Share the Love!

One of the greatest compliments/gifts you can give an author is to tell a friend about a book you enjoyed.  The best way to do that is through social media.  Peer review and word-of-mouth are what drives sales of books today. Support your favorite authors on your own Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’s easy.  Just tweet a picture of a favorite book. Post it on Facebook. Pin it on a Pinterest board. Because when you post about a great new book you loved, your friends will see it. When they get stranded at the doctor’s office or in an airport, they’ll remember your post and download the book. They’ll thank you and so will your favorite authors!

Another way to spread the word about a good book or a new author is to post a review on one of the online book seller sites.  Not sure how to write a review online? I’ve outlined all the steps—complete with links—to help you out.  
Be sure to make your review stand out by giving it a fun, unique title and keeping it to 250 words.  Be truthful. And if there were aspects of the book you didn’t like, please keep your comments constructive.  Nobody likes a cyber bully!

Let’s get started!

AMAZON
1. Go to Amazon.com. Type the book title in the search bar at the top of the page.  When the book page comes up, scroll down until you see “Customer Reviews” and click on the box that says “write a customer review.”

2. If you’re not already signed in, Amazon will prompt you to do so. If you don’t have an account, check ‘No, I am a new customer.’ That will take you to the page where you can set up your account. There is no charge for an Amazon account!  Once you’ve signed up, you will be taken back to the page where you can ‘sign in’; from there, go to the review page.

3. The first step to writing the review is to rate the book using the stars.  Click on the highest number of stars you’d give the book.  Next, you’ll need to write a catchy title in the title box.  Finally, write a very brief description of why you liked the book.  (Amazon requires 250 characters or 20 words.) Before you post, you can elect to have the review attributed to your own name, or a screen name that you use for reviews. The choice is yours. After you’ve finished, click the button to post the review.  It’s that easy.

BARNES & NOBLE
1. Go to B&N.com.  Once you’re there, type the book title in the search bar. When the book comes up, scroll all the way down until you see a green rectangle on the right side of the screen.  The rectangle will say “write a review” inside it.

 

2. Click on that green rectangle and a box will pop up asking you to either sign in or create an account.  Again, the account is free, so why not?

3. A box will appear for you to write your review in. As with Amazon, you’ll be prompted to click on the number of stars you’d rate the book before you write the review.  Unlike Amazon, you can post a review with just the stars, leaving the text box blank.  Also, B&N gives you the option to leave the review as ‘anonymous’ or you can create a screen name.

GOODREADS
1. Go to goodreads.com. Enter the book title in the search bar. On the next screen, click on the title of the book.

2. The page will prompt you to either sign in on the right if you’re already a member (you can sign in using your facebook account) or sign up for Goodreads.  This one is free, too!

3. Once you’re signed in—again you can use a screen name—look directly under the image of the book on the left side of the page to find where it says “rate this book” by giving it a number of stars. When you do that, a tiny box opens inviting you to review the book.  Again, you don’t have to write any text here to post a review; just click on the stars to rate it—but if you have something nice to say about the book, it’s always appreciated!

4. Goodreads also allows reviewers to click “want to read” or “recommend it” on the top right side of the page—and we authors LOVE when you do that!