Your Writer Platform

Build your platform. Engage your fans. Sell more books.

  • About
  • Learn
    • Business Plan for Authors
    • Author Brand Strategy
    • Audience Building
    • Author Website Essentials
    • Launch Planning
    • Marketing and Promotion
  • Resources for Authors
  • Blog

How to Reach Out to Reviewers: a Publicist’s Guide

by Kimberley Grabas

Share20
Tweet
Pin42
Share
62 Shares

Book publicist Ben Cameron has been in the game for twenty years, working with both traditional and self-published authors.

But he’s noticed a bigger change in the publishing world in the last five years than he has in the last fifteen. 

“That’s come down to the self-publishing revolution, and the revolution in ebooks,” Ben observes.

He recently talked to us about these changes — and what they might mean for self-publishing authors’ publicity games.

In this article, he offers his professional insights on what kinds of reviews are out there, how to find them, and how to get them. Let’s take a look at what he has to say.

TYPES OF REVIEWS

First up: the types of reviews out there that you can secure. As you might expect, the Internet’s revolutionized this quite dramatically, such that Ben now divides them into two categories: professional reviews, and “real people” reviews.

Professional reviews 

Professional reviews are reviewers paid by media companies to review books. Places like Kirkus Reviews, The New Yorker, and The Guardian are a few examples.

These tend to work best for literary or academic books — but their standing in the industry is so great that even just one of this type of review can make a big difference for any book.

“Real people” reviews 

“Real people” reviews are reviews from, well, real people. In the age of the Internet, you’ll tend to see these on Amazon and Goodreads, with 1- to 5-star ratings.

This type of review works better for genre fiction and you generally want to collect them into an amalgam for people to make a judgment about your book.

And if you’re wondering where bloggers fall? Ben has an answer for you:

“Bloggers can be anywhere in between in that mix. Bloggers can be very professional, they can write as well or better than professional reviewers, or they might just be hobbyist, enthusiastic readers.”

But he notes that it’s a good idea to include both types of reviews under your belt.

HOW TO FIND REVIEWS

Next up, let’s take a look at how to actually find these reviews. There are multiple ways to find reviewers — some admittedly might take a little more legwork on your part. But this section will at least give you a head start and get you looking in the right places.

Do your research

Take a step back from your book and think about your target reader — particularly, what kind of media they consume. What TV programs do they watch? What radio stations do they listen to? What newspapers, magazines, and online media do they read?

Hone in on the media your reader consumes and make a list of those places.

Then it’s time to track down a contact that works for some of those media outlets.

“Go to the library, go to the newsagent and find out those contact details,” Ben urges.

After that, email your contacts with the details of your book. Ben also recommends that you follow up with a phone call after you send an email — an email is easy to overlook, so it’s important to follow up with that more personalized touch.

And if you’re pitching somebody for a book review, be prepared to send a copy of your book.

Netgalley

One of the most popular ways to get your book reviewed is through Netgalley.com — a website where individuals, publishers, and publicists subscribe to list Advance Review Copies (ARCs) for reviewers’ attention.

How it works is pretty simple: simply upload your ebook, whereupon reviewers on the site will request to download it for free.

“You get probably around 10 percent of people who download your book that post a review,” Ben says.

Note that you’ll get most of your requests upfront — within 4-6 weeks — then your requests begin to dwindle over time. But it’s a great jumping-off point to start the review process.

Book review blog directories

In addition to your own research and Netgalley, there are also blog listing services that can help you navigate the vast array of book blog review sites out there.

Reedsy, for instance, can recommend over 200+ book review blogs, given your book’s subject or genre. 

Once you find blogs that are a good fit for your book, they’ll often have listings of other sites that review the same sorts of books — a.k.a. an endless trove of reviewers for you to discover! — and you can work your way out from there. 

Take advantage of giveaways 

Giveaways (when you give away your book for free in hopes that readers will post a review) are another clever way to source reviews for your book.

According to Ben, one of the best ways to conduct a giveaway is via Goodreads. Goodreads has a system where you can offer as many books as you’d like to, in turn, get book reviews.

Of course, in order to access this system, you need to join Goodreads’ free author program —  but it’s usually well worth the effort.

Don’t forget that you can also host giveaways on your website.

“This works particularly well if you’re writing a series. If you’re two or three or more books into the series, you can give away your first book for free. That’s a great way of getting people into your series,” Ben suggests. 

HOW TO GET REVIEWS

Once you’ve found the right reviewers for your book, then it’s time to grab their attention (with tact, of course). So what does it take to start reeling in the reviews? Here’s some valuable advice:

Sell reviewers the idea of your book

Oftentimes people are skeptical of free books —

“And rightly so,” Ben adds. “There are a lot of free books flying around and a lot of them aren’t very good.”

So assure your reviewers that you sought them out specifically. They need to know that you are approaching them because you think that it would interest them — tell them why your book would intrigue them.

Don’t just copy and paste a template! Tailor your pitch to the specific reviewer. Different people will be interested in your book for different reasons, so it’s important to hone in on these aspects.

As Ben explains:

“That’s really the key to approaching reviewers. You have to make that pitch where you’re selling them on the idea that your book is really something they should cover. And if you do that and you do that well, there’s a very good chance they’ll say yes.”

Be persistent, but polite

There is a fine line between being persistent and being annoying.

Even if a reviewer says no, it’s very important to remain cordial. Remember that reviewers don’t have any obligation to review your book. They have a lot of books constantly coming their way, and there’s a lot of competition out there. 

But it pays to be polite even in the face of rejection. Who knows when you may cross paths again in the future? And, if you do, you certainly don’t want to be remembered for a negative exchange.

Let reviewers know what you expect

Although this may already be obvious to you, it’s important to be clear about what you expect from reviewers.

If you’re looking for a review, be straightforward about it. If you think the outlet would be a better fit for an author interview, be sure to let them know you’re interested in that. If you’d like them to post the review on Amazon (which is a good idea), let them know that as well.

The more upfront you are about what you are asking, the better the chances you’ll get what you want.

Don’t be tempted to pay for “good” reviews

It may seem like a tantalizing shortcut, but Ben warns against paying for “good” reviews. This can get you into deep water with Amazon and other retailers, which just isn’t worth it. 

Instead, go about it in an honest way. Make sure that your book is as polished as possible (and edit it thoroughly) before sending it off to a reviewer.

Of course, this is tough work. But you should trust that your endeavor is beneficial in the long run — if you put in the effort to write a great book and track down reviewers for that book, they’ll (hopefully) be eager for your next book.

Keep in mind that not all paid reviews are illegitimate! (For example, Kirkus Reviews and The Bookbag are highly reputable paid review sites that will write lengthy and independent reviews of your book.)

The main message here is just to be discerning when exchanging reviews for cash.

By keeping a professional like Ben Cameron’s considerations in mind, you’ll be on your way to building a successful repertoire of reviews that will get your book the consideration it deserves — and the sales that you want.

So go forth and conquer like the self-publicist you were meant to be!

Questions or comments? Please leave them below.


Tess Patalano is a writer at Reedsy, a marketplace giving authors and publishers access to talented professionals and free educational content. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, taking pictures, and scuba diving.


Believe, Plan, Act: A Platform + Productivity Planner for Writers

A complete platform + productivity planning system for your author business.

Everything you need to discover, plan and execute your writing and business goals – so you can finally remove the word “aspiring” from all your profiles…

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Filed Under: Blog, Business of Writing, Marketing & Promotion Tagged With: book reviews, outreach, publicist

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.

It’s that simple.

Get on the Insiders List to receive the free Quick Start Guide to Building Your Writer Platform, exclusive content via email, and instant access to a growing library of downloadable resources.

LET'S GO

  • Home
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • Blog
  • Legal

Copyright © 2023 · yourwriterplatform.com · Developed by WP Help Club

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Before you go...
Get your free "Quick Start Guide to Building Your Writer Platform", plus regular email updates delivered straight to your inbox!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.