The book marketing scenario in the current times has changed where the word-of-the-mouth recommendations and personal opinions of readers have a great deal of influence over the book sales. The reviews of your books play a major role in the decision of a reader to buy your book especially when you are starting out in the industry.
A number of good reviews and ratings can increase the sales of your book rapidly. If you are just waiting around for the readers to voluntarily write a review of your book, then it wouldn’t work well. You need to get yourself out there and make it happen!
Here are a few people who you can approach to get a good review of your book in exchange for a free copy.
Book Bloggers
Book bloggers are generally open to reading and giving an honest review of your book if the genre or the storyline interests them. There are a lot of bloggers out there who has a few hundred followers to those who have a million followers. The best part about these book bloggers is that they have their own website with their own fan following who religiously take up their book recommendations and reviews. If you can convince a major book blogger who has a lot of following to read and leave a good review for your book, it would not only help in collecting good and valuable reviews but would also market your book in front of the blogger’s fan base.
If not, you can always contact some book bloggers who have a decent credibility to write a review. Remember that your priority is not for the publicity from these book bloggers but for theor good reviews.
Read here how you can pitch to book bloggers.
Bookstagrammers
Bookstagrammers are Instagram book bloggers who post the reviews of the book they have read through attractive photos and captions. There are a lot of budding bookstagrammers who are ready to read your book and give an honest review on their Instagram page along with a nice picture of your book. You can also request these bookstagrammers to leave reviews of your books on the websites you want to.
Amazon Book Reviewers
Yes, this is actually a thing where they read a book and leave the review on your Amazon book page. You can find them easily on the internet or all you have to do is search through the reviews of the books in your genre and find those who have written a lot of reviews and approach them in the request to read your book and leave a good review if they like.
Newsletters
Newsletters are a good way to ask for reviews. All of the above people you approach do not know about you and you need to make an effort to contact them, introduce yourself, prove your reputation and so on. But those who receive your newsletters already know about you and it becomes simple when you tell them, ‘Hey, I have released a new book. Please read it and leave a good review of my book here’.
If there are some readers who have already read your book, then the process becomes much simpler.
Beta Readers
If you have got some beta readers to read and give an opinion on your book before it is being finalized and published, then you can approach them after your book is published to leave a review of your book.
Keep in mind that some people you approach may turn down your request to write a review of your book. Don’t let it deter your efforts. Always send a nicely drafted email or message that is short and concise with links to back up your authenticity and credibility. If you have published other books, please attach the links to it or the link to your author page in Amazon.
If someone doesn’t reply to your message, send a reminder a week after. If you don’t get a reply even after that, then it is better to cut that lead off. Do not spam them with a lot of messages. It is better to move on and concentrate on those who respect and respond to you.
Most of all, keep your eyes peeled open for your readers. If someone messages you about how great your book is, just politely guide them to leave their thoughts as reviews on your book page.
