Getting free targeted and sincere reviews for your book requires research, commitment and follow through.

I’m going to share with you the mistakes I made and the things I did right about getting book reviews for my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT.

First the mistakes:

I waited until the book was published instead of sending out the manuscript or the first page galleys from my print-on-demand publisher BookSurge.

I used pay-for-review services whose reviewers were not committed to the subject of my novel – for them this was a job for hire.

I sent copies of the book to book bloggers who responded to my email that they indeed wanted to review the book but who never reviewed the book. I later realized that I wasn’t anyone to them so my book obviously got buried in the avalanche of books they receive.

Now what I did right:

I researched on Amazon for reviewers who had written good reviews about similar-themed books. I contacted them through the Amazon friend feature and offered my book for review. (Note — there is no payment given for these reviews.) I got a few replies, including some who told me they were too busy along with some who really wanted to review the book and did.

When I emailed these Amazon reviewers to consider reviewing the book, I gave them the link to my website with the first four chapters available for free. I suggested they read those chapters to see if the book might appeal to them. Obviously, if they didn’t like the first four chapters, they probably wouldn’t want to read the whole book.

I took a virtual book tour through virtual book tour organizer Pump Up Your Book Promotion, and several book bloggers agreed to review the book. (Again, no payment.) I said yes to providing a second free book for a contest connected with the review (or interview). And the winner of the contest often had her/his own book blog.

I started using social media platforms – especially Twitter and Facebook – to make “friends” online. Now when these people said yes to reviewing my book I was no longer a nobody to them. We had a relationship.

More valuable reviews from people who were interested in my book:

The reviews I got by approaching people interested in my book’s fiction genre were much more valuable than the reviews I got using, for example, pay-for-review services where the reviewer might not even like my type of book.

And, yes, doing the work to find and contact reviewers who like your type of book takes time and effort. It can be much easier to use pay-for-review services even thought these reviews might not be as targeted and sincere.

If you do use pay-for-review services, ask if the reviewer will be someone who likes the genre in which you’ve written. You could even ask to see samples of the reviews the proposed reviewer has written on books of this genre. In this way you may have a better chance of getting a reviewer who will appreciate your book.

And if right now you’re still writing your book or it’s still in the publication process, this is an excellent time to start forming relationships on Twitter and Facebook. The key to both these social media platforms is to freely share information that can help others. If you do this wholeheartedly, in return your online “friends” may sincerely help you.



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Writing, editing, and getting a book published is a lot of hard work, unfortunately it does not guarantee any tangible sales. In fact, most books published each year fail to sell more than a few dozen copies, creating a very competitive and cut throat book marketing industry. There are many ways people will tell you to market a book, however the most effective is usually attributed to book reviews.

Custom book reviews not only provide an author with substantial buzz for a new book, it also lends the book a sense of credibility that would be otherwise void. There are certainly no shortage of great books on the market today, however only a small percentage of them have the necessary book reviews to urge people to take action.

Next time you are on a book merchants website, have a look at a book that has no reader reviews and ask yourself if you buy this book? Chances are you would pass on buying this book in an effort to find a better, more reviewed book that people can give you some information on before buying it. The bottom line is that book reviewers provide a valuable service to book buyers by taking the mystery out of buying a book.

For whatever reason book merchants typically supply a short and concise review of the book by the publisher. This review offers often too little information for a book buyer to take action. It is therefore up to the book reviewers to provide all the needed info that persuades a book buyer to get their wallet out and click the purchase now button.

Book reviewers are unfortunately a rare breed, as the population of the world turns more and more to TV, DVDs, the internet, and other forms of entertainment. This creates a large demand for high quality book reviews, and thus the price is driven up by major publicity firms that offer such services. Thankfully there are several firms that specialize in affordable book review services, allowing authors to reap all the benefits of custom book review without the big price tag.

Affordable book reviewers can be found, and should be sought out for those interested in gaining major publicity without having to get a second mortgage on their home or put the family dog to work delivering newspapers each morning just to pay your PR firm bill. Further the author that utilizes book review services can see an immediate result in their publicity efforts because book reviews can be completed in a minimal amount of time.

There are many reasons why authors choose to get their books reviewed, but most reasons seem to stem back to the fact that book reviews actually work, and thus it is a safe investment for the author to make.



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Often I am asked how does one go about getting reviews for a novel. Most authors I have met over the years have been under the impression that the only valid reviews are found in the newspaper or in a trade periodical. While such reviews can be a feather in an author’s cap, particularly if they are positive, they should not be considered the only source of PR for a book.

An author can find a wealth of resources for obtaining book reviews, if one knows where to look. Yet, before you send those books out for review, it is important to consider this question: when should a book go out for review?

Too soon, or too late?

How soon is too soon for a book to be distributed for review? Depending upon the review source and the marketing schedule of a publisher, advanced review copies of books (also known as ARCs) may go out to reviews as early as four months before the books release. There may be many reasons for the advanced promotion. A reviewer’s schedule may be such that it may take four months to get to a particular book, and this way the publisher is ensuring a timely review. Other reasons may be seasonal: if a novel is written for the Christmas season, for example, the publisher may want to garner advanced reviews to tantalize readership during the peak of holiday shopping.

Whatever the reason for sending out ARCs, the message is clear: a book does not necessarily have to be released and for sale for the author to start collecting reviews. If words of praise are collected early enough, the publisher may want to include them on the front or back cover to entice readers to buy. Just make certain the ARC sent out for review is clean, free of errors and bound in a font size that is easily read.

Once you have the best draft available, it is time to distribute to reviewers. Here are just a few suggestions that are not necessarily limited to the media.

Professionals in the field: If your book is non-fiction, be it about politics, self-help topics, or a biography, it would be to your advantage to have an endorsement from an expert in your book’s topic. If you have written about an event in the Civil War, considering approaching an historian specializing in that era. If your book is religious in nature, seek endorsement from a noted clergyman.

Authors of similar works: Take a look at the fiction shelves of your favorite bookstore. You may notice that some novels include endorsements from other authors of the same genre. This is especially true for romance and mystery, communities so tightly knit considering the annual conferences these authors attend for networking purposes. If you have written a romance or mystery novel, you may wish to seek other authors for a word of praise. A cordial letter to the authors of your choice may yield good results for you. You might find some authors are willing to read your work, if it means extra PR for them in the form of their names on your cover. Don’t feel discouraged, however, if an author you have contacted declines or does not respond. Authors who write for a living often have busy schedules, and may not be able to afford the time needed for an unbiased endorsement of your work.

Organizations relative to your work: So you have written a mystery with a dog theme. Does this mean you are limited to mystery reviewers? Not necessarily. If a dog show is the setting for the story, you may want to consider approaching professionals on the dog show circuit to read your book. This can be especially helpful in generating word of mouth publicity for your book as well. People interested in dogs who don’t normally read mystery may be curious enough to buy your novel.

Think about the settings and occupations featured in your novel. Is there a corresponding organization that would make a good target audience for your book? Foster that connection by bringing in some potential reviewers.

Book Review websites: A quick Internet search for book review websites will yield a number of resources available to you. Many such sites have been cited on author’s book covers and in advertisements on the web and in print. It is important to note, however, when you research these websites that they are suitable to review your work.

Study each website. What genres do they accept? Do they offer a turnaround time on reviews? Do they charge a fee? A reputable reviewer will not charge, so check!

Regardless of the review source you approach, it is imperative to treat each one with the proper courtesy. Query each potential reviewer first. Do not send the book immediately, lest a reviewer feel you are imposing on him. Learn what the reviewer wants: an attachment in mail, a finished product, or an ARC.

Once it is sent, a good rule of thumb is to contact to acknowledge receipt of the book, but do not send constant e-mails about progress unless an inordinate amount of time has passed without word from the reviewer. If, after a month or so, you have heard nothing, follow-up with a polite note.

Taking care to find alternative resources for reviews can not only boost prominence of your book on shelves, but may also broaden your target audience. Don’t wait for your release to get reviews. Start the buzz now!



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