Ask for reader reviews responsibly
Ask for honest reader reviews
Ask readers to leave a review if they read the book, and stop there: never ask for a particular rating, a positive review, or a review in exchange for anything.
Why it matters
Reviews influence readers and, on some platforms, visibility, so the temptation to nudge is real. But a review request that asks for a rating is the single most common way authors get their reviews removed or their accounts flagged. Asking honestly costs nothing, and the reviews that result are the ones that stay up.
Your part
- What you do
- Do it. You normally do this yourself.
- Who normally owns it
- Author
- When
- At launch and in the weeks after, once readers have had time to finish the book (Ask for reader reviews responsibly: from launch week onward, inside each platform's rules)Checked September 14, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
How to do it
The full walkthrough
Reader reviews on retail and reader platforms come from readers who chose to write them, and the platforms enforce that. It is fine to let readers know that reviews help and to tell them where to leave one. It is not fine to ask for a five-star rating, to ask for a positive review, to ask only readers who liked the book, or to offer anything in return. Platforms treat all of those as manipulation, and the consequences range from removed reviews to a suspended author account.
The honest request is simple and works on every publishing path: "If you have read the book, a review on the platform of your choice would be appreciated, whatever you thought of it." Put it in the back matter of the book, in the newsletter after launch, and on the book page. Then leave it alone.
Traditionally published authors sometimes assume the publisher handles this. It does not, beyond distributing advance copies; the ask to readers is the author's. Hybrid and self-published authors are often the target of services that promise reviews, and should read the platform rules item before engaging any of them.
Advance copies are a separate matter. Sending a free advance copy to a reviewer is normal and allowed on most platforms, provided the reviewer discloses it and there is no condition on what they write.
Common mistakes
- "If you enjoyed the book, please leave a five-star review."
- Asking family and close friends to review, which platforms may detect and remove.
- Offering a gift card, a signed copy, or entry to a giveaway for reviews.
- Responding to negative reviews on the platform.
Identifiers for Ask for honest reader reviews
Set a status on any record and it joins this step. All author identifiers.
| My status | Identifier | Why this matters | Yours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Author Central The free Amazon page where you claim your author name, attach every edition of your books, and write your biography. | Unclaimed, the author page a reader sees is whatever Amazon assembled, and any edition listed under a different spelling of your name sits apart from the rest of your work. Only you can fix that: a publisher cannot claim your author page for you, and the platform account a self-publisher publishes through is a separate login, so the job is identical on all three routes. Amazon's help says author pages are not removed once created, so use exactly the name that appears on your books rather than creating a second page you would rather not have. You're done when one author page carries the right name and every edition and format is attached to it. | Add your Amazon author page link | |
| Goodreads Author Program The free way to claim the Goodreads profile that is created automatically once a book under your name enters its database. | The profile exists whether or not you claim it, so leaving it alone means the picture, biography, and book list readers see are whatever the database assembled, and a book by a different writer with your name can end up attached to you. Reader reviews and ratings sit outside your control by design, and claiming the profile does not change that. All three routes do the same thing here; what differs is how the book record arrives in the first place, normally through the publisher's data for a traditionally published book, and through your platform or a volunteer Goodreads Librarian for a self-published one. You're done when the profile is claimed and every edition is grouped under the right work and author. | Add your Goodreads author page link |
What done looks like
- A neutral request in the book's back matter, on the book page, and in one post-launch newsletter.
- Wording that asks for a review, not a rating or a positive review, and that welcomes any honest opinion.
- No incentives, contests, or conditions attached.
- Advance copies sent with a note that a review is welcome but not required, and that the reviewer should disclose the free copy.
- No follow-up nagging: one ask per channel is plenty.
Sources and last checked
- Official source
- Official source (opens in a new tab)
- Last checked
- September 14, 2026
- How confident we are
- Verified
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 14, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.