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Empty Mirror

a literary magazine

10 places to find reviewers for your self-published book

How to find reviewers for your self-published book

But before we get to that – and before you start to contact reviewers – it’s important to understand how to contact them.

What to do:

1. Do your research. Only contact reviewers who are interested in reviewing the type of books you have written. (See below for some good places to find the right reviewers.)

2. Read their review policy. Do they only want e-books, or printed books? What genres are they currently interested in reading? Are they currently accepting new books for review? Check out their rules, and follow them.

3. Write a personalized email to the potential reviewer. No one likes to get a form letter, or spam. Use a salutation, and their name – not just “Hi” or “Dear reviewer,” but rather, “Dear Jane Smith” or at least “Dear Jane.” If there’s no personal name listed, use their username.

Tell the reviewer who you are, how you found them, a little bit about your book, when it will be published. Tell them that if they’re interested, you’d be glad to send them a copy. Specify what format the book will be in (which ebook format, printed book, or if they will have a choice). Thank them for their time and consideration, and say that you look forward to hearing from them. Then sign it, with your full name.

Don’t forget the subject line, either: emails with the subject “Review Inquiry” or “Review Request” will get a better response as they make it easy to identify what your message is about.

Here’s how to write an excellent review query.

4. Before sending your email, spell-check and proofread. Errors leave a poor impression and make the reviewer less likely to accept your book. They’ll figure your book is full of typos, too.

5. The ultimate purpose of a review isn’t to please you. Books with reviews do tend to sell better. However, it’s important to understand that reviewers ultimately aren’t written for the author’s benefit. They’re written for the potential reader to give them enough information so that they can make a purchasing decision.

What not to do:

1. If they do accept the book, don’t expect the reviewer to guarantee a review. Reviewers don’t accept books they have no intention of reviewing, but sometimes they may not be able to – or wish to – eventually review it. That’s OK. They’re not the only reviewer out there. Move on.

2. Don’t expect, or ask for, a positive review. No reviewer can promise this. Any reviewer worth approaching has integrity and will always post an honest review, whether one star or five. (As people’s opinions will naturally vary, there’s often something fishy when books have only five-star reviews, anyway.)

3. Don’t ask the reviewer to promise a review to be published on or near a particular date. (Do feel free to tell the reviewer the date of your book’s publication.) Please understand that most reviewers have a big stack of books to review. Reviews take more time than you might think. The reviewer reads the book – maybe more than once – takes notes, then writes and posts the review. You’re asking them to do at least several hours of work for you, on their own time, for free. And they’re not doing it for money, but rather for the love of books, and of reviewing.

This is why you can’t expect a promise of a review by a certain date (or even at all). It’s understandable that you’re anxious for the reviews to start rolling in, but just hang tight, keep soliciting reviews, and one day you’ll have a bunch of them.

4. Never offer payment for a review. All an honest reviewer will accept is the book itself. Don’t offer a bribe! Paid reviews are not allowed on any reputable websites and can get the reviewer – and sometimes yourself – in a world of trouble, and banned from review websites.

5. Don’t expect an answer to your query. I know – that almost seems unreasonable, doesn’t it, not to expect the reviewer to reply. The reason that some don’t reply is that many reviewers – especially popular and highly-ranked ones – get so many review queries that it takes too much time to reply to them all. So, they wind up only replying to those they have an interest in reviewing.

6. If a potential reviewer declines to review your book, take it graciously. Don’t ask why, try to change their mind, or pester them. Stay on good terms – reply briefly with thanks for their time and consideration. Who knows, perhaps they’ll review your next book.

7. After a review is published, don’t comment on the review . Not even if you disagree with it. Even if the reviewer says something terribly wrong, even factually wrong. Even if they say it’s the best book they’ve ever read. Or the worst! Commenting can make you look petty, overbearing or argumentative, and can turn potential readers against you, ensuring they never read your book. Just. Don’t. Do. It. Ever. ( Here’s why. )

10 places to find reviewers for your books.

OK. Now that you understand how to approach reviewers, how do you find them?

1. Amazon’s “Meet Our Authors” Forum

Amazon has “Meet Our Authors” forum where you can introduce yourself, and also ask for reviews. There are various genre-specific threads too.

Update: Amazon has shut down all of their forums. They suggest that you visit Goodreads instead, where it’s easy for authors to interact with readers. (Amazon owns Goodreads.) See #4 on this list for more about Goodreads.

2. Amazon’s Top Reviewers

Amazon ranks its reviewers according to a variety of criteria and publishes the list. You can go through the list to look for those reviewers who review books in your genre. It will take some time. Those reviewers who include an email address or website in their profile are usually open to being contacted regarding potential reviews. (Some are not.) Before emailing, read their reviews of books in your genre. Pay close attention to any review guidelines which are included in the reviewer’s profile.

TheCreativePenn has a great blog post on getting Amazon reviewers to review your book .

3. Peruse the Amazon book pages

Check out other books similar to yours, and see who’s reviewed them. Look on these reviewers’ profiles to see if they’re open to review offers, as described above. If so, contact them.

4. LibraryThing & Goodreads

On LibraryThing , people catalog, review, and discuss books. The site also functions as a social networking site and is a great place for authors to connect with potential readers. There are lots of things you can do to get the word out about your book here. One of them is to find reviewers.

LibraryThing offers the “Member Giveaway” – where you can give out your own books. Ebooks and printed books are equally welcome. You set a number of available books to offer, and people will enter a drawing to win them. Usually there are more people who sign up than available books, so there is a drawing at the end of the giveaway period.

Though those who receive your books are not required to review your book, you can let it be known that you hope they do. LibraryThing reviewers can post their reviews on that site, but some often post their reviews elsewhere, such as Amazon.com and Goodreads.

Goodreads is similar to LibraryThing, but bigger. Only publishers can give away books for free there, but you can still find potential reviewers through their groups , some of which are dedicated to connecting authors with reviewers. (Use the group search box to find them.) Before posting review opportunities, be sure to check that the rules of the particular group allow it.

5. Social networking sites

Search for people who review your genre of book on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites, and start making connections. Much has been written elsewhere on how to connect with people on these sites, so that’s all I’ll say about it here.

Turn to Google to find bloggers who review books similar to yours. Try various searches such as the name of your genre (e.g. YA, poetry, American history, vampire fiction) followed by one of these phrases: book blog, book blogger, book reviews, book review blog, book review blogger. Try various combinations and think of some of your own, investigate the results, and you’re bound to come up with some good ones.

7. Services which connect authors and reviewers

There are quite a lot of specialized websites which will make your book available to reviewers. Here are a few we know of:

The Bookbag . Publishes book reviews on their site, with links to the books on Amazon.

4226 Spruce St . Makes it easy for authors of Kindle books to connect with Amazon reviewers. Free.

8. Reviewer directories and lists

The Book Blogger List . A categorized directory of book reviewers, organized by genre, which makes it easy to locate potential reviewers for your book. Free.

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages (formerly Step By Step Self Publishing). Offers an online directory of book reviewers. It’s free, but they also offer paid Kindle and paperback versions.

List of literary / poetry review publications (many print-based)

9. Ask other authors

Ask other authors you’re acquainted with – either on or offline – who reviewed their book, and who they think you should get in touch with. Most authors are very willing to share their experiences and recommendations. When writing to a reviewer, be sure mention that your fellow author recommended that you contact them.

10. Look close to home & offline

There are plenty of local, offline sources for reviews, too:

  • local daily or weekly newspapers
  • school newspapers
  • organization and company newsletters
  • contact local indie bookstores to see if they know of any local reviewers

11. (yeah, forget 10 – we’re turning this baby all the way up to 11!) The Indie View

The Indie View has a great list of reviewers in a number of genres. They also spotlight reviews and authors. Check it out.

don’t forget us

You know, if your book is arts-related nonfiction, or has anything to do with the Beat Generation, you might check out our very own review policy . We don’t accept many books for review – but you never know until you try! We also sometimes publish author interviews and book excerpts.

Summing up…

That’s all for now. If you have suggestions about getting reviews, please leave a comment. And stay tuned for more articles about promoting your self-published books!

Empty Mirror publishes new poetry, criticism, essays, book reviews, and art every Friday.

You might also like:

Skiing in Interzone - a fictitious book

Pat Sutton says

March 4, 2020 at 11:53 am

Denise, thank you, Your comments and explanations will save me time on how to find a reviewer and what to expect.

Antonio Chevalier says

October 11, 2020 at 3:47 pm

You need to pay for The Bookbag. Publishes book reviews on their site, with links to the books on Amazon.

Empty Mirror says

November 8, 2019 at 4:50 pm

There’s also a directory of over 300 reviewers, sorted by posting frequency, at https://indiestoday.com/reviewers-list/ . Thanks to Dave Allen for pointing out this resource!

Derrick Washington says

October 31, 2019 at 7:13 pm

Hi, Denise, I just want to say thank you for sharing this information. I have been searching online where to find book reviewers, and your blog answered, pretty much, all of my questions. Once again, thanks.

Bruce Miller says

October 16, 2019 at 2:36 pm

Excellent article and we enjoyed reading it. It is very comprehensive and useful. Well done!

We review books. We are retired people in New Zealand and we are amazed at the creativity and original ideas people have. It’s like sitting in a school class with students raising their hands and announcing amazing creative ideas! We love it. But we only review books we like. No erotica, but most everything else. We’ve done hundreds of reviews. Check us out > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

Julian Hardy says

July 1, 2019 at 8:44 pm

Denise Thank you for your insightful website. I have recently self-published a book on KDP/Amazon. After doing some research about reviews/reviewers, I found the Artisan Book Reviews website. Is it worthwhile using such services as those provided by Artisan Book Reviews (as they are quite costly). Also, I’m assuming such paid reviews do not contravene Amazon’s review rules. Is this true? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards Julian

Denise says

July 29, 2019 at 11:07 am

It’s true that paid reviews are forbidden by Amazon and can’t be posted there by the reviewer.

However, you can post them yourself with your book information on your book’s page. They can also be useful for use on your website and promotional materials.

Thomas Juarez says

May 4, 2019 at 8:16 am

Thank you for the quick reply! While searching through other parts of your website I found someone I made a connection with. Finally gaining some traction (I think).

Awakening Cocijo will be making a book tour to test its worthiness!

May 3, 2019 at 9:24 am

I have recently self published on Amazon, currently Amazon is having an issue tracking my book sales and I am falling in the ratings. I made them aware of some of the recent purchases, they know there’s a problem and they are looking into it…I have faith in them!

In any case, it has been very difficult to find reviewers that are available in the next 3-4 months. It’s been frustrating to say the least.

I paid for the editing of my book so that I would have a polished product. I was hoping this would make my book more attractive to buyers and/or reviewers. I would be more than happy to provide a pdf or kindle copy to potential reviewers.

The book is called Awakening Cocijo and is available only on Amazon. It is a metaphysical fiction book centering on the Zapotec empire and a current attempt (fictional, of course), to awaken Cocijo…the god of lightening and rain.

May 3, 2019 at 2:13 pm

You might try getting reviews via Goodreads (you can even give away free books/ebooks in Goodreads’ Member Giveaway). That might give you some reviews in shorter than three or four months.

If you’re on social media, you could try giving some copies away for review that way.

Celeste says

April 26, 2019 at 10:55 am

Thanks Denise! I’m going to network as best I can, which means helping other authors with their efforts, too. I joined Goodreads so I could post reviews and hopefully boost the sales of books that I enjoy reading.

April 22, 2019 at 7:57 pm

Denise, thanks for the quick follow-up.

I believe it’s far too time-consuming to find reviewers on Amazon, considering that many of them don’t have contact info available. It’s probably better to invest time and effort in building a network, e.g., through Goodreads and Bookbub. I’m an introvert, so it makes me cringe to think of having to actively pursue getting followers. Otherwise my novel is likely to die on the vine after it’s published, no matter how good it is.

April 25, 2019 at 11:40 am

That’s certainly a valid objection and there are other methods of getting reviews. I wish you success with your novel!

April 21, 2019 at 4:28 pm

This article is dated March 6, 2014, so perhaps something has changed as far as finding book reviewers on Amazon. I went to the Amazon Top Customer Reviewers listing. There are 10,000, with zero indication as to what they review. To find that out, you have to click on each name one by one, then scroll through their reviews to see (1) if they even review books, and (2) what genre of books they review. With 10,000 reviewers, you may be able to go through that list in, oh, let’s say a year. And of course it changes daily so you’ll need to keep a list of whose reviews you looked at.

If someone knows of a better way, I’m all ears. Otherwise, I think Amazon is doing its best, as always, to make things difficult.

April 22, 2019 at 1:34 pm

Yes, you do have to look at each reviewer individually — there’s no list with email addresses included. So, it’s usually best to find books similar to yours, see who’s reviewing them, and get in touch those with contact information (email, website, or even a Google-able name) on their profile. It does take some detective work, for sure.

Diane Fadden says

April 10, 2019 at 6:12 pm

Indiebook review is a scam operation. Buyer beware.

roy tawes says

August 25, 2018 at 10:43 am

Denise- Iasked for a personal review. Never heard back, but I see you’re using my complimentary comments for this website. Just give me a simple yes or know

August 29, 2018 at 10:53 am

Congratulations on the publication of your book! It sounds fascinating.

EM’e review guidelines are here: https://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/empty-mirror-review-policy

Guidelines in short: Due to time constraints, I’m only able to accept very few books for review. I’m looking for specific types of non-fiction and am unable to review fiction, poetry, or memoir.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of book review requests received and that fact that I’m the only one here, I’m only able to reply to those I intend to review. I regret that I’m not able to respond to all.

Comments are voluntary and are not “used” for anything. They can be deleted by request. I did leave the link in your previous comment so that others could check out your book!

best wishes, Denise

Tyrell Perry says

August 19, 2018 at 12:13 pm

Great intel. This newly published author will be putting it to use.

Wilburson says

July 2, 2018 at 6:30 am

This is such useful information Denise, which I have added to my growing information pile on getting reviews. Thanks for taking the time.

Vishal Sharma says

April 6, 2018 at 11:14 pm

Hey Denise, Thanks for sharing such awesome tips loved it. It was very useful for me.

Roy lawson tawes MD , FACS says

January 10, 2018 at 2:22 pm

Very helpful information for INDIE authors.Thank you. I like your considerate style.

It’s a long shot to request a personal review, but you mentioned an interest in the Beat generation that spawned the hippies in the ’60s. I just published my sixth novel, RECALL that deals with the topic . Returning to San Francisco from Vietnam where I served as a flight surgeon, I witnessed the cultural revolution up close and personal. I tried to capture that turbulent era in my historical narrative. You might find it interesting and enlightening. I’m getting good early reviews , but not from anyone of your professional stature. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.So why not ask you?

If you have any interest, please consult my website: RLawsonauthor.com. All the information you require to make a decision is available there, including blogs. Maybe we will find an intellectual connection. Life never follows a straight path, Stranger things have happened. I love writing and hope someone influential in the literary field will promote my work.

Thank you for your consideration. You sound like a nice person in your responses above, trying to help aspiring writers. We need guidance, It’s a maze to navigate.

Brad Foster says

January 3, 2018 at 4:06 am

No worries, Denise – thanks anyway and careful of that perilous tower of books! :)

January 2, 2018 at 6:48 pm

HI Denise – thanks for this post! I noticed that the link to Amazon’s “Meet Our Authors” is defunct – this is what I get: “Our Discussion Boards feature has been discontinued.

Amazon would like to thank the members of this community for contributing to the discussion forums. As we grow and evolve, we encourage you to explore Goodreads Groups for book discussions and Spark for other interests. For device questions and help, please see our new Digital and Device Forum.”

I will try the other tips, though I haven’t had much luck so far with the Amazon Top Reviewers (reminds me of my dating years, when I got completely ignored! ). Say, if you wanted to review my newest e-book, I’d be happy to send you a free copy. No pressure – thanks again and I hope one — if not more — of your points help me out!

January 2, 2018 at 9:08 pm

Hi Brad — Thanks for the update about the Amazon forums. I’d heard about that but had forgotten to update this list. I really appreciate the reminder.

Top reviewers are tough — you really have to find the ones who are into your genre, and Amazon has begun making it tougher to find contact information for them (although email links still appear on individual profiles).

Wish I could help with your book, but I don’t typically read e-books, and my reading stack is perilously tall. But I wish you much success with it!

Cristina G. says

October 21, 2017 at 3:02 am

Gold dust. Thank you so much. I am working on a few new books and I need reviews. Blessings to you and to those who invest their valuable time reading and reviewing our lifetime work.

August 8, 2017 at 8:31 am

Thanks, Denise, for your helpful information.

June 12, 2017 at 3:55 pm

This site looks nice but there are two issues with it: – The reviewer lists can’t be accessed without completing a third-party offer. – Kaspersky shows a warning about a phishing link when the site is loaded.

If you would like to talk about this, please email me. Denise

May 15, 2017 at 6:51 pm

Thanks Denise for a cohesive listing of what to do. It’s early days for me in the world of marketing my children’s mystery novels, so it’s really helpful. Many thanks.

May 15, 2017 at 7:34 pm

Cathy, I’m so glad to hear that you found this article helpful. I wish you much success with the novels!

Indira Sahay says

April 9, 2017 at 9:54 am

Thank you for your reply. I shall certainly take up some of your suggestion

April 8, 2017 at 11:42 am

I was looking for interested reviewers for two Sociology books written by my late husband which remained unpublished when he passed away last year.the first one is already printed and the second one is being got ready for printing. this will take about three months. As the books are academic I would like to send them to academics with similar interests. What do you suggest?

Layla Rose says

March 20, 2017 at 7:03 pm

What a great find. I did some freelance publicity work for an author recently, and as a writer myself, it was sobering to see what it takes as an indie author. So much work. And having a disability which is difficult to manage really slows me down. So I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.

Walter Stoffel says

March 3, 2017 at 1:23 pm

In part helpful ,in part confusing. Denise, you suggest steering clear of Amazon Top Reviewers(they’re touchy) yet you link to Creative Penn article that outlines process for contacting those same top reviewers.

Lanre Ayanlowo says

February 28, 2017 at 1:41 am

Hello, i have two self published books. Can you please help me publish them traditionally?

March 3, 2017 at 3:13 pm

I wish I could help, but Empty Mirror is just an online magazine; we don’t publish books. I may be able to answer some questions for you, but can’t recommend any particular publishers.

Tom Turkington says

February 21, 2017 at 7:16 pm

Thank you, Denise, so much. As a first-time author and technophobe besides, I’ve despaired of generating any sense of direction in my efforts to get my book into the hands of unbiased readers. Your suggestions are clear, concise and orderly, and likely the jumpstart I’ve needed. Were my book concerned with the arts or the Beats, I’d try to hoist it upon you, but no: it’s a 120,000-word chronicle of the first eighteen years of my life. Trying to make an asset of living in the past. Thanks for your push in the right direction(s).

Marcus De Storm says

January 1, 2017 at 2:36 pm

Thank you Denise for this information useful as a Self Published Author. As it is difficult to find genuine information and where to go to get my book reviewed. This has helped me very much.

January 1, 2017 at 2:37 pm

I’m glad you found the article useful, Marcus! I wish you much success with the book!

Mdu Rohtak says

November 18, 2016 at 5:33 am

Excellent tips, and thanks for the shout-out.

Sheree W. Davis says

November 17, 2016 at 7:52 am

Denise, Thanks for this wonderful check list! I’m a new self-published author and am grateful for the wisdom you are willing to share! God Bless! ~Sheree W. Davis

Johnb9 says

June 8, 2016 at 5:18 am

Thanks so much for the article.Much thanks again. Great.

ferris robinson says

May 2, 2016 at 5:11 am

Denise, Thank you so much for this informative and detailed post! So helpful! And I really appreciate the heads-up on commenting on reviews – I had no idea! I feel like I should be writing them a thank you note for taking the time to read my book, and taking even more time and energy to review it! Thanks for all you do for writers!

January 13, 2016 at 6:56 am

Hi Denise, great article, thanks. Quick question – when do you suggest author start asking for reviews? How long before the publish date – or after the publish date? Thanks.

Alec Stone says

August 20, 2015 at 6:14 am

Hi, don’t forget about reviews-easy.com.

This service is doing all the work for you. You only have to register and search the Amazon the reviewers by categories, products they review or by personal details. Then, a list of reviewers with contact details will be generated and you can download it. Then you can send personalized emails to all of them or do what you want with that data.

August 20, 2015 at 7:25 am

Alec, thanks for the suggestion. I have mixed feelings about Reviews Easy. I haven’t used it myself, but from a brief look at their website, it certainly appears to make it easy to search for Amazon reviewers.

Maybe too easy. I don’t enjoy reading e-books and don’t review them. That fact is stated very clearly on my Amazon profile. And yet, authors very often email to ask me to review their e-books. Some of these authors have told me that they were referred to me by Reviews Easy, and they’ve been surprised that I have no interest in e-books.

It seems that somehow Reviews Easy is leading authors to believe that I want to read e-books. (But since I haven’t used the site, I am not sure how or why this is happening.)

The site may be a good resource. But authors who choose to use it should double-check the reviewers’ profile information and preferences!

Thanks again — Denise

Tim Williams says

August 2, 2015 at 5:06 am

after reading everything that i’ve read i find myself asking …why self publish it seems like more of a pain in the ass then what it’s worth . i mean is this he only way to to go ? i write because i like to write not to share. the only reason publishing has come up is cause everyone that reads my book won’t stop bugging me about it . anyone hit me up cause i don’t see the benefit . thanks

August 3, 2015 at 1:06 pm

Most authors self-publish because they want their work to be read. But there’s no sense in publishing if you don’t feel compelled to.

While most people who write never publish, some of those still have a few books printed for themselves, family and friends who have expressed an interest. It’s an option. And, in that case, you needn’t bother with arranging for reviews, or with other promotional methods.

Others wish to reach a wider readership so look into either traditional or self-publishing, and eventually spend time promoting their book.

If you fall into the latter category, then self-publishing may be for you. But if you don’t, just keep writing for the love of it — and ignore those who pressure you.

all best, Denise

Rena George says

April 10, 2015 at 11:35 pm

Thank you for such a helpful, informative post, Denise. Authors really do need to put in the work to find approachable reviewers – and be prepared to overcome disappointments. Most reviewers are so overburdened that they have closed their lists for the foreseeable future. However the more potential reviewers an author can contact, the greater the chance of success. Perseverance is the secret, I think.

April 11, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Hi Rena, Thanks for your comment. I’m happy to hear that you found the post helpful.

Unfortunately I’m one of those reviewers who is often full-up on books to be reviewed…but I try to make time if just the perfect book is offered. There just isn’t enough time, though, to read – and review – everything I would like to.

Thanks again! Denise

Erik D. Weiss says

March 9, 2015 at 5:47 pm

Thanks, Denise! This is a fantastic little guide, great for new writers like me, eager to get my two fiction books out there. This is great advice, and you’ve inspired me to get to work getting my books reviewed and more visible!! Erik

March 9, 2015 at 7:32 pm

Erik, I’m so glad to hear you found the guide to reviews helpful. Good luck in finding reviewers! – Denise

J Haeske says

January 20, 2015 at 1:56 pm

If I only had known then what I know now… Thanks for that, Denise.

Molly Gambiza says

January 11, 2015 at 6:49 am

Thank you very much for taking your time to share this helpful information. That’s very generous of you. I am after honest reviews for my book A Woman’s Weakness. Now you have given me the directions, the ball is in my hands.

January 11, 2015 at 11:07 am

Glad we could help, Molly! Good luck with the book reviews!

christynathan930 says

September 24, 2014 at 5:28 am

Thanks for the great information and also for great tips too, and now I also check my book reviews.

James Jean-Pierre says

September 8, 2014 at 10:58 am

Thank you for this post, this list will definitely boost up my reviewer count.

August 10, 2014 at 7:55 am

I published my book in may, overlooking the need for a review. Since the time I must have approached 200-300 bloggers/sites for review unsuccessfully. any advice to get a free review? regards, jt

Denise Enck says

August 10, 2014 at 8:43 am

Congratulations on the publication of your book! Getting reviews is definitely a challenge. Without having seen your book or query email, I’m not sure why you haven’t had positive responses to your review query. But a lot depends upon the particular reviewers contacted, and how they are chosen.

First, do your research to find reviewers who review the types of books you write, and who are currently accepting books for review.

For example, I’m a reviewer; I clearly state on my review page here on Empty Mirror that I review Beat Generation and art-related books, do not review fiction, and am not accepting more books for review for the next few months. However, almost every day I receive review queries from authors who didn’t bother to read that; they offer me books about knitting, fantasy fiction, memoirs, guitar chords, children’s books, cooking, and more. I receive a lot of these, and most of them are deleted without reply.

There are websites which categorize book bloggers/reviewers by the genres they review; those can be really helpful in finding the right reviewers. Or go to Amazon and see who has reviewed similar books to yours, and see if they have an email address on their profile.

Second, sometimes it’s in the way that you approach the reviewer. Many queries I’ve received have been very impersonal, had spelling errors (doesn’t bode well for the book), were poorly written, required me to click a link to find out about the book, or wanted me to download free from Amazon on a particular day. Make it easy for the reviewer – address them by name if possible, give a brief synopsis of the book, tell where and when it’s available and in what formats. Don’t require the reviewer to do additional work to find out the basics about your book.

(However, include a link to Amazon – or wherever the book’s sold – so they can investigate more if they want to.)

Your query should contain everything necessary for the reviewer to make a decision.

Also – make sure the book is in good shape and ready for review. Sometimes, before accepting an already-published book for possible review, I’ll read the sample on Amazon to see if it appeals to me. If I find excerpts full of typos, formatting errors, or awkward writing, I won’t accept the book.

It’s harder to find reviewers for some genres than others. For example, fiction, YA and children’s book reviewers are plentiful (though often overburdened); reviewers for non-fiction, art and poetry are a little trickier to find.

But some of it is just timing, and a little bit of luck. Most reviewers get lots of queries and have to turn down even books that sound really enjoyable to them due to time constraints. But following the tips above can give you better odds.

You might also take a look at our article, “How to write an excellent review query” – https://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/publishing/how-to-write-an-excellent-book-review-query

Good luck, JT! If you have further questions, just let me know – I’d be really glad to help. all best, Denise

November 27, 2014 at 1:10 am

Hello Denise, I have a question is that any website which can give all the details of ebooks like how much ebooks are sale and in which with reviews because if any tool provide all of these things in one place it will be really helpful for many publishers.

selfpubber says

April 22, 2014 at 6:06 pm

I’ve used https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/ and it worked out pretty well. It’s a paid review, but it wasn’t a shill review (i.e. overly nice).

February 26, 2014 at 9:13 pm

I’ve used easybookreviews.com a few times. If you are willing to review other books in return it is a guaranteed way to get some (honest) reviews.

I’m also going to try story cartel but my books are already in kdp so I can’t have them available for free anywhere else at the moment. Also, story cartel aren’t amazon verified purchase reviews.

February 27, 2014 at 11:40 am

Thanks for the tip, Emily!

Be careful though, if you’re posting those reviews on Amazon. Amazon doesn’t allow reviews by “reviewing circles” (groups of people who review each other’s books) and has been known to revoke reviewing privileges for those caught doing it.

Gerard Thomas says

November 6, 2013 at 1:02 pm

OMG! I’m so happy now you’ve mentioned everything from A-Z.

Lenita Sheridan says

November 1, 2013 at 9:49 pm

This really helped me. I already got one “yes.” You might tell people to put “Review Request” in the subject line, otherwise they might get ignored the way I did when I put “possible book review?” I learned the hard way, but one website fortunately told me what to do, so I changed my tactic from then on.

November 1, 2013 at 10:04 pm

That’s a great idea, Lenita! Thanks so much. I’ll edit the article to include that. I’m glad you got a good response!

@IolaGoulton says

July 7, 2013 at 6:05 pm

10 ways to find book reviewers (and some useful links) #writing #reviews

June 30, 2013 at 11:35 pm

https://storycartel.com/ is another resource for authors to connect with reviewers.

July 1, 2013 at 8:36 am

Thanks Iola. I hadn’t heard of this one before, but I just checked it out – great resource! – Denise

@marqjonz says

May 28, 2013 at 3:50 am

@Phaedra4Real says

April 2, 2013 at 11:09 am

Dan’s right, great write-up.

ChaoticReader says

April 2, 2013 at 11:02 am

Great article on how and where to find reviewers for your book. https://t.co/wtpNTZszk5

Vennie Kocsis says

March 27, 2013 at 4:32 am

This was so very informative. Thank you for providing these resources for us budding authors.

March 27, 2013 at 11:16 am

So happy to hear you found it helpful! I wish you all the best with your book! – Denise

Rinelle Grey says

March 6, 2013 at 8:38 pm

A very extensive list of resources, I’ll be trying some of these.

One you missed is Goodreads. There are several forums that have dedicated space to helping authors find reviewers. Make sure you check that this is OK though, some groups encourage it, some dislike it.

March 6, 2013 at 9:24 pm

Thanks, Rinelle. I’ll add it. Unlike LibraryThing, GoodReads’ giveaways are only through publishers rather than authors, which is why I left it off the list. But I forgot about the forums! So I’ll add it to the list. Gracias. – Denise

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Ged & Book Marketing

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How to Create Review Copies of Your Books for Kindle

February 19, 2018 By Ged

How to Create Review Copies of Your Books for Kindle

Indie authors are looking to optimize their budgets and the time and cost of posting out physical Print books makes this less than optimal.

A.     How Books & Documents get to Kindles

When someone purchases a Kindle version of a book from Amazon, it is wirelessly delivered to their Kindle device.

Not everyone realizes that each device has its own email address (which can be found under the Device settings on their Amazon account).

Sending documents to that email account adds that document to their Kindle library so they can be viewed on that kindle (or Kindle Apps associated with it). This doesn’t, however, change the format of that document.

B.      What are PDFs, Epubs and Mobis

  • Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format that was developed in the 1990’s. The advantage of a PDF file over other document formats (such as an MS Word Docs) is that the formatting is locked in. Locking in the formatting of images and text in a document means that you know where the images and text are displayed on a page when someone opens a book or brochure.
  • Epub is an eBook format (with the extension “.epub”) that allows you the ability to download the book and read it on tablets, e-readers computers etc. Not used for Kindles
  • Mobi is an Epub type file that Amazon uses for the books that they distribute for their Kindle readers (and the Kindle App).

C.      Option One Convert PDFs or other formats of your Book to Mobi

During the review process, some authors like to download a copy of their book in PDF format to allow them to review it on their computer.

As they already have a PDF of their book, they see it as an easy way to distribute free copies of their book (and may even have this file as a FREE download on their website).

Although you can view different formats of documents on your Kindle, they are not optimized to view and may not read as well.

One of the simplest ways of creating a mobi file from a PDF etc. is to use a free online converter (such as pdf2mobi.com ).

Supplying your book in Mobi format can provide a better reading experience for your Kindle reader as it retains some of the features that a Kindle book has. A PDF document converted to mobi will not provide the same quality as a document originally created as a mobi file.

When I’ve converted other people’s books (from PDF format) to mobi, they haven’t fit correctly on the Kindle screen and the reading experience has been erratic.

D.     Option Two Download a Mobi version of your Book from KDP

If you are publishing a kindle version of your book through Amazon, then you have access to a mobi copy of your book through the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Platform.

Once you have a manuscript uploaded to KDP you can download it as a mobi file.

When you are logged into your KDP account you can choose to follow this process for any book from your bookshelf:

  • Click on the option to “Edit eBook content”
  • Scroll down to the section of the “Kindle eBook content” tab entitled “Kindle eBook Preview.
  • Click on either of the links “preview on your computer” or “preview on your Kindle device”
  • Click on the link titled “mobi”.
  • You will be given the option to save this file and you can choose where to save it (and under what name).
  • I tend to rename the file with the name of the book, the date of the download and that this is the kindle version of the book. As you start to publish and update your books it is important to have a filing system. To keep track of the various versions of your book.

NB. As you haven’t made any changes to your content, you can just click on the bookshelf link at the top of your KDP dashboard and exit the editing process (without having to complete the book submission process for that book.

E.      You’ve done it

You now know what a mobi copy of your book is and why it is beneficial to have that version for Kindle Readers.

This means that your book is easily available to distribute for Kindle review copies.

You can choose to have this as a download on your website or email it to readers direct.

NB. As we are talking about Review copies here, ensure that your file has a review link to the review page for your book.

How to Send Kindle Ebook Review Copies

ebook review copies

Reviews can help sell more copies of your books , including Kindle ebooks . However, many authors are unsure about how to send review copies of Kindle ebooks to potential reviewers. It turns out that Amazon provides a simple way to send copies of your ebook to anyone. The above video explains it in more detail.

To send a review copy, get the email address of the reviewer’s Amazon account. Go to your book’s page on Amazon and click on the “Give as a Gift” button near the buy button. Enter the email address of the person to whom you want to send the book. They will receive an email that the ebook has been gifted to them. When they accept it, the ebook will be delivered to their Kindle device or app. One caution: they can decline the ebook and elect to receive a gift certificate instead. Make sure you only gift books to people who have expressed a willingness to receive, read and review your book.

You will pay full price for the book, but you will receive a royalty. That means that your net cost is the sale price less your royalty. If your ebook sells for $2.99 with a 70% royalty, your cost will be just over $.90 (Amazon’s 30% plus a small download charge, usually a few cents). That is a small price to pay, especially when you compare it to the cost of printing and mailing a paper book.

There is another reason to choose this method instead of simply sending a file to the reviewer. When their review is posted to Amazon it will include the notation, “Amazon Verfied Purchase.” There are authors who post fraudulent or paid-for reviews on Amazon, so showing that the reviewer actually received the book from Amazon gives more credibility to their review.

(Note: Paying for reviews is against Amazon’s terms of service. However, providing a free copy to a reviewer is specifically allowed.)

Continue reading here: Creating Effective Book Descriptions for Amazon

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Readers' Questions

How to send a free kindle ebook to someone to review?
To send a free Kindle ebook to someone for review, you can follow these steps: Publish the eBook: Make sure you have published your eBook on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. This will allow you to offer the book for free for a limited time. Enable Kindle Matchbook (optional): If your eBook is also available in print format, enabling Kindle Matchbook will allow your reviewers to receive a discounted or free Kindle copy if they purchase the print edition. Create an ARC (Advance Review Copy) version: Create a separate version of your eBook file that can be shared with reviewers. This version should have a clear label indicating that it is an ARC version for review purposes. Generate a gift link: On your KDP dashboard, find the "Promotions" tab and choose the "Kindle Countdown Deals" option. There, you can select the book and create a free book promotion. Once the promotion is set, a unique gift link will be generated for your eBook. Send the gift link to reviewers: Share the gift link with your chosen reviewers via email, social media, or any other preferred method. Include a personalized message introducing the eBook and requesting an honest review. Monitor the reviews: Encourage your reviewers to leave an honest review on Amazon or other platforms. Keep track of the reviews and engage with the reviewers by thanking them for their feedback. Remember to comply with Amazon's guidelines and ensure that your reviewers are not biased or compensated in a way that may violate any rules. Additionally, always maintain open and ethical communication with your reviewers throughout the review process.
Can i send a kindle ebook to a reviewer?
Yes, you can send a Kindle ebook to a reviewer. There are a few ways you can do this. If you know the reviewer's Kindle email address, you can directly send them the ebook through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. Simply go to the "Manage Your Content and Devices" section in your KDP account, find the ebook you wish to send, click on the "..." button next to it, and select "Loan this title" or "Send now." Enter the reviewer's email address, and they will receive a notification to download the ebook on their Kindle device or app. If the reviewer prefers a different format or platform, you can convert the Kindle ebook into a compatible format (such as PDF, MOBI, or ePub) using conversion tools like Calibre or online converter websites. Once converted, you can attach the file to an email and send it to the reviewer. Remember to always respect the reviewer's preferences and follow any guidelines they may have regarding book submissions.
How do i order author copies on amazon?
To order author copies on Amazon, follow these steps: Visit the Amazon Author Central website and sign in with your Amazon account credentials. Once signed in, navigate to the "Books" tab and click on "Author Copies" in the left-hand menu. Here, you will see a list of your published books. Select the book for which you want to order author copies. On the book's details page, you should see an "Order Author Copies" option. Click on it. Enter the desired quantity of author copies you wish to order. Review the pricing details and place your order. You may need to provide payment information. Verify the shipping address to ensure the copies are delivered to the correct location. Complete the checkout process and wait for the confirmation of your order. Please note that the availability of author copies may depend on factors such as book type (paperback, hardcover) and distribution rights. Prices and shipping rates may also vary. Ensure you have the necessary agreements in place with Amazon to order author copies.
How to make kindle pages match book pages?
To make Kindle pages match book pages, you need to ensure that the font size, page margins, and spacing are adjusted accordingly. Follow these steps: Determine the number of pages in the physical book: Count the total number of pages in the physical copy of the book. Calculate average word count per page: Divide the total word count by the number of book pages to get the average word count per page. Adjust the font size and page margins: Open the digital version of the book on your Kindle device or app. Go to the settings or formatting options and increase or decrease the font size until the text on a Kindle page resembles that of a physical page. Additionally, adjust the page margins to ensure the text width matches your book. Consider spacing: If the physical book has wider line spacing or larger spacing between paragraphs, adjust the spacing settings on your Kindle device accordingly. Perform trial and error: While reading through the digital version, check if the number of Kindle pages matches the corresponding physical book pages. If not, make further adjustments to the font size, margins, or spacing until the match is achieved. Note: It may not be possible to precisely match Kindle pages with book pages due to variations in font types, formatting, and device settings. However, by following these steps, you can get a close approximation.
How to gift kindle books?
To gift Kindle books, you can follow these steps: Go to the Amazon website and log into your account. Search for the Kindle book you want to gift by typing its title, author, or keywords in the search bar. Once you have found the book you want to gift, click on its title to open the product page. On the right-hand side of the page, locate the "Buy for others" button, which is located next to the regular "Buy now" button. Click on "Buy for others." A window will pop up, prompting you to enter the recipient's email address. Make sure you have the correct email address, as the gift will be sent directly to this email. Choose a delivery date. You can choose to have the gift email sent immediately or on a specific date in the future. Optionally, you can include a personalized message to the recipient in the "Message" section. Next, click on the "Proceed to checkout" button. Complete the checkout process by entering your payment information and reviewing your order. The recipient will receive an email with instructions on how to download the Kindle book or redeem it for another Amazon product, if they don't already have a Kindle device. Note that the recipient can also choose to exchange the Kindle book for an Amazon gift card of equal value.
Can kindle books be printed?
No, Kindle books cannot be directly printed as they are protected by digital rights management (DRM) technology. However, you can take screenshots of the pages or use third-party software to convert the Kindle book into a printable format. It's important to note that this may be against the terms and conditions of using Kindle books, so it's advisable to consult the specific terms and conditions of your Kindle book purchase before attempting to print it.
Can i print pages from a kindle book?
Yes, you can print pages from a Kindle book, but it depends on the specific Kindle device or app you are using. Some Kindle devices, like the Kindle Paperwhite, do not have the capability to print directly from the device. However, if you have a Kindle Fire tablet or are using the Kindle app on a computer or smartphone, you may be able to print by following these steps: Open the Kindle book you want to print. On the Kindle Fire tablet or Kindle app, tap on the menu icon (usually represented by three dots or lines) on the top-right corner of the screen. From the menu options, select "Print" or "Print Page." Choose the printer you want to use and adjust any additional printing settings if necessary. Finally, tap on the "Print" button. Please note that the printing option may not be available for all Kindle books, as it depends on the publisher's settings.
How to print an ebook from kindle?
To print an ebook from Kindle, you can follow these steps: Connect your Kindle device to a computer using a USB cable. On your computer, open the Kindle device like a regular external storage device. Locate the ebook file you want to print. It is typically found in the "documents" folder on the Kindle device. Copy the ebook file to your computer's local storage. Open the ebook file on your computer using any compatible ebook reader software. Adjust the font size, formatting, and layout according to your preferences so that it looks suitable for printing. Once you have customized the display, click on the "Print" option within the ebook reader software. Configure the print settings such as page orientation, page size, or any other specific requirements you may have. You can also choose to print specific pages or the entire ebook. Click "Print" to start the printing process. Ensure that your printer is properly connected and has enough paper and ink/toner to perform the print job. After the printed pages come out, arrange them sequentially to assemble the entire ebook in printed form. Please note that not all ebooks have the ability to print directly from the Kindle device or Kindle app. Some ebooks may have digital rights management (DRM) restrictions in place, preventing printing. Additionally, if the ebook has complex formatting or contains images, the printed version may not provide the same reading experience as the digital version.
How do i give a free copy of my kindle book?
There are two ways to give away a free copy of your Kindle book. The first option is to provide a discounted code to your readers. You can do this by setting up a discount code in your Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account, which you can share with your readers. The second option is to use Amazon’s Matchbook program. Matchbook offers readers the opportunity to purchase a discounted Kindle edition of a book they purchased as a print book. To use the program, you will need to sign up and provide proof that you are the owner of both the Kindle and print editions. Once you have set up Matchbook, you can offer discounted Kindle versions of your books to readers who have purchased print copies.
How to send a kindle copy of your book for reviews?
Visit the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) website and log in with your account. Navigate to the “Books” tab on the top menu and select “Manage Your Kindle Books”. Click on the title of your book you wish to send for reviews. Click on “Promote and Advertise” from the menu on the left side of the page. In the “Promote Your Book” tab, under “Send Your Book”, select “Email a Review Copy”. Enter relevant details such as the number of copies you wish to send, the email address you wish to send them to, and any additional notes. Click “Send Now” to send your book to the reviewer.
How to send kindle book as gift?
Sign into your Amazon account on the Kindle website. Select the “Give as a Gift” button located under the “Buy Now” button on the product page of the book you wish to gift. Enter the recipient’s name and email address and select “Add Gift Recipient”. Type a personalized message to the recipient in the “Gift Message” field. Select “Continue” and then choose the payment method for your purchase. Review your order information and select “Place Your Order Now”. Once the order is complete, the recipient will receive an email from Amazon with instructions on how to redeem the e-book.
How to give a kindle ebook as a gift?
Go to Amazon.com and log in to your account. In the top navigation bar, hover your mouse over the "Give as a Gift" link and select "Kindle and Fire" from the drop-down menu. Choose the recipient from the list of contacts. If the recipient is not in the list, add their name, email address, and address. Select the Kindle ebook you would like to give as a gift. Enter the recipient’s name and a personal message. Choose the delivery date and payment option. Click the “Send Now” button to complete the process.

READY TO START YOUR PUBLISHING JOURNEY

KBook Publishing-

What are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) and How to Create One?

  • KBook Publishing
  • November 22, 2021
  • Editing / Formatting

advance-reader-copies

Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) are like public relations packages sent to book bloggers, book reviewers, library staff, magazines, and other people who are influential in the book world. Just like businesses collaborate with content creators by sending them their products, authors and publishers use advance reader copies or review copies as a marketing tool to create some buzz ahead of their book launch.

What is an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)?

An advance review copy is a pre-published version of a book that authors and publishers send to professional reviewers, book bloggers, and book tubers. These free books enable them to read it before its publication so they can publish their book reviews in time for the book release or debut.

The advance reader or review copies are believed to be remarkable assets that allow endorsements and publicity of your book way ahead of the book’s release. They also offer input or feedback about the story so that you can make the required edits before producing the final version of your book.

How Do Advanced Reader Copies (ARC) Work?

In the publishing world, ARC books are prepared as paperback or digital editions that aren’t complete and lack a final proofread or cover design . These pre-production copies usually do not cost as much as the final published versions, hence giving the authors an advantage to send low-priced copies in exchange for reviews by a book blogger or reviewer. Many publishers believe that the more your book is reviewed and mentioned before its publication, the better chances of its sales are going to be when the book finally appears in stores.

Advance copies can be sent as print books, digital ARCs, or free eBook ARCs. You can also send these to well-known reader communities like Goodreads, BookBub, Smash Words, etc. Goodreads giveaway book sent as an ARC can offer great insight from bibliophiles and professionals on the platform that can help improve the content of your book and bring it in front of their trusted readers. You can also send ARCs to people who have a book blog or a self-publishing blog where they can leave reviews for their readers or audience.

If you wish to become an ARC reviewer, you can start on platforms like Goodreads Reviewer’s Group, NetGalley, and Edelweiss where select titles are made showcased to the members of these platforms. If you have previously worked with a publisher or editor, it can give you the advantage to become a good ARC reviewer since this relationship is what authors and publishers look out for when sending their books for review.

Things to Consider When Making Advanced Copies

Now that you know what advanced reader copies are and how they work, let’s dive into how you can create an ARC as an author. When creating ARCs, there are a few important things to keep in mind before you start sending physical copies or digital ARCs.

Lead time and cost

ARCs can be easily produced as finished books but the problem here isn’t related to production but lead time and cost. Reviewers want book copies three to six months prior to your public release because they need ample time to read the book, write their review, and publish it time for your book’s release so that it can create the buzz or hype you want for a successful book launch.

To make sure your book takes an early place in the queue, make sure you prepare the ARCs six months prior to the release date. Since you can’t print a lot of physical copies before the date, you’ll have to print a small number of advance review copies which comes down to money.

There are two ways that printers use to print your books: offset and digital printing. For offset printing, the setup is expensive and only gets economical if you’re printing more than a thousand or more copies of your book. When printed copies amount to thousands, a single copy of your book may cost only a couple of dollars to offset print. But obviously, you’re not going to print a thousand copies for ARCs so offset printing is not suitable for you. Then how else can you print them?

For printing a small number of books, digital printing is more economical. Even if you choose to publish a hundred digitally printed copies of your book, an average-sized copy may cost between $4.00 and $8.00 per copy . This price reduces as you print more copies and goes up when printing fewer copies. This is because it takes the printer the same amount of work and set up to print one copy as it does with five hundred copies. In short, if you decide to print a few copies, be prepared to pay for the printing costs.

Publishing method

If you’re worried about the printing costs, there’s good news for you! Luckily, the publishing industry has changed and incorporated advanced and convenient ways for authors to publish their books. With print-on-demand publishing on the rise, a lot of POD services and platforms have come to rescue authors, especially self-publishing and independent authors as they lack resources.

Some credible POD platforms include Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, KBook, and BookBaby. These platforms allow you to print ARCs at the same price as sale copies. Book reviewers are also readily accepting digital review copies as it eliminates the printing cost and makes the whole process quite economical for booksellers . Now you can print the same copies of ARCs for both reviewers and beta readers.

Whatever POD service you choose, it should let you set up an ARC without putting them on sale. You can later set up the final and release version for sale. You can also print bulk copies when using POD services.

How to Create an ARC?

Once your book is prepared to be sent, create a PDF version of your ARC for distribution. Whether you’re sending physical ARCs or digital review copies, it’s great if you have your book cover too, or at least a concept for your cover.

After that, add the following touches to create your ARC:

  • Add a disclaimer on the cover stating that it’s an “Advanced Review Copy” or “Uncorrected Proof for Limited Distribution”. You can add either of these as a banner over the top or bottom of the cover or as a stamp.
  • Put a few sentences for a disclaimer on the inside of your book, preferably on the title page. This disclaimer should state “Uncorrected Proof for Limited Distribution: This proof is provided for review purposes only. The content may change before release. If quoting passages, please refer to the sale edition.”
  • Include an ISBN if you have one. It’s not mandatory to add it though. If you don’t have it, you can put “Advance Review Copy” on the copyright page. You can also add other information about your books like your book’s metadata, estimated retail price, number of pages, and release date.
  • If your book has illustrations and not all are ready to be included, include those that are ready and leave placeholders for those not available. The placeholder will take the same space as the intended graphic with a label marked “Illustration Not Available.”

And that’s all you need to create an ARC. You can now send the digital versions of your ARCs and order the print edition from your POD service.

Limitations of Advanced Reader Copies

ARCs have a few limitations for reviewers as for authors and publishers. Since ARCs are not the final version of your book, reviewers may find typos or other errors. Also, not all the review copies may be of interest to your reviewer especially if they receive tons of copies to be reviewed by publishers and authors. Book bloggers and professional reviewers may have to force themselves to complete them in time to publish their reviews before your book is released.

Moreover, it’s possible for reviewers to not read and review ARCs at their leisure since many ARCs come at a certain deadline so that reviews can be published in time. This can make the book review a bit stressful for your reviewers. To avoid this, it’s best to send your ARC three to six months before your release date to allow your reviewers to publish their reviews.

That’s all there is about advanced reader copies. Follow the steps carefully and prepare for everything from setting enough time and printing costs to adding essential details in your ARCs and sending out neat and formatted copies to reviewers.

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BookFunnel Author Knowledge Base

  • Send ARCs with Certified Mail

How to Send Review Copies (All Plans)

You can send Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) to each member of your review team using BookFunnel Certified Mail .

It’s our #1 Author Favorite Feature!

BUT… is it the right fit for you or your review team?

If you aren’t sure, here are three ways you can send review copies to your loyal reviewers.

Email Review Link (All BookFunnel Plans)

All BookFunnel plans, including the First-Time Author plan, can deliver ARCs by creating a landing page and emailing its link to reviewers through your mailing list service.

We can’t provide a detailed how-to here, as all mailing list providers have slightly different steps, but the basic steps are:

  • Create a download page for your ARC. All landing pages on BookFunnel are private, meaning strangers on the internet are not going to stumble upon your book on our website. The only way that readers can find your book is if you (or someone else) send them the link to it.
  • Set a download limit and/or expiration date on the page. A download limit is the total number of times the book can be downloaded, not per person.  Example: A download limit of 2 means that the book can only be downloaded on two IP addresses before the page becomes inactive.   Learn how to set a download limit or expiration date .
  • Email your reviewers the BookFunnel link through your mailing list service. Ask them to hustle because copies are limited and the page will expire in X days.
  • Remind your reviewers in the email not to share the link.

Mid-List Plan (Without Integration)

Mid-List authors should use BookFunnel Certified Mail (for all of its fantastic benefits detailed  here )!

But, if you want to explore other ARC distribution options, a landing page that requires an email address is the next best thing.

A reader must provide an email address before they can download the ARC. When they download the EPUB, the file they receive is watermarked with identifying information.

  • Create a landing page that requires an email signup for your ARC.
  • Select a book and set an expiration date and/or claim limit on the landing page. A claim limit on an email signup page limits the number of people who can claim a copy of the book. Once this number is reached, the page is deactivated. For example, if you set a claim limit of 10, that means that the book can be downloaded by 10 people before the page is deactivated.
  • Email your reviewers the link through your mailing list service. Ask them to hustle because copies are limited and the page will expire in X days.
  • Remind your reviewers in the email not to share the link.

We will collect and store all email addresses for you in a CSV on your dashboard.

If someone shares your ARC link and extra readers downloaded the book, you can import any new email addresses into your mailing list* at your convenience.

*You can import all email addresses if your email signup page required opt-in.

Mid-List Plan (With Integration) & Bestseller Plan

Mid-Listers With Integration and Bestsellers can use the processes detailed above, or, if your BookFunnel account is integrated with your mailing list provider, you can create a  restricted page  instead.

A restricted landing page will collect the reviewer’s email address and then check your mailing list to make sure they are allowed to download your ARC. If they are subscribed to your list, they can download the book. If they aren’t on the list, they can’t!

When your reviewer downloads the EPUB, the file they receive is watermarked with identifying information.

  • Create a restricted landing page for your ARC.   Learn how to create a restricted landing page.
  • Set an expiration date on the page.
  • Email your reviewers the link through your mailing list service. Tell them to hustle because the page will expire in X days.

In this knowledge base, ARCs refers to Advance Reader Copies.

Set a download limit on your link and set an expiration date that only allows reviewers a week or so to download the book. Also, remind reviewers not to share the link.

Compare Certified Mail and Restricted Pages .

Related Posts

  • Adding and Editing Landing Pages
  • Certified Mail vs. Restricted Pages
  • Restricted Pages – Send Books to Existing Subscribers (Only)
  • Use Certified Mail to Send Advance Reader Copies (ARCs)

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A Guide: Managing Review Copies and Getting More Reviews with Story Origin

by Troy Lambert | Feb 9, 2022 | Advice for Authors , Business Advice

ebook review copies

One of the best things StoryOrigin does is make it possible to manage your eBook and Audio Review requests and keep your reviewer list clean and running smoothly. There are probably as many ways to do this as you can imagine, but below, I will outline how I do it, some tips and tricks I have learned along the way, and hopefully some advice you can use for your own stuff. 

In using this method, I have increased reviews for all of the audiobooks and eBooks in my Capital City Murders series and with my novel,  Harvested . This includes 51 reviews of  Overdoses in Olympia  (the series opener) and nearly 40 on  Harvested  on Amazon alone. 

Harvested  also has over a dozen reviews on Chirp, the BookBub audiobook platform, as it is distributed wide, and not just on Amazon. I’ve gotten everything from book recommendations on BookBub to many reviews on Goodreads (even though I don’t prioritize that as one of my review platforms), and countless reviews and mentions on reviewer blogs. 

This has resulted in sales success (coupled with ads) for both series, and Teaching Moments (the sequel to Harvested) is off to a strong start too, even without an audiobook yet, but just from eBook reviews. 

And thanks to a new feature update where you can share your publicly listed books with a single link, including your audiobooks, I anticipate even more reviews going forward. 

All that being said, let’s get started with a deep dive. 

Getting Started

So this is not a tutorial for StoryOrigin (there are  great videos on their website for that ). But when it comes to getting started, it’s really about a few different things. For eBooks you will need: 

  • Your Cover Image
  • At least ePub and .mobi files of your book. (PDF is optional), or
  • Copies of your eBook you have purchased on Amazon (see notes on KU below)
  • Files that are a Sample of Your eBook (Usually the first chapter will do)

That’s pretty much it. I create sample files using Vellum, which I use to format my full-length eBooks as well, but if you use another program like Calibre, Atticus, or even Scrivener, you can do the same thing. 

A Note on Kindle Unlimited

If you are in Kindle Unlimited, technically you are not supposed to distribute your books anywhere besides Amazon, so technically giving review copies away through another platform violates those Terms of Service (ToS), maybe. Here is  some more clarity on the topic . It’s unclear how often Amazon actually cracks down on this, but it’s up to you if you want to take the risk. 

As an alternative, you can buy copies of your eBooks for others. This is not a tutorial on Amazon either, but you can Google how to do this—tons of authors do. Then you can distribute those books to reviewers. There are a couple of plus sides besides keeping you out of potential trouble with Amazon: if you buy these copies individually, any review shows as a verified purchase, and it keeps freebie seekers who don’t want to download things from Amazon from cluttering your list. 

Pro Tip:  Buy extra copies of your eBook when you are running a Kindle Countdown Deal to give away later. It’s much cheaper for you and makes no difference to the reader who receives it.

There are some downsides to this too, especially for reviewers who leave reviews on BookBub or their own blog or even Goodreads, but not on Amazon directly. There are also those who don’t do business with Amazon for ethical or other reasons and won’t be able to access your book. 

You can also only purchase review copies for others in your own country. You won’t be able to purchase a copy for someone in the UK if you are in the US, for example. 

ebook review copies

When setting up the Review Copy on StoryOrigin, you can:

  • Visit  https://storyoriginapp.com/reviewcopies/new
  • Under the “How would you like to provide the review copy to readers?” field, select “Amazon Pre-paid Book Link”

This means authors in KU can still get the benefit of vetting reviewers’ completion stats and profiles before giving them a link.

Audio Review Copies

For audiobooks, you will simply need your cover and your blurb, along with a few retailer links. You’ll also need to know how to access your audiobook Promo Codes. If your books are on ACX,  this is a part of your sales dashboard , and you initially get 25 codes for the US and 25 for the UK. You can request more, but that’s yet again another topic for another day. 

If you are on  Findaway Voices  or another audiobook distributor, you will have promo codes somewhere on that platform. In my case, I have 18 audiobooks on ACX, and 1 on Findaway Voices. I won’t go into detail on the pluses and minuses of each for now, but all that is to say I know how to set up and send codes for each, and if you are on another platform, you should have received instructions on how to access those codes. 

Setting up your files results in the creation of a StoryOrigin landing page and a unique link that sends readers to it. Once they reach that landing page, readers or listeners can request a review copy or an audiobook promo code. This is where you come in again.

Side note: To PDF or not to PDF

Not long ago, a friend called me in a panic. Her Amazon book had suddenly been unpublished and denied for continued Kindle Unlimited membership. Why? Well, Amazon (or rather its automated search) found the book available somewhere else on the web, clearly a violation of their ToS for Kindle Unlimited.

Where did they find it? On an eBook pirating website. Now, Amazon is usually pretty good at telling the difference between a pirate site and a real one, but in this case, they didn’t. We were able to contact Amazon and quickly get her book and her account back in good standing, along with sending a stern copyright notice to the pirate site owner. 

Her book had been pirated through a PDF she offered for review. How could she tell? Well, one trick to tell where a pirated book copy came from is to include some unique language, but language that doesn’t stand out or isn’t too unusual, in the book somewhere, usually on the copyright page, in an author dedication, or something else. Then if a pirated copy shows up, you know where it came from. 

First, this is another reason to distribute review copies through buying Amazon copies of your own book, but that still isn’t a 100% guarantee against piracy. However, if you can prove to Amazon that the pirated copy was downloaded from their site… 

Second, you can simply not offer PDF files. It is optional on StoryOrigin, so I simply don’t upload anything in that spot. If someone emails me and asks for a PDF, this is an immediate red flag—there must be a reason they want that type of file, and it is usually because it is easier to convert a PDF, even a secured one, to an ePub and distribute it than to do things the other way around. (Either is possible. You won’t ever stop piracy 100%). Anymore it isn’t because they don’t have a way to read an ePub or .mobi file. And if they are not tech-savvy enough to open one of those files, how can you rely on them to leave a review on the web?

Besides, ideally, you are looking for an audience of eBook readers who also leave reviews. Readers know how to access content in different formats. So while it is up to you, I no longer recommend uploading PDF copies for reviewers unless you are dealing with a major magazine or publication that needs one for some reason. Even then…

But that leads us nicely to our next topic. 

Approving or Denying Review Requests

One of the big advantages of StoryOrigin is that you get to accept or deny review requests as they come in before the person gets a copy of your work. This is much better than say, having to email anyone who asks for one a digital copy or just posting a link where anyone with that link can download your book. In the latter case, if someone unethical manages to get onto your review team, they can share the link with anyone. 

There are protections you can put in place, but they can impact your ability to share review copies with someone who is not on your list, especially if you make them public. We’ll get to that too.

When a person makes a request for a review copy, you get a notification. If you don’t go check your dashboard, you’ll get an email the next day letting you know you have applications waiting for approval. 

When you get an application, you will have the option to deny or accept the review request. Don’t be afraid to reject a request that seems off. At first, I just approved everything, as I wanted as many reviews as possible. But as you will see, that can be a bad thing.

For each applicant, I have started to look at: 

  • The requester’s reviewer profile.
  • The number of reviews they have actually completed.
  • And, if I have other questions, I conduct a search on social media.

If someone has downloaded one book and has completed one review, I may take a chance on them. If they have zero, I look them up on Amazon or social media and see if they are new to StoryOrigin or if this is a freebie seeker, bot, or even a scam attempting to steal your book. 

For audio, you can also look at the person’s audible profile (see above). As you can see, this person has left 73 reviews on Audible, the latest one on one of my audio books, so I know they are active and a good choice to gift a promo code.

ebook review copies

A potential red flag? If when you click on “view listener profile” you go straight to the Audible home page. This can be misleading though, as the person could just not know how to set up a profile, but you can also look at their reviewer profile. If they have never reviewed an audiobook before, they might be looking for a freebie, or if they request codes for all of your books all at once, that can also be a red flag. 

One option is to offer them one code or review copy, even if they have requested several. You can wait to see if they actually leave a review before approving their other requests. Yes, this can be a pain to leave those requests outstanding, but it might be worth it in the long run. 

Here is what a couple of accepted review requests look like, one completed, and one not.

ebook review copies

Remember, you are building a tribe of listeners and readers for your books. And on that line, you can look at your own statistics to evaluate your reviewers. I have witnessed several things happen: 

  • The person never even downloads the book or redeems the audio code even after you approve their request.
  • They never report their reviews to StoryOrigin, you can’t find their reviews online, even on their blog, but they keep asking for review copies of your books. See above for a screen shot of what that looks like.

If the person is new to my review queue, I will go look for a review where they said they would leave it (Amazon, BookBub, or Goodreads are my three top preferred locations). Sometimes they simply did not come back to StoryOrigin to add the link to their review, but they did leave one. If not, I won’t approve their next review request, or I may send them a message through StoryOrigin asking if they have a link to where they left a review. 

The point is that to increase the legitimate reviews you are getting from readers; you don’t have to give the book to everyone who asks for it. It is against Amazon’s ToS to require a review if you give someone a book, but you don’t have to give anyone a book, ever, for any reason.

Also, be sure to remind readers to include the fact that they were given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review in their review text. This does two things: first, it satisfies the rules set forth by Amazon, and second it gives you a clue where the review may have come from. 

So that’s the “what to do” and “how it works.” Here’s the payoff. 

How I Get More Reviews (and sales)

One of the new options in StoryOrigin is to make your review copies public. What does that mean? Well, there is a public page  on StoryOrigin here , where people can discover audiobooks and request codes, and there is a similar page for eBooks that  can be found here . 

This can increase your requests for reviews, and it has worked well for me so far, but let me back up for a minute, as this is certainly not the only way you should be finding more reviewers for your work. 

Build an Email List for Your Review Team

First, you need to build a review team or as I call it a “Launch Team” list. I have one list for audiobooks and one for eBooks. I have built this list through my newsletter welcome sequence, some Facebook pages, and using other techniques. Your own list of reviewer emails is your best and most reliable source.

Pro Tip:  Your goal should be to get most of those who review your work through StoryOrigin or other platforms onto that list if possible. That way you can interact with them directly. Your goal should also be to keep that list lean, and as much as possible, only keep those people on that list who actually interact with and hopefully review your work. 

I only open this email team for new signups from the public at least a few times a year. If it gets too big, feel free to trim your list to those who are actively engaged with your content. Where and how you manage your email list is up to you, but I have my own preference, and you can learn more about it  by following this link . 

Automate Your Review Welcome Sequence

As you can imagine, with 19 audiobooks available and a ton of eBooks, even making everyone aware of what you have available, let alone getting reviews, could be a full-time job. Instead, my welcome sequence invites people, in order, to request codes or review copies so eventually, they can work through my entire catalog if they wish.

Along every step of the way, I give them an opportunity to reply to me with feedback and to unsubscribe. It’s much better for your list if those who don’t really want to be there just leave on their own.

As I can easily see from their email address, their name, and their StoryOrigin profile, I can quickly cull my list and determine who should stay and who should go. That being said, remember not everyone will review every book, so don’t kick them out too soon. But if you have offered them multiple books, especially if they have requested review copies and redeemed them, but never left reviews, it is time for them to go. 

Keeping this list “clean” is even more important than keeping your main subscriber list clean, and my open and click rates on these emails are the highest of any list I have. 

Don’t rely just on clicks and opens anymore. With new privacy protections in place and coming from more mail providers all the time, these will not always be recorded accurately. Be sure you don’t remove an active reviewer just because they use Apple mail. 

Display Review Copies Publicly and Vet Your Reviewers

When the display review copies publicly option (discussed above) became available on StoryOrigin, I jumped on it right away. I quickly got 2-4 new reviews per audiobook, some of them just on Audible and not Amazon, but also almost right away (and without other promotions to explain the jump) I sold 50 more audiobooks the following month. 

Sales on my eBooks rose in similar ways without adding additional advertising or promotions to most of them (I always have ads and promotions going on, so this is harder to attribute). But I also got more reviews and the surprising bonus of some extra followers on BookBub. 

I can attribute at least some of this directly to making my review copies public and then vetting those reviewers carefully. I likely let a few slide who were new to StoryOrigin and new to me, so some have yet to play out well enough for me to know if I will “keep” that reviewer as part of the team. 

But overall, making review copies public has resulted in good things for me and my books. 

Final Thoughts

Like other marketing tools for authors, StoryOrigin should be one of many tools in your toolbox . The program saves you one of the most valuable things you have: time. It also offers a layer of security, as much as that is possible, for your review copies. You get to choose who gets your books, what formats are delivered, and to an extent how. 

StoryOrigin is also constantly under development with new features being added all the time. I also use Reader Magnets on the platform, and while I haven’t done it yet, I am exploring the Goal Tracker feature (a FitBit for authors? Kinda) and other features as well.

But it’s only a tool. It makes your work easier, but it will not do the work for you. You’ll still need to build your launch team, carefully evaluate each reviewer, and all the other tasks that go with managing a review team. 

If you use it correctly, it can help you increase the number of reviews you get for your books or audiobooks, and those reviews can lead to more sales. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re all after, right? Want more tips and tricks for authors, event updates, and even some free stuff from time to time? Join my email list and get a FREE book,  7 Steps to Plotting Your Novel Quickly .  Click here  to learn more. 

Troy Lambert

Troy is a freelance writer, author, and blogger who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho with the love of his life and three very talented dogs.

Passionate about writing dark psychological thrillers, he is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, all-around outdoorsman, and a terrible beginning golfer.

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Author Learning Center

How to Self-Publish an ARC (Advance Review Copy)

An advance review copy or advance reading copy is a free, promotional copy of a book that's in the process of being published, but hasn't been released yet. As an author self-publishing, there are several benefits to using an ARC in your marketing plan. ARCs help you build excitement for your book's release, acquire reviews, advertise to bookstores and libraries, and collect feedback to improve your book.  

With all of the benefits of ARCs and the prevalence of do-it-yourself publishing options, a growing number of indie authors are using ARCs. In this article, you will learn how to make an advance review copy, when to send out an ARC, and tips on how to self-publish an ARC for maximum impact.  

How to make an advance review copy

As a self-published author, you have options when making an advance review copy. Your biggest choice is deciding between a digital or print ARC. There are pros and cons to each format, so choose the one that's best for you and your book.  

Digital: Digital ARCs are cheaper to produce and quicker to send out. The downside is that it may restrict your audience, since some book review publications do not accept digital ARCs, and some readers may not read eBooks (however, this may not apply to your niche audience, so research your market). 

You can create a digital ARC in PDF, ePub, or Mobi format and distribute the ARC by emailing it directly to your readers, or through a website like NetGalley ,  BookFunnel , or Instafreebie . Another option is using a publishing platform such as Kindle Direct Publishing to create your digital ARC—just don’t fully publish your book until you are ready. 

Print: Printed ARCs are the standard—it's what the big publishers use and what big name reviewers expect. However, printed books come at a higher price tag and as an independent or self-published author, you foot the bill. Plus, you need to pad your timeline to allow time for printing and shipping the books. 

You can print your ARC using a short-run printer or by using a print-on-demand self-publishing platform, such as IngramSpark or Kindle Direct Publishing. Which option you choose may depend on how much design support you need to create the print-ready file, or the format and length of your book (which affects print costs). You have the option of creating an ARC book file with these types of platforms, or, KDP allows authors to order Proof Copies .

When to send out an ARC

When to start working on your ARC depends on how you're creating it and where you're soliciting the reviews. Start early, and consider the following factors: printing, shipping from printer, shipping to readers and reviewers, and lead time (some publications require a long lead time, such as Foreword Reviews which asks for four months lead).  

Tips to self-publish an ARC

Avoid media mail: Although it is tempting to use media mail to distribute your printed ARC since it is cheaper than first class mail, don't do it. It can take weeks for media mail to arrive. That time can be better spent allowing your ARC readers to review your book.  

Produce a quality book: Don't skip editing and typesetting because it's an ARC. While an ARC is an "unfinished draft," reviewers won't forgive sloppy text that's full of errors or an unprofessional design. This is your first impression—make it count.  

Include disclaimers: Place a disclaimer on the cover and within the book that identifies it as an ARC and that it's not available for retail sale. Make it obvious that this is an ARC. Some authors even place a disclaimer in the header of every page of the book.  

Customize the cover: Your ARC's cover should be different than your published book's cover in these important ways:  

- Include a disclaimer on the front cover identifying the book as an ARC.

- List key book metadata and marketing info on the back cover. Here are some details to include: title, author, publisher, price, format, page count, ISBN, publication date, publicity contact information, and marketing plan.  

- Remove or hide the ISBN barcode. This helps prevent your ARC from being sold in retail stores. If you cannot leave the ISBN barcode off due to printing requirements, you can place a sticker over the barcode before you distribute the ARCs.  

Now that you know how to self-publish an advance review copy, you can create your own and benefit from this powerful book marketing tool. By planning ahead, you can use ARCs to garner book reviews and build excitement for your book's release.

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I’m still really understanding all this ARC? Yes I’ve read and did research, most videos don’t have subtitles for me. Whom do I send a copy of my book to set everything up, yes I’ve had it edited?

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Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Podcast / Book Publishing / Amazon Book Review Policies – Can We Give a Book for Free for Reviews?

Amazon Book Review Policies – Can We Give a Book for Free for Reviews?

There’s a lot of confusion among authors about the best practices when it comes to getting reviews on Amazon for their books. Amazon has had to send out a memo about frowned-upon practices, as well as list their rules and requirements, but there always be authors who try to skirt the rules just for those reviews.

One thing Amazon has made abundantly clear, though, is the use of incentives in exchange for reviews is against the rules. Incentives, other than Advanced Review Copies that is. An Advance Review Copy (or ARC) is given to people in advance of the book launch with the hope that those read it can review the book as soon as it’s released.

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Over 47,000+ authors, NYT bestsellers, and publishing companies use Publisher Rocket to gain key insight to the market.  Help your book now

Some might wonder if they can have a person buy the book, review it and then compensate them for that review. Unfortunately, that’s not the same as an ARC. Paying someone or compensating them after they already left the review could result in a biased review.

How to send out ARCs to readers

Craig Tuch, our guest today, is owner of Hidden Gems Books – a paid service authors can use to send out ARCs to readers. This doesn’t fall outside of Amazon’s rules and requirements, since these readers aren’t required to write reviews on the book . But the email lists Craig has cultivated are more prone to do so.

We talk a little about some of the practices for getting reviews we’ve seen from other authors that have worked, like offering a personalized bookplate just for buying the book. We also discuss some of the shady tactics used by other authors that Amazon would probably not approve of, like having a contest for those who leave reviews for a book.

The main thing authors should ask themselves when trying to come up with clever ways to gain reviews is, “Am I causing favor?” If that’s the case, you’re doing it wrong.

Bio of the Author in the Case Study:

Craig Tuch has been involved in the writing community for many years, and during that time he was able to identify the difficulties that self-published and independent authors have in promoting, marketing and improving their books. Hidden Gems was started in 2015 and offers an ever-expanding list of services to over 1500 authors to help them reach more readers and sell more books .

Resources Referred to in this Episode:

  • Hidden Gems Books — Craig’s Book Review Service
  • Amazon’s Memo on Reviews
  • Amazon’s FAQ on Book Reviews
  • Email Address for Amazon Review Appeals
  • Video on Amazon Review Policies
  • Kindlepreneur video — What Happened to My Kindle Book Reviews? Why Amazon Deletes Reviews
  • Book Marketing Show How to Get Book Reviews

Where to listen

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Google Play

Related Podcast Episodes

Keyword mastery for nonfiction and fiction authors, book launch to consistent sales (a case study), marketers & coffee: publishing companies and deals with anna david, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

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Edelweiss Help

Knowledge Base

Downloading a digital review copy to a kindle.

New to downloading review copies to your Kindle or Kindle app? There are just a few quick steps that need to be done one time before you’re ready to read. Note that Kindle downloads of Edelweiss digital review copies can only be read on your Kindle device or Kindle mobile app and cannot be shared or read on a computer using the Kindle for PC app. If you would like to read review copies on your computer, please follow our instructions on downloading and reading digital review copies  on a computer .

ebook review copies

One-Time Setup in Your Amazon Account

1. In order to download an Edelweiss Digital Review Copy to your Kindle, you will need to first go to your Kindle Settings in Amazon and add our kindle email address as one of your approved emailers. To do this:

Go to  ‘Manage Your Content and Devices’ on Amazon.

Then select the Preferences  on the top under the black top bar.

Scroll down to Personal Document E-mail Settings , then to Approved Personal Document E-mail List , and select Add a new approved email address .

ebook review copies

2. While you are on this page, take note of your Kindle’s email address under the heading Send-to-Kindle E-Mail Settings . For example [email protected] or  [email protected] . Note that this address is different from your personal or business email address – it is an address assigned specifically for use by your Kindle.

Your First Download from Edelweiss

1. First, find a review copy you’d like to read! Once you have found a book you would like to download, click the Download button.

ebook review copies

2. Now, you just need to connect Edelweiss to your Kindle. When the box below pops up, select Change .

ebook review copies

This will bring you to this box, where you should select Kindle. You can also check the box below to download to the Kindle in the future (you can easily change this later if you do use another device). Click  Continue .

ebook review copies

If you already followed the initial setup steps at the beginning of these instructions, you just need to enter your Kindle’s email address and select a download method.

ebook review copies

Send to email : If your kindle is wifi enabled or has 3G, the file will be transferred the next time it is connected to the Internet over wifi or 3G. If not, the file will transfer to your Kindle when you next connect your Kindle to your computer directly.

Send directly to Kindle: This will send the book to your Kindle wirelessly.  recommended

Once you’ve made a selection, click  Continue , and you will see this box. Unless you need to change your Kindle email address, click  Continue  here, as well.

ebook review copies

Future Downloads from Edelweiss

If you set the Kindle as your preferred format in step 3, then the next time you download a book from Edelweiss, you will skip some steps. If you want to download the file in a non-Kindle format, you can select Change  at the top of the box.

Note that Kindle downloads of Edelweiss digital review copies can only be read on your Kindle or Kindle mobile app and cannot be shared or read on a computer using the Kindle for PC app. If you would like to read review copies on your computer, please follow our instructions on downloading and reading digital review copies on a computer .

Note that some publishers do not offer Digital Review Copies in the Kindle format. If, when downloading, you do not see the option to download to a Kindle, this means that the title you’re downloading is not available in the Kindle format. Please see our other download options .

Troubleshooting Tips:

You can check whether a book has been sent to your device from your Manage Your Content and Devices page in the  Content Tab , select show  Docs (Edelweiss books will send to your Documents folder on Kindle, rather than Books).

ebook review copies

Then you can check on the right of the title under “Devices.” If there’s a zero there it means it hasn’t delivered to your Kindle. You can click that to deliver it to your preferred device.

ebook review copies

Then, when you’re back in your Kindle select the  More option in the menu and Sync.

ebook review copies

thefussylibrarian

How offering an advanced reader copy can bring in reviews

Posted on May 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM by Guest Author

To market your book well, you need to show it’s worth reading. Learn how offering an advanced reader copy can help you collect reviews before publishing.

Table of Contents

Why early reviews are valuable, what is an advanced reader copy, what is the purpose of an advanced reader copy, how to make an advanced reader copy.

7 Ways to Get Reviews Using an Advanced Reader Copy

Takeaway  

When it comes to getting book reviews , timing is an important factor. Of course, you can list your book without reviews and gather them as they come in — there’s no rule against it. But ideally, you should already have a few positive reviews when you make your book available to the public. 

Here’s why…

Early reviews play an essential role in marketing and selling a new release. They provide social proof to readers that it’s worth reading. And you can apply that social proof in countless ways — from highlighting it on your social media pages to adding it to your book’s back cover. In doing so, you can look forward to a more successful book launch .

Whether you’re a first-time author or a seasoned pro who’s just released a new title, you may struggle to get any traction without reviews. That’s why you should take steps to get them as early as possible. 

Enter the advanced reader copy…

An advanced reader copy is an early version of a book that hasn’t been published yet . In some cases, especially with print books, it may be missing aspects like cover art. But the copy still serves (more or less) as the final draft of the author’s work, ready for reading.

Although such copies are primarily given away by publishing houses, indie authors have also started using them over the years. It should be noted that these versions are meant to be promotional copies given away to readers. Each one is marked to indicate that it’s an advanced reader copy and not intended for sale. 

The primary purpose of an advanced reader copy is to build up buzz around your soon-to-be-published book. By creating one and giving it to select readers, you can generate publicity that will hopefully turn into interest. And as a result, you can enjoy better results when you make your book available for purchase.

Here are some additional ways an advanced reader copy can work to your advantage:

It can help you improve your book before publishing.

By providing a group of people with advanced copies of your book, you can get valuable feedback and apply it before publishing. Often, authors are too close to their work to spot things like story gaps and character flaws. But having readers and influencers check out your book beforehand can bring those issues to light. 

It can be used as a gift for your superfans or launch supporters.

An advanced reader copy can also be used to nurture your relationships. Many authors opt to give away such versions as a thank-you gift to superfans and launch supporters. Doing so shows that you acknowledge and value everything they’ve done to help you. Plus, everyone loves getting free stuff!

It can provide you with early reviews to use for marketing.

Of course, collecting reviews is one of the biggest reasons to provide an advanced reader copy to certain people. Along with offering a copy to readers, you can send one off to bloggers and influencers who frequently review books in your genre. If you’re respectful in your request and give them ample time to read the book, you should be able to get reviews that you can use when launching your book. 

Note : If you plan to make your book available through Amazon, keep in mind that any reviews you get from other sites or email can’t be put under the Customer Review section, only the Editorial Review section. 

  • If you’re concerned that creating an advanced reader copy of your book will require a lot of extra effort and resources, don’t be. Today, there are shortcuts that make the process easier and less expensive. For example, you can take advantage of print-on-demand services to send physical copies or just create separate digital versions of your ebook. Ultimately, it boils down to your budget and your reviewers’ preference.
  • Once you’ve decided on a method, follow these steps:

Ensure your copy is free of grammatical, spelling, and formatting issues.

Include a stamp on the copy's front cover indicating it’s an advanced reader copy. 

Put a disclaimer on the inside (e.g., the title page) explaining that the copy is an uncorrected proof for review purposes only — not intended for sale. Note that content may change before release and to refer to the sale edition when quoting. 

On the copyright page, you can put the ISBN if you have one. Otherwise, you can put “Advanced Review Copy” or “Uncorrected Proof” in its place. 

If any cover art or images are missing, you can add placeholders labeled “Illustration Not Available.”

7 Ways to Get Reviews Using an Advanced Reader Copy  

Creating an advanced reader copy is one thing. But how do you go about using it for review-gathering purposes? To simplify it for you, we put together a list of seven ways to get reviews before your book launches. 

Note : No matter where you plan to send your advanced copy, make sure to do so between three and six months before publication. This gives reviewers ample time, which they’ll appreciate. 

OFFER IT AS PART OF AN AUTHOR GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS.

Goodreads has received criticism in recent years thanks to bad actors, but it can still be a useful way to get reviews. After all, data shows the platform has 90 million members , which gives you the opportunity for a lot of exposure. If your budget allows, you could offer your advanced reader copy as an author giveaway . In doing so, you could put your book in the hands of up to 100 readers and gather some reviews in advance. 

MAKE AN EXCHANGE WITH A FELLOW AUTHOR.

If you know any other authors, check to see if they have books coming out soon too. If they do, suggest doing an exchange of advanced copies and offering one another a review. This can help boost your credibility and give you an editorial review to place on your book’s Amazon sales page .  

SEND IT OUT TO BOOK BLOGGERS AND INFLUENCERS.

Search for book bloggers and influencers on social media who often review books in your genre. (This is important, as you want to choose people who already speak to your target audience.) Then, reach out to see if they would be willing to accept an advanced reader copy and provide a review. If they agree, they’ll likely post about your book beforehand, which could help drum up interest in preparation for your book’s release. 

SUBMIT A COPY TO REVIEW SITES & MEDIA PROFESSIONALS.

You can get additional editorial reviews by submitting an advanced copy to review sites and media professionals. Just make sure to do your research first. That way, you can improve your chances of getting a review and avoid falling victim to a scam. 

Consider the following:

GIVE IT AWAY TO EXISTING FANS. 

If you already have fans, you should consider giving them an advanced reader copy. Chances are, they’d be happy to write a review if they get to read your new book early. In addition to giving you authentic social proof to highlight for your book launch, it helps strengthen the connection between you and your readers. 

So, create an email campaign notifying your existing reader base about your upcoming book and offer the opportunity to read it ahead of time. When the book is made available for purchase, you could send them a link to the sales page to post their review. Just make sure they’re transparent about receiving a free copy in advance. 

LIST IT ON BOOKFUNNEL AND RUN A PROMOTION. 

Another option is to list an advanced reader copy on BookFunnel and run a free ebook promotion with The Fussy Librarian. You can put your book on BookFunnel for a period before publishing to Amazon. Then once it’s published, you can have readers add their reviews to the Amazon sales page — just like you would with existing fans (see section above). 

The great thing about this is that it allows you to build your mailing list while getting early readers and early reviews for your book.

PASS IT ALONG TO YOUR LAUNCH SUPPORTERS.

Don’t forget to give an advanced copy to your launch supporters (aka street team) if you have some. These people are there to make your release as successful as possible, and their reviews can help boost interest in your upcoming book. But be careful about who posts where. If there are friends and family on your team, they’re not eligible to post reviews in the Customer Review section of your book’s Amazon page when it goes live. 

If you want to increase interest in your book ahead of its launch, consider creating an advanced reader copy. Typically, it doesn’t require a huge investment of time or money. Plus, it can go a long way toward getting social proof that your book is worth reading. 

(Don’t forget — you can also get reviews for recently published or older titles by running a free ebook promo with The Fussy Librarian ! Schedule yours today and reach 600,000+ readers!)

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How to Get Book Reviews for Self-Published Authors

Picture this: You’re shopping for a new product online. While deciding exactly what you want to buy, what do you look at? A product description, images, customer reviews?

Our guess is that customer reviews are most meaningful to your shopping process. Why? Because reviews give proof of other people’s experience with a product.

When readers browse for their next eBook purchase, the process is no different. People want proof that they’re getting exactly what they’re paying for. This assurance frequently comes from reader recommendations – in the form of reviews – that a particular title is high quality and on-genre.

For authors, the process of getting book reviews isn’t always easy. If you don’t already have a spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list, you may be struggling to piece together reviews for websites like Amazon or Kobo. This doesn’t mean you should give up on getting new reviews, though. The value of book reviews is undeniable; they can build name recognition and legitimacy for authors. Reviews can also help your title climb the charts on Amazon, Goodreads, and more.

When it comes to receiving book reviews on Amazon, please note that there are minimum spend amounts required . Site users need to have spent at least $50 USD on Amazon.com to participate in the community – this includes leaving product reviews.

If your book has been vetted and edited, chances are that it’s ready to start gaining reader reviews. Below, we break down five easy and approachable methods for getting book reviews – as well as the pros and cons of each. Keep in mind that these shouldn’t be attempted until your book is in its finest form. While bad book reviews can’t always be avoided, having a well-written product that is free of errors is more likely to result in that 5-star review.

  • How to get book reviews with advance reader copies
  • Get book reviews by promoting your eBook on Freebooksy
  • Contact Amazon Top Reviewers for book reviews
  • Seek out the help of paid review services
  • Email your reader list for book reviewers

1) How to get book reviews with advance reader copies

If you’re still prepping your book for publication and have a base of readers familiar with your work, a great tactic to gain reviews is to send out Advance Reader Copies . ARCs, the acronym commonly used in the indie publishing community, can be defined as “copies of a book that are given out to reviewers prior to the publication date.” Readers are often excited to participate in an ARC program, in which they receive an advanced copy of a book in exchange for feedback or reviews.

While some sites like Goodreads or Kboards offer forums to request ARC book reviewers, many independent authors go to their social media platforms for this.

Below, you can see a giveaway that romance author Nicole Snow ran for her book Office Grump. Some authors will request that readers leave a review in exchange for the early copy that’s won in the giveaway.

How to get book reviews from ARC giveaways

Sharing a tweet or Facebook post advertising your ARC giveaway can quickly reach a high number of followers. In your post, you can link directly to Amazon and give away Kindle books from there – or you can even send out manuscripts to your giveaway winners via email. In Nicole’s tweet, she linked to a website landing page for her giveaway and gathered email addresses from that page.

Although ARC giveaways can reach many excited readers, you should remember that you can’t guarantee (or demand) that a reader will leave a book review in a particular time frame – or at all. It’s good to approach ARC giveaways with the mentality that you’ll get a review from a small portion of the readers who snag a copy.

2) Get book reviews by promoting your eBook on Freebooksy

As an indie author, you’re likely familiar with Freebooksy : a popular promotional website that shares free eBook deals in a daily newsletter. The power behind Freebooksy is its reader count. At the moment, there are more than half a million registered readers signed up for these emails. Freebooksy’s readers provide one way to get your next book review.

The best way to promote on Freebooksy is if your book is permafree or enrolled in a KDP Select promotion. With available genres ranging from Cozy Mystery to Adventure/Travel, you’re likely to find a Freebooksy feature suitable to your genre. Be sure to include a polite, personalized review request at the end of your book when you use Freebooksy. This can give readers a nudge to follow up their reading experience with a review on Amazon, Kobo, and other retail sites.

By paying between $30-$230 (promotional pricing is in relation to the email list size), your book goes out to readers who are interested in your exact genre. Just like providing ARC giveaways to social media followers taps into a motivated reader audience, purchasing a Freebooksy feature connects you to people who are already looking for their next read.

While Freebooksy, and other promotional services, cannot guarantee that you will receive book reviews from one of its features, it’s important to remember how large the subscriber base is. There are over half a million people anxious to snatch up freebies that catch their eye! Watch Freebooksy’s effects unfold in real time as your book begins to climb the charts on Amazon. After your promotional date, it’s likely that some readers who downloaded your book may go on to leave a review.

How to get book reviews by promoting on freebooksy

Other book promotion sites can put you in touch with potential book reviewers who are interested in downloading Kindle books, Nook books, and more. Short of paying for a book reviewer service, promotional sites (particularly for freebies) are one of the best ways to start pulling in reviews. 

3) Contact Amazon Top Reviewers for book reviews

If you aren’t familiar with Amazon Vine , it’s a program that invites Amazon’s top reviewers to share their opinions on certain items. There is a list of thousands of these top Amazon reviewers that work with the Vine program and are able to publicly list their contact information online. While it can be challenging to successfully get in touch with an Amazon Top Reviewer, it isn’t an unheard of method for gaining new book reviews.

As many authors will tell you, this method is anything but a sure bet for getting a review on your book. It can also take considerable time. However, if you land a Top Reviewer then this can result in an esteemed level of review often seen as “the holy grail” on Amazon.

If you’re interested in pursuing a Top Reviewer, you can do so by checking out their profile and looking at past books they’ve reviewed. It’s important to seek out a reviewer who is “on-genre” for the type of book that you write. You can then see if the Top Reviewer has contact information included in their profile, which may just be a website or social media information. From there, you’ll need to contact the reviewer and wait for a reply.

This certainly isn’t a guaranteed method, and does only apply to books published on Amazon, but it has a high reward for any success stories out there.

When seeking out Amazon Top Reviewers, keep these guidelines in mind:

  • Be patient. It can take quite a while to hear back from these Top Reviewers, if you do at all.
  • Don’t be afraid to move on. If you aren’t hearing back, pursue another method for getting a book review.

4) Seek out the help of paid review services

If you have money to burn in your marketing budget, pursuing paid review services may be an option for you. While some of these services have gotten a bad rap for illegitimacy, there are also websites that do exactly what they’re paid to do: read your book and leave an honest, impartial review on it. 

Keep in mind that the top book review services aren’t going to come cheap. Some sites, like Kirkus Indie Reviews , can charge for their name recognition. The benefit of requesting reviews from companies like Kirkus is that the process is spelled out easily for you:

  • Submit a request for a book review.
  • Submit your manuscript to the site.
  • Wait for the service to review your book.
  • Receive your review!

How to get book reviews from Kirkus Indie Reviews

Once you receive your review from services like Kirkus Indie Reviews, you can publish it on Nook, Google Books, and other retailers. To post your review from Kirkus on Amazon, you’ll need to contact an Amazon representative.

If you’re not so keen on paying hundreds of dollars for a review, there are still options at your disposal. Reedsy’s list of book review blogs provides an easy sorting tool to narrow review services down by book genre, and by services that accept indie books. From here, you can find a world of readers who enjoy leaving book reviews. Some options are relatively inexpensive – like Reedsy’s Discovery review program , coming in at $50/review.

BONUS TIP: You’ll need to keep an eye on the review publishing options for these programs. If you need your review published on Kobo.com, make sure that specific retailer is included in the fine print.

While paid book review services can be a controversial conversation in the indie community, there are legitimate and honest options out there for authors who have the cash to spend on it. The best rule of thumb is to seek out professional services from big-name companies with great reputations . Paying for illegitimate reviews from non-professionals can result in the review being banned on sites like Amazon.

5) Email your reader list for book reviewers

Many indie authors already have an active reader email list set up. Email lists can be a great way to alert readers of upcoming releases or provide writing updates. It’s also a great option for those wondering how to get book reviews. If you don’t already have one, you should start to build an email list. After all, email marketing strategies are 40 times more effective than social media .

Whether you keep track of a reader list on Gmail or Mailchimp, you have a platform for contacting a large number of readers in one single message. Some indies may automate email outreach on a weekly or monthly cadence to keep their lists “warm.” Regardless of your current email strategy, be sure to balance the types of messages you’re sending when it comes to requesting book reviews. You don’t want to overwhelm your readers with emails. That’s especially true if you’re asking them for something. 

Ultimately, think of your emails as being occasional treats that should delight a reader. Start sending too many emails asking something of them, and you’re going to see far fewer readers opening your messages. Maintain your balance between giving readers something (like sought-after info on an upcoming release) and very occasionally asking for a review.

Below, here’s a template for what a polite review request may look like. If you’re emailing your reader list to ask for this, be sure to make it easy for them. Include links directly to review pages on sites like Apple Books or Goodreads. Provide as much information as the reader would need in your message so that their job is easy. All they’ve got to do is read your book and leave a review if they’re so inclined!

How to get book reviews from your email list

BONUS TIP: Combine this email strategy with an ARC giveaway! Incentivize your reader list by offering them free early copies of your next book – along with a polite request to follow their reading up with a review.

Our recommendations on how to get book reviews

Ultimately, there’s no one tried-and-true method for getting great book reviews. What we’ve found is that having a strategy with several approaches is the best way to increase your chances. We hope that out of our five tips, you’re able to find at least one that brings in honest reviews for your book.

If you’ve had luck with one of our recommendations, we want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below! 

Get more articles like these!

13 comments on “ how to get book reviews for self-published authors ”.

A problem never addressed in articles such as this is that people can only leave reviews on Amazon if they have spent at least $US50 on books alone on Amazon in the last 12 months. If your potential reviewers haven’t done that, they are barred from leaving reviews. In Australia, that’s about $A120 just on eBooks (because Amazon only offers eBooks in Aust and the cost of postage from the US means not many people buy print books from Amazon US). That massively diminishes your options for obtaining reviews to promotional sites, and you have little or no control over that process. It would be great if this problem was 1) acknowledged and 2) addressed.

Hi Debra – thank you for mentioning this. That’s a great point and is worth addressing. We’ve updated our article accordingly.

Kirkus and other editorial review sites are fine, but it is against Amazon’s terms and conditions for authors to pay for customer reviews. Authors can have their Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing accounts terminated for this. Not a good recommendation.

Using editorial review sites is acceptable in KDP, you add them to your author page, which then adds them to your book page under Editorial Reviews. Customer reviews you cannot pay for.

it is mind bellowing information’s THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US https://thebookroom.in/home/

Not quite true Cherise. These services are fine if they are listed in your editorial reviews section. You are correct, that you should not pay for customer reviews. A subtle, but important difference.

Robert: I am afraid I am having trouble parsing your comment. If they are paid services, and you should not pay for customer reviews, then having them listed in your editorial reviews section means you paid for a review, does it not? Are you saying it is ok to “list” them but not display the reviews? Trying to figure out exactly what you are saying. At any rate that is a terrible policy.

Robert: a brief follow-up: I COMPLETELY glazed over the word “customer” in your response to Cherise, and in Cherise’s initial post. Yes, paying for editorial reviews from Kirkus, Booklife (mine, and a rave review too!), Midwest Book Review et al., are fine–paying a private person like your friend Sarah or an anonymous person on his own, OTOH, is obviously improper and is grounds for revocation of your agreement. Sorry for the confusion.

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Industry Tips & Tricks , Uncategorized

The power and importance of book reviews, by barnes & noble press /, october 2, 2023 at 9:15 am.

illustrated image of a woman looking at a desktop computer screen next to a car

There are countless books competing for readers’ attention, which is why the power and importance of book reviews cannot be overstated. They serve as gateways to a book’s world. And offer potential readers insight into what they can expect.

Plus, book reviews are crucial for discoverability, marketing, and boosting sales. Let’s dive into why book reviews are so important, especially for indie authors, as well as explore valuable tips on how to use and solicit book reviews effectively.

The Significance of Book Reviews

1. discoverability.

In today’s digital age, discoverability is a major challenge for self-published and indie authors. With millions of books available online, how does a new book find its way into the hands of readers? This is where book reviews can play a pivotal role.

ebook review copies

When a book receives reviews, it gains visibility. Readers searching for their next read often rely on reviews to make informed decisions. Reviews can highlight the unique qualities of a book, its genre, and its target audience. This information helps potential readers find books that align with their interests and preferences.

Furthermore, books with a substantial number of positive reviews are more likely to be recommended by algorithms on online retailers like BN.com, making them more discoverable to a wider audience.

2. Marketing

Book reviews are invaluable marketing tools. They serve as social proof of a book’s quality and worthiness. Positive reviews provide validation to potential readers that the book is worth their time and money. Authors and publishers can leverage these reviews in various marketing strategies such as:

Book Blurbs: Excerpts from positive reviews can be used as book blurbs on the cover and inside pages of a book. A compelling blurb can capture a reader’s attention and encourage them to explore the book further.

ebook review copies

Author Websites and Social Media: Authors can showcase reviews on their websites and social media profiles. Sharing positive feedback from readers creates a positive online presence and fosters a sense of trust with potential readers.

Email Marketing: Book reviews can be featured in email newsletters to subscribers. This keeps the audience engaged and informed about the book’s reception.

ebook review copies

Book Trailers and Promotional Videos: Reviews can be incorporated into book trailers and promotional videos to highlight the book’s appeal and encourage viewers to make a purchase.

3. Boosting Sales

Ultimately, the end goal of reviews is to boost sales. Positive reviews not only increase a book’s visibility and credibility but also serve as persuasive tools. When readers see that others have enjoyed a book, they are more likely to purchase it. Reviews contribute to the snowball effect of book sales, as more reviews attract more readers, which in turn leads to more reviews.

Tips for Using and Soliciting Book Reviews

1.leverage existing platforms.

There are numerous platforms where authors and publishers can encourage readers to leave reviews. Some of the most popular ones include Kirkus and the app Likewise. Be active on these platforms, engage with readers, and kindly ask for reviews when appropriate. Make sure to provide direct links to the review pages to simplify the process for readers.

2.Build Relationships with Bloggers and Reviewers

Book bloggers and professional reviewers can be powerful allies in the quest for reviews. Reach out to them, introduce your book, and politely inquire if they would be interested in reviewing it. Be respectful of their time and preferences and provide a copy of your book in a format they prefer (e.g., physical copy, eBook, audiobook).

3. Create an Advance Review Team

Before your book’s official release, assemble a group of dedicated readers who are willing to provide early reviews. This advanced review team can help generate initial buzz and establish credibility for your book. Offer them free copies and express your gratitude for their support.

ebook review copies

4. Engage with Your Readers

Interact with your readers through social media, email newsletters, and author events. Encourage them to share their thoughts and reviews on the different online platforms and social channels. Engaging with your audience not only builds a loyal fan base but also increases the likelihood of receiving reviews.

5. Offer Incentives Responsibly

While it’s generally discouraged to offer incentives for reviews, there are ethical ways to encourage honest feedback. Consider running giveaways or contests where participants can enter by leaving a review – maybe even for a NOOK GlowLight! Always ensure that your approach aligns with the guidelines of the platform you’re using.

6. Be Patient and Gracious

Not every reader will leave a review, and not every review will be positive. It’s essential to be patient and gracious in your interactions with readers. Avoid engaging in arguments or disputes over negative reviews; instead, focus on positive feedback and use constructive criticism to improve your future work.

Truly, book reviews are indispensable for authors and publishers looking to enhance discoverability, boost marketing efforts, and increase sales. Positive reviews provide much-needed validation and visibility in an increasingly competitive literary landscape. By strategically using and soliciting reviews, authors can connect with their target audience, build their brand, and create a buzz that propels their books to success. So, if you’re a self-published author or indie publisher, don’t underestimate the power of book reviews—it’s the key to unlocking your book’s potential!

More Industry Tips & Tricks:

  • How to Overcome Writer’s Block in 5 Ways
  • 6 Reasons to Create Special Edition Print Books
  • Why Authors Should Self-Publish Audiobooks
  • How to Boost Your NOOK Readership with the Free B&N NOOK App
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COMMENTS

  1. NetGalley

    Use NetGalley for free to request, read, and recommend digital review copies before they are published. Your reviews and feedback are essential to publishers, authors, and other readers! Provide Feedback. Everyone has influence. Demonstrate your reach through your Profile and your feedback. Librarians and booksellers order and recommend books ...

  2. 10 places to find reviewers for your self-published book

    6. Google. Turn to Google to find bloggers who review books similar to yours. Try various searches such as the name of your genre (e.g. YA, poetry, American history, vampire fiction) followed by one of these phrases: book blog, book blogger, book reviews, book review blog, book review blogger.

  3. How to Create Review Copies of Your Books for Kindle

    Click on the option to "Edit eBook content". Scroll down to the section of the "Kindle eBook content" tab entitled "Kindle eBook Preview. Click on either of the links "preview on your computer" or "preview on your Kindle device". Click on the link titled "mobi". You will be given the option to save this file and you can ...

  4. How to Send Kindle Ebook Review Copies

    Reviews can help sell more copies of your books, including Kindle ebooks. However, many authors are unsure about how to send review copies of Kindle ebooks to potential reviewers. It turns out that Amazon provides a simple way to send copies of your ebook to anyone. The above video explains it in more detail.

  5. What are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) and How to Create One?

    An advance review copy is a pre-published version of a book that authors and publishers send to professional reviewers, book bloggers, and book tubers. ... Advance copies can be sent as print books, digital ARCs, or free eBook ARCs. You can also send these to well-known reader communities like Goodreads, BookBub, Smash Words, etc. Goodreads ...

  6. How to Send Review Copies (All Plans)

    Create a landing page that requires an email signup for your ARC. Select a book and set an expiration date and/or claim limit on the landing page. A claim limit on an email signup page limits the number of people who can claim a copy of the book. Once this number is reached, the page is deactivated. For example, if you set a claim limit of 10 ...

  7. Review Copies, Freebies, and Author Copies: Everything You Need to Know

    What is a review copy? Often known as ARCs (advance review copies), review copies are a promotional version of the book for the trade and media. The book is a kind of publisher's draft, and will often have an unfinished feel to it. It may not have an index or page numbers yet, or even the final cover design. It will be marked as "not for ...

  8. A Guide: Managing Review Copies and Getting More Reviews with Story

    A Guide: Managing Review Copies and Getting More Reviews with Story Origin. One of the best things StoryOrigin does is make it possible to manage your eBook and Audio Review requests and keep your reviewer list clean and running smoothly. There are probably as many ways to do this as you can imagine, but below, I will outline how I do it, some ...

  9. Booksprout

    Booksprout lets you find and discover ebook review copies from your favorite authors! It's completely free for reviewers; all you need to do is provide your honest feedback on the books you download. With Booksprout, you can: * Get access to new books before they're even available for sale. * Discover your next favorite author.

  10. How to Self-Publish an ARC (Advance Review Copy)

    An advance review copy or advance reading copy is a free, promotional copy of a book that's in the process of being published, but hasn't been released yet. As an author self-publishing, there are several benefits to using an ARC in your marketing plan. ARCs help you build excitement for your book's release, acquire reviews, advertise to bookstores and libraries, and collect feedback to ...

  11. How to Get Free Book Reviews without having a blog ...

    Barnes & Noble Review: An incredible name for a Editorial Review, however, they require you to physically mail a copy and a cover letter in for consideration. If you'd like to see more niche-specific examples, Reedsy has done an AMAZING job of curating a list of book review websites , their requirements and even how much traffic each site ...

  12. Can We Give a Book for Free for Reviews?

    One thing Amazon has made abundantly clear, though, is the use of incentives in exchange for reviews is against the rules. Incentives, other than Advanced Review Copies that is. An Advance Review Copy (or ARC) is given to people in advance of the book launch with the hope that those read it can review the book as soon as it's released.

  13. How to Get Book Review Copies

    That and buying every single book you have an interest in can get expensive, even if you mostly buy ebooks. Here are some ways you can obtain review copies. 1. Goodreads giveaways. This one is a ...

  14. Downloading a Digital Review Copy to a Kindle

    1. In order to download an Edelweiss Digital Review Copy to your Kindle, you will need to first go to your Kindle Settings in Amazon and add our kindle email address as one of your approved emailers. To do this: Go to 'Manage Your Content and Devices' on Amazon. Then select the Preferences on the top under the black top bar.

  15. The Importance of Book Review Copies

    Advance review copies are what you send before your book comes out. All podcast hosts who interviewed me before my book launch date got a link to download my ebook. There was one fellow who asked for a hard copy, so I sent him one of my proofs. It landed me an interview, so it was worth the shipping. You can (obviously) send review copies after ...

  16. eBook ARCs And How Do They Help Boost Your eBooks Reviews

    Ebook ARCs or advanced reader copies are part of a pre-launch promotional strategy that self-published authors use to create a fan base and positive pre-reviews so that their Ebooks sell faster once launched. Before an Ebook is published, allowing a portion of your target reader audience to read it for free provides you with the chance to make ...

  17. How offering an advanced reader copy can bring in reviews

    LIST IT ON BOOKFUNNEL AND RUN A PROMOTION. Another option is to list an advanced reader copy on BookFunnel and run a free ebook promotion with The Fussy Librarian. You can put your book on BookFunnel for a period before publishing to Amazon. Then once it's published, you can have readers add their reviews to the Amazon sales page — just ...

  18. Media Review Request Form

    Media Review Request Form To request a review copy for your publication, please complete the form below. You will then receive an email to confirm receipt of your request. ... For eBook orders, you will receive an email with an access code and instructions within 2 weeks of placing your request. This form is for review copy requests only.

  19. How to Get Book Reviews for Self-Published Authors

    3) Contact Amazon Top Reviewers for book reviews. If you aren't familiar with Amazon Vine, it's a program that invites Amazon's top reviewers to share their opinions on certain items.There is a list of thousands of these top Amazon reviewers that work with the Vine program and are able to publicly list their contact information online. While it can be challenging to successfully get in ...

  20. Booksprout:Amazon.com:Appstore for Android

    Booksprout lets you find and discover ebook review copies from your favorite authors! It's completely free for reviewers; all you need to do is provide your honest feedback on the books you download. With Booksprout, you can: * Get access to new books before they're even available for sale. * Discover your next favorite author.

  21. Media Requests

    REVIEW COPIES. Print and ebook review copies of our publications are available to the print, electronic, and broadcast media who intend to review or discuss our book in the media. Please submit review copy requests on letterhead from your publication or broadcast media affiliate to: Laura Moran Walton University of Notre Dame Press 310 Flanner Hall

  22. The Power and Importance of Book Reviews

    Book bloggers and professional reviewers can be powerful allies in the quest for reviews. Reach out to them, introduce your book, and politely inquire if they would be interested in reviewing it. Be respectful of their time and preferences and provide a copy of your book in a format they prefer (e.g., physical copy, eBook, audiobook). 3.

  23. Book review copies : Springer Nature Support

    Book review copies. If you are a book reviewer, journalist, or on the editorial staff of a journal or magazine and would like to review one or multiple books by Springer Nature, then please complete our book review copy request form. (Please note that although the form is Springer branded, it can be used to request review copies of books ...