How to Get Book Reviews
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How to Get Book Reviews
Introduction
Whether you self-publish a book, publish with a small press, or get that mainstream press book deal, youa??re probably going to have to hunt down book reviews. Thata??s right, even authors on a mainstream press need to do a lot of the legwork. Hiring a PR firm can cost in the thousands of dollars so thata??s not always an option. With the addition of online book reviewers, there are now countless places for you to get your book read and reviewed.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Things You'll Need
- Published book
- Press pack
- Packing materials
Steps
1
Step One
Set a budgeta??including the cost of books and postage. You may be looking to send out at least 50 books.
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Step Two
Design a press pack: include books published, with a high-quality cover image, author bio, and past reviewsa??both of the new book as well as books youa??ve published in the past.
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Step Three
Write a good, concise cover letter. Do not oversell the booka??i.e. a??The best book ever written by an American.a??
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Step Four
Seek out niche reviewers. If youa??ve written a self-help book, science fiction novel, or a cookbook, pinpoint those reviewers who specialize in your genre. This is true of self-published books as well. There are a number of self-publish-only book reviewers.
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Step Five
Send the book out to general book review sites, blogs, and literary magazines. Make sure that a query letter is not needed beforehand.
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Step Six
Contact local newspapers. Is the book of particularly local interest? Is it article worthy? Make this clear in your correspondence.
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Step Seven
Follow up on books you have sent out. This means keep an itemized list of contact information of places where youa??ve sent the book. Some reviewers may need a reminder, but don't become a pest.
Overall Tips & Warnings
- In your press packet, dona??t overload the respondent with information. In some sense, the book should speak for itself. But a professionally bound press pack can help a book be taken seriously.
- Contact other writers. Blurbs from well-known writers can really help a book stand out.
- When you get new reviews, add these to your press pack when you send the book out to new reviewers.
- Be patient. Reviewers get hundreds of books waiting to be read. For this reason ita??s a good idea to send out books well in advance of the release date.
- Dona??t set yourself up for a letdown: ita??s a rare case that every book you send out will be reviewed. If 75% are reviewed, this is a good ratio.
- Be wary of pay-for-review services that charge outrageous fees.
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