8 Tips for Getting Book Reviews

Step One is to find reviewers.

Some authors don’t realize they can to go out and find people who like to review books. There are many places to locate potential reviewers, and most of them won’t cost you a penny beyond your investment of time. Here are my eight tips for getting book reviews for your amazing book.

Tip #1: The Book Review Directory

I just discovered The Book Review Directory. It is a website where reviewers can sign up, and authors can list their books. Most books have a direct link to where it can you can purchase them.

Authors can buy paid ads too.

Over 125 Book Reviewer bloggers are listed here. Books are classified by genre.

All in all, it is worth exploring this site to find reviewers for your books.

Tip #2: Rave Reviews Book Club

There is a small annual membership fee, $25, for this group. It is a supportive group of authors reviewing and buying books by other authors in the group. They have an online catalog, contests, a virtual book club, spotlight authors, member of the month and other ways to get noticed and to promote your books. It may not be the prettiest website from a visual standpoint, but what it lacks in visual design it more than makes up for in the wholehearted support for participating self-publishers.

https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/join-here/

Rave Reviews Book Club started on Facebook.

Tip #3: Choosy Bookworm

Choosy Bookworm has a “Read & Review Program” that allows an author to give away an ebook in exchange for an honest review on Amazon / Goodreads. They have over 60,000 subscribers to their Daily Deals Newsletter, 7,200+ Twitter followers (@choosybookworm), and 14,700+ Choosy Bookworm Facebook Fans. They also have paid options for promoting your ebook to their readers.

Tip #4: Reader’s Favorite

Reader’s Favorite offers free book reviews which they will post on some of the top trade and social media sites. They will create an online Review Page for your book where they will post all four and five stars reviews. They do not guarantee that they will select your book, and it may take up to 3 months. They offer Paid Review services that range in price from $59 – $199.

You can participate in the Monthly Book Giveaway program by providing a free copy or your book to the contest winner.

Tip #5: Underground Book Reviews

Underground Book Reviews focuses on independently published books. They don’t charge to review and only accept the following types of books:

• Novels and novellas of all genres
• Adult, young adult and middle-grade fiction
• Self-published and independently published fiction

Although they do not review them, they will still list these books on their site)

• Non-fiction
• Memoir
• Children’s books
• Short story compilations
• Graphic Novels
• Poetry compilations

They offer advertising opportunities on their website for a fee.

You must become a subscriber to submit a book for review. You will receive their e-zine, book reviews, interviews and articles in a weekly email.

You can become a Premium Member for 99 cents a year.

There is a directory of members which includes authors and publishing professionals.

Tip #6: The American Library Association Booklist

• www.ala.org/booklist, The American Library Association Booklist Publications, includes an archive of over 160,000 reviews which they make available to their subscribers. An excellent resource for authors and independent publishers. You can submit books for consideration before being published. Click here for instructions to submit your book.

Tip #7: Reader’s Circle

www.readerscircle.org has over 200,000 readers. You can find or start a book club with help from this site. Authors can promote their books by paying a one-time fee of $70.

Authors can add their events to the Reader’s Circle calendar.

https://www.facebook.com/readers.circle/

Tip #8: BookLife

“BookLife.com is a website from Publishers Weekly dedicated to indie authors. The site provides a free and easy way to submit self-published books to Publishers Weekly for review and offers editorial content—success stories, interviews, author profiles, how-to pieces, news, and features—geared toward helping indie authors achieve their goals. Whether an author focuses on writing and editing, art and design, or marketing and distribution, BookLife has valuable resources that can help along the way.“

I agree they offer lots of great resources for indie authors. When you arrive on their landing page, you will find a great big button that looks like this:

Bonus Tips: Online Book Clubs

WellRead Book Club

www.wellread.org/the-club/well-read-book-club/ has a TV show where they feature one book a month. Members can post comments and reviews. You can request an interview and get more information about Well Read from producer@wellread.org.

Online Book Club

onlinebookclub.org is a free site for readers where you apply to have your book reviewed.

Goodreads Groups

www.goodreads.com/group You can search for reviewers, join groups and so much more. Amazon owns Goodreads. Goodreads is the place for avid readers and reviewers. You can put out a request for reviewers. Free to join.

Here are two articles about joining online book clubs:

Should You Join an Online Book Club? Hell, Yes. By Catherine McKenzie, published in Huffington Post

Online Book Clubs: Talk That Stays on the Page  By Judy Abel in The New York Times

Get Book Reviews for Your Amazing Book

Go out there and get book reviews. Then, post a comment about your results with these resources or share recommendations for other places to find reviewers.