You know you should, but who has the time?

You’ve read the book or listened to an audio version of it, and you see the prompt asking you to write a review on Amazon or GoodReads. You know it helps authors sell more books if you write reviews. But…

• Maybe you didn’t like that much.
• It seems too complicated. You’re not such a great writer anyway. Better no review than a poorly written one. Right?
• You just don’t know what to say.
• You don’t have time. That next book is calling!

Debunking the Review Myths

• Three and Four-star reviews can help too. Why? Because it shows you are being honest and not just pumping up the author.
• Don’t complicate it. A one-sentence review can work too (examples you can copy are below). And potential readers don’t care if you’re a good writer. They care whether you liked the book, and why you did or didn’t like it.
• You don’t know what to say? That’s why I’m writing this post! Help is below!
• Don’t think you have time? Do a one-sentence review! Even that can help. Examples below!

Example Reviews that work Great!

Copy and paste any of these, or refine them and make them your own. Let me know in comments if you have additional ideas.

Five-star reviews

Step 1 (for Amazon) – Title

Sometimes the title field can be a roadblock with an Amazon review. You have to title your review in a way that capsulizes it, which feels daunting. My advice – don’t overthink it. Here’s some easy titles you can use for 5-start reviews:

Some of these might sound like clichés. Some of them are clichés. That’s ok – you aren’t writing a novel – you’re reviewing it.

Step 2 – One or two-line review

Pick 1 or 2 lines from below, or add your own. Our goal is to get in and get out. Know that you are still helping the author, even if you don’t leave a detailed review.

• I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but once I started I couldn’t stop.
• It kept me up all night.
• This book made me think of [book or movie it reminded you of]. Only use this one if you already had this in your head before writing the review, or it might end up taking you longer that 60 seconds.
• The story had perfect pacing.
• Witty dialog and memorable characters.
• My favorite part of the book was [the shocking ending/ the action scenes/ how real everything seemed/ the great characters/ the never-ending suspense/ fill-in-your-own].
• I loved how the character learned from his/her mistakes and became stronger because of the trials he/she went through.
• A haunting story. It’ll leave a mark.
• The only thing I thought the author could have done better was [add complaint], but the rest of this book is so good that I’m still giving it five stars. (Note – this will feel real to a potential reader. They will trust your review for being honest about what you didn’t like.)
• At first the main character seemed [fill in character trait], but by the end he/she had developed [fill-in ability or trait]. Uplifting to think how change is possible for all of us.
• (historical) – Use whatever applies:
  • Gave me a different perspective on what people experienced in (time/place).
  • [character-name]‘s journey was [inspiring/eye-opening/thrilling/an adventure I’ll never forget/described in vivid detail by the author/or pick your own]
  • Author transported me back in time.
  • Author’s research was impeccable. I learned so much.
• The thrills never stopped, and the ending had a twist I didn’t see coming.
• The villain was difficult to hate. I wanted him/her to change and do the right thing. I won’t spoil what actually happened.
• (fantasy) – choose one or more that apply:
  • The author’s imagination in incredible – immersed me in a world I didn’t know I wanted to exist
  • The author’s world seemed completely real. I got lost in the story in a way that made me not want to put the book down and return to reality.
  • What a wild ride of an adventure!
  • The magic of this story will linger in my head forever.
• I can’t wait to read another book by this author! Note – this is a great line to add at the end, but don’t use it every time.

Step 3 – Add one detail from book (optional – might take you over the 1-minute threshold)

To make your review ring true, insert the character’s name or a plot point or a place somewhere in the review. You could insert it into one of the lines you picked in step 2, or you could write an additional sentence. For example: I couldn’t believe the dark secret Vader revealed to Luke. Or: The interaction between Peter and Jesus brought tears to my eyes.

Four-Star Reviews

Step 1 – Pick a reason it wasn’t a five-star

Knowing this ahead of time will make the next steps fast. Pick from this list or choose your own:

• A little slow at times
• Too much description for me
• [name-of-genre] not my favorite genre
• Unsatisfying ending
• Main character needed a little more depth
• Slightly too dark for my taste

Step 2 (for Amazon) – Pick a Title

You can start with your reason from step 1, and then say something glowing. Or you could save your reason from step 1 for the body of the review. Because a 4-star is a good rating, you can reuse titles from the 5-star section. For example:

• A little slow at times, but intriguing [story/ character arc/ mystery/ add-your-own-good-thing]
• Too much description for me, but I liked the [story/ character arc/ mystery/ add-your-own-good-thing].
• Not my favorite genre, but it still kept me up all night.
• Almost a five-star. (In this case, you won’t want to give anything negative in the title)

Step 3 – Review Body

• The author is good at description, but I prefer to focus on the story and move the action along. If you like to be immersed in the character’s surroundings, you’ll love this book. The second half of the book really picked up the pace.
• Not my favorite genre. I picked it up because [add reason, such as: I’ve read other books by the author, it was recommend to me, or I read it for a book club]. I have to admit, I liked it anyway. At this point, pick one reason that it’s good from the 5-star review list.
• I couldn’t quite give it five stars because explain why. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book anyway. Add a reason you liked it from the 5-star list.
• Pretty good read, but the ending fizzled for me. I still had to give it 4 stars because the character arc for Johnny was so engaging. The hurdles he overcame to accomplish his goal were inspiring.

Step 4 – Add one detail from book (optional)

To make your review ring true, insert the character’s name or a plot point or a place somewhere in the review (you might have already done this).

Three-Star Reviews

Three stars can still be helpful to an author, especially if you hit on both the positives and the negatives. You will be seen as authentic, and a potential reader might decide they wouldn’t be bothered by your dislikes.

Step 1 – Pick a reason it you didn’t like it

Knowing this ahead of time will make the next steps fast. Pick from this list or choose your own:

• Pacing too slow
• Bogged down in the middle
• Not my favorite genre
• Unsatisfying ending (or use one of the more specific options below)
  • I prefer happy endings
  • The ending seemed trite
  • Ending too abrupt (if loose ends weren’t tied up)
• Characters lacked depth
• Too dark for my taste

Step 2 – Pick something you did like

If you didn’t like anything, it would be a 1-star or 2-star. Knowing this ahead of time will make the next steps fast. Pick from this list or choose your own:

• Loved the characters. Was invested in their journey.
• Fantastic action and adventure.
• Engaging story line. Couldn’t wait to find out who dunnit.
• Author built a fascinating universe.
• I learned so much about that time period and setting (Use the actual time period and setting of the book for authenticity)

Step 3 (for Amazon) – Pick a Title

Because it’s a 3-star, you could use either what you did or didn’t like as the title. The other part will come out in the body.

Step 4 – Review Body

• Simply restate what you used as the title as the first line of your review.
• For the second line, enter what you did like about the book.
• You’re done!

Step 5 – Add one detail from book (optional)

To make your review ring true, insert the character’s name or a plot point or a place somewhere in the review (you might have already done this).

Authors Will Thank You – not to mention potential readers

You’d be surprised how often a reader tells an author they will leave a review and then don’t follow-up. We get it. The process can be a bit intimidating. Hopefully these hints will make it easier for you.

Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments if anything was confusing or if you have some of your own ideas for quick reviews.