Getting people to read new books

As an author, one of the things I hope for when I release a book is that someone who's read it will post a review so that other people who might be on the fence about reading it can decide if it's worth their time. But how to get people to take that extra step?

Part of being an author is promotion. We get the books into people's hands in hopes of getting those reviews. Most authors have an early review team - ARC readers. Bloggers and professional reviewers often get copies, and we hope for the best. At best, a percentage of them will leave a review, and that doesn't guarantee the reader actually likes the book. Hey, if that's the case, I'd just as soon know what didn't work so I can make the next book better, or know that I haven't reached my target audience. At the day job, we are required to give feedback to our coworkers, our subordinates, and even our superiors. That's how people improve/get better. Whether it's a pat on the back or constructive criticism, it's how we know if we're hitting the mark.

In searching out new avenues, new reviewers, I signed up for a promotion with my most recent release, folks who had recently rebranded from one company to a new name. The old company had a pretty good rep, and in deciding whether or not to try them out, I reached out to another author I know who'd endorsed them (under the old brand). I'll just say I've been pretty disappointed. For all their promises, they have not returned the hoped-for results (and it's always a crap shoot, but they do over promise). As one of my friends says, it may be a case of "your mileage may vary," but I'm more inclined to believe the rebranded company isn't as well run as the previous incarnation. For one, they'd promised me weekly updates on how many people wanted to read my book. Haven't gotten those. When I asked, three weeks in, they sent me a very short list. When I followed up again two weeks after that, they didn't reply. Big black strike through their name going forward, for any sort of promotion. The new brand obviously doesn't have the same potential the old one did. Moving on.

The best promotion is still word of mouth. If you've read the book, recommend it to a friend. Can't tell you how many people have said "oh, so-and-so told me about your book and we've really enjoyed reading them and talking about them together!" And if you've read the book(s), this is where I encourage you to leave reviews so the rest of the world knows what you thought. Sometimes that's all it takes to push someone over the edge to buy or not buy and support us struggling authors!

What keeps you from leaving a review for the books you've read?