Getting more reviews is less about finding a clever hack and more about being organised: knowing who has actually read the book, being clear about what you are asking for, and choosing routes that are both effective and compliant with platform rules at the time of asking. Authors who skip straight to "where do I post a request" often miss that the biggest gains usually come from readers who are already there — people who bought the book, subscribed to a newsletter, or agreed to an advance copy — rather than from strangers.
This is the cornerstone guide for the reviews and reader trust cluster. It sets out the legitimate routes in full, the current caveats that apply to each, and a practical, ethical review plan you can work through in order. Related guides in this cluster go deeper on specific questions: why a book might have none at all, whether reviews actually affect sales, how many are "enough", exactly how to phrase a request, where to find reviewers, ARC readers after launch, relaunching without reviews, and how to think about negative feedback.
Legitimate routes, in overview
| Route | Best for | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Direct ask to genuine readers | Readers you already know bought or borrowed the book | Never specify a rating or offer a reward |
| Polite request in the book itself | All readers who finish it | Keep it brief and non-pressuring |
| Email to opted-in subscribers | Newsletter subscribers who have read the book | Only ask people who have actually read it |
| ARC or review team | Gathering a first handful of honest reviews close to launch or relaunch | Free copy, no obligation to review or to review positively |
| Reviewer or blogger outreach | Genre-appropriate bloggers and reviewers | Target relevance over volume; avoid mass unsolicited email |
| Genre/community engagement | Longer-term reputation and word of mouth | Participate genuinely; do not treat communities as a review-farming channel |
None of these routes is universally permitted on every platform in every circumstance. Amazon, for example, publishes its own customer review guidelines covering who may leave a review and under what conditions; other retailers and review sites set their own rules. Always check current policy for the platform in question before relying on a route.
Who has actually read the book?
Start here, because it filters out most wasted effort. A review request only makes sense for people who have genuinely read some or all of the book: existing buyers past a reasonable reading window, newsletter subscribers who mentioned reading it, ARC readers who received a copy, and reviewers or bloggers who agreed to read it for that purpose. Asking people who have not read the book, even loyal supporters, produces reviews that are not honest and that platforms may remove.
Who can legitimately be asked?
Genuine readers with no undisclosed personal or financial connection to the author are generally fine to ask. Close family members and people with a direct financial interest in the book’s success are treated differently by most platforms’ review policies and may have their reviews removed even if the review itself is honest, simply because of the relationship. It is worth being conservative here rather than testing the boundary.
Where can they review?
Point readers to one clear, correct place: usually the book’s page on the retailer where they bought it, or on Goodreads if that is relevant to the genre. Make the link easy to find — in the back matter, in the email, on the author website — rather than assuming a motivated reader will search for it themselves.
What will I say?
The tone of the request matters. Good requests are brief, honest, and put no pressure on the outcome. See our companion guide on asking readers to review a book for several original templates covering email, newsletter, website and end-of-book requests.
Do
- Ask for an honest review, whatever that turns out to be.
- Keep the request short and make the review link easy to find.
- Thank readers regardless of what they decide to write.
Avoid
- Ask for a five-star or positive review.
- Offer a reward, discount or entry into a prize draw for leaving a review.
- Follow up repeatedly if a reader does not respond.
What follow-up is appropriate?
A single, polite follow-up, some weeks after the original request, is generally reasonable for readers who opted in to hear from you, such as ARC readers or newsletter subscribers. Repeated reminders, or following up with buyers who have no ongoing relationship with you and did not agree to be contacted, tend to feel pressuring and can breach platform or data rules depending on how the contact was obtained.
ARC and reviewer outreach
An ARC or review team — a small group who receive a free copy ahead of, or shortly after, publication in exchange for the chance to leave an honest review — remains one of the more reliable ways to gather a first cluster of reviews. Reviewer and blogger outreach works best when targeted at people who genuinely cover the book’s genre or subject, rather than a broad, generic list; our guide on finding people to review your book covers this in depth.
Example
Imagine a self-published fantasy author who recruits fifteen readers from a genre-specific online community for an ARC round, each given a free ebook and a simple, honest request. A handful leave reviews within a month; this is a realistic, achievable outcome, not a guarantee that all fifteen will respond.
Building an ethical review plan
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Ethical review plan
Use this to plan a review-gathering effort step by step. Nothing here is scored or shared.
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What not to do
Myth
“Paying for reviews or joining a review-swap group is just clever marketing.”
Reality
Paid reviews, incentivised reviews and review swaps breach retailer policy on virtually every major platform and put the whole listing, and sometimes the account, at risk. There is no version of this that is worth the exposure.
Common mistakes
- Asking people who have not read the book. This produces reviews that are not honest and that platforms may remove once identified.
- Specifying a star rating in the request. Asking for a "five-star review" rather than an "honest review" breaches most platforms’ guidelines and undermines reader trust.
- Mass unsolicited outreach to reviewers or bloggers. Sending the same generic request to a very long list tends to produce a poor response rate and can damage relationships with reviewers who might otherwise have said yes.
- Offering incentives for positive reviews. Rewards tied to a positive outcome, rather than simply to participation, are against policy and risk reviews being removed.
- Chasing a specific review count. Treating a round number as the goal, rather than genuine reader engagement, tends to distort effort towards volume over relevance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask my newsletter subscribers for a review?
Yes, provided they have actually read the book and the request asks for an honest review rather than a positive one.
Is it fine to give away free copies in exchange for reviews?
Yes, as long as there is no obligation to leave a review, and no obligation for it to be positive, and this is made clear to the reader.
Should I contact book bloggers directly?
Yes, if the outreach is targeted at bloggers who genuinely cover the book’s genre or subject, and it is a personal, specific request rather than a mass email.
How often can I follow up with someone who has not reviewed yet?
A single, polite follow-up to someone who opted in, such as an ARC reader, is generally reasonable. Repeated reminders tend to feel pressuring and are best avoided.
Does this guide cover pre-launch review strategy too?
It focuses on gathering reviews after publication, when a book already exists in the market. See [how do I get reviews for my book](/resources/book-marketing/how-do-i-get-reviews-for-my-book) and [what are ARC readers](/resources/book-marketing/what-are-arc-readers) for foundational pre- and post-launch guidance.
What if I only get a small number of reviews from an ARC round?
This is normal; not every ARC reader will leave a review even with the best intentions. A realistic ARC round produces a handful of honest reviews, not a guaranteed response from everyone contacted.