Getting reviews without a network?

So I just got my first review on Amazon after the book's been on there for a year, sold/downloaded around 24-30 times, and I've dropped some 10 copies in crowded places. I'm getting another 10 tomorrow and stickers that explicitly say that this book is a free handout and would appreciate a review, to drop in book stores with staff permission.

I've attended a comic and novel convention, and held a giveaway on Instagram and appropriate Facebook groups for free copies of the paperback in exchange for the promise of a review (positive, negative, don't care) as well as "refund after review". I got 1 taker for a free copy, and the deadline to review it (30 days) has passed several months ago. You'd think that if people hate the book, they'd be more likely to post a review, what with human nature of focusing on/complaining about the bad things in life, but not even a bad review was given. I did give a squee at the one I did get now

I have 48 friends on Facebook none of whom I want to share this book with. Hence the pen name. I don't do Twitter. And while I'm paid a nice salary to help others market themselves and reach customers, I'm shit at marketing ME and MY stuff.

I've tried to get the book listed on Libri so brick and mortar stores would sell it, but it needs to be published with a "real" publisher for that. I'm in no position to open and pay taxes on my own business just to say "Hey, I got a registered publisher, and it's run by and only representing ME!". I'd also suck at that. Of all the agents and reviewers I've contacted, half never responded and those who did, all declined. I am so bad at telling people "Hey, you might like this, please give it a chance". Maybe because my grandma used to slap me for bragging? *shrugs*

What does one do in my position? I hate that my baby of 4 years flops like this.

Fuchsia Groan said:

This. My (trade-published) book has had some nice store placement recently, and I’m seeing that reflected a bit in Bookscan sales numbers, but the number of Amazon reviews? Hasn’t budged in maybe a year, since before the paperback came out. This is a long, long game. Organic reviews are really hard to get—but you know that.

The GR reading rounds sound like a good tool; I’d definitely do that with a self-published book. Maybe also get fresh eyes on your pitch/blurb if it hasn’t already been exhaustively critiqued and honed. Do you have Little Free Libraries where you live? People definitely take the books, though what they do with them I could not say. Have you tried local media and pushing a local angle? Small outlets? They may have a “no self-published books” policy, or they may not. Media folks probably won’t leave Amazon reviews (I don’t when I review a book), but they might bring the book to the attention of people who will.

Click to expand...

There's a LFL right next to my house, but my mother gets her books there and I don't want her to get her hands on that one. Plus, this isn't a neighbourhood where I could hope for an audience for that one.

Also wrote to some local English/used book stores, but while it says "Read", the messages got ignored. As for the media, I don't read any newspapers or magazines and have no idea how or where to start searching for them, so I have no idea what paper is looking for what kind of content.

I did enter the book on Goodreads, but with zero response.
Will have a look at ARC though.