How to Leave a Book Review (And Why It Matters!)

One of the most meaningful ways you can support an author is by leaving a review. Whether it's a single sentence or a detailed breakdown of your favourite moments, every review helps other readers discover new books and lets authors know their stories made an impact.

I've had the privilege of hosting release campaigns for authors and coordinating ARC (Advance Reader Copy) and PR (Promotional Reader) teams for readers who have signed up through my Masterlist or Permanent Teams.

If you're part of a team or the Masterlist, this guide will walk you through how to leave your review, submit your review links, and stay eligible for future ARC and PR campaigns.

Not Sure What to Write?

Your review doesn't need to be long. A few sentences about what you enjoyed are more than enough. Here are a few things you could mention:

• Your favourite characters or tropes

• A memorable scene (with minimal spoilers)

• How the book made you feel

• What you thought about the writing style or pacing

• Who you think would enjoy reading it

• Your overall impression of the book

Most importantly, keep your review honest. Authentic reviews are the most valuable to both readers and authors.

Leaving Reviews

How to Leave an Amazon Review

Note that Amazon reviews can only be posted once the book has officially been published.

1. Click the Amazon link provided in the email.

2. Scroll to the customer reviews section, or click the star rating near the top of the page.

3. Select “Write a customer review.”

4. Leave your star rating.

5. Write your review and submit it.

How to Leave a BookBub Review

To leave a review on BookBub, you’ll first need to search for the book on their website. Once you’ve found the book, follow these steps:

1. Click on the book cover or title to open its BookBub page.

2. On the book’s page, locate and select the “Review” option.

3. Choose a star rating and, if you’d like, write a written review.

4. Submit your review.

How to Leave a Goodreads Review

1. Select the “Want to Read” button.

2. Goodreads will prompt you to update your reading status. Choose “Read.”

3. Add your star rating.

4. (Optional) Enter the dates you read the book.

5. Write your review and save it.

How to Leave a StoryGraph Review

1. Search for the book you want to review using the search bar and open its page.

2. Update your reading status by clicking the button that says “To Read” or “Currently Reading,” then select “Read” (or “Did Not Finish” if you didn’t finish the book).

3. Once marked as Read, an Add Review prompt will appear immediately. You can also find it near your reading status bar on the book’s page.

4. Fill out your review, including:

   • Star rating (including half and quarter stars)

   • Written review

   • Optional tracking details such as:

     • Pacing (slow, medium, fast)

     • Moods/Tags (e.g., dark, mysterious, adventurous)

     • Content warnings (add any that apply)

   5. Scroll to the bottom and click Save or Submit Review.

Where Else Can You Leave a Review?

In addition to the main review platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and BookBub, there are several other places where your review can help a book reach new readers. Here are six additional places you can leave a review:

1. Apple Books: If you read on Apple devices, you can leave a rating and review directly on the book’s store page. These reviews help improve visibility within the Apple Books store and recommendations.

2. Kobo: Especially popular with Canadian readers, Kobo allows you to leave reviews that influence how books are recommended within its ecosystem.

3. Google Play Books: For readers who purchase or read through Google, you can leave ratings and reviews that appear on the book’s Google Play listing.

4. Bookstagram (Instagram posts, reels, and stories): Share your thoughts through posts, reels, or stories on Instagram to connect with other readers and help the book reach a wider book-loving community.

5. BookTok (short-form video reviews on TikTok): Create short video reviews or reactions on TikTok to share your reading experience and help the book gain visibility within the BookTok community.

6. Personal blogs: Write longer-form reviews on your blog or review platforms to share a more detailed and thoughtful take on the book.

Submitting Your Links to JBTP

In order to be eligible for future campaigns, we need your review links! Authors trust us to ensure their books are being reviewed, so collecting your links allows us to verify participation, measure the success of each campaign, and continue offering early reading opportunities to active reviewers. Here’s how to find and submit your review links.

How to Share Your Amazon Review Link

Amazon has a bit of a trickier process when finding your review, but you should be able to find it with these six steps:

1. On your mobile browser or computer, sign in to your Amazon account.

2. Go to Account.

3. Under Ordering and Shopping Preferences, select Your Amazon Profile.

4. You'll see all of your published Amazon reviews.

5. Find your review for the book, open it, and copy the URL from your browser.

6. Paste that link into our review submission form

How to Share Your BookBub Link

1. Go back to the book’s page on BookBub.

2. Scroll down until you find your published review.

3. In the lower-right corner of your review, click the “Share” button.

4. Use the available options to copy and paste that link into our review submission form

How to Share Your Goodreads Review Link

1. Open your review on Goodreads.

2. Tap or click the “Share” icon.

3. Select “Copy Link.”

4. Paste that link into our review submission form.

How to Share Your StoryGraph Review Link

1. Open the book you reviewed on The StoryGraph.

2. Scroll to the Community Reviews section and locate your review.

3. Click on your review to open it (if it expands into its own view).

4. Copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.

5. Paste that link into our review submission form.

Wrapping Up

Taking a few minutes to leave a review truly makes a difference for authors, assistants, and fellow readers. Reviews help books gain visibility, encourage new readers to give them a chance, and support authors in ways that go far beyond a star rating.

Thank you for being part of our reader community and for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your support means more than you know, and we’re so grateful to have you here!