Read for Reviews-Pros, Cons and Etiquette

Have you ever logged on to Amazon or another bookstore and decided to buy (or not to buy) a book after reading the reviews?  I sure have.  In fact, if I'm going to dish out money, especially for a paperback, I want to know that the book I'm buying is something I'll like. Reading a book is not only an investment in money but also in time, and reviews provide excellent investment research.

That being said, as an author, I've discovered it's incredibly difficult to get reviews passively.  If you put your book out there for free, you may "sell" hundreds of copies without a single resulting review.  If you don't put it out for free, the odds are worse.  Add to that selective shoppers who, like myself, want to know what they're getting into before they buy.  Without reviews, they may not even download a free copy (or if they do, they may not read it).

So, what's a new author to do besides make all their books free and cross their fingers? One good option is the Read for Review.