Should Authors Pay for Amazon Reviews?
The difference between buying exposure and buying reviews
Not long ago, I came across a service offering authors a way to get more Amazon reviews. The price? $199 for three.
I’ll be honest, I was stunned. Reviews are a lifeline for authors. They’re the social proof that encourages a reader to take a chance on a new voice, and they help a book find visibility in Amazon’s search results. Still, I couldn’t imagine paying almost two hundred dollars for just three reviews. Something about it felt wrong.
The company in question was Book Award Pro. According to their pitch, they “find the best reviewers interested in your book. Each reviewer will purchase your book from Amazon, dedicate time to read it, and provide an honest review.” They manage everything for you. At first glance, it sounds like they’ve solved the age-old author problem of getting readers to review. But is this a clever solution, or just a risky gray zone?
Why Reviews Matter
Reviews aren’t just about ego. They matter for discoverability and sales. Most of us won’t buy a product on Amazon without at least glancing at the reviews. Books are no different.
And yet, as any author knows, readers rarely leave them. A reader might devour your book in a single sitting, recommend it to three friends, and still never think to write a review. It’s frustrating because reviews are the currency that helps authors reach more readers. Without them, even the best book can disappear into the void.
The Problem with Paid Reviews
Amazon is very clear: paying for reviews is against their Terms of Service. That doesn’t just mean slipping a reviewer a few dollars under the table. It includes any arrangement where reviews are guaranteed in exchange for compensation.
Authors who cross this line risk a lot: reviews being stripped, accounts suspended, and even banned from publishing. Beyond that, paying for reviews damages trust. Readers want to believe the opinions they see are genuine, not bought. Once that trust is gone, so is credibility.
This is why Book Award Pro raised a red flag for me. On paper, their system sounds harmless. Reviewers purchase your book themselves and leave an “honest” review. The company simply coordinates the process. But when you strip it down, authors are still paying a middleman to guarantee reviews. That isn’t the same thing as reviews happening organically.
The Gray Zone of Book Award Pro
Let’s take a closer look. With Book Award Pro, the reviewer pays for your book. That seems safe. After all, it creates a verified purchase review on Amazon. The reviewer isn’t directly compensated, so technically, they’re not being “paid” to review.
But here’s the catch: the author is paying Book Award Pro to deliver reviews. It’s not exposure, it’s not outreach, it’s a promise of reviews in return for money. That makes it fundamentally different from other services that cost money but operate within ethical lines.
Take StoryOrigin, for example. Authors pay for the platform, but readers choose whether to download the book and whether to leave a review. The reviews are voluntary. Book tours work the same way. You provide print or digital copies, the organizer recruits potential reviewers, and those readers decide what to say — or if they want to review at all. NetGalley and Book Funnel also charge for access, not for reviews.
The difference is subtle but crucial: you’re paying for exposure, not guaranteed reviews. With Book Award Pro, that line blurs.
Why Authors Are Tempted
It’s easy to understand why services like this exist. Reviews come slowly, and the Catch-22 of publishing is brutal: you need reviews to sell more books, but you need sales to get more reviews.
That’s why authors are vulnerable to shortcuts. I’ve even had DMs from people offering me bulk reviews at far cheaper rates than Book Award Pro. The market is there because the pressure is real.
And yet — $199 for three reviews? That’s almost $600 for nine. When I think of how far that money could go in legitimate marketing (ads, giveaways, professional services, even just more print books to send to potential readers), I can’t justify it.
Better Alternatives
So what can authors do instead? Here are strategies that work without risking Amazon’s wrath:
ARC teams or beta readers: Recruit a group of readers who love your genre and want to read early. Some will review, some won’t, but all feedback helps.
StoryOrigin or Book Funnel: Both make it easy to share review copies with readers who want to discover new authors.
Book tours: Pay for coordination, not reviews. The exposure alone can be worth it, and the reviews that come are genuine.
Back matter requests: A gentle reminder at the end of your book to “leave a review if you enjoyed it” can nudge readers.
Your mailing list: Ask directly. Readers who already love your work are more likely to leave a review when reminded.
At the end of the day, reviews should be an organic gift from readers, not a purchased product. Services like Book Award Pro exist in a gray zone that may look legitimate, but the risk is real. Amazon has the final word, and its stance on paid reviews hasn’t changed.
As authors, we need to remember that what we’re building is more than a number on a sales dashboard. It’s a relationship of trust with readers.
So the next time you finish a book you loved, do the author a favor: leave a review. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy. A few honest sentences can make all the difference. And for those of us on the writing side, that small act is worth far more than any review money can buy.
