Is Pubby worth it for self-published authors and publishers? Here is a look at the pros and cons of using Pubby to build social proof as a self-published author.
My first thought when reading about what Pubby does is that it wouldn't be very good. Mostly because getting reviews from people have little interest in your book and may leave unrelated or bland reviews is not going to HELP your reviews on Amazon. I would think it's much better to get people are are interested specifically in you as a writer and are very interested in the topic. People who are excited to read the book would likely leave the best reviews. And I would think it's better to have more quality than quantity reviews.
I understand Amazon may not do very good at advertising your book with less reviews, but that's just the way it is. I don't think it's Amazon's responsibility to advertise it.
Pubby's biggest problem is mixing authors with reviewers, as mentioned in the post. The two groups should be separated. I will be testing out another book review platform soon.
Getting reviews helps the Amazon algorithm. It tells it that people are buying and are interested in a book. Reviewers can read a description of the book before reading it to see if it is something they may be interested in. I will be trying another book review site soon.
The number of reviews influences a potential reader’s perception of the author and book. Psychologically, a person is likelier to buy a book with a few hundred reviews and at least four stars than a similar book with twenty reviews and four starts. The first is known with social proof. The second is unknown. That is why the quantity of reviews is helpful. Most people will only read three reviews before purchasing a product on Amazon.
Amazon ads also play a role in getting a book in front of the right people. But those need to be fine-tuned. It takes time for Amazon to target people who may be interested in a book with the proper search terms or similar products.
A problem for a new writer is finding and getting the people who are interested who will leave quality reviews. That is where building an organic audience on Substack and other platforms is beneficial. It is an organic audience that already follows the writer.
My first thought when reading about what Pubby does is that it wouldn't be very good. Mostly because getting reviews from people have little interest in your book and may leave unrelated or bland reviews is not going to HELP your reviews on Amazon. I would think it's much better to get people are are interested specifically in you as a writer and are very interested in the topic. People who are excited to read the book would likely leave the best reviews. And I would think it's better to have more quality than quantity reviews.
I understand Amazon may not do very good at advertising your book with less reviews, but that's just the way it is. I don't think it's Amazon's responsibility to advertise it.
Pubby's biggest problem is mixing authors with reviewers, as mentioned in the post. The two groups should be separated. I will be testing out another book review platform soon.
Getting reviews helps the Amazon algorithm. It tells it that people are buying and are interested in a book. Reviewers can read a description of the book before reading it to see if it is something they may be interested in. I will be trying another book review site soon.
The number of reviews influences a potential reader’s perception of the author and book. Psychologically, a person is likelier to buy a book with a few hundred reviews and at least four stars than a similar book with twenty reviews and four starts. The first is known with social proof. The second is unknown. That is why the quantity of reviews is helpful. Most people will only read three reviews before purchasing a product on Amazon.
Amazon ads also play a role in getting a book in front of the right people. But those need to be fine-tuned. It takes time for Amazon to target people who may be interested in a book with the proper search terms or similar products.
A problem for a new writer is finding and getting the people who are interested who will leave quality reviews. That is where building an organic audience on Substack and other platforms is beneficial. It is an organic audience that already follows the writer.