I'm not the only author who adores reviews.

Honestly, they can be worth more than a sale.

Think of it this way: I make about thirty-five cents on every dollar of a book. True story. Obviously, that amount isn't going to make or break me financially. But if someone leaves a great review on a book, it might entice more readers to pick it up. Which means over time, those little bits add up.

Readers count on reviews to tell them whether a book is worth buying. I know I do. What about you?

As an indie author, every review I get helps my visibility, which means I can spend more time writing and less time marketing. If you want me to put out more books and sequels faster, giving me reviews is one way to make that happen.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of reviewers who don't do reviews correctly, or truly don't know how to write one.

I've given you some basic dos and don'ts below. Glance through them to make sure you are including some of the dos, and are not guilty of the don'ts.

The Do List

Do leave a line or two (or more, if you wish) about your experience with the book.

Do talk about how it made you feel. The emotional experience is the most important one you have while reading a book, and the same is true of other readers who might be looking for that type of experience.

Do let people know why you liked or didn't like the book, and why you will or won't read subsequent books in the series or by the same author.

Do share how it starts and what drew you into the story.

Do talk about the positive aspects of the story, the world, and the characters you met inside the story.

Do be direct and to the point.

The Don't List

Don't leave novella-length reviews. It's okay to gush about how much you loved a book, or use whatever words are necessary to warn readers about books they shouldn't waste their money on, but again, direct and to-the-point is best.

Don't give a strong opinion without a reason. "I hate this book" or "I love this book" but without saying why doesn't help other readers form an opinion. For example, if a book was too spicy for your taste, say so, because readers who prefer spicy books will be more likely to buy it.

Don't share spoilers that reveal secrets, or talk about how the book ends. Not cool!

Don't give super-intricate plot details Readers want quick and to-the-point reviews.

Now what?

You don't have to do all the dos, but this is a good starting point. Leaving a review helps support both authors and fellow readers.

Thank you in advance for taking time to share your opinion.