How to Get Book Reviews (Without Breaking Amazon’s Rules)
How to get honest book reviews: what Amazon allows, how to ask readers, advance reader services and their costs, and what to avoid. Checked October 2026.
By Philip GhezelbashTo get book reviews, ask your readers honestly and make it easy. Put a short request at the end of your book, email your list, and send free copies to advance readers without asking for anything in return except an honest opinion. Never pay for reviews, require a positive review, trade reviews with other authors or ask friends and family to review your book. Amazon removes reviews that break its rules, and the FTC bans fake and purchased reviews.
This guide explains what is allowed, how to ask, which advance reader services exist and what they cost, and the mistakes to avoid. We checked the rules and prices in October 2026.
What Amazon allows and what it does not
KDP’s help page on customer reviews says authors may give out free or discounted copies, but must not require a review in exchange or try to influence the review. It also says that offering anything other than a free or discounted copy, including gift cards, invalidates a review, and the Amazon Community team will remove it.
Amazon’s Community Guidelines also do not allow reviews written in exchange for compensation, and they treat reviews from people with a close personal relationship to the author as a conflict of interest. Read the current guidelines on Amazon before you launch, because the exact wording can change.
| Fine | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Asking readers for an honest review, in your book or by email | Paying for reviews, or offering gift cards or other rewards |
| Giving free or discounted copies with no strings | Requiring or hinting that the review must be positive |
| Sending advance copies to readers who agree to read and review honestly | Asking friends and family to review |
| Adding professional endorsements to your book page through Author Central | Swapping reviews with other authors |
| Reporting reviews that break the rules | Deleting or editing reviews yourself (authors cannot delete reviews) |
Outside Amazon, the FTC’s 2024 rule bans fake reviews, buying reviews, undisclosed insider reviews, review suppression and rewards tied to positive reviews. The penalties can be serious, so treat this as a firm line.
One more limit that surprises authors: Amazon says only customers who have spent at least $50 on Amazon in the past 12 months can submit ratings and reviews. So some readers who loved your book cannot leave one, which is not a sign you did something wrong.
How to get book reviews, step by step
1. Ask at the end of the book
The easiest request is on the last page. Keep it friendly and short. For example: “If this book helped you, an honest review on the store where you bought it helps other readers find it. It only takes a minute. Thank you for reading.”
Add a link to the book page on the store your reader is likely to use. Do not ask for five stars, and do not tell readers what to write.
2. Email your list
A list of readers who asked to hear from you is your best source of reviews. A week or two after readers get the book, send a short note: thank them, say you would love to hear what they thought, and link to the review page. Do not email only the readers you think liked it, because that is review gating and it skews the results.
3. Build an advance reader team
Advance readers (often called ARC readers) get a free copy before launch and post an honest review when the book goes live. You can run this yourself with a list of readers, or use a service.
| Service | What it costs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| StoryOrigin | Free Basic plan. Standard is $10 a month or $100 a year. | Free plan delivers files. Standard adds review tools. |
| BookFunnel | No free plan. $30 a year for First-Time Author. Mid-List is $200 a year and includes ARC delivery. | Mainly delivers files and manages downloads. |
| BookSirens | $10 per ARC plus $2 per reader, or $100 a year for unlimited ARCs. | Says about 75 percent of readers who download post a review. That is the company’s own figure. |
| NetGalley | Costs more. Sources give a wide range, so check its current pricing. | Mostly used for books sent to reviewers and librarians. |
Prices were checked in October 2026. Review rates quoted by these companies are their own figures, so treat them as a best case.
If your ebook is in KDP Select, check the exclusivity rules before you send ebook files to readers outside Amazon.
4. Use Goodreads properly
Goodreads is where many readers talk about books. Joining the Author Program is free. Goodreads also runs paid giveaways, with Kindle giveaways for KDP authors and print giveaways where you ship the books. Check the current price on Goodreads before you plan one.
Follow Goodreads’ author rules. They say authors may not try to influence reviews, and they advise you not to engage with people who rate or review your book negatively. Do not message reviewers to ask for changes.
5. Add professional endorsements the right way
Amazon’s Editorial Reviews section, which you set up in Author Central, is for professional reviews and endorsements. It carries no star rating. A+ Content on your book page cannot include customer reviews, and KDP allows up to four quotes or endorsements from well-known publications or public figures. It does not allow awards older than two years.
If you pay for a professional review, you are buying an editorial review, not a customer review. Prices we found: Kirkus Indie starts at $450 and takes seven to nine weeks, with an expedited option at $599. BookLife lists $399 for a standard review and Reedsy Discovery lists $299 per review. Kirkus says you can choose not to publish a negative review. Think of these as marketing for libraries and booksellers more than a way to get Amazon star ratings.
6. Ask bloggers, newsletter writers and podcasters in your niche
For nonfiction, readers often trust experts in your field. Send a short personal note with a free copy to people whose readers match yours. Say what the book is about, who it is for, and that you would value an honest opinion. Keep the number small and personal, as Jane Friedman recommends for launches.
7. Be patient and keep promoting
Reviews build slowly. Keep emailing, keep your book in front of new readers, and ask each new group of readers. See how to promote an ebook for ways to reach readers who might leave one.
What about other stores?
- Apple Books: buyers, and people who used a promo code, can rate and review. Reviews are specific to each country. Publishers can ask Apple to remove reviews that break its guidelines.
- Kobo: any customer can review any book. Reviews need at least 100 characters and are filtered for profanity and spoilers.
- Google Play Books: we did not find an official page on review rules, so check Google’s help before you plan around it.
Is Amazon Vine an option?
Amazon Vine is a seller program that sends products to trusted reviewers. Amazon’s seller page for Vine says digital products are not eligible, and it requires a professional selling account. That means most ebook authors cannot use it. Sources disagree about print books, so do not plan around it.
How many reviews should you expect?
We could not find a trustworthy public figure for what share of ordinary buyers leave a review. Many sources quote tiny percentages without naming where they came from, so we left them out. ARC services report much higher rates, but those are readers who volunteered to read and review, and the numbers come from the services themselves. Do not expect most buyers to review. A steady trickle is normal.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking only happy readers. It skews your reviews and can break rules.
- Offering anything in return. Free copies are fine. Gift cards, bonuses or discounts tied to a review are not.
- Writing reviews yourself or asking family to. Amazon treats close relationships as a conflict of interest.
- Arguing with a bad review. Do not reply defensively or message the reviewer. Report a review only if it breaks the rules. Amazon does not tell you the outcome.
- Pinning your hopes on a single launch week. Reviews trickle in over months.
A note for lead magnet ebooks
If your ebook is a free lead magnet, reviews matter less than testimonials. Ask readers who got a result if you can quote them, get permission in writing, and use only real quotes. The FTC rule covers testimonials too, so never invent or edit them to say something the person did not say. Our guide on creating a lead magnet ebook shows how to build one that earns them.
FAQ
Can I ask friends and family to review my book?
It is better not to. Amazon’s guidelines treat reviews from people with a close personal relationship to the author as a conflict of interest, and such reviews can be removed. Ask readers who bought or read the book on their own.
Can I pay for book reviews?
No. Amazon does not allow reviews written in exchange for compensation, and the FTC’s 2024 rule bans buying fake reviews. Paid professional reviews, such as Kirkus, are different: they are editorial reviews, not customer reviews, and they go in the Editorial Reviews section.
Can I give away free copies in exchange for reviews?
You can give free or discounted copies, but you cannot require a review or try to influence what it says. Say you would welcome an honest review and leave it there.
How do I get reviews on a new book?
Build an advance reader team before launch, email your list on launch day and again a couple of weeks later, ask at the end of the book, and reach out to a few bloggers or newsletter writers in your niche.
Why can’t my readers leave a review on Amazon?
Amazon says reviewers must have spent at least $50 on Amazon in the past 12 months. Readers who have not met that threshold cannot post a review, though they may still be able to rate on other stores.
How do I remove a bad review?
You cannot delete a review yourself. If a review breaks Amazon’s rules, use the Report option on the review. Amazon does not share the result of its investigation.
Where Koobe fits
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