Reviewed by Carine Engelbrecht for Readers' Favorite

In Reviews for Books, author and podcaster Dale L. Roberts demonstrates through real-life examples why book reviews matter so much in the business of selling books. He begins by stressing the importance of building trust, a process he explains from a customer's viewpoint first. He doesn't stop there, though. Next, he delivers a rundown of tools and platforms that streamline the process of connecting with readers, ranging from low-cost options to premium services for authors with larger budgets. One whole chapter tries to make sense of Amazon's famously impenetrable algorithms. He explains the built-in mechanisms that make some reviews disappear from the system. Finally, he discusses best practices for reaching out to prompt readers for a response. The book closes with a selection of links to useful resources.

If you are an indie author wanting to turn your writing into a successful business, Reviews for Books has a wealth of go-to information. What it does not offer are easy shortcuts and snake oil solutions. However, if you are willing to knuckle down and do the work, Dale L. Roberts offers a doable blueprint toward making authentic book reviews the cornerstone of your marketing strategy. Every hack, every tiny bit of advice comes from tracking personal experience or from testing one tool against another. He actively seeks out new knowledge and better ways to get things done. For example, I found his experiences on building an ARC list from the ground up in the early days fascinating, even though there are now tools that streamline the process. So, while it did feel at times somewhat surreal to be writing a review about book reviews, I found myself wondering whether any of the works in progress 'resting' on my hard drive stood a better chance of climbing up the Amazon bestseller lists after reading this book and applying its lessons. That speaks volumes about the author's ability to inspire you.