How to support an author
Authors are always harping on about reviews, myself included. Confession? I hate doing it with every fibre of my being. The problem is, reviews are vital to sustaining an author. It's what's known as "social proof." You know — if enough people like it, that book might be worth your hard-earned dollars. If you only see a few reviews, it's easier to question if they were made by friends or family.
Most indie authors don't have a slew of reviewers lined up prior to publishing like the big guns do. We're real, live people without the buffer of an agent and publisher between us and the finished product. We're counting on book sales and reviews to continue to write. That big gun got an advance cheque to feed them. Nothing against traditional publishing! I'm not saying don't buy that book from that big-name author you love. Review their books too. But chances are if you like authentic fiction about horses, you're reading an indie author, and we cherish your support.
So, back to reviews! I have a few very devoted readers who are very committed to writing reviews, and they asked where they can review the books to help, so I'm going to compile a list here. Remember, you can simply cut and paste your review from one platform to another.
Amazon. As much as we may rage against the Zon, they remain the go-to for many readers, so reviews here are very important. If you're reading an e-book on Kindle, when you finish it you'll get a popup asking you to rate and review. If you don't have time to write a review right away, click some stars and make an author's day. Here's a handy video by fellow equestrian author Carly Kade that explains how to leave a review. Just substitute your country for Amazon dot com. And hey, you can review the books individually as well as the series!
GoodReads. This is a reader's forum — I used it myself to keep track of books I've read. It's now owned by Amazon, but many readers still look to it. Reviews here are much more informal. Sometimes they're highly entertaining! You'll need to create an account to review.
BookBub. This is more of an industry platform, as well as a place where readers can follow authors and get news about new releases. I believe only Americans can post reviews. I'm really hoping to build my following here as I try to reach readers beyond Amazon.
Google. Now that my books are wide (that means no long exclusive to Amazon), I'd love to gather some Google reviews. You don't have to have purchased from them to leave a review.
Kobo. This is a very reader-friendly book store and doesn't require authors to fork out big bucks to advertise to get their books seen. You don't have to have purchased from them to leave a review.
Barnes & Noble Another American site; I'm not sure if you need an account or to have purchased from them? Let me know, if you try it!