Reader reviews are BACK at Kobo!
As authors know, reviews definitely help readers decide whether or not they are going to buy a book or download one of your free titles. Reviews add credibility because it means not only that someone actually read the book, but that they took the time to comment on it.
Reviews appear below the Title and Series Title fields (as seen in the image below)
And then, the details for the ratings and reviews appear below the Synopsis and the “People who read this also enjoyed” carousel. Reviews can be sorted by the following criteria: Most Helpful, Newest, Oldest, Highest Rated, Lowest Rated. Customers also have the option of denoting a review as helpful or not as well as reporting reviews that need to be double-checked.
Customer Reviews – details
TIPS FOR GETTING READER REVIEWS
1) IN YOUR BOOK – At the back of your book, leave a short note reminding readers of how important reviews can be to an author. One of the best times to ask for an honest review is when they have finished the book – the story, characters, setting and situations are all fresh in their mind and it’s a great time for them to share a few thoughts about what they have just read.
2) GIVEAWAYS – You can make your book free at Kobo for as short or as long a time period as you want. Many authors, particularly those with books in a series, set the first book in that series for free, and use that as a funnel to attract new readers. But since you can change your price to FREE at any time, or use the price promotion tool in Kobo Writing Life to set up a free eBook promo for a specified time period in the future, you can take advantage of this to get some readers to try your book out, and ideally (in conjunction with leaving a note like in Tip 1), leaving a review.
3) ASK – Most readers don’t understand the critical importance that reviews play in helping an author out. Sometimes, a reader might mention you on Facebook or Twitter or via some other social media or perhaps even email you to let you know they liked your book. Since you know they already like your book, it’s okay to ask them if they’d consider sharing their enthusiasm by posting a review. As Nora Roberts wrote, “If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
4) AUTHOR NEWSLETTER – If you have an author newsletter (and you should have one, as this is a GREAT way for you to connect with your true fans and keep them informed of your new releases), be sure to let your fans know that they can help you out by providing reviews for your books at Kobo.
5) REMIND THEM WITH A PICTURE – People love to share images on social media more than anything. Sometimes it’s good to remind readers that the best way to thank an author for a great read is to leave a review for their book.
Feel free to share this image to underscore the importance reviews have for an author
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise! and commented:
KOBO READERS – Reader reviews are BACK at Kobo! So no excuses, get YOUR reviews in 😀
It must be a work in progress. I’m not seeing any reviews on any books on the kobo site, including the example above, nor am I the only one.
I hope a fix is applied soon. Reviews can be critical to a book’s success.
That’s strange, Michael. Reviews were in beta testing for several weeks and only visible to about 50% of visitors, but they went to 100% – What browser are you using?
“What browser are you using?”
I’m using chrome, so nothing out of the ordinary. I’m currently in Vietnam, if that makes a difference. I can send in a screen shot, if that would help.
Thanks, Michael – we have forwarded your feedback to our web team.
Just checking to see if there’s an eta on when reviews will be available in Vietnam?