Rose Fox is the director of BookLife Reviews, a paid review service just launched by Publishers Weekly, and was previously a senior reviews editor for PW and a freelance book reviewer. When they reached out to me about writing a guest post, I knew all my readers—self-published, traditionally published, and hybrid—could benefit from Rose’s 20 years of experience on all sides of book reviewing.

Trade book reviews: Behind the scenes with a professional reviewer

By Rose Fox

Sending a book out for review can be immensely stressful.

If you’re self-published, you may have chosen the indie route to dodge all the gatekeeping and waiting periods associated with sending manuscripts to editors and agents—only to run into the same feeling when sending books to reviewers!

Traditionally published authors often rely on their publishers to submit their books to the media for reviews known in publishing as trade, media, or literary reviews. Sometimes, though, it’s up to the author to make it happen.

If pursuing trade book reviews feels like dropping copies of your book into a black hole, read on for an explanation of exactly what happens on the other side, including why getting a book reviewed can take a lot longer than you’d think.

Who decides whether my book gets reviewed?

At a trade publication such as Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, or Library Journal, or a newspaper or magazine such as the New York Times or the Los Angeles Review of Books, your book will first be assessed by an editor who works with your fiction genre or nonfiction category.

These publications get hundreds of books every week, so it may be a little while before yours gets to the top of the stack.

The majority of indie books are turned down at this stage, and many traditionally published books are as well. Editors have limited time and publications have limited page space; books have to be significant or promising in some way to make the cut.

Pro tip: If you’re submitting your own book for review, don’t bother with gimmicks like mailing an editor chocolate or wrapping your book in fancy paper. What review editors care about is professionalism. Your cover art and jacket copy need to be top notch, and the text of your book should be well designed and typo-free.

Most important is a pitch letter or press release that explains why your book is worth covering. A publicist can help you put together a submission package that’s polished and appealing.

If the editor decides to cover your book, they will choose a reviewer with relevant knowledge and expertise and pass the book along to them. Each editor may work with dozens or hundreds of freelance reviewers, each with a particular specialty.

Who will review my book?

You won’t know in advance who the reviewer will be. In fact, you might not ever know. For example, reviews at Publishers Weekly and Kirkus are anonymous. Those at Library Journal, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Foreword are bylined.

Bylines are also the rule at newspapers and magazines, where reviewers often let their personal writing style and opinions shine through.

Several trade publications have paid review services for indie authors, such as PW’s BookLife Reviews and Kirkus’s Kirkus Indie. These are run along the same lines, with similar policies on bylines or anonymity.

Why does getting a review take so long?

The reviewer usually takes two to four weeks to read the book and write a detailed, thoughtful review. Then the review needs to be fact-checked and edited, which might mean some discussion with the reviewer. After that, the copyeditor will do a pass.

If the review is going to run in print, it will be laid out by the art team and proofread.

Depending on the publication’s schedule, the review could be held until a particular date—maybe the newspaper’s book review column only runs once a month, the review is perfect for an upcoming theme or feature, or this week’s issue is full already.

Worth the wait

Taken all together, these factors can lead to you waiting two months or even longer for a review to see the light of day.

Is it worth the uncertainty? Often, the answer is yes!

A positive review from a respected major publication can give your book a huge boost and put it in front of literary agents, film agents, booksellers, and librarians.

Submitting your book to a trade publication is free, and the payoff can be huge, so there’s no reason not to do it.

But I hate waiting!

Paying for a guaranteed review from a reputable service is an alternative. It removes a lot of the uncertainty and waiting from this process.

You don’t need to worry about being rejected, and there’s a guaranteed time frame for receiving your review: BookLife Reviews, BlueInk, and Clarion have turnaround times of four to six weeks, and Kirkus Indie starts at seven to nine weeks.

In some cases, you can pay an additional expediting fee to get your review even sooner.

Paid reviews are similar to standard reviews

Paid reviews work the same way as standard trade publication reviews: An expert reviewer will review your book; a skilled editor will edit the review.

Even if the review isn’t positive, you can learn from the critique. Plus, with BookLifeReviews and most paid professional review options, the review will only be published with your approval. If you’d rather keep it private, only you will see it—you can absorb any lessons from it and move on to making your next book even better.

A glowing review, on the other hand, can give you a fantastic marketing boost.

Your fee buys you the peace of mind of getting a guaranteed review on a set schedule. For many indie authors, it’s well worth the cost.

As with every aspect of marketing your book, submitting for a trade review or purchasing a paid review requires an investment in hopes of a return. Go in knowing what to expect and you won’t be disappointed.

Have you submitted your book for professional reviews, whether paid or not? What was the outcome? Please tell us in a comment.

You send a book announcement press release, and every book needs one. This book publicity tool tells the media and others why and how your book will make a difference. It’s the author’s equivalent of a birth announcement.

It’s not optional — it’s a necessity. And because of that, it can be the single determinant of how much attention your book receives.

Potential impact of your book’s press release

Why?

When you send a book announcement press release with a copy of your book to reviewers, they skim the document to decide if the book is a good fit for their publication, website, and so on. If it’s badly written or doesn’t have the information they need, want, or expect, your book won’t be reviewed.

Simply put: If you want your book reviewed by media outlets and credible bloggers, you need a good book announcement press release.

It’s a multi-purpose tool

Book publicity is about more than book reviews, though. That’s why you need a press release for your book to get other kinds of valuable exposure, including:

• Interviews with local media outlets
• Short news items in newspapers and magazines
• Radio and TV interviews
• Blog interviews on your virtual book tour
• Speaking engagements
• Website traffic

Most traditional publishers will write and distribute book announcement press releases for their authors. If you’re self-published, you need to go the do-it-yourself route, even if you’ve never seen a press release before.

Get started with these tips

If this is a new concept for you, here are a few tips that will help get you on the right track.

1. Study what the big publishers send to the press. Use Google to find the press rooms of a few big publishers and read their press releases. What can you learn from them?
2. Search for press releases on paid press release distribution sites such as eReleases (that’s an affiliate link, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you use their services) and PR Newswire. Use them as samples that guide you.
3. Avoid the mistakes made by most new press release writers. They including putting your name in the title and ditching the expected format in favor of being unique or clever.
4. Take the time to learn. I wrote Get Your Book in the News: How to Write a Press Release That Announces Your Book so that you would have absolutely everything you need to know about how to write an attention-getting press release for your new book. Follow the clear instructions and you’re done.
5. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Your book announcement press release tells media reviewers, blog reviewers, and others what to expect from your book. If it’s loaded with mistakes, they’ll presume that your book will have lots of mistakes, too.

Your book’s press release can be the difference between success and failure. Take the time to write one that matches what media reviewers and others expect. It’s not hard when you have a little help.

Have you written yours yet? What has been your biggest press release-writing challenge? 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2012. It has been updated and expanded.)

That statement is both true and false.

It’s true that most mainstream media outlets aren’t interested in self-published books that:

• Don’t meet traditional publishing standards
• Use an obviously do-it-yourself cover
• Name a commonly known self-publishing company or anything else that shouts “SELF-PUBLISHED!” on the copyright page

That doesn’t mean you can’t get your self-published book reviewed by the big guys, though. You just have to know what you’re doing, from beginning to end.

Here’s what you need to get around the “we don’t review self-published books” obstacle.

1. A well-written book that looks and reads like anything coming from a traditional publisher

This is non-negotiable. If you want trade/literary/media reviews, your book has to be a good read – and look like one, too.

If you’re not a good writer, hire a reputable ghostwriter. Association of Ghostwriters members need documented experience to qualify.

Pay a professional editor.

Work with a cover designer with experience in your genre.

2. A publishing company name that disguises the fact that you’re self-published

The publisher’s name is printed on the copyright page and in the product details on retail sales pages.

It’s common knowledge that Lulu, BookBaby, Xlibris, and “Independently published” (that’s what Amazon is now using instead of its defunct CreateSpace), among others, mean the book is self-published.

Create a publishing company for your book, using a name with no connection to you, your book title, or your family. Make it as generic as possible.

Do not use:

• References to where you live (I live across the street from the Erie Canal, but I’d never use “Erie Canal Press”)
• Anagrams of your first or last name
• Your book’s topic (a book about spiritual guides by “Spiritual Guide Publishing”)
• A combination of family names

When you create your publishing company name, make sure it fits the types of books you write. If you plan on publishing several children’s books, you want your company name to be light and fun. Writing business books? Let law firm or consulting company monikers inspire you.

3. Bookstore and library distribution

A friend who reviews books for the Christian Science Monitor told me recently that books he reviews for that media outlet “should be widely accessible.”

He went on to say, “The Monitor won’t like it if I review a book and readers go to their local B&N and can’t find it.”

Add to this the fact that bookstores and libraries aren’t interested in carrying self-published books that aren’t well-written and professionally packaged.Now you understand how important it is to meet accepted quality standards.

One major exception to the “we don’t review self-published books” problem

A significant exception to this – in theory – is Publishers Weekly’s (PW) free review program for self-published authors, BookLife.

A BookLife review lets you tout the fact that your book was reviewed by the best-known publication in the book publishing industry. BookLife reviews are attributed to Publishers Weekly and published alongside the other PW reviews in the main part of the magazine.

The only difference between PW reviews of self-published and traditionally published books is the word “BookLife” in parentheses at the end of the self-published book’s review.

Kelsey Clifton’s debut sci-fi novel, A Day Out of Time, was recently selected for a BookLife review. She’s anxiously awaiting the outcome.

She says, “If you look on the ‘Submissions Guidelines’ page, it does say that their process ‘is highly competitive — both for self-published and traditionally published authors…. If your book is chosen, know that it truly stood out.’ Which is always great to read!”

Skip the reviews, go for publicity

Another valid and valuable option is pursuing publicity instead of or in addition to mainstream media reviews.

Publicity is that free media exposure you get when your book is mentioned in the press. It might be:

• A short news note announcing your book that results from your book announcement press release
• An interview with you about your book’s topic or an element in your book
• An article you write about your book’s topic
• An interview with you on a related topic that showcases your expertise
• News items that run because you sent a killer tip sheet-type press release

One advantage of this approach is that the journalist doesn’t need to see or read your book. What counts is that you wrote a book related to a topic that’s interesting to the outlet’s audience.

As with reviews, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the publicity you seek. But you won’t know until you try.

It’s not hard to get this publicity, either — you just have to know how to do it. Learn now in Book Marketing 101: How to Build Book Buzz. There’s a course for nonfiction and another for fiction.

One of the beauties of learning how to get publicity is that you can secure this media exposure long after the book launch. I once generated three press runs of one of my books on the strength of sales generated soley by publicity. Why can’t you do that, too?

Take action!

If you’ve got a standout, professionally packaged book, go for it.

If it’s too late to do this for your present book, follow these steps for the next one. You’ve poured your heart into that book. Why not give it the best possible chance of success?

Was your self-published book reviewed by any traditional media outlets? Please tell us about it in a comment.