GET REVIEWS ... BEFORE AND AFTER YOU PUBLISH
Many authors have reviews on books before it’s released thanks to ARC Teams.
ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. This is a book that is still in final edit, usually doesn’t have the cover finalized yet either. The ARC Team consists of people who are interested in the subject and will give a review on several platforms for a free advanced copy of the book.
Pre-release reviews can be found on sites such as Goodreads and Bookbub as well as several others. ARC Team members can also give reviews on their own social media pages, especially if they have a strong following. Getting pre-release reviews on Goodreads guarantees these reviews will be transferred to Amazon on the day the book releases since Amazon owns Goodreads.
When you send your book to the ARC Teams, make sure they agree to not only provide pre-release reviews but also reviews on other site, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores on the day of release. This ensures you have reviews immediately.
But how do reviews really help sell your book?
Pre-Release Reviews
Think about it this way: Have you ever looked at a book—nonfiction or fiction—and looked at the reviews. If there are no reviews, you are probably less likely to take a chance on the author. If there are a few really bad reviews, you won’t be interested. However, whether there are 10 or 1000 semi-good to great reviews, you will more than likely buy the book. This is why reviews are so important and needed.
However, there is another aspect of reviews and their ability to sell your book.
They can help you make best-seller status without a lot of work on your part.
Remember, if you see a book that has great or even good reviews, you are more likely to buy that book. Best-seller rankings are based on book sales each week. The most important week is release week!
Wouldn’t you love to be on a best sellers list on the week you release your book?
The easiest way to do this is pre-release reviews. People see those pre-release reviews on social media sites and book review sites, and they pre-order the book. This means your sales increase even before the book is available. This is how people make the best-seller list immediately upon publication!
Great! You now have one of the formulas for gaining best seller status early on, but you probably want to know how to build an ARC Team.
Build an ARC Team
There are many ways to build an ARC Team. One way is to use your following. Put a call out to your social media followers saying you’re assembling a special group to read your books first before publication. You will be inundated with responses, but you don’t have to pick everyone.
Pick 10, 25, 50, or 100 people to be on your team. Just remember this is a two-edged sword. The more people on your team, the more reviews, but it also means there are fewer people who will need to buy your book. You normally don’t want more than 50, so base it on your following size and know your max is 50 people. Have them sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) saying they will give a specific number of reviews on specific platforms but that they will not give the book away. Some people won’t want to sign the NDA. That’s fine; either choose not to move forward with them, or if you move forward with them being on the ARC Team, they don’t need to be on the ARC Team for the next book. Some people will not give reviews even though they promised. That’s fine; again, they don’t need to be on the ARC Team for the next book.
This is your team, and you have control. If they don’t live up to their promises, they don’t get early access next time.
Don’t Have a Large Following?
However, many authors, especially first-time authors, don’t have a large following yet. Not a problem. Bookbub, Bookfunnel, and similar sites can actually help. They have a large audience of ARC readers that are volunteers who are willing to not only read your book but also give reviews. These websites do charge for this service, but your work is protected and you don’t have to do anything but provide your manuscript. If you don’t want to do all the work of building a team yourself, then this is the way to go.
So, consider getting those reviews before you even release your book because they can only help ensure you have a strong start for your book upon its release.
Post-Release Reviews
Have you already released your book? Still get reviews. Yes! You read that correctly. Still get reviews.
Reach out to your community the same way you would during the pre-release phase and ask for reviews in exchange for a copy of your book for free or for a copy at an extremely reduced rate. (I've seen some authors indicate they will send a free copy, and the reviewer only has to pay $6.95 in shipping and handling or something to that effect.) Tell them once they receive the book, they have until XYZ date to post the review on Amazon (give them about a month from the date you ship the book), providing them with the link to your book on Amazon and directing them to scroll toward the bottom of the page to the area where they can post their review. Approximately two weeks out then again a day or two before the target date, send a reminder email, thanking those who have posted reviews and asking others not to forget to do so by the due date. Again, you will have those who do not follow-through. Expect it, and make a note.
Keep in mind that getting post-publication reviews can position you to see a spike in interest in your book and a subsequent spike in sales.
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Content credit: C. Storm
Image credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya