OTHER FAQs
What Will I Have to Do?
- Add your book to the AXP Library so I can activate it for reviewers. https://authorsxp.com/add-my-book/add
- In the library, add a file(s) or link(s) for readers to get your book for free.
- When you receive notice of a request, you can respond to them any way you like. They will be sent a link to their dashboard to download your book though, so you don't have to send them the file.
- You can trigger a "did you get my book?" mailing from your ELITE REVIEWER DASHBOARD if you think your emails aren't getting through. https://authorsxp.com/sadmin/eliteauthor_dashboard.php
Anything Else I Should Know?
- There is no guarantee reviews received will be good. These are honest reviews by real people. But since you can talk to the reviewers directly, you can politely request that if they don't like your book, please don't review.
- While you can ask if a reader is in the Amazon KU program and if they'd be willing to read the book through that, authors may NOT require or ask reviewers to BUY their book. Sales are not the point of this program. Readers DO report such actions to me and authors will be removed from the program for this.
- Any book is eligible, though AXP reserves the right to refuse a book.
- If you don't receive at least 5 reviews through the Elite Readers, we'll run your book again and get you more reviewers. If for some reason you still aren't having any luck you'll be refunded for the missing reviews. This rarely happens but some books are tougher than others!
- You can delete the book from where you uploaded it for readers at any time, but DO let me know you did it so I can remove you from the list of books available to request.
- Books generally get between 15-100 requests the first time they are posted. (depending on genre) But a request isn't a download - so you need to leave it available because it might be a while before people get a chance to download it and read it. If you only get like 20 requests, I might send out another notice, because it takes about 30-40 requests to end up with the minimum 5 reviews. (Real people aren't always the most reliable people! :) )
WHAT ABOUT AMAZON?
Amazons Review Guidelines (10/3/22) state:
Authors and publishers can continue to give readers free or discounted copies of their books if they don't require a review in exchange or try to influence the review. https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14279631
That means you can still give away free copies in the HOPES of getting reviews, but you can't give away free copies "in exchange for a review."
Can I give free books to reviewers using the AuthorsXP downloading system if my book is in Kindle Unlimited (KDP Select)?
Amazon is a tad vague in this area. You can find all kinds of quotes on websites from other people---some authors report they were told directly by Amazon employees that it was fine to give out review copies while in KDP Select --- there are cut and copied quotes from past iterations of Amazon's site that imply it is okay if the book is shared by email and for the purposed of 'improving or proofreading ...'
If you want to be safe, don't use an automatic free download service for reviewers if you are ALREADY PUBLISHED IN KDP Select. But you CAN gift your book to reviewers through Amazon. Since you get 70% back, it only costs you a fraction of the cost in the end. Just use this button on your book's page. This will also make the reviews you get verified!
You can also use your KDP FREE DAYS. We'll send you the email addresses of the readers who want to review your book, and you can let them know the date the book will be available for free on Amazon and ask them to download it then!