Reviews matter. Not because you need validation (though it’s nice). But because reviews are social proof. They tell readers, algorithms, librarians, booksellers and festival programmers that your book exists — and that real humans have read it. So let’s cut through the hand-wringing and look at exactly how to get reviews — and what to do once you have them.
Australia is not the US. Not even close. We don’t have 330 million buyers, 50,000 bookstores, or a giant influencer machine pushing every second debut. What we do have is a tight market, strong libraries, loyal readers, and authors with unreasonable expectations… because they’re comparing themselves to overseas giants.
A book cover isn’t decoration. It’s communication — the first impression that tells readers what to expect. In the world of publishing, your cover is your silent salesperson. So, what makes a cover not just nice, but effective?
