Just how much impact do good reviews have on the sales of a novel?  Well, I’m no industry expert, but I think it’s likely that there’s no quantifiable answer available.  However, I do suspect that the impact of reviews has a lot to do with how you use them.

National Press / Glossy Magazines

A quote from a positive review in one of the high-profile publications is exactly what you want on the back of your book cover.  As a customer faced with thousands of books to choose from, I invariably refer to the review quotes on a book’s jacket.  I’m impressed by quotes from publications I admire, and equally from celebrities I enjoy.  For example, if Jonathan Ross says a book is very funny, I’ll believe him, because I think he’s quite funny.

The trick with these review quotes is to use them.  Badger your publisher to include as many as possible in the next print run, and don’t be afraid to clutter your beautiful book design with them.  A great example of this is David Nichols’ One Day, the latest cover of which is crawling with spectacular reviews.  I’d heard of the book, but when I saw the cover endorsements I bought it without hesitation.

If you have a website, ensure you have a page dedicated to reviews, so readers can find them easily.  But also, dot them around the other pages of your site, and if possible include one as a sub-header (see mine above).  It’s hard to boast about your own book, but the inclusion of others’ glowing opinions is fine.  Use it!

When you do literary events, at book stores, festivals etc, always insist that the flyers/posters include your most impressive review quote.  It can tip the balance between a full-house and a half-empty hall.

Amazon Reviews

Many readers like to post up reviews of books they’ve read, whether they’ve bought them from Amazon or not.  I know several people who get most of their books from the library, but still go onto the Amazon site to leave their feedback.  It’s become a recognised forum to view readers’ responses to books, rather than the perhaps more high-brow opinions of the literary supplements.

In many ways, I think the Amazon reviews are just as important as press reviews.  It’s a form of word-of-mouth; real people, real feedback.

As a writer, I’ve come to value these reviews more and more, and as a result I’ve started leaving reviews of the books I’ve enjoyed – because now I know, from personal experience, what a good review means to an author.

If you’ve read Glasshopper and would like to leave a review, click here for the chance to win an advance copy of my forthcoming novel Hurry Up and Wait.

In the past, I found it quite difficult to ‘big up’ my own achievements as far as my writing was concerned.

But now, I look at it like this: I’ve spent hours, months and years of hard graft, juggling work, study and family life, to bring my longed-for book to print.  How crazy would I be if I didn’t give it the best possible chance to go out into the world and meet its readers?  Use your reviews well, and they’ll undoubtedly help to boost the sales of your book.