I've just been reading Michael Alvear's "Make a Killing on Kindle" in which he cites a Yale study by Chevalier & Mayzlin:

http://www.nber.org/papers/w10148

which appeared to demonstrate a powerful effect of positive reviews on sales. I haven't read the study so can't vouch for it but at the very least, good reviews can't hurt and for a new book with no reviews, it would seem obvious that they could do a lot of good.

I've seen figures lately - can't remember where, I read a lot of this stuff - suggesting that about 1/100 or 1/1,000 or so of readers post a review on Amazon of what they've read. I was so ashamed of myself when I read this that now, when I finish a good new book, I check to see if it has lots of reviews aleady and if it hasn't, I leave one.

Alvear suggests that if you have a new book out, you should aim to get at least six reviews from your friends and family because the three "most liked" reviews go on the lefthand side of the Amazon page for your book, and the three most recent others in truncated form on the RHS and help fill the page in.

He also suggests that you get your supporters to "like" the positive reviews because that will keep them prominent on the LHS.

He further says it's best if you can get reviews from people who've already reviewed other books so that if people check, you don't look like you've filled your page with reviews from sockpuppets; and best if your reviews are a mix of 4* and 5* and include a bit of honest crit so it doesn't look as if it's just your friends who have posted reviews.

Carol's "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" (congratulations, Carol!) is a brilliant example of a great Amazon page from the point of view of her reviews:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tell-Wolves-Carol-Rifka-Brunt/dp/1447218531/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343573229&sr=1-1

My point (finally): I think that we should support new books, or under-reviewed books, that are worth supporting by putting reviews up on Amazon and by "liking" existing reviews on the front-page if we agree with them.

<Added>

Oops, meant to post this in Private Members in case people wanted a bit of a freer discussion so I'll repost it there - sorry!

I should also add I'm not suggesting soliciting dishonest or inflated reviews - just asking for honest ones and making the most of them!