Many new authors look forward to getting glowing reviews of their book which will then promote them into the public eye and result in fame and fortune. But this is not exactly how it works. Finding people to review your book is not that difficult, there are several thousand of places on and offline that do book reviews, but the real questions are: “Who reads these reviews?” and “Do reviews get people to buy your book?”
If you have a self-help book that will appeal to a large audience, then you or your publisher may want to spend some time trying to get a review in a newspaper or magazine or web site with a large readership. But unless you are an experienced author or a celebrity, this can be hard to accomplish. An author on a recent book tour in Philadelphia stopped by the Philadelphia Inquirer and asked about the chances of getting her book reviewed in that paper. A staff member told her that they get over 200 books a week to review and only review a handful in the paper. Her chances were “slim to none.”
Please note that reviews are not the same as articles about you or your book. Reviews are supposed to be unbiased opinions. They are intended to help readers decide whether or not to read your book. I’ve had hundreds of articles written about me and my books, but these are not unbiased. Most of these articles are written to inform the reader about a particular subject, and I am quoted as an expert, and my book is mentioned as follow-up reading.
The publishing revolution has made it much easier for authors to get reviews where it matters; on websites and particularly blogs that your target audience goes to on a regular basis.
If you are a self-published author, or if you are doing publicity and marketing on the behalf of your publisher, I’d rather not see you spend too much time submitting your reviews to newspapers, magazines, or review sites (which by the way can take months to review and publish assuming they accept it). Instead, I recommend going to the blogosphere and asking bloggers in your subject area to review your book.
Of course if you prefer to have your book reviewed in the broader media, you can Google something like “how do I get my book reviewed,” and you will come up with a variety of sites that either publish reviews themselves, or will submit your book to relevant sites and blogs for review. Some of these are free, and some of these will ask you to pay for the service. Make sure that you don’t end up paying for something that will not really result in sales.
Here are a few well known places that publish book reviews. Note that some reviewers want you book before it is published (you will send them galleys) and other reviewers will be consider your book after it has been published. Some sites where you can submit your book for review include:
Publisher's Weekly – for books available in bookstores only
New York Times Book Review - for books available in bookstores only
Post-Publication Reviewers
Choice – for academic libraries (see Contact button at the top of the page)
The Horn Book – children's and young adult titles
School Library Journal – children's and young adult titles
Your online book review will almost always have an advantage over a print review because there will usually be a link for the reader to buy it on the spot.
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