In
case you are wondering why you should make an extra effort to have
your book reviewed, the answer is simple: reviews sell books. Advertising
has become ineffective these days; people are tired of paid ads
and simply ignore them. You can pay hundreds, if not thousands,
to place an ad for your book in some magazine and have little or
no sales increase in return. Reviews, on the other hand, are regarded
with much more attention. People trust book reviews because it is
someone's independent opinion.
Big
publishers have their own, established venues of getting reviews
for their new releases. Review copies of every new title are sent
out automatically and well in advance, before publication. Authors
who work with such a publisher don't have to worry about that. But
what about those who have their masterpiece printed with a small
press publisher?
Asking
your friends and family to review your book on Amazon and other
sites is fine, but this should be your last resort, not the first.
Friends can be forgetful, and you don't want to be a pest reminding
them about that review they'd promised to write over and over again.
Besides, not everyone is a gifted reviewer. While something like
"This is such a cool book, I couldn't put it down!" may
be touching, it is not a quality review that portrays your work
well. That's why you need to contact someone who is an experienced
(not necessarily professional) reviewer.
My
first advice would be, forget about the New York Times - for now.
Dream big, but start small. Many renowned, well-established book
reviewers do not accept small press and especially self-published
titles. Discrimination? Perhaps, but they're the boss.
Do
some online research, find book reviewing places that are open for
titles like yours. Midwest Book Review is one such place, they actually
state on their website that they give "priority consideration
to small publishers, self-published authors." Reader Views
is another website that does not seem to scorn small press books.
Another
thing you can do is to go to Amazon.com and contact reviewers who
post there. As you probably know, Amazon has its own system of product
reviews done by customers, and each book reviewer has their own
profile where they often leave contact information. Some even invite
authors to send review queries. One way to go about it is to find
a book similar to yours and see who reviewed it; then you can go
to the reviewer's profile.
When
you have found a potential reviewer, study their submission guidelines
and make sure you follow them. Never send just the book: provide
a cover letter and, of course, don't forget to thank them.
Now,
what if you send out a copy of your book and do not get a review?
Or get one that is not very favorable? Well, it happens. Be prepared
to waste a copy or two. Some book reviewing places specifically
state that your book may or may not be accepted; in other cases,
they invite you to send the book but later on cannot find a reviewer
for it. It is up to you whether you take the risk. I always say,
if you do nothing, nothing happens. Would you rather waste a copy
of your book or an opportunity? - Laura Lond - Other Book
Marketing Tips
