A review may seem like a small thing. But, I assure you, it’s not. So, I wanted to pause and talk a little bit about leaving reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and related sites and why they matter. I may be preaching to the choir with this post, but it still is worth saying. When you read a book and you enjoy it, please leave a review!

Reviews are the lifeblood of every author, particularly for us tiny self-published authors. When you leave a review, you are not only leaving a message for the author, you are letting other potential readers out there know that a book is worth pausing and taking another look at. Your 30-second investment brings an author one step closer to the coveted 40 reviews on Amazon. When this happens, the author’s book will get picked up in advertising by Amazon, which means more exposure that doesn’t come at the author’s expense!

We are currently a society that loves all things indie. Look at Etsy! Self-published authors are just like Etsy sellers, except we sell our writing and our books instead of cute jewelry, woodwork or handmade clothing. We are indie artists. We are local.

I can tell you with 100% certainty, I didn’t give away nearly 300 copies of my books last month just because I’m nice. I mean, I’m a nice person usually. But, this action wasn’t taken because I was feeling charitable :). I’m hoping to find new readers AND I’m hoping to get a few reviews out of the deal.

No artist should have to give away their work or do work for free. I put hundreds of hours into my projects and invest my own money into editing, cover design, type setting, this blog and more (as do all writers and artists). None of my projects have put me into the black thus far. But, I do it with the hopes of building a following, building a group of readers who are eager for my work and will hopefully try out one book for free and then come back and pay for others because they enjoyed my writing. It should be said, as well, I write and publish because I enjoy it. This is a hobby for me, though I hope someday it might be a career.

So, when you read something you like, no matter whose book it is, please leave a review and let others know you liked it. Tell your friends. Tell your families. Recommend it to your book clubs. Actually, my sister’s book club was kind enough to read one of my book and I Skyped with them the day they discussed it! I’m no Stephen King, but I’m still a real author and I’m willing to be virtually present in your living room! 🙂

Seriously though, If you are one of the hundreds of new readers who picked up a copy of my books this past month, I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to leave a review if you enjoyed the read! Think of it as your literary good deed for the day.

I also encourage you to leave reviews for other authors who you read. Your review doesn’t have to be quirky, clever, or even very long. It could be as simple as “I really enjoyed this one!” or “thanks for a great read!” or “looking forward to more from this author!” It’s really very simple. I promise. And, as always, thank you for your support and for giving my books a chance!