It seems simple.
1. Find the book on Amazon that you read
2. Give it a star rating
3. Write a few words to give your reasons for that rating
And it is that simple.
But Amazon can and will pull down certain reviews if:
- You seem like you know the author personally (that means a biased review)
- You haven't purchased anything on Amazon recently
- It seems as though the author paid you to write a review
Amazon wants unbiased, unpaid reviews.
So how do I review a book without it getting taken down by Amazon?
Easy.
Step One: Make sure you have recently purchased more than $50 in the past few months on Amazon.
I learned this the hard way. I wanted to review a book that an author gave to me in exchange for a free review. But because I hadn't purchased much on Amazon, they took my review down.
Step Two: DO NOT talk about the author in the review
Sometimes people who don't even know the author say, "She's a great person. Such a kind human being, etc." and they can get their review taken down.
The purpose of the review is to rate the product, not the author. So whether you know her from grade school or have heard her talk at a conference, refrain from mentioning it in the review.
Step Three: Just write the review
It doesn't have to be long, have proper grammar, or give plot-by-plot point of the book.
In fact, if you can avoid spoilers, please do. If you have to put them in, make sure to put *Spoiler Alert* before the plot-divulging information.
And, if you can, be gracious even in criticism. Keep in mind authors will and do read their reviews, so make sure you would feel comfortable saying it to them in person. Feedback is great and helpful, but they did spend years on these projects, so even if you have critical remarks, keep it kind if you can.
Add a header to the review and your name, and you should be good to go. It takes 2 minutes tops, and you can help make an author's career by writing a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other reviewing platform.
Reviewing Blaze
Although some reviewers have already jumped on Goodreads and given Blaze a review (some praising, some critical), you can't review it on Amazon until the release day: June 3, 2019.
However, if you've read it an have to give it a review, feel free to click the Goodreads link above. And if you do leave a review on Amazon as well, I will be more than ecstatic, even if you give it one star.