A High Five For Feedback

Can you spare five minutes?

First of all, a big thank you to everyone that left a review or rated The Pink Herring – I really appreciated the feedback. I’m lucky to have a very good average rating for the book (4.75 out of 5 stars) for the forty or so reviews I’ve received, but this represents less than 5% of the total books sold. It might not seem like much but the average on Amazon is just 1.5% per book sold. 

Why don’t people leave reviews?

There are a number of reasons, ranging from not finding the time or forgetting, to not feeling qualified or knowing what to say, through to just not being bothered – we’ve all been there.

Why should you leave a review?

Most independent authors rely heavily on word-of-mouth as their key marketing asset. Book reviews and ratings are essential if they are to build and grow a reader base in a very competitive and crowded market. On top of that, although we have editors, proofreaders and friendly reviewers, there is no substitute for direct feedback from readers.

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” - Bill Gates

What should you consider when leaving a review or rating?

1. Keep it short – a couple of sentences would be fine;
2. Focus on something you liked - storylines, characters, setting, etc;
3. Talk about parts that stood out – scenes, sections, themes, etc;
4. How did it make you feel?
5. Would you recommend it?
6. Would you read more by the author?

You don’t have to answer them all – one or two would be fine - and five minutes is all it should take you.

Where should you leave the review or rating?

The best place would be wherever you bought the book - here are the links to make it easier:

- Amazon (Kindle or paperback)
- Apple iBooks
- Barnes & Noble (nook)
- Kobo
- Scribd
- 24S

If you borrowed the book or simply prefer another way, then go to my Goodreads page.

And that’s it folks – five minutes of your valuable time that this author would gladly high five you for.

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