Book reviews have always mattered, but now, with more and more readers buying their books off Amazon and checking out the reader reviews before purchasing, they matter more than ever. However, getting reader reviews can sometimes be a challenge for independent publishers, so what are some of the best ways to go about generating reviews?

Have a free giveaway

A giveaway of your book has to be one of the best ways of encouraging people to review your work. There are three main types of giveaway you could utilise:

Giveaways on websites such as Goodreads
Social media giveaways on Twitter and Facebook
In-person giveaways, such as holding a free event or simply giving out copies of your book to people when you see them

It’s worth stressing when you’re holding giveaways that you’re after honest reviews. Readers shouldn’t feel pressured into giving you a five-star review just because you’ve given them a free book – make it clear that you’re after their honest opinion.

Of course, giving your book away for free doesn’t guarantee that people will review it for you, but it will at least get you some exposure and hopefully a few reviews to go with it.

Find a local reading group

Reading groups can be a good place to check out if you’re looking for some honest reader reviews. Groups are usually used to critiquing work, and if you ask nicely, they might well be willing to offer you an online review in exchange for copies of your book to read.

Use your writing group

If you’re in a writing group, there’s nothing to lose by asking your fellow writers to give you a review once your book is published. They’ll probably have seen your book develop too, so might well be able to give more insight than most.

Contact local papers

It’s always worth checking with the local newspapers to see if they’d be willing to read and review your book. They’re quite often keen to interview local authors, and getting a review in the local press is generally much more achievable than getting one in a national newspaper.

Research bloggers

Finally, there are plenty of review bloggers out there who might be willing to take a look at your book. Make sure you do your research for this though; look for bloggers who review the genre your book is in and who are more likely to be interested in it.

What are your tips for getting reader reviews for your book?