How to Get Free Reviews for Your Newly Published Books

Amazon Reviewers

Amazon has Hall of Fame Reviewers. If you are able to contact them and request a review of your children's book that would be lovely. Amazon used to publish their email address, but they no longer do. This is quite a tedious approach and may result in much rejection. 

American Book Review

The American Book Review is a bimonthly publication that has been around for more than 30 years. It reviews disregarded works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from small presses. It gives strong emphasis to literary and cultural pieces. And although it critiques non-fiction pieces, it does not review self-help and how-to books. Here are ABR submission guidelines.

Barnes & Noble Review

The Barnes & Noble Review is an online magazine that evaluates works of fiction and non-fiction and gives voice to a wide range of essays, interviews, and other topics. Here are the B&N submission guidelines.

Book Blogger List

The Book Blogger List provides a directory of book bloggers organized by genre preference that accept submissions from authors. The biggest pro to the Book Blogger List is that it requires all of its bloggers to remain active. Blogs are monitored every two months, and lapses in activity result in removal from the site’s directory. One con is the site doesn’t explicitly require its bloggers to review for free (although most do). Make sure to read each blogger’s review policy carefully. It is strongly advised that you only ask bloggers to review books in their genre of interest. 

BookLIfe

In May of 2014, Publishers Weekly launched BookLife, a site aimed at indie authors that allows self-publishers to submit their books to PW for review consideration for free. To date, the magazine has reviewed more than 1,700 self-published titles. 

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages

Operated by Christy Pinheiro, Book Reviewer Yellow Pages (formerly Step by Step Self-Publishing) is an online resource for indie authors that includes a list of book blogs that review self-published books. The list includes information about which genres each blog specializes in, and which book formats (print or e-book) they accept.

Children's Book Review

The Children’s Book Review (TCBR) reviews published fiction and non-fiction literature for children and young adults, and other related items such as e-books, audiobooks, and child/family-related products. We accept submissions from publishers, authors, illustrators, and publicists. Submissions are evaluated based on the following particulars: literary value, illustrative quality, and overall presentation and quality. Our reviews and book lists are always positive because we only appraise those books and products with the most substantial potential impact on the reader.

Compulsive Reader

This is a must-check. The Compulsive Reader has been around the block since 2001 and counts on an extensive portfolio of prolific reviewers. For the most part, it emphasizes works of poetry and literary fiction but also features in-depth reviews on a variety of book genres and music. Here are Compulsive Reader submission guidelines.

GoodReads Book Reviews

Getting reviews on GoodReads usually happens automatically. In other words, most authors focus on getting Amazon book reviews, knowing that a good portion of readers will also leave reviews on GoodReads. However, you can take it to the next level by going on GoodReads, finding readers who have reviewed books similar to yours, and then contacting them on GoodReads offering a free review copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.

IndieView

First launched in 2010, IndieView is a site that connects indie authors with volunteer reviewers. In order to find a potential reviewer, an author can visit the site’s directory, which lists the names, websites, genre preferences, and review policies of each of its more than 300 reviewers. After finding a promising match, an author can then contact the reviewer directly, typically via her website. IndieView does a good job of maintaining a robust and respectful reviewing community. In order to remain on its list of reviewers, members must “actively post reviews,” accept e-book submissions, and never charge for reviews. In addition, many of the reviewers will post their reviews to sites such as Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and Shelfari. IndieView’s directory model can prove time-consuming, since an author will have to research each reviewer’s site, policy, and past reviews individually. But, given its size and the sheer variety of genre preferences represented, it’s a good place to start.

Los Angeles Review of Books

The Los Angeles Review of Books is a non-profit organization, with a mission to recreate a new concept of book reviews for the digital era. It welcomes any long-form of authoritative, captivating writing and accepts works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

Here are LARB submission guidelines.

Maryse Black

Maryse Black is a book blogger with a sizable fan base (more than 40,000 Likes on Facebook and a mailing list of more than 6,000) who reviews self-published books on her website, Maryse’s Book Blog. Her preferred genres range from young adult and fantasy to contemporary fiction. While she doesn’t guarantee reviews, she does provide helpful information about what types of books she’s drawn to, and, as a rule, always reviews free of charge. A review from Black can be a significant boon: According to the Associated Press, her review of New Adult indie author Jamie Stengle’s book Slammed helped spur the book’s popularity; it went on to appear on the New York Times bestsellers list for e-books

The New York Review of Books

The New York Review of Books is an independent literary magazine that has been around since 1963. Highly regarded for bringing a critical and substantial perspective of the arts, the journal counts on a diversified roster of writers, and it reviews books in multiple genres.

Here are NYRB submission guidelines.

Rain Taxi Review of Book

A quarterly print committed to champion high-quality literature, Rain Taxi Review of Books reviews work neglected by the main media, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction (except self-help, business), art, graphic novels, and on occasion, children, young adult, and audiobooks. This one is worth consideration. here are RTRB submission guidelines.

Readers Favorite

Readers Favorite reviews manuscripts, published and unpublished books, eBooks, audiobooks, poetry books, comic books, graphic novels and short stories. Your review will be posted on our site, KOBO, Google Books, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. In addition, our reviewers often post reviews to their blogs and social media sites. Your review will also be indexed by search engines like Google, which recognizes our reviews and formats them with their starred rating, just like Amazon and Goodreads.

All 5-star reviews receive a FREE "Five Star" digital seal for your website and a high-resolution version for your book cover. Our seal can be seen on book covers from indie authors to iconic publishers like Simon & Schuster. All reviews come with a Readers' Favorite Review Page and a host of free features to help you promote your book and your new review.

The Rumpus

Celebrating art and authenticity, The Rumpus showcase reviews of the most diverse genres as well as essays, interviews, music, film, and comics. It also champions the work of unknown authors or those overlooked by the mainstream media.

Here are The Rumpus submission guidelines.

Never Pay for Book Reviews

At the end of the day, book reviews are designed to help readers share honest feedback with other potential readers about your book.

This process was meant to be free. You should never pay for book reviews. Doing so may be against Amazon’s Terms of Service.

Now, Let's Go Get Those Book Reviews

No matter which route you’ll go, it will be time consuming. However getting initial reviews as an unknown author will take much work and energy. I hope you found this list on how to get free book reviews useful.

Remember the why. Getting your book reviewed is a powerful metric that affects book sales.

Sources

https://www.amazon.com/hz/leaderboard/hall-of-fame

https://booksirens.com/book-reviewer-directory

https://www.kidpressroom.com/19-legitimate-ways-to-get-book-reviews-15-are-free/

https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-get-book-reviews-with-no-blog-no-list-and-no-begging/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/73538-the-indie-author-s-guide-to-free-reviews.html

https://www.steubenpress.com/blog/posts/114-5-ways-to-get-free-professional-reviews-as-a-self-published-author

https://www.tckpublishing.com/self-published-professional-book-reviews/

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  • JD Olexa on

    Hello, 1st time self publisher here. a collection of poetry, published in loving & spiteful memory of my late finance. it titled ‘Ponderings while wondering between a dream & a crime’. Ill send it anywhere to anyone for free. just email me. I need to know something about what anyone else thinks. thank you for not removing this comment.

  • steven sevivas on

    Trying to get reviews on my book: Capricorn Chuck’s Cruel World


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