New survey shows that indie authors approve of paid reviews as long as they are honest

Amsterdam, North Holland -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/08/2015 --The recent 2015 Book Marketing Survey carried out by KindleBookReview (www.kindlebookreview.net) provides a number of interesting insights into the best ways self-published authors should be promoting their ebooks. With over 300 indie authors participating in the survey, questions ranged from the best places to advertise their books to how much money they spend on promoting their books each year. In the first release of the survey, KindleBookReview asks authors about the importance of book reviews in promoting ebooks, and provides recommended best practices.

High-level takeaways from the survey

- The vast majority of authors greatly appreciate honest book reviews, and believe they help generate sales
- Getting reviews remains difficult, partially explaining why reviews are so valued
- The majority of authors approve of paid review services as long as they are honest
- A very small minority of authors seek reviews only if they are favourable

Best practices for authors in 2016:

1) Like professional publishers, ensure you invest some money in marketing your book, including getting reviews for your book. As The Huffington Post acknowledges, authors now have to "pay to play" in the self-published world.

2) Don't expect to get too many reviews from the common practice of asking friends and family to review your book.

3) Free book offer promotions are very unlikely to get you decent reviews.

4) Ask reviewers to purchase your book - they carry more weight, and are more likely to be trusted by potential buyers.

5) Where possible, ask reviewers to say they got a complimentary or free copy of your book in return for a review – this will help comply with many review policies on certain websites.

6) Aim for as many reviews as possible, and a minimum of 5 to 10 reviews. Given a choice between two similar books, buyers will most likely buy the book with most reviews. Books with many reviews will attract even more reviews.

7) Avoid getting just 4 and 5 star reviews. Buyers want honest reviews of your book, so this usually means getting a few 1 or 2 star reviews as well.

Resources:

- For a free copy of the survey, please view: 2015 Self-Publishing Survey

About The 2015 Self-Publishing Survey
The objective of the survey was to gather insights from self-published authors in order to provide insights into the best way to promote books. Authors were invited to the survey through social media channels and email, with over 300 respondents taking part. A full copy of the survey can be obtained by contacting us via our website below.

About KindleBookReview
KindleBookReview enables authors to boost sales and improve their visibility in the market by promoting their books to enthusiastic readers. Our creative input gathering and scheduling service to respective buyers, combined with a strong North American and global crowd sourced workforce is breaking down the traditional barriers of cost, volume, and reach in seeking new readers and reviewers.

For more information, visit www.kindlebookreview.net