Alright, you’ve done the hard part of writing the book. Maybe you’ve even gotten through the tormenting rounds of editorial and production as well. Pat yourself on the back!
This is the fun part, folks.
Now that the book is ready, you can start sharing it with the world and getting feedback—exciting if you ask me!
But did you know there is more than one type of review you should be seeking out for your book? If not, deep breaths. I’ve got you! Here’s a quick overview of the 4 types of book reviews: what they are, when they’re important, how to get them, and how to use them.
Endorsements
Endorsements are early reviews from notable, relevant individuals in your field that you then promote on your book cover, in an interior praise section of your book, on your website, and in your marketing materials.
Publishers encourage authors to begin making a list of potential endorsers first thing after signing a contract and begin outreach as early as possible. This will allow them to incorporate those reviews into the final version of your book.
I’ll likely publish a whole piece on endorsements specifically, but the key is to reach out to people with notable names or titles that can speak to the book’s merits. This doesn’t mean you should reach out to Oprah or Keanu Reeves necessarily (though, hey, shoot for the moon!). Instead look for comparable authors with similar themes/takeaways, professionals with titles related to your book’s topics (ie. therapist for self-help, teacher for kid’s book, marketing director for business). If you already have some sort of connection with the person, you’re more likely to hear back from them, so fill your list with as many warm leads as possible before beginning cold outreach to strangers.
Start by asking them if they have the time to endorse your book and include a description to entice them. If they say yes, then send the most up-to-date version of the manuscript you have. They know it’s not the final copy so they’re expecting typos. Give them a deadline to get the endorsement back to you. Ideally, we’re looking for 2-4 sentences about why it’s a good book and who would benefit from reading it.
The strategy behind endorsements is to reach your target audience beyond your existing network. When you promote your endorsements, readers who recognize the name are more likely to pick up the book. The hope is also that the endorser will also share their endorsement to their network once the book is released so that their audience can consider buying a copy for themselves.
Key endorsements can sometimes add credibility to the book in the eyes of booksellers and media on top of everything else.
You can never have too much credibility for your book and brand!
Trade Reviews
You may have also heard of these referred to as industry reviews. These are reviews from trusted publishing industry review sites such as:
Some are paid (like IndieReader), some are free, and other have both free and paid options depending on which publishing path you’ve chosen.
For traditional and (some) hybrid books, you can submit an advanced review copy (ARC) for free consideration to Kirkus, Foreword, PW, and Library Journal 3-6 months in advance of publication. If you don’t hear back or are declined, you can always pay for a review as well.
For indie authors and those not accepted through free submission, you can pay for professional reviews from most at any point during the publication process, as long as you have a book for them to look at.
These reviews are usually overlooked by readers but they’re essential for librarians and booksellers. Overwhelmed by the thousands of books published every day, librarians and booksellers rely on these trusted sources for what they should consider bringing onto their shelves. Some libraries require that a book has received a certain number of trade reviews before they’ll even take a look at it. Trade reviews help them sort through the chaos for the gems.
If you receive a positive trade review, I recommend listing the full review on your author website, and picking a sentence or two to highlight in your marketing materials and maybe even on your book’s cover.
Media Reviews
Similar to trade reviews, media reviews come from, well, you guessed it, local and national media. This can include reviews in your local newspaper all the way to tv interviews about the book.
The goal is credibility for the book and your author brand as well as greater visibility with key audiences.
Most authors interested in traditional media (tv and print) will hire a publicist to take care of this for you. Authors interested in digital media can also reach out themselves to local news sites, alumni publications, and relevant niche newsletters and magazines for coverage. For these reviews, you will have to wait until the book is all the way through editorials because they will call out an error-ridden read.
You can list these media hits on your website and call them out on your social media and in your marketing materials.
I recommend media coverage mostly for my nonfiction authors looking to use their books to garner new customers or clients for their businesses. It’s very rare for a fiction book to be picked up by the media unless it’s already gone viral through consumer reviews. Speaking of which…
Reader Reviews
Sometimes, publishers will also call these consumer reviews. Really, all we mean is a review from someone who has read your book.
This is the #1 most important type of review for all authors of all genres.
Let me ask you, when you’re choosing your next book, do you look up reviews on Goodreads, StoryGraph, or Amazon? When you do, are you more likely to pick the book with 5k positive reviews, or the book with 15 positive reviews.
Reader reviews influence purchasing decisions.
Amazon actually recommends 15 reviews of 3 stars or higher during the month of publication and 5 additional reviews of 3 stars or higher each month after to start. A big ask for indie authors!
Not only do reader reviews educate purchases, but they also tell retail algorithms that your book is relevant and teach them how they should be promoting it using key words and consumer data.
Goodreads is the #1 book review site, so really push readers there, but it’s also important to have readers sharing their honest feedback on social media, retail sites like B&N and Amazon, and through word-of-mouth to friends and family.
You can also call out particularly good reviews on your own socials and in your marketing materials.
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Until next time, fellow bibliophiles, happy reading!