Reviews are the lifeblood of books.
You may have heard me say this before, possibly more than once. As much as part of me would like to apologize for potential redundancy? I can’t, because it’s true and it’s important.
Reviews give validity to an author’s work.
I know I can’t be the only one who’s perused an online store, clicked on a product (of any type), and thought it was perfect. You can be all set to buy, but then . . . WAIT A SECOND. Only two ratings and no reviews? How are you supposed to know if it’s actually worth your money, if it’s the thing for you?
It’s no different with books, even if it’s maybe sort of different. Reviews let potential readers know that a book is worth reading, because it’s been read.
Reviews and ratings tell retailers that a book will sell.
I’m going to be as careful as I can in saying this, to not potentially say something wrong (due to the ever-changing landscape of this subject), but . . .
There is ‘a system’ in place. Every retailer has some sort of algorithm that decides when and where a product is shown. The number of reviews and ratings matters, as does the overall average rating. Every review, every rating, tells that algorithm that a book sells (and is hopefully enjoyed), so they push selling it.
Your potential contribution to that has a direct effect on whether a book gets seen by other readers. That’s a big deal!
Reviews let readers know whether they may (or may not) like a book.
Not all ‘bad’ reviews are bad reviews. Having to accept that not everyone will love your book is something that is easy to say from the start and difficult to apply the knowledge to, in a sense. (It takes a while to get down into your soul and find a genuine state of peace with it!) But the truth is that even a ‘bad’ review can be extremely helpful. The things you love about a book might be what someone hates in them, or the things that made you dislike one might be someone else’s favorite tropes or situations.
Your opinions, your thoughts matter.
And on a personal note, as a hermit (no joke, really) . . . I don’t ‘get out’ much. I don’t talk to or interact with people much. I sometimes feel like an island here—one that no one knows exists. I’ve equivalently thrown out a large handful of messages in bottles, and I don’t always know whether they reached ‘their people’ or not.
Reviews aren’t just words to me, as some small thing. They’re a connection to someone who spent a day or more with my words. And words are my life, have been for going on twenty years now. The right ones strung together can build walls for one to live inside; that’s how I feel.
Some of the words readers have left for my books might be beneficial for readers, but they’ve been lifechanging to and for me. They’ve let me know . . . I’ve done a good job. I accept that not everyone would think so, and it’s easier when you know that some people already do. Some of those words have gotten me through the hardest, most damaging and depressing parts of following this dream. That’s just the truth.
If you’ve ever left a review on any of my books, thank you.
If you’re considering leaving one? Even if you don’t for whatever reason(s), just know that I’m grateful for the feeling that nudged you to consider it.
If you do leave one, it does matter. For a LOT of reasons and in a lot of ways . . . it matters.
Whether you loved, liked, or despised any book of mine that you’ve read, I appreciate you spending the time with my words, with the characters that I love, and in the world(s) I’ve spent so much of my life inside of. But I do hope you loved it/them! And more than that, I hope my words brought something good to your life, even if it was just a smile here or there.
<3 C
I’ll include links for places to potentially review my books, so you don’t have to go searching!
My UBL (Universal Book Link) page is listed below. There, you can easily find your favorite retailer for any of my books and be taken to your location-specific store. (No more ‘straight to .com’ if you live outside the US!)
P.S. I do give out review copies of my books. There is a Google form to fill out, where you can join my ARC team and/or request one of my books. It's a good way to read them for free! ^.^