Bolster Online Retail Sales With Book Reviews
Contributor: BookTrib / December 1, 2025 / 4 min read
Part One of BookTrib’s “Leverage Your Reviews” Series
You worked hard to earn your reviews — now make them work just as hard for you.
For many indie authors, a glowing review feels like a reward for months (or years) of effort. But a great review is more than a pat on the back. When used strategically, reviews can act as a silent salesperson — persuading potential readers to choose your book among thousands of options.
A book with numerous positive reviews appears active, well-received and trustworthy, and when reviews are displayed on retailer product pages, they serve as powerful social proof of a quality reading experience — especially for new or unknown authors.
Below are practical, beginner-friendly ways to use your reviews to convert more browsers into buyers on Amazon and other online retail outlets.
Need editorial reviews of your book? BookTrib’s Promote Your Book review program puts your book in front of a large audience of readers eager to discover their next read, while providing you with a thorough, professional review. Learn more here.
Love It or Hate It, Amazon Offers the Most Customization
Your Amazon book page is the single most influential place where your reviews can drive sales. Most readers who discover your book — whether through ads, social media or word of mouth — will end up on Amazon to decide whether to buy. That means your Amazon page should feel like a well-organized showcase of what readers love about your book.
Through Amazon Author Central, you can populate the Editorial Reviews section on your book’s page with excerpts from your strongest reviews. Editorial reviews appear above customer reviews and are designed specifically to highlight professional praise and standout commentary. Even a few short, well-formatted pull quotes can give readers a clearer sense of your book’s strengths and unique appeal.
Here are some best practices:
- Use reviews from a variety of sources. Include review excerpts from editorial outlets like BookTrib and blogs, commentary from influencers, and endorsements from other authors in your genre. Always attribute reviews to the person or publication that reviewed the book.
- Choose wisely. When selecting quotes, aim to have each one highlight a different strength, such as pacing, character development, emotional resonance or genre appeal. This gives potential readers a quick, persuasive snapshot of what makes your book worth buying.
- Keep them brief. Make the excerpts as short as you can while still retaining the intended meaning. You can use ellipses (…) to replace any words you’ve removed.
- Make them pop. Format the excerpts with bold headers and concise attributions to create a visual hierarchy. Make the section scannable by online shoppers, who may not want to read every word.
- Turn them into visuals. If you’ve published your ebook through Amazon KDP, create graphics from your quotes and include them in your Amazon A+ content.
Need more reader reviews on Amazon? BookTrib’s Amazon Review program guarantees 20 to 25 Amazon reader reviews, with the option for customized packages that guarantee even more reviews. Learn more here.
Mirror this approach when updating your book description on Goodreads and other retail sites. If there isn’t a section for editorial reviews, include the quotes above or below your book description.
Studies consistently show that retail listings with review excerpts increase sales. In addition, Amazon’s algorithm tends to favor pages with robust editorial sections (as well as reader reviews), helping your book’s relevance score when readers browse similar titles.
In the next post in this series, we’ll explore how to use your reviews to amp up direct sales on your author website and social media platforms. Stay tuned for more smart ways to leverage your book’s reviews into sales.
Need more ideas for promoting your book? BookTrib has an extensive array of services to meet your goals — from gaining exposure to tens of thousands of readers to getting in front of book clubs to driving online retail sales. Learn more here.
