Best Places for Authors to Get Book Reviews

Top 25 Sites for Finding Reviewers

Nothing is quite so discouraging to an author as a dearth of reviews. Later years of working on a novel, months (if not years) of trying to find an agent, and even more fourth dimension spent waiting for publication, the release date arrives and poof! Nobody appears to be reading your book! It's enough to make yous hang up your keyboard.

Even if you lot self-publish, you will spend months of training for a release day that may leave with a whimper, non a bang. In some respects, a lack of reviews is worse if you have cocky-published, because those who follow that route have to practise all their ain marketing and promotion, a job which requires directly involvement with readers.

Why are reviews important?

Like any other production on the market, people rely on the recommendations of others when they cull a book to read. In traditional publishing, endorsements by well-known authors and public figures are a key element in marketing. In the self-publishing globe, success rests on the number of readers on Goodreads, on Amazon, and on blogs who will give your book a 5-star review. Without this kind of public endorsement, it may exist virtually impossible to promote your book, especially if you have enrolled in KDP Select.

Amazon KDP Select giveaways are however the reigning book promotion tool. There are dozens of sites that volition post your free days, but nearly all of them require a minimum number of reviews. It'south 1 of those chicken-and-egg dilemmas. Y'all tin't promote your book without reviews, but y'all can't become reviews without promotion.

Should y'all pay for reviews?

If yous are a new cocky-published author, don't pay for reviews.

Traditional publishers have long-standing ties with the media, which self-publishers don't. This often drives cocky-publishers to pay for publicity. In my experience, paid reviews don't take nearly the clout of regular reviews posted on Amazon or Goodreads. For one thing, they take limited shelf life. A paid review may get posted on Blogcritics and and so picked up briefly by small publications, or information technology may simply get sent to you for your own utilize. Very rarely do these reviews make it into larger media outlets, where they will reach the maximum number of people. Of course, you lot can always shell out $400 for a Kirkus review, merely you lot take your chances. A adept review in Kirkus is like an endorsement from God, only a bad review is the buss of death.

How to get complimentary reviews

Fortunately, there are mechanisms in identify for getting reviews without spending a great deal of money. Giving abroad copies en masse is one road, targeting individual reviewers is some other.

Listing of Online Reviewers Who Accept Self-Published Books. If you have self-published your book, the first identify you should look is this listing of 425 reviewers. Well-nigh of these will accept traditionally published books equally well. Preferred genres, submissions guidelines, and where the review will exist posted are included.

Twitter. Search accounts for "volume reviewers" plus your genre. Make a Twitter list for reviewers!

Librarything allows authors to requite away copies of their books to Librarything members. (Read their policies.) Authors of self-published ebooks can give away up to 100 copies. Reviews are not required of readers, although they are recommended, and then don't expect more a ten% return rate. Just fifty-fifty ten reviews will enable you to post your free days on some of the larger freebie sites if yous take enrolled in Amazon KDP Select.

Book Blogger Directory

http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/

Over a thousand book blogs, very nicely organized by subject, and alphabetically. However, quite a few of these blogs no longer exist, or are closed to submissions, so you will have to sift through them.

All-time of the Web

http://blogs.botw.org/Arts/Literature/Book_Reviews/0/

Best of the Web book blogs organized alphabetically. Not as easy to navigate as the other lists on this folio.

Book Blogger Listing
http://bookbloggerlist.com/
This well-organized site is for fiction and non-fiction. A user-friendly driblet-down menu off the navigation bar lets you lot choose the genre. I had more than luck with the reviewers who posted their blogs on this site than any other.

The Indie View
http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/#!
Reviewers are listed on a user-friendly table that provides links to their websites, submission guidelines, and where they postal service reviews. Because so many reviewers list their sites here, your chances of finding a substantial number of reviewers for your genre are loftier. All reviews are gratuitous of charge. If y'all've written an ebook, this site will prove very useful.

Book Reviewers on the Spider web
http://robinmizell.wordpress.com/volume-reviewers/#!
This is a one-size-fits-all list that requires a lot of work. Don't bother with the first few sections, just coil down to the concluding function: "Spider web directories of volume review sites." That's where you will find gold.

YA Volume Blog Directory
http://yabookblogdirectory.blogspot.ca/p/ya-book-blogger-list.html
The YA Volume Blog Directory is a reference site for YA book blogs.There are numerous book blogs, all with unique styles and preferences. HUGE listing — organized alphabetically.

The Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/links/othr_rev.htm#!

The MBR, which, by the mode, does a GREAT job of reviewing books (although they charge for ebooks), has a very long listing of reviewers. The list is alphabetical, so it's a chore to piece of work through. But, the list is extensive enough to warrant a bit of work.

Story Cartel
http://storycartel.com/registration/
Story Cartel is based on an interesting concept. Somewhat like Librarything, you postal service your book for free for a limited fourth dimension in exchange for reviews. The difference is that with Librarything giveaways, the writer sends the book to a list of readers, whereas Story Cartel posts your book. With over 12,000 readers, you are guaranteed to become at least a few reviews.

Directory of Volume Bloggers on Pinterest
http://www.mandyboles.com/2012/01/directory-of-book-bloggers-on-pinterest/
Alphabetical listing maintained by Mandy Boles.

Kate Tilton'due south Book Bloggers
http://katetilton.com/kate-tiltons-book-bloggers/
Smaller list maintained by Kate Tilton — all provide reviews.

Book Reviewer Yellowish Pages
http://world wide web.bookrevieweryellowpages.com/book-reviewer-list.html
An enormous list of book reviewers arranged alphabetically.

Book Viral
This site allows you to submit a book to be featured as a spotlight before "thousands of readers." The turnaround fourth dimension for a gratuitous review is 16 weeks. Although the site is very professional, the claims that they make best-sellers are vastly overstated. The majority of the books featured on this site accept Amazon rankings well into the hundred thousands and often in the millions. If you determine to go with this service, don't pay for a fast track review.

Tweet Your Books
http://www.tweetyourbooks.com/#!gratis-reviews/c1yij
In addition to paid services, Tweet Your Books keeps a listing of reviewers. (Not organized in any detail style.)

Google Book Weblog Directory

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=017997935591651423304%3A5fpbgt6-tou&hl=en

Blazon "book reviews" into the search bar.

Indie Scifi Reviewers

https://indiesfreviewers.wordpress.com/

The listing includes all speculative fiction (It is alphabetized.)

The Kindle Book Review

https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/volume-reviews/

Nice list organized by genre.

The All-time Reviews
http://thebestreviews.com/faq.php
This is a site where reviewers can search a database for authors. Authors submit their piece of work for inclusion, just do not direct contact the reviewers.

For those who are looking for reviewers with serious clout …

The Consummate Review
http://world wide web.consummate-review.com/links/links.html
The Complete Review is simply that — a complete source for book reviews of all sorts, paid, print, online, free, and in many languages. If you lot have just published an ebook on Amazon, this should not exist your first terminate for finding reviewers. Merely, if you lot are on your second or third book, this site will prove useful. You can besides notice general literary sites, literary blogs, and publishers hither.

AcqWeb
http://world wide web.acqweb.org/book_review
AcqWeb is gathering identify for librarians looking for acquisitions. The list they feature is not long, but it volition give you a proficient idea of where librarians go to find volume reviews for items they are interested in purchasing. When information technology comes time for you to pay for a review, make sure it appears on one of these sites.

The Writer's Site
http://www.thewriterssite.com/direct_pages/book_review_sites.html
This site has a short listing, but the commentary is useful. Many of these reviews sites do not appear elsewhere.

The viii Best Review Sites
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/determine-what-to-read-next-with-the-best-book-review-sites/
This article is a rundown of the top places yous tin can get your volume reviewed. The New York Times, of course, is first on the listing. This is the list large publishers hoping to make a splash send ARCs to. While information technology's non useful for well-nigh Indie writers, it's always a good idea to become familiar with how the book review world works.

Words Into Print
http://wordsintoprint.wordpress.com/list-of-book-reviewers/
Words Into Print is an extremely useful resource if you are considering a print publication. Not only practice they give y'all a list of all the places to transport ARCs, they tell you when. This site also provides useful information almost other facets of self-publishing, writing query messages, creating a press release, scheduling readings, then on.

Volume Review Magazine Editors and Reviewers
http://world wide web.bookmarket.com/magazines-books.htm
Comprehensive list of every review source under the sunday.

And, if y'all take the coin …

If y'all are serious most having libraries order your volume, and want the stamp of a prestigious review source you can always submit your volume — in print or digital format — to Kirkus. It'south expensive — $425 for a standard review. Kirkus is a high-stakes take a chance. A good review volition go y'all far, simply a bad 1 is the kiss of death.

NetGalley — Most serious online reviewers become ARCs through NetGalley. They charge a set-up fee plus a monthly toll.

Erica Verrillo has published five books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on how to become an amanuensis, lists agents who are looking for clients equally well every bit publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers, explains how to market place and promote your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews, how to self-publish, and where to discover markets for your work on Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity .

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