A powerful thing you can do to garner attention for your book is to receive reviews in publishing trade journals, in addition to traditional publications such as newspapers, magazines, and high-profile websites. These reviews can also go a long way in convincing bookstores and libraries to stock your book, and it creates a kind of marketing ripple effect by adding a stamp of approval that other outlets will see. Even if you don’t receive a 100% gushing review, there will usually be at least a positive sentence or two you can use as a blurb on your sell sheet, pitch letters, website, Amazon listing, and other promotional communication.

Reviews from professional trade publications like Kirkus and Publishers Weekly are powerful when it comes to distribution in bookstores and libraries, and for any kind of publicity pitching. As you know, the world of self-published and indie-published books is vast and encompasses huge variations in quality, so a professional review can really make your book stand out from the pack. Other publications like newspapers and high-profile websites are definitely more likely to consider reviewing your book if they see you have a blurb from a professional source. It probably doesn’t make as big a difference for consumers, since most folks have no idea who Kirkus and PW are, but it can be very effective for garnering attention from bigger platforms.

The downside, of course, is you often have to pay for these reviews (Kirkus starts at $450; PW starts at $399) and there is a several week lead time (though you can pay extra for expedited reviews). One upside is that you can choose to keep the review private if it is not positive. Most of these publications also have the option of automatically adding the review to your book’s metadata across several platforms. Others you may want to look into are Foreword Magazine and the Independent Book Review, which only review indie and self-published books. 

For authors who are taking a more passive marketing/publicity approach and are primarily focused on selling their book on Amazon, this investment might not be worth it. But for authors who want to put a lot of effort into building their platform by getting booked on podcasts or other media, getting invited to speak at conferences, getting reviewed in newspapers and other mainstream platforms, or getting their book into bookstores and libraries, I’d say it’s definitely a good investment. 

While trade journals such as Kirkus do charge a fee for reviews, traditional publications such as newspapers do not. However, newspapers will often be more likely to give you attention if you already have a positive review from a trade journal. 

You may submit your book for reviews yourself, or we are also happy to manage the process for you. Just let us know!