How to Get Reviews for Self-Published Books

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Today's guest post is by Joel Friedlander, one of the most informative people I
know on the topic of self-publishing. Go visit
his blog, or follow him on Twitter.





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It's never been a better time to be a self-published author, and there have never
been more book reviewers available to the writer who decides to go indie.



Book reviewers help spread the message about your book by publishing a review to their
own network. But if you're new to publishing, you have to figure out how to get those
book reviews that can bring you more readers.



First, Get Your Kit Together


Before you go hunting for reviewers, make sure you've got the essentials you'll
need. At the minimum you should have:



Complete PDF of your book. Either include the covers if you can, or have the cover
available as a JPG



Print copies and mailing supplies. If you're publishing via print on demand, order
in enough books to respond to reviewer requests.



Press release about the launch of your book. Try to make it sound like a story you
would read in the newspaper.



Cover letter. This should be a brief introduction to you and your book, but keep it
short.



Photos of the book and author. You'll need high- and low-resolution images if you're
approaching both print and online reviewers.



Author bio. This is a good place to show your qualifications, particularly if you're
a nonfiction author.



How to Find Reviewers


There are literally thousands of book bloggers online, and most of them review books
even though they aren't paid. Nevertheless, many are thoughtful reviewers and good
writers, and have a significant following.



There are also reviewers offering paid reviews. I avoid these, since there isn't any
good reason to pay for a review that I can think of. Some review services offer free
reviews and another level of service if you pay. My opinion is that there are better
ways to spend your money, and plenty of free reviewers, so at least when you start,
explore those first.



Here are some places to look for reviews:



One of the best new references to find reviewers online is the
list put together by indie author Christy Pinheiro of Step-by-Step Self-Publishing.




Midwest Book Review welcomes
self-published books, and their website is a wealth of information on reviews.



Indie Reader, a new website, invites
authors to submit their books for review, and they have published over 150 reviews
on their site already.



Self-Publishing Review allows reviewers
to post book reviews, and members (just an opt-in) can post to the site.




Some of the online writer's forums and community sites are great places to look for
reviewers. Absolute Write is a favorite,
but don't overlook newer communities like the forums at Nathan
Bransford's site.



Book Blogs, a site for book bloggers, has
over 1,500 bloggers who say they review books. It's a good place to explore.



For print reviewers, consider
the programs run by the Independent Book Publishers Association. These mailings
of books for review go to over 3,000 newspaper and magazine editors and reviewers.



5 Key Tips for Getting Book Reviews


So you've got your materials together, you've got access to lots of reviewers, you're
ready to go. Here are my 5 best tips for getting book reviews:



Pick the right reviewers. This is the single most important thing you can do
to help your review program. Find out what kind of books the reviewer likes to review,
and only select appropriate reviewers.

Query the reviewers. Check each reviewer's requirements. Some want you to just
send the book, but many ask for a query. Some review e-books, many do not. Conforming
to their requirements saves both of you time.

Send the book. In your query make sure to offer both versions of the book,
the PDF and the print copy, or both.

Follow up. Don't stalk or harass the reviewer, who is probably doing this in
her spare time. But if you haven't heard anything after a few weeks, follow up to
see if they still intend to write the review.

Thank the reviewer. It's common courtesy, but it also shows you appreciate
the time and effort someone else took to help bring your book to the attention of
more people.

Book reviews can be very effective in spreading the word about a good book. Nothing
sells books as well as word of mouth, and you can get people talking about your book
if you can bring it to their notice. Book reviews will do that for you.




Additional Resources




Dan Poynter: advice for organizing your review
mailings




Bards and Sages page on Book
Reviews with sample letters







A
useful article with lots of links by self-published author C. Patrick Schultze



Example of a book blogger reviewer






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Joel Friedlander is the proprietor of Marin Bookworks in San Rafael, California,
a publishing services company where he's helped launch many self-publishers. He blogs
about book design, writing and self-publishing at www.TheBookDesigner.com.
Joel is also the author of the newly-published A
Self-Publisher's Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish.




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Do you know of other resources for finding book reviewers? Any tips to share? Please
share in the comments!




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