Getting reviews on Amazon as an indie author feels like a chicken-and-egg problem. You need reviews to rank, but you need to rank to get reviews.
I put together a breakdown of what each review milestone actually does for your book on Amazon:
5 reviews - Social proof kicks in. Buyers stop assuming your book is a scam.
15 reviews - Amazon's algorithm starts treating your book as a real product. You appear in 'customers also bought' more often.
25 reviews - The visibility threshold. Many Amazon ads require 25+ reviews before they let you bid on competitive keywords.
50 reviews - Category authority. If your average rating holds above 4.2, you start showing in top-of-category pages.
100+ reviews - You are now competing with trad-published books. At this point, your cover, price, and description matter more than review count.
There is a full breakdown at iWrity - How Many Amazon Reviews Does a Book Need in 2026?
The article also covers what happens to conversion rates at each milestone and how to build reviews without violating Amazon policy. The Amazon review policy for indie authors has tightened in 2026 - direct swaps are banned, but points-based platforms remain compliant.
The fastest legitimate method: ARC programs before launch, then a points-based review exchange after. The iWrity review platform is built around this model.
Have you found a review count that made a visible difference in your sales?
