid, enduring, and stellar reputation, you’ll want glowing reviews to come in steadily that come across authentic and sincere.

Here are 3 aspects to focus on for the long run:

1. Develop Relationships

One suggestion that I never see mentioned but is one that has served me very well is to attend writers’ conferences. Not only I but many writers I know have gotten endorsement blurbs from some of the most successful blockbuster authors by attending conferences and creating genuine relationships.

Let me emphasize those last three words. If you go around conferences strong-arming famous authors [read: ingratiating yourself], begging them to spend precious hours of their life reading your book and write a glowing review, you are going to be labeled a pesky pariah.

Conferences provide opportunities to rub elbows with these authors, and engaging in sincere and considerate conversation could open the door to a generous and willing heart happy to help out. You may find only one, but that’s a great start!

This is also good advice for any effort to garner reviews—be it from friends, writing associates, or your coworkers at your job. Don’t be pushy or whiny. People who sense your humility and genuineness will be drawn to take you up on your request to read and review. Give it a try!

2. Build Your Mailing List

The best way to get quality reviews is to reach out to those on your mailing list, your social media contacts, and those you’ve sent advance copies to. Ask them in a friendly, non-pressuring way to leave a review, expressing gratitude for their taking the time to read and review your book.

Even if you haven’t finished writing your book, you should get a mailing list started and work on building it. These folks are going to be your most faithful fans and reviewers. Some authors set up street teams (a group of super fans) and get them enthusiastically involved in sharing news about their new release, and once the book is published , they’re usually asked to post their honest reviews right away. With a mailing list, you can share excerpts of your new release and offer an ARC to any who want to read and review. I do this often with my new releases.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t bribe, coerce, or cajole.
• When you send a copy of your book to a potential reader, thank them and tell them: “Be sure that when you leave a review on Amazon for me, you state that you were given a free copy in exchange for writing an honest review.”
• DO ask them to give you an honest review. DON’T threaten them. You’ll make more friends this way, stay out of trouble, and have a clear conscience (reread above section on developing relationships).
• Be professional. Remember: there is nothing disgraceful about asking for reviews or blurbs of endorsement for your book.
• Provide a choice of epub, PDF, and mobi (Kindle) files. You can save a Word doc as a PDF, and there are free sites online that can convert from one file type to another. I like to put my cover on the first page, and it’s wise to test the file (send the mobi to your Kindle and download a program that can open an epub file (I use Adobe Digital Editions )

3. Encourage Readers to Leave a Review Right after They Read

While Amazon emails customers to leave reviews some days after they purchase anything on their site, a personal encouragement at the back of your book, along with a link (if an ebook), will probably persuade readers to leave that honest review.

This is what I write: “The best way to thank an author for writing a book you enjoyed is to leave an honest review! Click here to post your review of [book title]. Thank you so much for taking the time to let other readers know what you thought of my book.” I put a hyperlink in connected to the words click here (don’t show the very long URL).

If your book isn’t published yet, you will have to wait until you’ve at least got it up for presale (one good reason to use that feature) in order to get your Amazon book page URL. Once you have that, plug in the URL to your request for a review.

Once the book is published, you can use the link that directly goes to the book review page for your book. Here’s how you do it:

• Go to your product page once your book is live, click on the reviews button, then scroll down to the bottom and click on “see all __ customer reviews. Click on that link.
• Now, grab the URL in the search bar at the top.
• Only grab to the end of the numbers and include the forward slash. It should look something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Hope-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/ product-reviews /B00PIAD22K/

Notice that the URL includes “product-reviews” in there. That’s the nice, clean link to your reviews page.

So what happens when the reader clicks that link?

She gets taken right to the top of your review page where there is a nice button that says “write a review.”

Why You Should Never Stop Attracting Reviews

In order to stay ranking high and keep Amazon’s algorithm attention, you’ll need to get a steady stream of reviews over time. That’s why it’s not a great idea to tell all your fans or mailing list recipients to post their review on one specific day. It’s better if they flow in as a stream and not a tsunami.

Don’t run that free KDP promotion during launch week . Offer your book for free one or two days a month, and that will draw in new readers whose reviews will come in over time.

Consider using a free, reputable book review site—maybe one each month—to attract new readers. I recently did a NetGalley promotion (yes, I did pay for that), and netted a lot of readers who downloaded (for free) my book file. NetGalley reviewers are bloggers, librarians, booksellers, educators, journalists, and members of the media. Reviewers give your book a rating and offer feedback. My next step is to contact the reviewers who haven’t yet left a review and politely ask if they would post one on Amazon.

Keep in mind that any reviews you get, you can manually enter them through your Author Central account on Amazon so the reviews will show up on your product page. So no worries about pressuring readers to head over to Amazon to post it themselves. However, these reviews appear on your page’s Editorial Reviews section, not in the usual Amazon review pages (and so won’t be ranked by 1-5 stars or counted as part of your number of reviews).

Go back to your list of book bloggers and review sites. Consider contacting blogs on a weekly basis to accrue new contacts and get more reviews. Keep a chart of who you contact when.

How to Avoid Negative Reviews

Let’s face reality here: you will get negative reviews. But you’re in good company. The most famous, successful authors have plenty of negative reviews. Not everyone will love your book.

The few negative reviews I’ve gotten over the years have mostly been from readers who picked up my book during a free promotion. Some admit in their review “I never read this genre” or “this isn’t my type of book.” Meaning, they wouldn’t have bought my book (which makes me groan and mutter, “So why did you bother reading my book?”).

This is part of the tradeoff with doing free promotions. You will probably get reviews from those who don’t like or understand your genre, and, sadly, you can’t block or forbid them from leaving a review or remove said review. Good news is they probably won’t download your next book during a freebie period.

Here are some ways to fend off negative reviews:

• Have your book professionally edited and proofread.
• Better yet, have a professional critique of your book before editing to ensure it’s well structured.
• Make sure your formatting looks good, for both ebook and paperback. It’s not hard to learn how to format an ebook. Get Mark Coker’s free style book (Smashwords founder). I download Amazon’s templates for paperback and paste all my content in. Or you can hire a designer to help you. But do it right.
• Write description copy that accurately describes the genre and story—don’t mislead potential readers. Also, if your book contains “heat” (venturing into erotica) or descriptive violence, warn your reader. It’s the responsible thing to do. And, honestly, you want your target readers to be enjoying your book.
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep. This applies to self-help and other types of nonfiction. You might hope your readers will get healed, rich, happy, or successful by following your five-step secret method, but if you guarantee they will get these results, you are going to have some pretty angry customers leaving scathing reviews.
• Your book shouldn’t be a thinly veiled advertising platform for other books or services. It’s fine to list some of your other publications or resources at the back of your book, and it’s wise to include an excerpt of one of those other books to entice readers to buy it (and putting in a link to buy is fine). But don’t have promotions and special offers sprinkled throughout your pages. It’s spammy and off-putting.
• Did I mention you must have your book professionally edited and proofread?

Getting reviews on Amazon—honest, authentic reviews—will take time and effort, but it’s worth it. As the reviews pile up, you’ll see your sales ranking rise and your book will come up higher in search results.

But don’t forget the big picture: it’s about relationships. Build a fan base of happy readers who love your books. Take the time to master your craft, write the best books you can, take pride in them, and make sure they are professionally edited, with attractive covers and description that accurately describes your content. If you focus on those things and put out the effort, you will have a lot more than just reviews. You’ll have a joyful writing career.

Sell More Books

Enter your name and email below to get your free copy of my exclusive guide:

8 Simple Secrets to Big Book Sales on Amazon

Enter your name and email below to gain instant access to my ultimate guide:

How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon the Quickest and Easiest Way

Book reviews and sushi restaurants have a lot more in common than you might think. Discover the secrets to getting book reviews on Amazon!

Would you risk getting sushi from a restaurant with a 1-star average and a dozen bad reviews talking about getting food poisoning? Didn't think so. 

The thing is, Amazon reviews function the same way. They warn readers about books that might not be worth their hard-earned money or precious time. So, how do you convince someone you've never met that your book is worth taking the chance?

In this blog post, we'll walk you through a ton of budget-friendly and compliant ways for how to get book reviews on Amazon, and skyrocket your sales (and royalties).

Are you tapping into all of Amazon's potential? Check out our free webinar that shows you exactly how one publishing method has already generated a collective $50 million in revenue for thousands of students of all ages all over the world with no publishing or tech experience required.

Why Do Amazon Book Reviews Matter?

A dozen 5-star reviews can usually offset a single bad review, but a single 5-star review won't always offset a dozen negative reviews. It's just the nature of the game and human psychology. We tend to gravitate toward what's safe and comfortable.

Here are some more reasons that a book's review matters:

Credibility and Social Proof

Let's knock the obvious one out of the way. When potential readers are browsing Amazon for a new book to read, they are more likely to choose a book that already has previous other readers. Positive reviews act as social proof and give credibility to your book. They show that others have enjoyed your book and that it’s worth reading.

Sales and Ranking

Amazon book reviews can also impact your book's sales and ranking. Books with a higher number of positive reviews tend to sell more copies. Additionally, Amazon's search algorithm takes into account the number and quality of reviews when ranking books in search results.

Momentum and Feedback

Positive reviews just feel good. They're a good boost to your confidence and can motivate you to keep publishing. Even a negative review can help you improve your work by providing constructive feedback to implement in your future work. 

A Breakdown of Amazon's Review Policy and Algorithm

Amazon's review policy is designed to ensure that reviews are genuine and unbiased.

That means they prohibit the following:

• Reviews that are fake
• Reviews that are incentivized or come from a bribe
• Reviews that are written by the author or publisher of a book or their family and friends
• Reviews that include profanity, hate speech, and personal information

Note: Violating these policies can result in the removal of reviews and even account suspension.

Amazon's algorithm uses various factors to determine the authenticity and relevance of book reviews. The algorithm considers the number of reviews, the rating, and the recency of reviews as well as the location that the reviews came from. They can typically tell when friends and family are leaving reviews by checking whether you've ever sent each other gifts through Amazon or shared an address.

Most people can get away with one or two close friends leaving a positive or leaving a review too, but is it worth it? For one, it’s unethical. And secondly, it throws off the algorithm. If you wrote a book about bulldogs and none of your friends even have dogs, then they wouldn't be your target audience anyway. Their data would then affect the types of readers Amazon suggests your book to, and this can skew your marketing plans. Just something to keep in mind!

How Many Reviews Is Enough?

When it comes to the number of reviews you need on Amazon, there's no magic number that will instantly turn your book into a bestseller. Good reviews can essentially sell the book for you, so the more positive reviews you have, the better.

A good goal to aim for (and what we teach our Publishing.com students ) is at least 50 reviews for every new book that you publish. This may seem like a lot, but we've found this to be the sweet spot for gaining traction, and this blog post is full of ideas to help you get started.

Another pro tip? The timing of your reviews can have an impact on your book's success. Ideally, you want to have as many reviews as possible around the time of your book's initial launch to help it get more visibility.

Identifying Your Ideal Readers

There's no use reaching out to people who won't get any value out of reading your book. Sure, they may leave you an honest review, but it might not be a good one. Here's what to consider when trying to connect with the readers who are most likely to leave you a positive review:

What genre does your book fall into? You can use Amazon's categories and subcategories to help you identify your genre. Maybe you want to target fans of romance or hobby books, or you want to tap into the children’s book market. These categories will help you when you're looking for various social media groups to connect with reviewers (more on that later).

Keywords are the words or phrases that readers use to search for books on Amazon. By including relevant keywords in your book's title, subtitle, and description, you can make it easier for potential readers to find your book. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Amazon's keyword tool to find relevant keywords.

Demographics

Think about who your book is intended for. Is it for young adults or older readers? Is it for men or women? Is it for people who enjoy a certain type of hobby or interest? If you're publishing children's books, you'll need to remember that the parents are the ones who will be purchasing your book and deciding whether to leave reviews. 

How to Ask a Reader to Leave an Honest Review on Amazon

There are plenty of ways to get free book reviews, which we'll talk about here. The best strategy to find reviewers usually comes from a combination of these tactics. So, don't be afraid to experiment and see what method works best for you!

Let's dive right in:

Leverage Your Mailing List

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get reviews is by leveraging your mailing list. That is...if you already have one. Many authors and publishers take the time to create their own websites and collect readers' emails to keep them up to date with their latest book launches.

If you don't have a mailing list yet, you can start building one by offering a free sample chapter or some kind of bonus content in exchange for someone's email address. You can then follow up with emails that have the link to purchase and review your book. 

Pro Tip: The more steps something takes, the less likely people are to follow through, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them. Always include direct links so they don’t have to go searching for them!

Email Template to Ask for a Book Review

Need some book marketing inspo? We've got you covered.

Here's a handy email template you can tweak to your style and voice for launch day!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email Subject Line: 🌟 It’s Finally Here! Want to Help Other Readers? 📖

Hey [Reader's Name],

Big news: “[Book Title]” is out today! 🎉 I’m super excited (and a bit nervous) to share this story with you. It’s been quite the adventure bringing it to life.

If you enjoy the read, I’d be over the moon if you could take some time to drop a quick review on Amazon. Your honest thoughts really help—both me and other book lovers.

Here’s how:

• Pop over to [Insert Link].
• Scroll to "Customer Reviews" and hit "Write a Customer Review."
• Share what you think about the book—there's no right or wrong answer!

That’s it! Short and sweet does the trick. 🌟

Thanks a million for your support. It means the world to me, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of “[Book Title].”

Happy reading and happy reviewing!

Cheers, [Your Name]

Connect with Book Bloggers and Top Reviewers

Book bloggers and full-time reviewers can help you get the word out about your book by engaging their audiences. 

Here are some tips on how to connect with them:

1. Do Your Research

Not all bloggers and reviewers are the same. You want to target those who are interested in your genre and have a following. Look for bloggers and reviewers who have already reviewed books similar to yours.

2. Personalize Your Pitch

When reaching out to bloggers and reviewers, make sure to personalize your pitch. Address them by name and mention why you think they would be interested in your book.

3. Follow Up

After you've sent your pitch, follow up with the blogger or reviewer. Politely ask if they've had a chance to read your book yet and if they have any feedback. Following up shows that you're interested in their opinion and can help build a relationship for future reviews. 

Just be careful not to cross into begging territory. If someone doesn't want to read your book, there are millions of other potential readers out there who might!

4. Be Genuine

When engaging with bloggers and reviewers, be genuine. Focus on their experience rather than the review itself. Be open to their feedback, even if it's not what you were expecting. It can help you grow and connect with future readers.

Pro Tip: The only real failure in the publishing world is giving up!

Create a Call-to-Action Inside Your Book

A Call-to-Action (CTA) is simply a marketing term that means giving your intended audience a very specific action to take. You've probably seen a ton without realizing it, like "click here," "sign up now," or "order now!"

Another simple way to increase reviews for your book on Amazon is to create a call-to-action (CTA) inside your book. This is a message that encourages readers to leave a review immediately on Amazon. By doing this, you're taking advantage of the fact that readers are more likely to leave a review while the experience is still fresh in their minds.

Here are some common locations for CTAs:

• Your author bio
• In the middle of your book, at a natural stopping point between two chapters
• The end of your book

Many authors and publishers include a QR code that takes the readers to a website. This website can be a simple landing page that thanks the reader for their support and encourages them to leave a review on Amazon. Make sure to emphasize the importance of honest reviews and how they help other readers make informed decisions about whether or not to buy your book.

Other CTA tips:

• Be clear and concise
• Focus on only ONE action you want the readers to take
• Use strong action verbs
• Offer up your gratitude even if they choose not to take the next step but still took the time to read your work

Create an ARC Team

An ARC Team stands for an Advance Reader Copies Team or Advance Review Copies Team. The idea is simple: You build a dedicated team of people who are ready to give all your new books an honest customer review.

To build an effective Advance Reader Team, start by reaching out to your email list, social media followers, and other fans of your work. Let them know you are looking for readers who are willing to read and review your book before your book is live. Be clear about what you expect from them, including the timeline for reading and reviewing the book.

Once you have built your Advance Reader Team, provide them with a full copy of the book of your book in a format that is easy for them to read, such as a PDF or Kindle file. Follow up with them to make sure they have received the book and are on track to finish reading it by the agreed-upon deadline.

Note: Participating in ARC review methods isn't against Amazon KDP's terms; however, posting your full manuscript online would be if you were planning on making your book available through Kindle Unlimited.

Take Advantage of Social Media

One effective way to use social media is to create a Facebook page for your book. This page can be used to share updates about your book, interact with readers, run ads, and, most importantly, request book reviews. You can also join Facebook groups that are specifically designed for authors and reviewers.

Goodreads is another social media platform that can be used to request book reviews. Goodreads has a large community of readers and reviewers, making it an ideal platform to promote your book and request reviews.

Pro Tip: No one likes spam, so stick to the golden rule. Treat readers how you would want to be treated.

Leverage Free or Low-Cost Book Review Sites

Some popular free or low-cost book review sites include Goodreads, Pubby, and Online Book Club. These sites have large communities of readers who are eager to discover new books and provide feedback.

When submitting your book for review on these sites, be sure to follow the submission guidelines carefully. Some sites may have specific requirements for the format of your book or the information you need to include in your submission.

Remember : Amazon doesn't allow incentivized reviews. 

Here's how these platforms tackle compliance:

Pubby operates on a book review exchange model. Authors who join Pubby agree to review other authors' books in exchange for reviews of their own books. This peer-to-peer system is designed to increase the number of reviews without direct financial incentives or specific demands for positive reviews.

This differs from review swaps, where both parties leave a "5-star" review regardless of their true opinions about the work.

Goodreads is a community platform for book lovers. It allows users to leave reviews, rate books, and engage in discussions about books. Reviews on Goodreads are user-generated and are not part of a paid or incentivized system.

Although Goodreads is owned by Amazon, the review system on Goodreads operates independently of Amazon’s review system. Reviews on Goodreads are generally not subject to the same strict guidelines as Amazon's product reviews, but there are still ways to go about asking for reviews ethically and unethically. 

Consider Ethical Paid Services to Get Reviews

While it's always best to get book reviews on Amazon organically, sometimes it's necessary to use paid services to get your book reviewed with the attention it deserves and to scale your publishing business more quickly. Ethical services offer legitimate ways to connect with reviewers and get more reviews on Amazon without violating any rules.

A quick word of caution: Some UNethical services may violate Amazon's terms of service by offering to buy reviews directly, so always be sure to do your own research!

• Authentic reviews for their services
• A proven track record with the genre you're publishing in
• Transparent pricing and policies
• Access to support (whether through email, chat, or phone) in case you ever need it

Some legitimate services offer a variety of a la carte options, such as running a review campaign or connecting authors with reviewers who are interested in reading their books. Some services may also offer to promote your book to their audience, which can help increase visibility and generate more sales.

Overall, using ethical paid services to get reviews can be a great way to boost your book's visibility on Amazon and get more readers interested in your work. Just be sure to choose a reputable service and always follow Amazon's publishing guidelines to ensure that your book stays in good standing on the platform.

What Are Editorial Reviews on Amazon?

Editorial reviews are essentially "bonus" quotes and reviews housed on your Amazon book page through your Author Central Account . They may be written by professional reviewers, such as book critics and editors, or they may simply be quotes you want to highlight about your books from others.

To get editorial reviews for your book, you can submit your book to publications and websites that review books, or you can hire a professional reviewer to write a review for you. Once you have an editorial review, you can then submit it to Amazon to be published on your book review page.

Editorial reviews can be a great way to get exposure for your book and build credibility with potential readers, but customer reviews are just as important for building out your review page.

Avoiding Fake Reviews and Ensuring Genuine Feedback

Your reviews set the stage for your reputation as a self-publisher.

Here are some tips to avoid fake reviews and ensure genuine feedback:

Seek Verified Purchase Reviews

Amazon marks reviews from customers who have purchased your book on their platform with a “Verified Purchase” label. These reviews carry more weight as they are more likely to be authentic. You can encourage your readers to leave such reviews by reminding them to buy the book directly from Amazon.

Aim for Balanced Reviews

Genuine reviews often provide a well-rounded perspective of your own book. They don’t just heap praises or pile on criticism; instead, they offer a nuanced view, discussing various aspects like plot, characters, writing style, formatting, and pacing. Be on the lookout for reviews that offer specific, balanced insights into your work.

Stay Alert to Fake Reviews

Be cautious of reviews that may not be legitimate. These can be overly effusive or excessively negative, exhibit repetitive language or phrasing, or appear in an unnaturally large number within a short span. Amazon allows you to report suspicious reviews by using the “Report Abuse” option.

Sabotage is rare, but it does happen. If you suspect that a competitor has given you a false review, flag it and keep moving forward. You can rest easy knowing that you’ve put in the work and you’re running your publishing business from a place of integrity. 

Foster Authentic Engagement

Encourage genuine feedback by interacting with your readers. Express gratitude for their reviews and engage with their comments. Addressing their thoughts and concerns not only shows your appreciation but also demonstrates your commitment to putting out quality content.

Although you cannot respond directly to Amazon comments, you can interact with your mailing list and social media following. 

Optimize Your Book Launch for Reviews

Getting book reviews on Amazon is crucial for book sales, traction, and visibility.

Here are some tips to help you get the most reviews from your book launch.

1. Set a Launch Date

Setting a specific launch date helps you plan your book launch, coordinate your promotion plan with your publishing team (if you have one), and start your PR campaign two to three months before the launch date. It also enables you to coordinate book signing events with local bookstores three to four months before the launch or publication date.

Pro Tip: Some niches are more profitable during particular times of the year. See what your competitors are doing to get a better idea of what works and what doesn't.

2. Create a Pre-Launch Checklist

Creating a pre-launch checklist helps you explore your book launch to-do's at a glance. It might even include a marketing and PR plan tailored to each social media platform.

3. Stay Up to Date with Amazon's Review Guidelines

It doesn't hurt to check Amazon's guidelines every quarter or so to make sure there aren't any updates that might impact your plans. The truth is this industry is constantly changing—especially as AI becomes more and more common!

4. Don't Be Shy Asking for Reviews

Asking for reviews can be uncomfortable at first, but this is just another one of those skills that take time and practice, like strength training and weightlifting.

5. Think Outside of the Box

You're in charge when it comes to marketing your Amazon book , and within reason, the sky is the limit. Virtual events like Q&As can help your audience get to know you, but there are thousands of other ideas out there to help your book stand out in a crowded market.

Here are just a few:

• Collaborative Storytelling Event : Host an online event where readers contribute to a live, interactive storytelling session based on your book's universe.
• Interactive Web Series : Produce a short web series or interactive videos that explore your book's characters or setting, inviting audience participation.
• Flash Fiction Contest : Organize a writing contest where participants create short stories inspired by your book, with the best entries featured on your website.
• Podcast Series : Launch a podcast discussing themes, background stories, or characters from your book, possibly including guest speakers or experts.
• Themed Cook-along or Craft Workshop : If your book involves unique cuisines or crafts, host a live cook-along or crafting session teaching these skills.
• Charity Event Partnership : Tie your launch to a charity event, where aspects of your book's theme help raise awareness or funds for a relevant cause.
• Book Playlist Release Party : Curate a playlist of songs that captures the mood of your book, hosting a listening party with discussions about how each song relates to the story.

Publishing.com's Student Reviews

Which of the following types of people have found success with publishing?

A) Grandmas and grandpas who weren't necessarily tech-savvy but wanted to find a way to supplement their retirement

B) Stay-at-home moms and dads who wanted to find a way to make money without missing out on any of their children's milestones

C) College students who wanted to find a way to stop drowning in student loan debt

D) All of the above

The Publishing.com team has earned a verified review average of 4.8 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot , and the answer is D! All of the above!

Here's what some students had to say:

If you're looking for a sign to take that first step, it's this! 

Just head over to our free beginner-friendly webinar to see the exact formula that can completely transform your schedule and income and bring you the freedom you crave!

Happy publishing!

FREE WEBINAR

• Olympics books that deserve a gold medal: LeBron James, Simone Biles, and more
• Killer summer reads from S.A. Cosby, Dennis Lehane, Liz Moore, and more
• Best science fiction and fantasy of July 2024, as chosen by the Amazon Editors

More articles like this

Books we haven’t stopped hearing about, including the latest from elin hilderbrand, miranda july, and more.

Amazon Editors’ personal favorites of August 2024

What to read next: award-winners, to-be award winners, and more

About the Editor

Erin kodicek.

Latest articles by editor

Best literature and fiction of july 2024, as chosen by the amazon editors.

What to read next: Emily Henry’s latest, luminous literary thrillers, “a perfect summer read,” and more

Best books of July 2024, as chosen by the Amazon Editors

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices