Self-Published Only Club discussion

Since we are getting so many authors in our group, I was thinking we should set up an organized review swap. Getting it started will be the hard part, because I want to make sure anyone getting reviews, is also giving reviews.

So, for the first pool, I'm going to select 7 random books from our bookshelf, and add them to pool 1. If you are an author, and want your book reviewed, even if it's not in the pool, comment which book you want to review. Once you have left a review on Goodreads and Amazon, you'll comment on the "Add My Book To The Pool" thread. (Rules will be posted on that thread) Each review you leave, will make you eligible to receive a review from someone else.

After the first pool, things will be much easier, and there will only be books from authors in the group who have left a review for someone else's book.

Give me a bit to get everything set up, (And I'll use a random generator to select the 7 starting books) and create the threads in this folder.

If you aren't an author, you can still review books in the thread, you just won't earn any reviews, obvi 😂 There will be a separate thread for non-authors to leave their review links.

This is a great way for authors to support other authors. I hope we have a lot of participation for this.

This is awesome, count me in!

Ellie wrote: "This is awesome, count me in!"

Yay!

Love it. I'll definitely pop on and try to do a reader only review every once in a while.

Great job, Abby

Same!

Sounds great! Another option to help support self published
authors.

There was an article somewhere (I'll try to find it) about the legitimacy of reviews this way and that Amazon was not allowing those to be posted.

I'll keep you updated.

I've seen it too, but Amazon doesn't let a huge % of reviews post for unknown authors anyway.

I've done many review swaps, and in my experience, they are no more or less likely to post than verified purchase reviews. I've had numerous verified purchase reviews be denied by Amazon, while review swaps, or ARC copy readers, go through. I find it to be totally random. In fact, another author left a review for one of my books and Amazon denied, then they left a review for the 2nd in the series and it went through.

What I will say, is once this gets going, if you are someone who has Kindle Unlimited, it is best to read the book there, and then leave the review when it pops up after scrolling through the whole book. Rather than reading from a PDF and then trying to leave a review.

I actually do this exact (review pool) thing in another group I'm a member of, and I had a review post from someone this week. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, Amazon makes it almost impossible for SP authors to gain reviews. And I have seen a lot of people talking about review swaps being denied, but like you said, I've seen many posting about verified purchase reviews being denied too.

But the way I see it, when you're struggling to get reviews, the more people that try to leave a review the better, even if only 1 out of 3 is actually allowed.

If it was me, I'd think it was worth the risk.

Yes, and I actually had one denied on Ellie's book, and I emailed Amazon, and they said they couldn't give me a reason. So last month, when I got KU, I scrolled through the whole book, and then when the review option popped up, I left my review and it posted.

Abby wrote: "Yes, Amazon makes it almost impossible for SP authors to gain reviews. And I have seen a lot of people talking about review swaps being denied, but like you said, I've seen many posting about verif..."

When you know half your reviews are going to be denied, I'd be hustling too, to get as many as I could, even if I knew a lot weren't going to make it through.

Ellie is a really great example, I've seen dozens of people reading her books, and sharing the reviews they posted on Amazon, but then Amazon denies the review. It's so ridiculous. They make it impossible for SP authors.

I can't tell you how many screenshots have been sent to me of a readers review left on Amazon, that Amazon denied. At least half of them are ones that purchased the book, not just my ARC readers.

I had one that bought the paperback last month, and hers was denied. I don't even know her, she's from the UK, like WTH.

Ellie wrote: "I can't tell you how many screenshots have been sent to me of a readers review left on Amazon, that Amazon denied. At least half of them are ones that purchased the book, not just my ARC readers.
..."

That's ridiculous. Us readers need to start harassing Amazon over stuff like that. Especially when you buy a product, you should be able to leave your review.

I understand them trying to prevent fake reviews, but damn, when you can prove it isn't fake, it should be allowed.

I suppose these reviews might be considered biased. If someone gives your book a better review than you were going to give them, you might be inclined to bump the rating a bit.

Most would not, but some may have, which leads to situations like this.

Our Amazon account is under my husband, but my reviews were not taken. Never had an issue before.

So I made my own account to post reviews, since I was purchasing the books. Figured it would be better anyway to have a review in 2 places, but not having one being like from my husband and the other showing from me. Amazon actually refused with the stipulation that I had to spend said amount in order to post reviews.

I apologize for giving up and only posting on goodreads, but it made me 🤬mad

Yeah you have to spend like $50 a year, I believe, in order to leave book reviews. It's crazy.

I'd like to be in the review swap too, please!

It truly is, especially when we’ve spent more than that on my husband’s account, but it wouldn’t let me leave one on his but without the explanation it did on mine, because that would not be the case. It used to so, I’m really perplexed.

Love this!

Crystal wrote: "I'd like to be in the review swap too, please!"

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Yay. This is where you can select the book you want to review to get started. Let me know if you have any questions.

Joanie wrote: "Our Amazon account is under my husband, but my reviews were not taken. Never had an issue before.

So I made my own account to post reviews, since I was purchasing the books. Figured it would be b..."

The odd thing is that Amazon owns Goodreads. And we all know that ratings generate sales, and Amazon is driven by sales. So why don't they link reviews? Oh yeah. That would make sense...

Leon wrote: "Joanie wrote: "Our Amazon account is under my husband, but my reviews were not taken. Never had an issue before.

So I made my own account to post reviews, since I was purchasing the books. Figure..."

lol...Exactly

The connection made it even more perplexing for me. I may be wrong, but it appears that self-publishing/Indie is a growing market. And with these authors joining with devoted readers to support the industry through reviews, I would think all sales incurred as a result would be beneficial. But what do I know.

Abby wrote: "Since we are getting so many authors in our group, I was thinking we should set up an organized review swap. Getting it started will be the hard part, because I want to make sure anyone getting rev..."

Hi Abby, I have just seen this. Fabulous idea. Count me in.

Hey Abby!

I love this idea, wondering how I can get my newly self published book into a review pool, and review others as well!

Hi I'd love to be in this too, let me know if you are interested..

You'll just need to read the directions in pool 1, pick a book, read and review. That will make you eligible for your book to be reviewed in the 2nd pool.

okay thank you

When will Pool 2 be available?

You can also use google to post reviews. Which do not get denied often.

Sorry haha won’t happen again

Let me be clear. Author review swaps are against TOS of KDP and should not be encouraged. There can be dire consequence for those who engage in such activity.

Alongside their $50 purchase requirement, Amazon have a friends and family prohibition, which how they manage/police they do not disclose. Consequently some or all of the previous complaints are likely a result of this. And why one succeeds and another does not is a mark of this abitrary nature.

We might as readers and authors wish it otherwise, however, the blame lies squarely at the door of those who abused the situation in the first place.

As an SP author I would love to have hundreds of 5* reviews and glowing recommendations. Sadly this is not the case, and worse still there seems no restriction on trolls who make it a practice to disparage Self-Published works.

All that said, a thousand reviews will not alter the rankings one iota. Although it might aid the visiblity. Sales and Kindle Unlimited reads are the benchmark for rankings, at least as far as Amazon are concerned.

Anyone interested in review swap?

M.F. wrote: "Anyone interested in review swap?"

Can you post the link(s) to your book(s)?