5 Facts About Amazon Book Reviews | How to Get Book Reviews

About this video

Note: summarized from the Arabic caption track. Dale L. Roberts outlines five things authors should know about Amazon book reviews in 2017, warning that older advice may be outdated after recent Amazon policy changes that put a KDP business at risk. First, eligibility tightened: reviewers must have spent at least $50 on amazon.com, and Prime subscriptions and promotional discounts do not count, so new Amazon users cannot review free or $1 downloads. Second, reviews must be unbiased: family, friends and acquaintances should not review, and if they do, they should not mention any connection. Third, review swaps — two authors exchanging books expecting reviews of each other — are treated as biased; the creator says Amazon previously removed his swapped reviews, erased his product reviews and revoked his reviewing privileges after linking him to other authors. Fourth, commenting on reviews is allowed within Amazon’s guidelines and can help visibility. Fifth and newest, incentivized reviews are no longer allowed: Amazon will not accept a review given for compensation of any kind, authors may give free or discounted copies only if no review is required or influenced, and disclosing a free copy for an honest review no longer makes it acceptable.

Key takeaways

• Reviewers must have spent at least $50 on amazon.com, excluding Prime and promotional discounts, to be eligible to post a review.
• Family, friends and acquaintances should not review your book because Amazon requires unbiased reviews.
• Review swaps between authors are considered biased and can lead to removal of reviews and loss of reviewing privileges.
• Commenting on reviews is permitted if done within Amazon’s community guidelines.
• Reviews in exchange for a free copy or any compensation are no longer accepted, even with disclosure of an honest review.

Episode details: published September 12, 2017 · 5:16 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Bad Book Reviews: Dealing with Negative Book Reviews · Next: Making Audiobooks on ACX | Pam Rossi ACX Narrator →

All Dale L. Roberts videos · Dale L. Roberts profile · Dale L. Roberts on YouTube