Rewarding Readers for Reviewing

Recently I received a notice from an author I respect and follow. They said if I confirm my Amazon review, they will send me an ebook or paperback of my choice from their website. So exciting! As a reader, I was all over that. A few months ago, in an author resource (physical) book, i was told that they would send me a pdf of very useful resources, tied to the book, if I submitted a copy of my Amazon review. Sa reader, I saw it as motivating, since I already loved the book.

But then, I thought as an author. Am I allowed to do that? A very quick search led me to this page (below).

Here’s a quote, as it relates to the Federal Trade Commission:

»There are a few things you should avoid if you don’t want to run into legal trouble:

• Offering discounts or coupons in exchange for a review

• Asking customers to leave a review to enter a contest or sweepstakes

• Paying customers or employees to write positive reviews

You should avoid these things if you don’t want to get in trouble with the law.«

Not sure if foreign authors need to worry about it, since it is a US law. (Probably if are selling in the US). But it really matters. I wonder if there are ways to incentivize that are not considered bribes.