Jessica asked:


Here are 9 simple steps to keep in mind when creating a book review. Any kind of book review, either written or via web video, explores the main aspects of the book, along with more specific examples.

However, a good book review is not simply a book report or a summary – it goes a step further and connects the book to the world around us.

Some things to keep in mind when reviewing a book:

1. State the name of the book, author and publication information exactly. This seems simple, but is sadly often botched.

2. Do your research and read the book carefully. Don’t review the book if you haven’t completely read it.

3. Never give away the whole story. The goal is to entice readers with your review. Let them know what the book is about; while leaving them wanting more.

4. What is the theme of the book? If a work of fiction, how does the author use characters and setting to drive the plot?

5. What genre is the book? Does it live up to that genre? If it is a mystery, did it keep you guessing? Or, if for instance a how-to book, could one follow the instructions and perform the tasks described?

6. Let people know how you related to the book. Did it make you laugh or cry? Try to share some highlights of the book without giving away too much. Share your personal connection with the book. It makes the review interesting, and gives the person watching or reading your review a sense of who you are.

7. You don’t have to, in a general sort of way, love the book you’re reviewing. Be specific and give specific examples out of the book that support your opinion.

8. Have you read other titles by the author? Comparing the title you are reviewing to other books by the same author will help people gauge their interest in the book.

9. Do some research about the author. There may be something very interesting about the author that readers want to know.

Kathryn Lively asked:


Often I am asked how does one go about getting reviews for a novel. Most authors I have met over the years have been under the impression that the only valid reviews are found in the newspaper or in a trade periodical. While such reviews can be a feather in an author’s cap, particularly if they are positive, they should not be considered the only source of PR for a book.

An author can find a wealth of resources for obtaining book reviews, if one knows where to look. Yet, before you send those books out for review, it is important to consider this question: when should a book go out for review?

Too soon, or too late?

How soon is too soon for a book to be distributed for review? Depending upon the review source and the marketing schedule of a publisher, advanced review copies of books (also known as ARCs) may go out to reviews as early as four months before the books release. There may be many reasons for the advanced promotion. A reviewer’s schedule may be such that it may take four months to get to a particular book, and this way the publisher is ensuring a timely review. Other reasons may be seasonal: if a novel is written for the Christmas season, for example, the publisher may want to garner advanced reviews to tantalize readership during the peak of holiday shopping.

Whatever the reason for sending out ARCs, the message is clear: a book does not necessarily have to be released and for sale for the author to start collecting reviews. If words of praise are collected early enough, the publisher may want to include them on the front or back cover to entice readers to buy. Just make certain the ARC sent out for review is clean, free of errors and bound in a font size that is easily read.

Once you have the best draft available, it is time to distribute to reviewers. Here are just a few suggestions that are not necessarily limited to the media.

Professionals in the field: If your book is non-fiction, be it about politics, self-help topics, or a biography, it would be to your advantage to have an endorsement from an expert in your book’s topic. If you have written about an event in the Civil War, considering approaching an historian specializing in that era. If your book is religious in nature, seek endorsement from a noted clergyman.

Authors of similar works: Take a look at the fiction shelves of your favorite bookstore. You may notice that some novels include endorsements from other authors of the same genre. This is especially true for romance and mystery, communities so tightly knit considering the annual conferences these authors attend for networking purposes. If you have written a romance or mystery novel, you may wish to seek other authors for a word of praise. A cordial letter to the authors of your choice may yield good results for you. You might find some authors are willing to read your work, if it means extra PR for them in the form of their names on your cover. Don’t feel discouraged, however, if an author you have contacted declines or does not respond. Authors who write for a living often have busy schedules, and may not be able to afford the time needed for an unbiased endorsement of your work.

Organizations relative to your work: So you have written a mystery with a dog theme. Does this mean you are limited to mystery reviewers? Not necessarily. If a dog show is the setting for the story, you may want to consider approaching professionals on the dog show circuit to read your book. This can be especially helpful in generating word of mouth publicity for your book as well. People interested in dogs who don’t normally read mystery may be curious enough to buy your novel.

Think about the settings and occupations featured in your novel. Is there a corresponding organization that would make a good target audience for your book? Foster that connection by bringing in some potential reviewers.

Book Review websites: A quick Internet search for book review websites will yield a number of resources available to you. Many such sites have been cited on author’s book covers and in advertisements on the web and in print. It is important to note, however, when you research these websites that they are suitable to review your work.

Study each website. What genres do they accept? Do they offer a turnaround time on reviews? Do they charge a fee? A reputable reviewer will not charge, so check!

Regardless of the review source you approach, it is imperative to treat each one with the proper courtesy. Query each potential reviewer first. Do not send the book immediately, lest a reviewer feel you are imposing on him. Learn what the reviewer wants: an attachment in mail, a finished product, or an ARC.

Once it is sent, a good rule of thumb is to contact to acknowledge receipt of the book, but do not send constant e-mails about progress unless an inordinate amount of time has passed without word from the reviewer. If, after a month or so, you have heard nothing, follow-up with a polite note.

Taking care to find alternative resources for reviews can not only boost prominence of your book on shelves, but may also broaden your target audience. Don’t wait for your release to get reviews. Start the buzz now!

Jennifer Burns asked:


To let you understand what a critical book review is, let’s define firstly what is a book review itself? Book review is an academic paper that gives an analysis of a book based on content, style, and merits. To make a book review critical, you should add more personal judgments and evaluations. It is very important to understand the book completely in order to write a good book review. Now, let’s divide your critical book reviewing into steps.

Even before an actual reading, study the table of contest and chapter titles, read the preface. It will help you to understand a book’s structure and writer’s way of thinking. You should study the writer’s biography to understand the reason of his writing. It might be good to read others critical reviews. Take some notes while reading, then you will use them for your outline. Find a way you are going to criticize, then revise your notes and eliminate all that doesn’t relate to your future thesis.

First thing you have to do, is to write a draft. Think about what will go into your introduction, body and conclusion. For example in the intro you can analyze the potential target audiences. Tell about the author’s purpose in writing the book and what have influenced him/her to write the book. Show your overall opinion of the book. In a few words explain the basis of your opinion and state the main thesis.

In the body of the review you start to evaluate the book. This evaluation should contain your arguments that support your thesis. Here you can identify the author’s main thesis and agree or disagree with them. Try to discuss not only the author’s point of view, but the accuracy of the facts, the use of the language and writing style. Comment all these by using quotations from the text, so that your book review reader would understand right away your idea. You can criticize by answering such questions as: Is the book lacking of argumentation or information, that in your opinion has to be? Are the ideas logical and easy to follow? How skillfully does the author use vocabulary, explains and supports his own arguments? Is there anything that is missing in the book? Does it need illustration? Don’t make any offensive statements here. In general you can find lots of information from the book to criticize. Be creative and remember that you have always to prove and explain your statements.

In the conclusion you should summarize your main thesis. On the ground of your short summary tell about your expectation. Were they met? What have you learnt from this book? There is a good way of an impressive end. Imagine that you could meet the author of the book and tell about your possible conversation. This will leave your review reader ran information to think about.

After you will be done with the draft, proofread it. Check for grammar and punctuation errors, for errors in your quotations, and for your logical development. Ideally, you should leave your first draft for a day or two before revising. Then you will be more open minded and will be more objective in checking. This might lead even to some radical changes of your paper’s plot.

Linda A Lavid asked:


Kind words about your work can be placed on the back or front cover, or inside the book. Usually reviews are punctuated within quotes.

 

Pre-publication reviewers can be found by searching Google or links found on my website. Since there are time constraints, a fee is often charged. Different reviewers ask for different formats. Some accept a copy of the manuscript, but often a PDF file of the book can be forwarded. A PDF file of your book is sent to you from the subsidy publisher before publication. This pre-publication document is also called a galley. Since it is a read only document, final edits must be made on a separate sheet of paper. Only send this document out for review if it is fairly clean of typos and formatting problems.

 

Getting reviews before publication can put everything on hold. Not just in the time it takes, but once returned, they have to be edited, formatted, and placed wherever you’d like them to appear. Make sure the publisher is aware of any delays.

 

Another way of handling reviews is to find other authors, specialists in the field, or enthusiastic readers to say a few words. People enjoy seeing their name in print and if they like your book, it’s a win-win situation.

 

Reviews can also be added after publication. Ask your subsidy publisher how much money it will cost to add reviews to your book cover. Editing either the cover (front and back is one document) or the interior is another advantage of POD publishing. Still, beware of prohibitive charges. Presently, my publisher charges $50 for either a cover or interior change, along with an hourly rate of $50 to make such edits. In my case, since I do my own cover, adding reviews would cost me $50, the basic charge with no hourly expense.

 

Reviews sell books, but the review process can take awhile, often months after publication. Not to worry. Those kind words can be added at anytime to online venues, such as Amazon or your website. Reviews can also be placed on press releases, bookmarks, sell sheets, promotional material and, of course, on any future covers.

 

For my second book, Paloma, I sent out twenty-eight review copies. About a third were reviewed. A couple of places went out of business and some I never heard from. One review came back over a year later. Review sites, papers, magazines often have a bank of reviewers who read books, but it’s often at their discretion. A book will be accepted for review, then put on a queue to see if anyone is interested. There’s no deadline in having a book reviewed. I’ve seen books reviewed three years after publication. The cost of getting a review is the cost of a book with shipping, but on occasion a review site will only ask for a PDF file that’s sent as an attachment. This means your book is reviewed for free!

 

Of course there’s a downside to all this review business. Reading is subjective and some reviews may be less than stellar. No writer, self published or otherwise, is immune to a bad review. Be brave.

 

Linda’s Website

Linda is the author of Composition: A Fiction Writer’s Guide for the 21st Century  Download for $3.75

Ray Subs asked:


Writing, editing, and getting a book published is a lot of hard work, unfortunately it does not guarantee any tangible sales. In fact, most books published each year fail to sell more than a few dozen copies, creating a very competitive and cut throat book marketing industry. There are many ways people will tell you to market a book, however the most effective is usually attributed to book reviews.

Custom book reviews not only provide an author with substantial buzz for a new book, it also lends the book a sense of credibility that would be otherwise void. There are certainly no shortage of great books on the market today, however only a small percentage of them have the necessary book reviews to urge people to take action.

Next time you are on a book merchants website, have a look at a book that has no reader reviews and ask yourself if you buy this book? Chances are you would pass on buying this book in an effort to find a better, more reviewed book that people can give you some information on before buying it. The bottom line is that book reviewers provide a valuable service to book buyers by taking the mystery out of buying a book.

For whatever reason book merchants typically supply a short and concise review of the book by the publisher. This review offers often too little information for a book buyer to take action. It is therefore up to the book reviewers to provide all the needed info that persuades a book buyer to get their wallet out and click the purchase now button.

Book reviewers are unfortunately a rare breed, as the population of the world turns more and more to TV, DVDs, the internet, and other forms of entertainment. This creates a large demand for high quality book reviews, and thus the price is driven up by major publicity firms that offer such services. Thankfully there are several firms that specialize in affordable book review services, allowing authors to reap all the benefits of custom book review without the big price tag.

Affordable book reviewers can be found, and should be sought out for those interested in gaining major publicity without having to get a second mortgage on their home or put the family dog to work delivering newspapers each morning just to pay your PR firm bill. Further the author that utilizes book review services can see an immediate result in their publicity efforts because book reviews can be completed in a minimal amount of time.

There are many reasons why authors choose to get their books reviewed, but most reasons seem to stem back to the fact that book reviews actually work, and thus it is a safe investment for the author to make.

Clark Covington asked:


A high quality book review is about as good as it gets for an author with a new book interested in becoming a best seller. There are dozens of ways to promote a book today, yet most of them are far from advantageous when it comes to a simple business analysis of return on investment. Purchasing a PR package from one of the major PR firms representing new and established authors will cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in fees. These fees do not promise a return on your initial investment in book sales, they just promise you’ll have the privilege of working with established PR representatives in the industry. Conversely, using a quality book review service for much less money one can obtain major publicity power for the cost of two tickets to a movie. If the author is lucky, one day the reviews done by those people could help the author land a movie deal of their own.

To best understand why book reviewers are so in demand, and why they hold such a powerful grip on author publicity today we must first look into the mind of the book buyer. With the advent of the internet, mobile internet devices, and million channel digital HD TV people are reading less books today than ever before in recent history. This means that the few people actually buying books today are becoming a much wanted commodity, and are absolutely being courted by authors from all corners to buy their books.

So what does the all mighty book buyer look for when interested in purchasing a new book? Chances are they are interested in book reviews and critiques of a given genre of books to help guide their decision. Book buyers want to know what others think about a book before they spend hours of their life reading it.

The bottom line is that people are interested in peer reviews of products before buying them, so they can learn from the mistakes of others, if it’s a bad book, they don’t want it. If it’s a good book according to a peer or a book reviewer, chances are they’ll be more likely to buy it. Book buyers, like most people, trust other people’s opinions when they are given in large numbers.

If we now understand the power of selling books is in the hands of those that review them, it makes a lot of sense to start courting book reviewers and book review companies for honest and detailed book reviews of the book you are trying to sell. These reviews will hopefully work in a viral fashion to promote a book to the masses, and in turn send them to the checkout counter with the book in tow.

Affordable author publicity is not an easy thing to come by these days, however through the time tested art of book reviews one can still sell books without spending their life savings on a big name PR firm.

Linda asked:


Before commencement of book review writing, you should distinguish between two terms: book report and book review. Many people use these terms in the same breath, however there are vital differences in the very essence of these notions.

Book Review and Book Report – Is There a Difference?

A book report has a factual emphasize. It is a factual account of the subject matter of the book, which implies to be descriptive rather than persuasive and analytical. Its aim is to present the content and the structure of the book as objectively as possible. The book report includes a plot summary; it doesn’t look into deeper meanings of the book and doesn’t contain the identification of the symbolism.

Book report writing is a good way to structure and articulate the thoughts about the book you’ve just read. In a nutshell, it is simply a summary of the contents of the book.

A book review is a critical evaluation of the book that provides a thoughtful and in-depth analysis, and evaluation of the main idea, and purpose of the book. It is also a kind of reaction paper, which analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the book in terms of accepted historical and literary standards, supporting this evaluation with evidences from the text. In a word, it presents the assessment of the quality, meaning, and significance of the book.

What, in fact, sets book reviews apart from book reports is their personal character. Book reviews are highly personal and reflect the opinions of the reviewer on the given literary work. In the book review the reviewer clearly states his position and impressions regarding the book under consideration.

Structure of Book Review

The structure of book reviews resembles other types of academic writing. Book reviews usually comprise of a thesis statement, a supporting body paragraph, and a conclusion.

Typically, reviews are succinct, they rarely exceed 1000 words. Book reviews usually comprises of two elements: descriptive and evaluative. In the descriptive element you provide the essential information about the title, author, type of book, and general subject matters. While in the evaluative element you should present the assessment of the book, particularly of the perceived ideas and implied purposes, quoting exemplary passages from the text.

A good book review is well organized, and as well as the critical assessment and analysis it elucidates the essence of the literary work. Book reviews may vary in tone, style, and subject; however they share the common structure.

• Begin your Book Review with Introduction

Your introduction will bristle with factual and descriptive data, including the name of the author, some relevant details about his life and creative work, the title of the book, and the main theme of the given piece.

The second component of the introduction is the thesis of the book, which may be very perplexing to uncover since stories, novels, and plays don’t explicitly state the argument. Though, you should reveal this special angle and novelty of the piece that will actually become the ground for your further discussion and evaluation and allow you to make your book review original.

The introduction infers to be descriptive; however it should be catchy to seize the attention of the readers. So you should choose an interesting form of presenting your thoughts and ideas to make sure that the readers will keep on reading your book review up to the end. Many writers begin their book reviews with a quip or an anecdote that delivers their argument.

• Keep on Summarizing

Second, you should give your readers a concise summary of the literary work, where you state the author’s purpose of writing the book, provide its leading idea, compare and contrast main characters.

Here your aim is to plunge the readers into the atmosphere of the book, to make them interested in the ideas discussed in this literary piece, and to uncover them your understanding of the symbolism and implicit themes contained in the book. To reach this goal you should articulate your thoughts clearly, logically, and make your argument persuasive and sound.

In the course of making critical assessment of the literary work, you’ll have to back your arguments and assertions with concrete evidences from the text. Remember that critical assessment implies not only to analyze the literary piece under review, but also to tell your readers what struck you the most in this book, whether or not reading it was effective, persuasive, and exciting, and also your discussion on how it enhanced your understanding of the issue at hand.

Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into separate paragraphs that deal with particular aspects of your argument. You don’t necessarily should work chronologically through the book, though, you should make the structure of your summary logical and comprehensive for the readers.

• Draw a logic conclusion

Sum up and restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book in the conclusion. Don’t introduce any new ideas and evidence for your argument, make up your conclusion copious with the ideas that extend the logic of your thesis statement.

Harnessing these simple and winning strategies of book review writing, you’ll surely turn your work into a writing marvel.

Peter Menkin asked:


Book Review: The Book of Common Prayer, “My carry-with-me copy is this size, and I recommend it for traveling places…”

by Peter Menkin

Here I am daring to comment on this wonderful book, used by Episcopalians and one of the prayer and rubric publications that unite Anglicans worldwide. (There are about 77 million Anglicans in the world, and most have their own “version” of this wonderful and inspired book, though perhaps this specific size of which I write and this specific American version, may not be familiar to them all.)

My copy that is this size, and at a similar good price as this one (take advantage of a good offer, by the way), has been used by me for about ten or so years. It’s been a durable book, though worn now and the leather cover warped, despite my treating it from time to time. But then I carry it in my car, and sometimes leave it on the seat where the sun hits it. Nonetheless, it has proved durable.

There are so many personal uses for the prayer book, and touching on some of them, it is important for me to note in this recitation, that the primary purpose of this issue of The Book of Common Prayer for me is taking it to nursing, hospital, and similar places (including home visits), to administer home Communion. It is an excellent size for traveling, and as I may not have mentioned, also offers the complete book with all the prayers and this includes, “Communion under Special Circumstances,” used in the Episcopal Church for bringing home communion.

As a licensed lay Minister in my Church, and as an Oblate, I am always moved and informed by the same words from that shared, intimate service. To give you reader, an idea of the character of the book, here is a quote from the beginning prayer of the section “Communion under Special Circumstances.”

“Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrement of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”

There is flexibility in the prayers, and the rubrics allow the lay minister or clergy administering the Eucharist to do the following: “After the reading [found before the opening prayer quoted above], the Celebrant may comment on it briefly.” Also, “Suitable prayers may be offered, concluding with the following or some other Collect.”

My opinion is the book, both a religious, spiritually literary, and inspired work, encourages spiritual discussion of a religious nature after or before the words of the service. In this way, the Eucharist is a community or communion activity, where the idea of sharing the Church experience is enlarged in the presence of God and man.

When I visit the elderly, especially the frail elderly in my visits, I sometimes share Psalms. The book contains all 150 Psalms, its own translation, of course. This one is a favorite of mine, not only because of its familiarity, but as well because it is a kind of statement about the journey and ministry with which I am engaged in this pastoral relationship:

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul

and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil;

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;

you have anointed my head with oil,

and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This is a good place to end the review.

(This review appeared originally on Amazon.com.)

Notes on review: A friend tells me via email the review is “Too long and too much about your personal ministry. You might try reading other reviews (if any) or looking at what Church Publishing says about it.”

I am happy for the critique and suggestions. Here is my response, in part, “As you can tell from the review, my intent was not to take on the book itself for review, but a part of it relevant to me and specific to that particular ‘version’ (inexpensive, small, portable, and useful for a specific purpose and kind of ministry).

“I also wanted to speak to Episcopalians themselves, as well as Christians, mostly, in a way that would engage them in the review based on experience, rather than expertise. To do that, I thought I needed to use my own personal (though personable might be a better term), than expert opinion.

“For me, dealing with so awesome and holy a work has more validity and genuineness by the stance used. Certainly, there is a kind of authority in this kind of review by testimony (granted that is an important focus of the review, by intention).

“There you have an explanation of why I wrote it as I did, and part of the rationale for the conception of the approach.”

I add as of the posting of the review here: I do hope readers will find the review both interesting and able to inform them of some merits of the holy prayer book for Episcopalians in America, The Book of Common Prayer.

It is many things, and contains instructions for worship services including Eucharist, Daily Prayer, Burial, and other rites and sacraments of the Church. As a literary work, it is a marvel and famous as well as admired in that regard. I cannot say how much I have found in this book, and others have found, too.

It does bring one closer to God in Christ and reveals a central part of worship for Episcopalians. An indispensable book for so many Christians of that denomination, and good reading for others who may be interested.

I hope my added notes help the review satisfy some of my friend’s objections.

Jack Yang asked:


Long before the internet, people have read book reviews. Before spending their time and money on a book, they wanted to find out if a book would be a good investment. Today is no different. People simply have many more choices now that the internet is so commonplace. We have the ability to read numerous reviews about any book that interests us, those written long ago, or bestsellers of today.

A quick search will yield results for numerous online book review websites. A few of the top ones, and most used are Amazon.com, bookstore websites like Barnes and Noble or Borders, and those that have been around long before the widespread use of the internet, like the New York Times book review. Some consumer networking sites like Acobay also has book review category.

Amazon.com is one of the top shopping and review websites. Along with editorial reviews, there are customer reviews. Because of the sheer number of people who use Amazon, there are many customer reviews on most books, especially best sellers, giving the reader a larger number of reviews to base their decision on. This can be good for the reader, giving many different opinions. Once a book has reviews in the thousands though, it can be overwhelming to wade through all of them.

Amazon provides reviews for all types of books, including fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, and children’s books. Books can be searched by title, author, genre or ISBN. Amazon also gives recommendations of other books the reader might like based on the books they have searched for. It is easy for the reader to find most any book. And Amazon has a useful feature which allows the customer to “look inside” select books, sometimes being able to read a few pages.

Borders.com is another shopping and review website. It, like Amazon, has customer reviews, though not as many. For example, a search on a popular book, “Eat, Pray, Love” turned up 1792 customer reviews on Amazon. The same search on Borders only turned up 21 reviews. The website gives a description of the book, but no editorial review. The customer can use a wide variety of searches including title, author, ISBN or genre. Borders also lists similar books to view based on current searches. If the customer has a Borders store nearby, a quick search can tell if the book is available at their local store. Similar to Amazon, Borders gives the reader the ability to “look inside” select books. Borders also has a large variety and amount of books available, allowing the reader to search for and find most any book they are looking for.

A different, yet well-known book review website is the New York Times book review. It lists the top books, based on sales each week. The New York Times lists the latest books. Not all are reviewed, though they may be in the bestsellers list for the week. The reviews that are listed though, are very detailed and thorough, giving the reader a good idea of what to expect from the book by professional reviewers. Because different works are placed together on the same page, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, it can be difficult to determine what genre each writing is at first glance. Therefore, the website requires more navigation to find books the reader may be interested in. The online database goes back to 1981, giving the reader access only to books reviewed since that time. On some books, the reader can choose to read the first few pages or chapters of a book. This is a nice feature, since sometimes it is in the first few pages that the reader makes the decision whether they would like to continue the book or not.

Overall, each book review website has some unique attributes. If the reader is looking for a place to review and purchase a book in one easy step, a place like Amazon.com is a great place to look. If the reader would rather get an idea of what a book is about before going in to shop at a nearby bookstore, a website like Borders.com might be the top choice, since local availability of the book is also given. For a more thorough and professional look at bestsellers, the New York Times the top place for many to search. Whatever the choice, today’s reader has many options and the ability to find a new book to read in just a few clicks of the mouse.

Reader Views asked:


 

Every author wants glowing book reviews with quotable sentences to use as testimonials. A good review makes readers flock to the bookstore to buy the book.

 

But how do authors get their books reviewed? While the process is not difficult, the book review industry is changing. Today’s authors must designate a portion of their marketing budget for book reviews, and they must know how to use those book reviews to sell books.

 

Why Are Book Reviews Important?

 

More than 200,000 books are published each year. Less than 2% of those books sell more than 500 copies. We’ve all heard the saying, “So many books. So little time.” People don’t want to waste time or money reading books they won’t enjoy, so they rely on book reviews to help them make buying decisions. Your book will stand out if it receives positive reviews from reliable reviewers.

 

Where Do I Get a Book Review?

 

There are five top book reviewers: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, Midwest Book Review, and The New York Times; however, if you’re self-published, it is unlikely your book will be reviewed by any of them. Reviews from local newspapers and magazines will only help you sell books locally. Furthermore, print publications are phasing out book reviews. So where can an author still get a good book review? The Internet.

 

Online book reviews are becoming standard, and your book’s review will reach a wider audience on the Internet. Online reviews level the playing field for self-published authors. Today, people are less inclined to read paper magazines and newspapers. They go online for information. Reviews posted at Amazon and other online sites are more accessible than print reviews. Reader Views and RebeccasReads are examples of reliable online book reviewers of both traditional and self-published books.

 

Free vs. Paid Reviews

 

Authors generally expect free book reviews; that was standard in the twentieth century—advertisements paid for the book reviews in print media. Today, however, authors must cover the cost of book reviews. A book reviewer may spend hours reading a book and writing a review, and he deserves compensation for his work. Consequently, authors must budget for the cost of book reviews. Authors are recommended to budget for mailing out a minimum of twenty books for review.

 

How Do Paid Book Reviews Work?

 

Paid reviews have multiple advantages. Most publications that offer free reviews do not guarantee a book review because of the volume of books submitted. Only by paying for a review can one be guaranteed. Reputable book reviewers will provide a review within a specific timeline—two weeks is standard. They will also provide a review tear-sheet for your use, and give you permission to quote the review, provided you credit them. Many reviewers will also post your review online at such places as their own website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ezine Articles, Goodreads and Authors Den.

 

Several online book reviewers, such as Reader Views, will give you the option of a free or paid book review. Reader Views will review the book for free provided one of their reviewers is interested in it. If no one opts to review it after three months, the book is returned without a review. If authors do not want to wait three months for a review, an express review can be purchased to guarantee a review within two weeks.

 

Several book reviewers, including Reader Views, also offer various publicity packages ranging from a single book review, to written and podcast radio interviews, virtual book tours, and book videos. Such packages allow authors the opportunity to get book reviews and publicity within their budget.

 

Just because you pay for a book review does not mean a good review is guaranteed. It is better to receive an honest review than one that gives false praise. The reviewer’s reputation is at stake here; readers will not appreciate being misled to waste their time and money on a book that does not meet their expectations.

 

How Do I Use a Book Review to Sell Books?

 

Before you do anything with your book review, make sure you know what permissions the reviewer has given you for using the review. Are you allowed to use it in whole or only a certain percentage? Can you reprint it or quote from it?

 

Once you know your rights, some suggestions for using the review to help sell books are:

 





Post it to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ezine Articles, Authors Den, Goodreads, Myspace etc. if the reviewer has not already done so.





Quote from the review on your book cover and the inside end papers. (If your book is already printed, use the review when you run a second printing).





Include the review in your press kit to gain more media attention.





Post and distribute the review at your book signings.





Post the review on your website.





Send copies of the review in your email newsletters.





 

 

Final Comments

 

More information about book reviews will be covered in future articles. But for now, here are a couple closing points:

 





Be professional. Send the reviewer a thank you note. Whether you receive a positive or negative review, the reviewer has done you a favor. The reviewer’s comments will help you improve your next book or the next edition of your book. Even a negative review can be used to build a positive relationship with a reviewer, who will appreciate your professionalism. The book world is a small place and you do not want word to spread that you are difficult. Seek to build long-term relationships with book reviewers, and through them, with your reading audience.





Be prepared for the book review to increase your book sales! A good review is worthless if you do not have copies of books to sell. Be prepared to fulfill your book orders so your customers are satisfied. After all, you want your book to be a bestseller!