Attention Readers! Try Reviewing and Get Complimentary Books from Authors!

What if the author of the book you just read and yourself met at a crossroads. You have 1-minute to say what you think of the story you just read.

What would you say to the author about the story?

Would you say:

5-Stars! A great story that flowed like a babbling brook dotted with rapids! Rich, lively characters. You pulled me right into the middle of every turn and twist in the stream. I recommend it for a fun and interesting journey to escape into.

Or (heaven forbid) would you say:

1-Star. The misspells threw barricades at every turn. The plot was muddled. The characters snoozed more than they moved. I recommend it for a writing class editing and proofreading project.

So, what reader doesn’t have an important opinion of the story they just read? And isn’t the review the crossroads where the reader and the writer come together?

This post is two-fold. Two-fold because what author isn’t also a reader?

But for clarification, I’ll separate the reader and writer specific sections.

As a reader you will learn:

How important your opinion is
What a book review is and how to write it quick and easy
A place to download gratis copies of books to read and review

As an author you will learn:

How important reviews are
How to get your books reviewed
A place to sign-up to get your book reviews posted on major sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookbub and Goodreads.

Let’s get started.

But first, You as a Reader

Your opinion

Your opinion of a book is a powerful tool for both readers and authors. Prospective readers want to know your thoughts before they buy it for themselves or as a gift for another.

They want to know if the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.

How many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?

Future readers and the writers both learn from your evaluation.

And here’s the great news! Your evaluation does not have to be as monstrous as a book manuscript. Simply say with a few well-chosen words what you liked (or didn’t like) about the book.

Think succinct empathy.

What a book review is and how to write it fast and easy

According to Bing, a book review is a critical evaluation of a literary work that provides a reader’s perspective on its strengths and weaknesses. It goes beyond summarizing the plot, diving into aspects like character development, writing style, and thematic elements ¹

In my opinion… the above definition means:

If the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.

How many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?

You could add if you recommend it to a specific group of readers.

Search engines scrape up about 168 million ways to write a book review. All the same, but completely different. It’s all relative.

I, as a prospective reader and an author, want to know if the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.

And even more important, how many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?

If you approach writing a review by simply addressing the above concerns, I believe you’ve earned the giveaway aspect of the agreement. At least for me and my offerings. And I thank you for your input.

Where to sign-up to snag gratis Review Copies of books

Of the 21 million listings on Bing, I chose one to get you started. It’s the one I use for my own works after sifting through about 20 million of the listings.

My goto affiliate is Story Origin. The platform is easy to navigate. You can choose categories and tags to narrow down, peruse and select from. The instant download to your e-reader device is fast and easy. I like it.

As a matter of fact, I recently uploaded a free novelette that is a prequel to the Sally the Loner Series. Here’s where you can instantly download ‘Come for Coffee with Sally’ and get the skinny on how the series came to be.

If you like old people who speak their mind and cozy mysterious misadventures, you’ll get a kick out of Sally’s (87-years-old) antics.

Or, if you prefer a different genre, Check out Story Origin here.

From this Writer’s Perspective

What a review does

Reviews make all the difference in a book’s success. No reviews screams failure to get noticed. Talk about feeling invisible…

But how to make it quick and easy to, at least, get stars clicked is an overwhelming ongoing challenge.

This writer gets lots of 5-star feedback. People relate to and enjoy my writings. Especially the characters that insist on writing the stories without me to referee. But the reviews are verbal or by email. Verbal reviews provide the oomph to keep me turning out fun, interesting, and provocative reading materials. Thank you. Thank you. Read these reviews on my alexielinnauthor.com website.

But verbal reviews do not guide worldwide prospective readers at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookbub, Goodreads, etc.

It’s the reviews that direct this writer to keep going or to sharpen weak prose and characters… to make the read more fun, flowing and attention grabbing. And I’m willing to give away my book to get a reviewer’s honest, well addressed opinion. And to have it posted where interested readers can see it. It’s that simple.

How to find reviewers

As a reader, I’m as bad at going back to the distributor to leave a review as the next guy. After I’ve paid for a book, I read it, form my opinion, and move on. I don’t ignore the request for a review… I just don’t seem to get it done. How to get over this hump of procrastination?

Go to where the people who review books in exchange for a gratis copy are. That’s what they’ve signed up for. Downloading an eBook, reading it, and posting a review to specific sites.

A place to find reviewers

One place to post your books for reviewers to find and review is Story Origin. It works. Not always overnight, but it works. You’ll see action on your book faster than molasses running uphill in January and you’ll get reviews. Here’s the guide to how it works.

The site is easy to navigate and relatively easy to follow-thru with posting and getting your works out into the world. Evan, the site operator, has both written and videoed tutorials to help you get the job done. And he responds fast to help emails. Thank you, Evan. Click here for a no-nonsense guide to email marketing.

Crowd promotion is what I see, affiliate with, and now participate in. I’m forced out of my recluse writing frame of mind to spend time and energy spreading the word on my own works as well as other’s.

Go here. Sign-up to open the flood gates. And start seeing activity on your books. It’s time and money well spent.

The Bottom Line

In summary, reviewing books is an honorable side hustle that benefits both readers and authors. Be entertained while you crack your whip with love and empathy.

Happy Trails and Tales