It has many names...
Verified Purchases
Verified Purchase Reviews
VP reviews
VP-stamped reviews
VP
They all refer to one thing: Verified Purchase. Let's dive in!
What is a "Verified Purchase"?
"Verified Purchase" (VP) is an Amazon term. It refers to a customer who purchased the product from Amazon.
Amazon stamps the term Verified Purchase on certain customer reviews. If the reviewer purchased the item for full price on Amazon, the review is stamped as a Verified Purchase.
Remember, people can review products on Amazon even if they did not purchase them on Amazon. For example, you can borrow Moby-Dick from your public library and still review it on Amazon. But, your review will not be stamped as a Verified Purchase.
The Verified Purchase stamp is a sign of authenticity to both Amazon and buyers.
The stamp looks like this:
What is a Verified Purchase Review on pubby?
On pubby, you can ask for reviews with the Verified Purchase stamp.
This means your reader will purchase the book on Amazon. When they write their review, it should be marked as a Verified Purchase.
How do I become eligible to request Verified Purchase Reviews on pubby?
To be eligible, a book must:
Be available as an ebook
Be priced between $0.00 and $4.99
Paperbacks and hardbacks are never eligible for Verified Purchase reviews.
If your book meets these criteria, head to your Book Form to add the Verified Purchase Review option. You will see it under 'Choose Your Readers.'
What does the Verified Purchase upgrade cost? Or, why was I charged $14.99?
The Verified Purchase upgrade costs $14.99. You will be prompted to add and pay for this upgrade on your Book Form, while adding your book.
You can pay immediately, or pay only once your book is approved for VP. Meaning, if your book ends up not meeting our requirements for VP, you will not be charged.
The upgrade unlocks the VP review option for all current and future books. But remember, the books still must meet our other requirements (above).
Do VP Reviews require more snaps?
Yes. Verified Purchase Reviews (VP Reviews) cost 300 extra snaps per dollar the book costs.
Remember, the reader is going to purchase your book on Amazon. To entice them to do so, we give them these extra snaps.
Tip: Let pubby pay for itself by requesting VP reviews. Money you earn from book sales will offset your subscription fee quickly.
What happens if I request a VP review, but it doesn't have the stamp?
Our system automatically checks for the Verified Purchase stamp as it processes the review. The extra snaps you spent for VP will automatically be returned, and we will send you an email letting you know.
What happens if change my book's price?
Cancel any open review requests by:
Clicking the book title in the left sidebar
Find any 'looking for reader' requests at the old price
Click the 'X' in the top right corner of the request's box
If you have any assigned readers at the incorrect price, they will be able to choose if they want to cancel the assignment, or purchase the book at the higher price.
If they cancel the assignment, the entire request will be canceled. It will not be put back into the library to find a new reader. You will receive your snaps back. You will receive a notification when this happens.
If they purchase the book at a higher price, we will give them extra snaps, and remove the snaps from your account. We will send you a message when this happens.
What if my book is available thru free promotion?
Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to make their books available thru Free Book Promotions. To be eligible, you must have published your book on kdp.amazon.com. You must also start a Free Promotion.
You may request our VP reviews if your book is on Free Promotion. The reader's review will still be marked as a Verified Purchase.
How can I schedule a promotional period for a specific price?
To schedule a promotion up to 30 days in advance:
Click on the book title in the left sidebar
Click "GET REVIEWED"
Select the "Verified Purchase" option
Enter your planned promotional price
Choose the days you want this price to be available to readers in the Library
All of our VP price scheduling uses PST timing. At the end of the promotion period, we will automatically cancel and refund the snaps for any review requests that haven't been fulfilled by readers.
Please note, your book must have the "Verified Purchase" feature enabled in your Book Form before starting this review request process. To enable VP at all for the book, the price must be under $4.99 at the time of submitting the book for approval.
What if my book is priced higher than $4.99 right now, but I want to offer it for free during the promotional period?
Books priced about $4.99 are not eligible for our VP Reviews. We encourage you to lower your price, then submitting the book for approval with the VP option chosen. We do not have a good way around this at the moment :)
Are VP reviews popular with readers?
Yes! Some readers will only sign up for VP assignments. This is due to the extra snaps they offer.
That said, Standard assignments are the most popular type with readers. This is because they don't require them to spend money.
Kindle Unlimited assignments are also popular with readers for this reason.
Request a mix of all three review types to appeal to all readers!