“One of my goals on this blog is to share my self-publishing mistakes so you don’t repeat them yourself. I’ve already discussed the importance of spending your money wisely with my artic…”
Great opening paragraph to a good post by Michel Sauret (no I didn’t spell his first name incorrectly – what parent does that to a kid!) about Publishers Weekly paid reviews. Check it out (and his Kirkus article)! I’d think long and hard before I spent money on a review for all the reasons Michel says in his Kirkus posts. I’d rather spend my money on facebooks ads or on travel to actual bookstore, libraries, book events… I think my marketing dollars are better spent getting more Average-Joe/Jane reviews. I haven’t cracked the library barrier (other than person to person), but I’m not sure getting a paid review from say Kirkus or Blue Ink will get me looked at anyway. Obviously PW Select is not the way to go, either!
You can get a free review from Library Journal and Foreward Review (a new co. in the review business) if you plan ahead – get them the galley or book 2-3 months ahead of your publishing date. I wish I could make myself do this, but I have not been able to hold onto a finished book for that long. I’ll have to try it sometime, but it’s a lot to ask when a review from one of these places might not even get noticed. It is a risk you take.
Library Journal will also review already published books, but it would only be if one of their online magazine folds wants to read it and post a review. I sent my Agnes Kelly MG mystery adventure (Intrigue in Istanbul) to one such reviewer and never heard back. It cost me the printing cost of the book and shipping, so I wasn’t out much. If you go to their site and read their submission policy, you’ll be directed to how this works.
Michel said it cost $50 for a Midwest Book Review. Midwest Book Review didn’t used to charge for reviews. That’s new to me. I’ve had a few of my books reviewed by them (before they charged for it) and I’m not sure how much the reviews helped, though $50 is not too much to charge, in my book.
I’d love to hear other author’s insights or experiences. How do you get your reviews?
CKBooks Publishing 