I'll compare this to Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, authors of the Liaden universe. It's classic space opera and for years was put out by a small publisher. They had a very dedicated and vocal set of fans but didn't get much traction in the broader SF community for quite some time.
What's funny about that particular link is related to my comment about online serials. After their publisher went under they did the original version of Fledgling as a donation based serial on their web site, and I bet a bunch of the oldest reviews for it are from people who donated for it then bought the hardcover when they signed with Baen and it was re-edited and published.
Those would be the loyal readers who go to authors' websites looking for news and new releases.
She comes to get to know her best fans after they become fans. They leave honest reviews on their own accord.
This is NOT her asking for random friends and family to leave a positive review. I wasn't clear before.