5 Things you should do with positives reviews

Five-star reviews are an author’s dream.

They give us the recognition that our work is good, that the hours of blood, sweat, and tears we spent writing hadn’t been in vain. They also tell us (to a certain degree) that our book package (cover design, book description, editing, etc.) hadn’t been found lacking because sometimes what drives a five-start review down to a three-star review is an issue a reader found with the book other than the story, unfortunately.  

But we’re not here to talk about those reviews. We’re here to discuss what you can do with all those coveted five-star reviews. And yes, you should be doing something with them! 

Let me not leave you in suspense any longer, let’s dive right into what you can start doing with your reviews today. 

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO WITH POSITIVE REVIEWS 

01. Keep an “author wins” folder

Whether it’s on your phone or your laptop or both, keep a wins folder where you store positive reviews as well as messages and comments from readers that made you smile. 

Why should you do this?  

Simple! We all get highs and lows when it comes to publishing our books. The trick is to snap out of a low funk quick enough and not spiral down a road of procrastination or worse.  

Whenever you feel your work is not up to snuff, you can open your wins folder and read positive reviews and messages from your readers. This will help you snap out of your mood and spark your energy to keep on writing even if you don’t feel like it. 

02. Announce good reviews to your social media and email list 

Let your audience know about good reviews. This can help any readers that might have been on the fence to make a decision and buy your book.  

Social proof and all that! 

Also, if someone comments on the post saying they loved the book too, you can ask them if they’d mind leaving a review. 

Back to social proof . . . 

03. Add good reviews to your website 

This way, when you drive traffic to your website from social media, Facebook Ads, Pinterest Ads, or wherever, the visitors can get a sense of what readers are saying about your books even before they land on your book page at Amazon. 

People make decisions with the snap of a finger. Give them a reason to click on that retailer link! 

04. Add good reviews to your Amazon editorial review page 

This might be one of the most overlooked features by indie authors. I know, because I overlooked it for years. So what’s an editorial review? It’s a review usually written by an editor or expert in your genre or field. You can find them just above the About the Author section on your Amazon book page. 

The thing about these reviews is they do not follow Amazon’s review rules because, well, they’re not Amazon reviews and they’re still a valid form of social proof. Plus, they appear above the review section so chances are, readers will read them first. 

05. Add good reviews to your Facebook Ads 

You get two types of buyers; those that buy a book because it looks and sounds good, and those that need a little more convincing . . . aka social proof. Adding reviews to your Facebook ads can help the buyer’s decision to purchase your book. 

But don’t just take my word for it. Try it. Test it. See what happens! 

So what do you think? Do you have any more items to add to this list? How else can we use good reviews?