For those of you who read books, especially books by self-published authors, or authors with small independent publishers, I just want to remind you that reviews really do matter to authors. When I completed my first book, I read a lot and went to writer’s group meetings and learned what “successful” writers do. At that point, I wanted the reviews because supposedly Amazon will help sell your book if you have a large number of reviews. This led me to release my book places I probably shouldn’t have, in turn, leading to a couple of unfavorable reviews from some who didn’t agree with my politics. It took a few well written positive reviews to help me rebound from one negative one. Getting free books from Amazon is nice. What’s even nicer is your taking the time to let the author know what you think, especially if you like the book. It really does matter. The day you post your review just might be the day the author was feeling like giving up. Your words might be just the fuel that he or she needed that day.