Ah, reviews. The Holy Grail of every merchant, company, production, businessperson, artist, entrepreneur, and, yes, author.
We need them, we want them; we pursue them, convinced they’re not only heartening to the soul but essential to the business, yet they’ve become harder to get and sometimes as vexing when received, a reality affirmed and experienced by many an author.
In the olden days, when print media was king and three networks were the sole providers of news and opinion, people were informed of everything from the latest crimes to the most recent blockbusters by those very limited media sources. There was no cable news, no social media, no internet influencers; no podcasters, bloggers, or Substackers; no Yelp, Google, or Amazon. Viewers, readers; customers were relegated to simply being the audience, the receivers of information and commerce. They were not only not burdened by the expectation to review everything from their cat sitter to their doctor to their neighborhood coffee shop, but there were no places to fulfill such obligations anyway.
Sounds kind of blissful, doesn’t it? Especially considering where we are now.
Where we are now is my insurance agent requested a review for simply providing an ID card with both my and my husband’s names (which she should have done in the first place … I didn’t write one). The guy who tinted my car windows presented his bill with a card designating their preferred review site. My dentist has a sign in the lobby with review links but still texted and emailed me on the matter. And, of course, every restaurant makes clear how much they’d appreciate something on Yelp or Google or wherever … and the list goes on and on and on. Everyone expects everyone to review everything, resulting in a growing resistance to leaving reviews for anything … including your and my books.
When my most recent novel was published (CHICK SINGER, Sibylline Press 2025), I didn’t expect an onslaught of reviews (I’m an indie writer, it’s a small press; I’m realistic) but I did expect at least as many as I’d received for my first novel, self-published in 2014. Hasn’t happened. Despite overwhelmingly positive responses, despite my requests to family, friends, fellow writers, subscribers, even those who designate themselves as “fans,” relatively few went to Amazon (or Goodreads or BookBub or B&N) and left a review. Despite my assurances that, “a couple of lines is enough, just what you sent in this email is great. You don’t have to gush; 5 stars is not required; even a short review will help me a lot,” follow-through was feeble. Even with other authors whose books I’d reviewed. Even with people to whom I’d gifted books with their agreement to leave a review. Even with readers who expressed enthusiasm about this book they’d just read. The only thing I didn’t do was beg … though the thought briefly crossed my mind.
Certainly, some indie authors get more reviews than others, and, of course, the Jodi Picoult/Jojo Moyes crowd gets thousands, but I’m hearing from other indie and self-published authors that they, too, have found scaring up reviews to be exponentially more difficult than it was in earlier years.
Why, exactly?
I put this question to Google: “Are people not reviewing books as much as they used to?” and was assailed by articles affirming that, “Yes, people are not reviewing books as frequently as they used to,” ascribing the downturn largely to reviewer fatigue (see above).There’s also the matter of Amazon getting twitchy when they suspect fake reviews and reviewers, or disproportionate family/friend onslaughts of 5-stars. And lastly, there’s the unavoidable fact that many, many people simply do not like writing reviews.
Main reasons stated?
They don’t think they’re good at writing them.
They “just don’t know what to say.”
They feel too much pressure to applaud books they didn’t love for the sake of not offending friends or colleagues.
Understandable. Writing a good review does take some thought, some analysis of what’s essential to include (honest feedback, emotional impact) and what’s not (no one needs a synopsis; they’re already provided on the sales site). It takes choosing a “star rating,” (and, sometimes, when you’re reviewing people you know, that can get tricky). It requires you go back to the site where you purchased the book, or the Amazon page the author requested, input your review in the right spot, and, if you’re really a mensch, into other sites as well (Goodreads, BookBub, etc.).
All of that takes times, takes thought; takes sitting down and doing it. Which means readers either have to be inspired enough by what they’ve read to do that work, or supportive enough of the author to just buck up and git ‘er done. Sometimes both apply, and readers still struggle on follow through. I’ve had some people—RL friends, online friends, and colleagues—confess that, “I keep meaning to do it, then I forget.” Which is frustrating, but it’s likely these good people don’t fully understand it’s not about needing our writer’s egos fed (though it’s always nice to get good feedback); it about how essential (or at least helpful) reviews can be in terms of book marketing. Too few reviews can make a book seem flatlined (even when it’s not), while more reviews trigger extra marketing on book sites like Amazon (which, say what you will, is statistically where most people purchase their books).
But let’s go back for a minute to the issue of “stars.” This has become a sticky subject amongst some writers and various writers’ groups. I had one author colleague declare that she gives 5 stars to everyone in her particular group regardless of how she actually feels about the book. There are others who say they won’t even review a book if they can’t honestly give it 5 stars. And some authors take true offense if you leave 4 stars, even if you also leave a positive response in the body of the review. Clearly the topic needs some rethinking.
Here’s the basic breakdown of the star system:
- 5 Stars (Excellent/Loved it): Highest rating. The book was exceptional, and the reviewer highly recommends it.
- 4 Stars (Very Good): A positive experience that exceeded expectations or was generally enjoyed, perhaps with minor flaws.
- 3 Stars (Average/Okay): Satisfactory but not outstanding; the book was average or just met basic expectations.
- 2 Stars (Below Average): Negative or mediocre. There were noticeable issues or poor quality.
- 1 Star (Poor/Terrible): A very poor experience, often indicating significant problems, dissatisfaction, or a waste of time.
Now, let’s be honest: not all books are going to inspire or warrant 5-star ratings, whether written by a friend, a colleague, or even a famous person. And it’s OK to not succumb to the pressure to affix 5 stars to every book you review. You can love a book but still feel it doesn’t quite hit that top rating for you. And, come on! A 4-star says, “a positive experience that exceeded expectations” … what’s to complain about that?
In fact, having your book page packed with only 5-stars can be problematic from various points of view. As mentioned, in the early self-publishing days, people would rally friends and family to literally bombard their Amazon book pages with 5-star reviews, sometimes without even having purchased or read said book, and Amazon got wise to the ruse. Many reviews were deleted, certain perpetrators were banished (I actually know a few of those), and savvy readers resented seeing copious 5-stars on books that turned out to be sub-par. All of that ultimately created backlash for authors who had only 5-star reviews, the presumption being that most were padding from friends and family (even if they weren’t!). Articles written by wise people in the business suggested a better balance of stars was viewed as more authentic, more believable, and more credible.
I took that to heart. Though a sincere 5-star is always delightful, I’m a tad relieved when a reader or two weighs in with a 4-star for exactly those reasons!
But the issue is—I’ll say it again—tricky. I was surprised when an author I don’t know but who’s in a shared group got upset with my 4-star review that was actually very positive and complimentary. She asserted in a thread that she felt everyone in the group should give everyone else in the group 5-star reviews as a matter of principle, as a matter of showing support. I responded with some version of the two previous paragraphs, but I suspect she was unassuaged.
Wherever you fall on the matter, I believe we’ve got to approach the topic of reviews with both grace and acceptance. Our mission as authors is to write with our whole hearts and souls to create wonderful works of literary expression. Once we’ve done that, readers’ response is out of our hands, and theirs to offer. Just as with gift-giving, we do our best to deliver the best possible gift, but it behooves us to not get too bothered if our friend is less enthused about the orange sweater we thought would look amazing on them.
Though I’d certainly appreciate more reviews for any of my books for the sake of their marketing value, I always hope the ones I do get are honest, authentic, and sincere, regardless of the number of stars affixed. It means that someone read that book, which is grand; it also means someone cared enough to write about it, even grander; it means—well, it means a lot to me all around … especially given the current climate of “reviewer fatigue.” To all those reviewers I offer a hearty, “thank you.”
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