Quick game. I'm going to guess something about you, yes you, sat there, reading this blog post.
I'm going to guess that, at some point, you've read a book. No, no need for applause. It was nothing.
Of course, you may have loved the book, talked non-stop to your friends about it. Or maybe you hated it, or just felt quite meh about it. Either way, I'm also going to guess that the thought of writng an actual review (on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere) probably doesn't even cross your mind.
Why would it? I mean, who reads those things, anyway?
Chances are: you did. When you go to buy a book, whether for yourself or someone else, you need to know if it's any good. I mean, you're going to be spending money on something you can't even pick up and smell, so you need to know something about it.
Maybe you'll look at the star ratings. "What, only 2 stars? I think I'll pass."
Maybe you'll read someone else's review. "Wow, their child loved the book. Maybe my niece will, too."
They form the backbone of the most important question any customer asks about a product:
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Any author (myself included) would like to think their book is worth the paper its printed on, but reviews are much more important than that.
On Amazon, for instance, once a book gets over 50 reviews, it's much more likely to show up on people's searches. For indie authors, those who don't have massive marketing budgets or a backlog of books as long as your arm, those reviews are like gold dust. They let other people realise that the book IS worth the effort and money of buying it.
That, in turn, means more people will read it, which means the author doesn't have an existential crisis and never writes another thing again.
OK, that last bit might be a bit melodramatic, but you get the point.
Reviews are like the best christmas presents. They don't cost anything, but they mean so much to those you give them to. So, be kind to your favourite author, and review their book.
