How to Write Amazon and Goodreads Book Reviews Safely

Book reviews help readers. They also help authors. But they work only when they come from a real reading experience and an independent opinion.

That is the useful common ground between Amazon and Goodreads: be honest, keep the review relevant to the book, and do not let money, rewards, personal relationships, or pressure decide the verdict.

Keep Amazon and Goodreads book reviews focused

Start with the book itself. Talk about the story, writing, pacing, characters, themes, tone, or your reaction as a reader. Keep the review focused on what you actually read. Personal attacks on the author do not make a review stronger, and unrelated complaints are rarely useful to another reader.

Free copies and independent opinions

Advance reader copies need a little care. Amazon allows free or discounted book copies, provided the copy is not conditional on a review and nobody tries to influence the opinion. Other rewards tied to reviewing, such as gift cards, are not allowed. Goodreads permits advance-copy reviews and requires disclosure when a free copy was received in exchange for a review. Its author guidance also says authors must not require or influence reviews.

A simple disclosure is enough:

“I received an advance copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.”

Do not promise that a review is “safe from removal”. Platforms make their own moderation decisions and can change their policies. The goal is to write an authentic review that follows the current rules.

Goodreads now explicitly says ratings and reviews should reflect an authentic reading experience. That includes readers who attempted a book but did not finish it. If you stopped early, say so and keep your judgement within the pages you actually read.

Give readers useful reasons

A strong review structure is simple:

Start with a one-line verdict.

Add one or two sentences about the setup.

Mention two things that worked.

Mention one thing that did not work.

End with the kind of reader who may enjoy it.

The following example is invented to demonstrate the structure; it is not a review of a real book.

“This is a slow, moody mystery with strong atmosphere and a careful build. I liked the isolated setting and the way small details slowly gained meaning. The middle felt a little stretched, but the final section gave the story satisfying emotional weight. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy quiet suspense rather than fast action.”

Avoid sales copy such as “Buy this now.” Avoid reviewing a friend’s book as if you were an independent customer. Avoid accepting rewards for posting, changing, or removing a review. And never let an author or publisher tell you what rating to give.

The safest habit is simple: read honestly, disclose where needed, write in your own words, and check the platform’s current rules before posting.

I would also check the correct edition before posting. A review of an audiobook performance, for example, should identify that format rather than leave readers assuming you mean the printed text.

Check the current Amazon book-review guidance, Goodreads review guidelines and Goodreads author guidelines before posting.

Browse our spoiler-free reviews for examples, and read about our approach to reviewing for the principles behind them.

Authors can also read our review-request guidance.