5 Ways to Get More Reviews of Your Book

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As a blog tour manager for WOW! Women on Writing and book reviewer, I get to talk to authors all the time about their books. From what I know from this work and from being a writer myself, your book is your baby. You’ve devoted so much time and care to it. So, you want it to have the best chance possible at success. One of the ways many readers will choose a book is based on the reviews. I have no official statistics, but I know Amazon and GoodReads are always those coveted places for a book review to go. So, how do you get more reviews of your book?

Today, I thought I’d share my wisdom. This is partly from first-hand knowledge and pure observation.

• Reach Out to Book Bloggers

Like me! And yes, I am currently accepting books to review.

This, of course, is easier said than done. It’s hard to get people to consider your book. Bloggers get a ton of requests and are usually balancing their blogs with other responsibilities. My best advice is to make sure you are pitching a blogger who will read your book.

Also, don’t be afraid of being persistent. And by that, I mean just because a blogger didn’t reply to your request to read your book in the past, doesn’t mean they aren’t open to reading your other books that come out. I’ve been known to accept authors’ books (even though I’ve said no in the past), because I’m finally in a good place to read them now.

Not too long ago, I wrote an in-depth guide for Women on Writing on pitching bloggers. I highly recommend you read that for more detailed advice.

In terms of where you can find book bloggers, there are a couple of places you can start: The Book Blogger List or Book Blogger Directory. You should also google authors who have written a book similar to yours and see which bloggers have reviewed that book.

• Do a Blog Tour

A blog tour is a great way of getting attention to your book all at once. They usually last for a specific period of time and include a variety of participation options, including people who want to read and review your book. Keep in mind, it can also include other types of posts, such as book spotlights, interviews, or guest posts. But reviews are definitely involved.

I’m biased, I do blog tours for WOW! Women on Writing. And if I do say so myself, I think we do a great job. If you are interested in more information, you can check out our page here to see what we have to offer. Or send me an email at npyles86[at]gmail[dot]com.

And I’ve also participated in tours with iRead Book Tours. They do a good job too! But you know my preference 🙂

• Pay for a Service

There are a wide variety of services that offer to get you reviews. I’d play it very cautiously when spending money for a service like that. However, there is one I do know of to be trustworthy: IndieReader.com. They do such wonderful work and get you reviews on Amazon. I’ve personally enjoyed reading books in the past from them. I couldn’t recommend them more!

Another service that may not get you Amazon reviews but a professional review is Kirkus. It’s a quality site that many readers and authors follow. Another one is NetGalley! I’m not totally sure about the cost, but if you have the marketing budget and believe in the quality of your book, it’s worth it.

• Do an eBook Promotion

I am such a sucker for eBook promotions. It’s kind of a gamble and certainly no guarantee, but consider doing an eBook promotion and then advertising it in an eBook newsletter. I know many authors don’t like the idea of offering a book for free, but if you know you are coming out with a book soon, consider doing an ebook promotion of an old book you’ve released or on the release day of your new book. Making it free increases the likelihood of people downloading it and leaving a review.

One of my favorite newsletters to find eBook deals is BookTrib and Early Bird Books.

• Ask Your Email list or Social Media Followers

This is when having an audience is key. But if you have a place where you have followers anywhere, including your email list, ask for reviews. Ask if people are interested in reading your book and request (not require) they leave a review.

Keep in mind, you don’t want to spam people. Maintain an active account that isn’t just hounding people for reviews. Ask questions, engage with book bloggers, and follow other authors. Create a community. It’s a lot of work, but worth it in the long run. Consider offering reviews for authors on your own site too. I’ve never tried it, but I’ve imagined a bartering system would work out pretty well.

Do you have tips to share? Drop them in the comments!