How to Get Book Reviews: Tips for Authors and Publishers

Getting book reviews is one of the important ways to garner excitement for your book. It helps to generate a buzz around, before it is released. It helps to influence the decisions of people and makes them interested in its story, and narrative. 

Here are effective strategies to get book reviews for free

1. You need to get connected to reviewers: You need to connect and identify people who review books, you need to personalise your pitch, and building rapport with reviewers can result in getting very thoughtful reviews. 
2. Provide Copies of Your Book in Advance for Pre- orders: You need to send author copies in advance for your book to market your book to bookstagrammers, influencers, and bloggers who have many followers on Instagram can get reviews for your book through podcasts, reels and a lot more. 
3. Use Websites such as Goodreads and Amazon: You can ask your readers to leave reviews on your book on Amazon and Goodreads. Goodreads also has an author page that can help you build your community. You can also add a call to action to add incentives for promoting your book, for example write book reviews on this book for money.
4. Sign Up for communities that review books: Netgalley is a platform where authors can ask reviewers to review their book to increase the book’s visibility across online platforms, and on social media.
5. Submission to Professional Review platforms: Kirkus is a review platform that gives paid book reviews to help feedback and to promote the book extensively. 

 How should Publishers get Books Reviewed ?

1. Offer Paperback/ Hardback to Reviewers: Each reviewer should get a free copy, before he/ she reviews a book. No reviewer will prefer to read a book onscreen. Printed books get way more appeal from reviewers, especially paperbacks. 
2. Maintain contact and network: You need to build a rapport with reviewers, until and unless they will not review your book, nor market it. It will help in increasing book visibility across the spectrum. 
3. Book Reviews often get spiked: You need to take into account the spike in reviews which could have many reasons, negative publicity for a book, a publishing house closing down, and others. In that case, an alternate publisher must be found for publishing the review. 
4. Keep Images for a Book Ready: You need to have a cover image, and photographs of authors ready, before the book gets launched. 
5. Email about New Releases: If you have new books which are about to be released, you need to release an emailer to reviewers about it. This way they will know beforehand, and it will be good to market the book.
6. Do not overdo on publicity: Do not oversell a book, you need to get it peer reviewed, before it gets published. The title needs to be checked, otherwise it won’t be reviewed. 
7. Include a Press Release for the Book: A press release needs to be included for this book that includes number of pages, ISBN, Types of illustrations, price of the book, size and format. 
8. Condition of the Book should be impeccable: It should be no way damaged, or tattered. The reviewer will not review the book, in case it is in damaged condition. 

More Tips on Getting Book Reviews

• Getting your book reviewed by more and more people online is not an easy task. If you want to help the book climb charts on Amazon, then you need to use Freebooksy. It is a promotional website especially relevant for Indie authors. You need to pay for your book review around 30 to 230 dollars. It promotes books by giving giveaways to reviewers. 

• You need to contact top reviewers on Amazon to share their opinions on certain books. It is an esteemed way to get reviews, and is sure to increase visibility. 

• Use a call to action: If you want more people to review your book without any overhead cost, then use a call to action on the last page. It could be thanks for reading, after reading, leave a review for the book on the book store. 

If you have just started writing, then build an effective online presence, before asking anyone to review your book. You need to participate in Quora answers for books, leaving your link, Reddit, or other online clubs to promote your book. 

You need to engage the right readers, and offer them incentives for reviewing your book. You need to connect with readers to generate buzz for your book which will make it easier for them to resonate with you. It will enhance the success of the book in the long run. You can also pitch your book to reading groups on social media for reviews. 

All these things will create a ripple effect making your book stand out in comparison to other authors, and help make your book a bestseller.