Here is a question I am asked frequently: Is it a requirement to buy a book from Amazon to leave a rating and review for it on their website?
The answer: No. Anyone can leave a book review on Amazon, even if you did not buy the book from them. Even if you did not buy the book at all! Of course, you should read the book before leaving a review; we want honest and fair responses. But once you have experienced the story, it is a simple process to leave a quick rating and review.
Why take the time? Because you enjoyed the book. Because you appreciate the author. Because ratings and reviews help authors receive more visibility. As book ratings climb, the book's visibility climbs with it. And greater visibility means higher chances to sell more books. So, if you enjoy an author's work and want to do something to show it, this is a BIG and helpful way to promote their work to other readers.
HOW TO LEAVE A BOOK REVIEW ON AMAZON (Made Simple)
Step One, Read the book.
Buy it. Borrow it from a friend. Check it out from the library. Read it on Kindle. Listen to it on Audible. Let Alexa read it to you. I am sure there are other ways to experience the author's work, so choose one and take time to enjoy the story.
Step Two, Login to your Amazon account.
If you have an Amazon account, simply login. If you do not, it is an easy process. All you need is an email address, which will be your username, and then create your own password.
Step Three, Search for the book on Amazon by title, author, or both.
The easiest way to find my books on Amazon is to do a search by my author name, Richelle E. Goodrich. You can also search for the title of a book. For example, type in The Tarishe Curse, and that book along with similar titles will pop up. Click on the book or its title when you find it, and that will open a page dedicated specifically to the book.
Step Four, Scroll down to "Customer reviews."
Once you are on the Amazon page for the book you read, scroll down until you find the section titled "Customer reviews." It is located further down then you might expect, so do not give up if you do not see it right away. Yes, keep scrolling down the page. It is located on the left-hand side and has 1 to 5 star ratings right beneath it.
Step Five, Click on "Write a customer review."
Directly below the 1-to-5-star chart is a white button that reads "Write a customer review." Click on that button. A new window that allows you to leave a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 star rating should open. There is a line for you to give your review a title. For example, "Loved it," "Couldn't put it down," "Highly recommend this read," "Can't wait for the next book," or whatever comes to mind. After the title line, there is a box where you can type in a review. One or two sentences is fine unless you care to say more about the book.
Please, be kind with your reviews. I would ask that if you did not like the book at all, refrain from leaving a review. These ratings and reviews are a huge tool that promotes a book or hurts its chances to sell.
Step Six, Click submit.
As soon as you finish typing out a review for the book, scroll down and hit the submit button. That's it! You did it! And chances are, you put a smile on an author's face. Thank you for that.
PS. It may take a day or two... or five before you see the review show up on the book's detail page. Amazon is not always fast about posting. Give them time.
