Why I Don’t Pay for Reviews—or Book Clubs

This is something I’ve thought a lot about, both as a writer and just as a person who wants to do things the right way: I don’t pay for reviews. I also don’t pay book clubs to read my work. And it’s not because I don’t value what readers think—I do. In fact, I value it too much to put a price tag on it.

The second money enters the picture, the whole dynamic shifts. Even if people try to stay neutral, there’s always that subtle pull—I got paid, so I should probably say something nice. It’s human nature. But that’s where the honesty gets lost.

And I want honesty more than flattery.

If someone reads my book and thinks, eh, not for me, I’d rather hear that than get a glowing review that was padded out because I covered someone’s reading fee. Feedback like that doesn’t help me grow. It just… feels hollow.

So no paid reviews. No bought opinions. Just real people, reading (or not reading) on their own terms. I want every bit of feedback—good or bad—to come from a place of truth, not transaction.

Because in the long run? That kind of honesty is what actually makes you better.