How Do I Get Book Reviewers?

Book reviews are a vital part of being an author, and when you’re self-published, you’re responsible for getting your books into the hands of prospective reviewers. The question becomes: how can you find those book reviewers, and what are the best places to put in your time to get a review on your new book?

BookTok and Bookstagram

What does your online presence look like? Depending on your target market, investing in growing your platform on TikTok and/or Instagram might be worthwhile. Although TikTok and Instagram do not promise reviews and sales, if your target reader spends a great deal of time on those platforms, investing in those sites could pay off. 

The more you grow your platform, the more you can pitch your book to book review pages. Again, this particular avenue isn’t a slam dunk, for you not only can’t guarantee success in getting your book reviewed, you can’t guarantee a positive review. In addition, you might struggle to gain traction with followers and get the algorithm to work with you rather than against you. However, the so-called “BookTok” and “Bookstagram” content creators pack a powerful punch. If your target readers are consuming content in those spaces, and you somewhat learn your way around those platforms, building an authentic presence there is a great, free option.

BOOKSPROUT

Booksprout allows you to set up an author profile for free, build a following, and then set up a book release plan. For the actual book launch, the company offers different tiers, with plans that start at $9/month and go up to $59/month. Booksprout.  Depending on the payment plan you pick, you can create several review campaigns, create ARCs (advanced reader copies) of your upcoming book to distribute to reviewers (the number of reviewers varies based on plan), and even launch an audiobook review campaign.

As a bonus, Booksprout also offers you protection against pirates—if you have a paid subscription. As with any review site, they can’t guarantee that a reviewer will love your book. However, Booksprout is a great resource for both writers and readers alike, as writers have a place to showcase their work, and readers have a place to get access to exciting new books in exchange for a review. 

Essentially, Booksprout takes the guessing and hoping out of finding a book reviewer. And because you can start out with a free account to set up your release, it’s a great way to explore the platform and see if you find it beneficial before you decide if you want to pay to release your book.

NetGalley

NetGalley is probably the most recognizable of all of the book review sites, but that clout comes at a price. For book bloggers and book reviewers, it’s an invaluable resource because they can get access to major book releases from big publishers for free (though there is an approval process). 

However for an author, it’s not quite so simple. If you’re listing your book on NetGalley, it will be posted and available for reviewers for six months. But that will cost you just shy of $500. And while having your book available for review on one of the largest, most notable book review sites is certainly great for your book, $500 is a lot to pour into something that doesn’t guarantee results. Additionally, while NetGalley is a bit pickier about the reviewers who get access to major book releases, it’s less so with indie authors and smaller releases, meaning that even though your book may be downloaded by reviewers, they might not post any reviews. Still, NetGalley is a huge resource, so you might want to explore the author co-ops that can offer assistance (and lower prices) for getting your book onto the service. But often money you have to put into NetGalley simply won’t provide enough fungible benefits to indie authors to make the steep listing price worth it.

BookFunnel

BookFunnel is a paid service that is not only more affordable than others (with both monthly and annual subscription options), but it also offers services that are tailored to different author tiers: First Time Author, Mid-List Author, and Bestseller. It allows authors a safe way to distribute reader magnets and ebooks, a service that’s great for any author, but especially valuable to one who is still working on creating their own website. Depending on the package you select, you can collect email addresses for people interested in your book, securely send your ARCs, and even have your book included on group promos sent out to BookFunnel subscribers. Again, results are not guaranteed, but there is a much smaller buy-in than other pay-to-play book review services.

Ultimately, it’s important to follow your gut when it comes to selecting where to put your money as you promote your new book. However, just because a service has name recognition, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best fit for every book and every author. Taking the time to explore different paid and unpaid review and promotion options will help you find not only the right platform for you, but also help you find your readers more successfully. Of course, we are always here to help talk about launching your author platform and offering additional advice, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us and see if we can partner with you to empower you and your book for a successful release!