peer reviews Archives - Build Book Buzz https://buildbookbuzz.com/tag/peer-reviews/ Do-it-yourself book marketing tips, tools, and tactics Thu, 07 Dec 2023 21:36:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 Where to find beta readers for your book https://buildbookbuzz.com/beta-readers/ https://buildbookbuzz.com/beta-readers/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2019 12:00:19 +0000 https://buildbookbuzz.com/?p=12188 beta readers Last week, I had a conversation with a client about what he referred to as “peer reviewers” for his next book. That gave me pause, because peer reviewers are usually used with academic or scientific works, and his is neither. I asked if he meant “beta readers.” While peer reviewers read for factual accuracy, beta readers aren't limited to “peers” and can be from your target audience. "Beta readers" was, in fact, the term he meant to use.]]> Last week, I had a conversation with a client about what he referred to as “peer reviewers” for his next book.

That gave me pause, because peer reviewers are usually used with academic or scientific works, and his is neither. I asked if he meant “beta readers.” While peer reviewers read for factual accuracy, beta readers aren’t limited to “peers” and can be from your target audience.

“Beta readers” was, in fact, the term he meant to use.

Why you need beta readers

Beta readers are invaluable in the writing process because they can help you improve your manuscript. Fiction beta readers will provide feedback on anything from their overall satisfaction with the book to the characters, plot line, and whether the story flowed well. It depends on what you need from them.

Nonfiction beta readers who aren’t experts on your topic provide help when they comment on what they expected to learn but didn’t, where you went into more detail than necessary, or when they needed clarification.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you want to end up with a manuscript that will satisfy the people you wrote it for – your ideal readers. Beta readers can help you reach that goal.

Where do you find beta readers?

You can find your best beta readers in many places. In her short report, The Author’s Ultimate Guide to Beta Readers, Stephanie Chandler, founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association, offers the following sources (section reprinted with permission):

  • Your own social media and mailing list.
  • Ask your colleagues, family and friends to participate.
  • Ask your colleagues, family and friends to reach out to their networks.
  • Online groups that reach your target audience. For example, if you’re writing a memoir on living with diabetes, locate groups for people who have diabetes.
  • Reach out to trade associations, alumni groups and other professional organizations that reach your target audience and ask them to help you get the word out to their members.
  • Goodreads has a public group specifically for finding beta readers, and so does Facebook.
  • Post to writers’ forums and communities, such as Absolute Write, Writer’s Circle or The Writer’s Workshop.
  • Contact Amazon reviewers. Look up competing titles on Amazon and then click on each reviewer to find their public profile. Oftentimes reviewers list a personal email, so you can send them an invitation.

(To download the full report, go to the Nonfiction Authors Association site.)

How many do you need?

The number of readers you recruit depends on how much feedback you want, need, or can handle. For example, I want just a few clear, strong, honest voices providing feedback. I seek quality over quantity.

Still, how many you ask depends on the number of people you think will actually follow through, too. You’re asking for a significant time commitment, so presume that many who volunteer won’t be able to follow through.

If you want six to offer feedback, consider asking 12 – knowing that you might only get feedback from three. Start with determining the ideal number of beta readers, then ask twice as many people as that. Adjust from there.

What do you say to them?

The most important thing to communicate when reaching out to potential beta readers is your expectations.

The most important thing to communicate when reaching out to potential beta readers is your expectations.Click to tweet

When the goal is to help improve your book, tell them that. Be as specific as possible.

That means you have to know what you’re most concerned about with the manuscript. The author client I spoke to about this last week will ask one category of early readers to comment on whether or not the concepts he’s presented resonate with them. Can they see themselves implementing them?

I use nonfiction beta readers to identify what I should have covered but didn’t or where I haven’t communicated clearly and effectively. Maybe I’ve presumed that readers know something that they don’t, or perhaps the book left them with unanswered questions.

Feedback from beta readers helps me get the right balance and tone.

Knowing my weak spots helps me get specific with the help I need. It will help if you know yours, too.

Don’t skip this step

It’s tempting to skip this important process.

We’re always in a hurry to get the book done. Maybe the publisher has imposed a deadline; maybe you’ve set your own deadlines that you keep ignoring.

You’ve probably heard many say, “Good is good enough.” But is “good” good enough for your book? Do you want your book to be just “good,” or do you want it to be the best you can possibly make it?

To help make your book better than good, enlist the support of the right beta readers. Sure, it adds to the timeline, but it also adds to your book’s quality.

That’s a good thing.

Did you work with beta readers on your manuscript? How did you find them? Please tell us in a comment.

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People trust peer reviews https://buildbookbuzz.com/people-trust-peer-reviews/ https://buildbookbuzz.com/people-trust-peer-reviews/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:00:44 +0000 https://buildbookbuzz.com/?p=10590 peer reviews According to consumer research conducted by Square, consumers think peer reviews are the most trustworthy. Square's survey of 1,800 consumers was conducted for retailers, not authors, but the findings are still relevant to authors seeking reader reviews. According to the research, 43 percent of respondents said that customer reviews are very or extremely trustworthy. This is why Amazon wants honest reader reviews. The research also revealed that 53 percent find customer reviews only somewhat trustworthy -- which is also why Amazon wants honest reviews. Amazon knows that consumers are increasingly savvy. They know a fake review when they see one.]]> According to consumer research conducted by Square, consumers think peer reviews are the most trustworthy.

Square’s survey of 1,800 consumers was conducted for retailers, not authors, but the findings are still relevant to authors seeking reader reviews.

According to the research, 43 percent of respondents said that customer reviews are very or extremely trustworthy. This is why Amazon wants honest reader reviews.

The research also revealed that 53 percent find customer reviews only somewhat trustworthy — which is also why Amazon wants honest reviews. Amazon knows that consumers are increasingly savvy. They know a fake review when they see one.

Fake review characteristics

Square’s research shows that 44 percent of respondents said that it’s very or extremely important that the tone of the review isn’t overly positive or negative.

I understand this — and hope you can, too.

It reminds me of how I approach audience evaluations after I’ve presented at a conference or event. I toss out the form that gushes about my presentation — that one was probably completed by a friend. I do the same for the worst one (some people are never happy). I focus on everything in between to learn and grow.

This applies to books, too. As readers scan peer reviews, they intuitively focus on what’s in between the five-star review that shouts, “Best book ever!” and the one-star, “Hated it.”

Readers know the good review is trying too hard, while the bad one was left by someone connected to a competitor or who is, quite simply, a fool. (This is why authors shouldn’t obsess over negative reviews unless they’re the norm).

Another red flag? When the reviewer refers to the author by first name. It’s not a dead giveaway, but if it’s followed by “Everyone should read this!,” there’s a chance the reviewer knows the author.

Why friends and family aren’t good reviewers

Many authors rely on their friends and family network to generate reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere for obvious reasons. They believe that people with a connection to them are more likely to make the effort to review their book.

While it’s understandable, it’s not wise for a few reasons:

  • Amazon doesn’t allow immediate family members to write reviews. If they do, Amazon will probably delete them.
  • The people you’re closest to might not read the kinds of books your write. In that case, expecting them to actually read your book, then review it, is not only unrealistic, it’s unfair.
  • It puts a lot of pressure on people who like you as a person but not as an author to write something lovely about a book they might not have read or liked.
  • It forces people who do like what you write to make the time to read your book and review it. It seems like a simple thing, but when you’re busy, it’s hard to make time for this sort of task.
  • Some of the relatives you’re relying on to write a positive book review share your last name. That’s not only a red flag to book buyers, it’s a red flag to Amazon, which will probably remove the review. Amazon’s technology is the equivalent of a mother with eyes in the back of her head. You just can’t fool it (or her)– Amazon sees all.

As I explain in another article, it’s important to manage your expectations with friends and family.

Go after honest peer reviews

Your goal is always to generate as many honest reviews from “real readers” — the peers of those reading the reviews — as possible.

The process starts with writing a great book.

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to invest in a professional editor and cover designer, both with experience in your genre or category. (Traditional and hybrid publishers usually provide that service.) Authorship is, after all, a business.

With a great book in hand, there are a number of ways to generate honest peer reviews. They all have one thing in common: Giving complimentary copies of your book to the people who are most likely to love it — your target audience — with a request for an honest review.

The books you offer in exchange for reviews can be digital, rather than printed, to reduce costs. But you have to get your book into the right hands.

Make it as easy as possible for readers to review your book, too. Give them the Build Book Buzz Reader Book Review Form (there’s one for fiction, another for nonfiction), an easy-to-use, fill-in-the-blanks shortcut that readers love using. It allows them to quickly write an honest, meaningful review that tells other book lovers what they need to know about your book.

Consumers are smart

As the Square research shows, consumers are smart. They trust recommendations from friends and strangers alike, but they can also spot fake reviews.

Don’t waste your time pursuing “fake” reviews. They won’t help. Write an amazing book and get it into the hands of people who will become your champions. They are the “peers” that readers trust.

Help readers trust your reviews — and you.

What do you do to generate honest reviews? Tell us in a comment. 

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