Book Reviews – How Important Are They?

So typically  as the holiday season starts in the UK there were thunderstorms and rain last night and when I woke up this morning it was still raining. I don’t know about you but when the weather is grey and miserable my mood mirrors it, even if I have nothing to be unhappy about. Yet when its sunny I am happy and the day has never-ending possibilities. Is this just me or are you like this too?

Anyway  onto the real subject of this post, book reviews and how important are they? 

I come to this debate from two viewpoints; I am an avid reader and book reviewer and a new author who knows how difficult it is to get reviews for my own book but does this matter? It’s still selling with the small number of reviews I have but I can’t help but think it would sell so much better if it had more reviews on Amazon , Amazon UK  and Goodreads but is this really the case? 🙂

  Yet as a reader and book reviewer I rarely read  other people’s reviews before I read a book. I rely on personal recommendations from my writer friends or the book blurb. Many of the books I read and review are sent to me by the author or through NetGalley as these are often advanced reader copies (ARC) I rely entirely on the book blurb to pick my next read. 

Do you read the reviews before you buy a book or  is it the cover and book blurb that make you take the plunge?

My book reviews are popular because they are quotable. Snippets can be included on Twitter, Facebook and Google +, which help draw attention to the book that is being marketed.  Book reviews are now important marketing tools.  If they are positive they assist book promotion  and help authors and publishers judge the popularity of different story brands.

Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. 🙂

Click here if you want to check out my book reviews.

Click here if you want to check out my book ‘The Dragon Legacy’ to read and review

Happy Weekend. 🙂

Read the 1st page of ‘The Dragon Legacy’ on Books Go Social