Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It?

paying for book reviews
photo by StockMonkeys.com

Paying for professional book reviews is a controversial topic throughout the writing and publishing community, and it’s hard to find practical, unbiased information about the benefits. In fact, it’s not even well-known that paid book reviews exist, and even less is known about the value of such reviews.

Before I discuss the pros and cons of paid reviews, I want to define them (strictly for the purposes of this post).

  • Trade book reviews. Trade publications are those read by booksellers, librarians, and others who work inside the industry (as opposed to readers/consumers). Such publications primarily provide pre-publication reviews of traditionally published books, whether from small or large presses. Typically, these publications have been operating for a long time and have a history of serving publishing professionals. However, with the rise of self-publishing, some trade review outlets have begun paid review programs especially for self-published authors. Examples: Kirkus Reviews and Foreword Reviews.
  • Non-trade book reviews. Because of the increased demand for professional reviews of self-published work, you can now find online publications that specialize in providing such services. These publications or websites may have some reach and visibility to the trade, or they may be reader-facing, or a mix of both. Examples: Indie Reader, Blue Ink Review, Self-Publishing Review.
  • Reader (non-professional) reviews. It’s considered unethical to pay for reader reviews posted at Amazon or other sites, and Amazon is actively trying to curb the practice.

This post is focused on the first two types of paid reviews; I recommend you stay away from the third.

Some of you reading this post may be looking for a quick and easy answer to the question of whether you should invest in a paid book review. Here’s what I think in a nutshell, although a lot of people will be unhappy with me saying so:

The majority of authors will not sufficiently benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere.

However, this can be a more nuanced issue than this broad statement indicates. Here are three questions I ask authors when advising about the value of paid reviews:

  • Do you have a well-thought-out marketing plan that targets librarians, booksellers, or schools?
  • What is your overall marketing budget, and does it include hiring a publicist or outside help?
  • What’s your book category? Are you trying to market a children’s book?

Let discuss each issue in more detail.

1. Are you targeting the trade?

It makes little sense to pay for a trade book review if all you’re going to do is make your book available for sale on Amazon or other online retailers and consider your marketing job done. This is a huge waste of your money, yet this is what many authors do, because what they’re mainly after is validation, not a marketing tool.

Ask yourself: Do you want this review because you feel it’s part of having “real” book published—that having it gives you some additional credibility? If that’s your only motivation, you are paying to feel better about yourself and your work, not to sell books.

A better way to sell more books on Amazon, or through online retail, is to generate as many reader reviews as possible. Some might argue that having a professional review as part of the book’s description on Amazon (and elsewhere) adds a sheen of professionalism and leads to more readers taking a chance on the book. But I believe readers are generally not persuaded by one professional review when there are few reader reviews and/or a low star rating. Like it or not, purchasing behavior online is driven by quantity of reviews that help indicate a book is worth the price, assuming no prior exposure to the author.

However, if you have an outreach plan that involves approaching libraries to consider your book, or if you’re trying to reach independent booksellers, then having a positive review from a source they know can help you overcome an initial hurdle or two. It will not guarantee they will carry or buy your book, but it may help make a favorable impression. (That said, they may know your review was paid for if your book is self-published. This probably won’t matter to them as long as they trust the review source.)

Another thing to understand is that even if you pay for your trade review, that doesn’t mean it will have as much prominence or visibility as other (unpaid) reviews from that publication. Paid reviews are typically segregated and run separately from unpaid reviews, so a bookseller or librarian may have to actively seek out reviews of self-published books. How much attention these reviews receive from the trade, in aggregate, is anyone’s guess. One thing is for sure: there’s a ton of competition even just among traditionally published books.

All of this assumes that the paid review you receive is positive or will make a good impression. The review may, in fact, be negative, and you won’t be able to use it. (In such cases, the trade review outlet allows you to suppress publication of the review altogether.)

If you are targeting the trade, and you’re operating on a professional level, then consider approaching trade publications just as any traditional publisher would: four to six months in advance of your book’s publication date. (Since the focus of these trade publications is on pre-publication reviews, they won’t review your book if you don’t send the copy several months in advance of your pub date.) Send an advance review copy along with a press release or information sheet about the book, and cross your fingers that your book is selected for review (for free). If not, later on you can consider paying for a review if necessary.

If you’re not targeting the trade, sometimes a paid review can still be helpful. That brings us to the second question.

2. What does your overall marketing plan look like?

If paying for a review consumes all of your marketing and publicity budget, stop. This isn’t what you should spend your money on. You’d see far more sales from spending that money on a BookBub promotion or on other types of discounts or giveaways to increase your book’s visibility.

On the other hand, if the paid review is just one piece of a larger marketing plan to gain visibility, then you’re in a better place to capitalize on a positive paid review. If you can see it as a steppingstone—as a way to get people on board quicker—that’s the right mindset. A positive review from a known or trusted source can help lead to other reviews—or interview opportunities, or other media coverage. Or you could use the review in advertisements to the trade.

With paid reviews, remember: steppingstone. It’s not paid review = book sales. A good marketer or publicist can help open doors for you, and they could have an easier time if they’re armed with some good blurbs or coverage (including that paid book review) to start.

If all you intend to do with your paid review is add it to your book cover, your website, your Amazon book description, or other online marketing copy, then it is not likely to have any noticeable effect on your sales. (And frankly, in such cases, there is no way to measure if it really did make a difference.)

3. What’s your book category?

The children’s market is one area where I think paid reviews can make the most sense, because you’re not typically marketing directly to readers (children) but to educators, librarians, and schools. The children’s market highly values trade publications such as School Library Journal or Publishers Weekly; these publications help them understand what’s releasing soon and make good choices about what to buy, often on a limited budget.

Here’s the rub: you can’t buy a review in either of those publications I just mentioned. You would have to submit to them through the traditional channels at least a couple months (or more) in advance of your publication date.

I spent more than a dozen years in traditional publishing and oversaw the publication of hundreds of books. During that time, only a handful of our titles received professional trade reviews. By and large, our company did not submit books for review, and pre-publication reviews did not perceptibly affect our sales when they did appear. That’s because our books were mainly in instructional or enthusiast nonfiction categories, where sales aren’t typically driven by professional or trade reviews.

If you don’t have industry experience, it may be difficult to figure out if a paid review might make a difference for your particular book category. Here’s what I recommend: Using Amazon, find books that would be considered direct competitors to yours. Take a look at their Amazon category or genre (e.g., paranormal romance, cozy mystery, etc.), then look at the bestsellers in that category over a period of a week or two. (If you can, make sure you research a good mix of both traditionally published and self-published titles.) Read the books’ Amazon page descriptions and see what review sources are quoted. Many times, you’ll find (free) blogger reviews and a variety of (free) niche publication reviews, rather than reviews from the companies I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Taking the time to pursue free reviews or reader reviews is the preferred method of established, career indie authors; they’re rarely concerned about courting the traditional gatekeepers, unless their work is of a literary bent.

Paid Book Review Benefits That Don’t Really Mean Anything

Most paid review outlets promise that your review will be distributed to Ingram, online retail sites, and all sorts of important-sounding places. This type of review promotion doesn’t discount any of what I’ve discussed above. Again, just because the review is distributed or available doesn’t mean it will be seen or acted upon. And I don’t recommend that you pay these companies for extra promotion or advertising of your review unless you really know what you’re doing and a marketer or publicist thinks it will get your book in front of exactly the right audience. Too much of online advertising is like flushing money down the toilet—whether it’s done through these companies or not. If you’re interested in quality and targeted advertising for your book, consider M.J. Rose’s AuthorBuzz service, but even then, make sure it’s only one part of a larger marketing plan, not the only part.

Are Paid Book Reviews Tainted?

Yes and no. As I said at the outset, this is a controversial topic, and perceptions about the practice widely vary. I’m not typically an advocate of paid reviews, because in most cases I think that authors fail to capitalize on them and also that authors can achieve much the same results if they put in the (time-consuming) effort to secure the many types of free reviews available to them. It’s not that I’m morally against paid reviews, although I do think paid review services can make it sound like all sorts of wonderful, influential people will suddenly take notice of your book when that’s seldom the case.

If professional trade reviews are very important to you or your work, I highly recommend (as suggested before) that, rather than paying for a review, you send advance review copies to trade review outlets four to six months in advance of your publication date and proceed through the process just as other publishers would. While your chances of getting a review might not be as good as the chance a recognized press would have, you still have a shot if your work appears to meet professional standards in every other way. Darcy Pattison has shown that it’s possible, and so have many others. Too many self-publishers don’t have the patience to wait, yet still want the same review consideration or coverage as traditionally published authors. Fortunately, I think many self-publishers don’t need the same kind of professional review coverage or attention that traditionally published authors receive; you have other tools at your disposal that can be just as effective in driving sales.

I’d love to hear in the comments from authors willing to share their experience with paid review services—positive, neutral, or negative.

Additionally, The Alliance of Independent Authors has posted their anecdotal findings and research into the issue in the following two posts, which have interesting comment threads. So far, they’ve only focused on Kirkus.

In October 2022, publisher and author Ian Lamont wrote about his Kirkus Indie review for the Harvard Business Review. Be sure to read it before paying for a Kirkus review.

Share on:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

66 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
trackback

[…] The majority of authors will not benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere. Here's why.  […]

TK Greenleaf

I bought a paid review from Kirkus for my speculative fiction novel, Duo. While the review was largely positive, so much of it was devoted to outlining the plot, I felt anyone who read it would be be deprived of enjoying the discovery of the story for themselves. And, I could be wrong, but the tone of the comments led me to believe that the reviewer had speed-read the book (which, if they’re getting paid by the review, would make sense), and that led to conclusions that none of my other reviewers, who had read the story for enjoyment, agreed with. Overall, I did get a couple of good quotes to excerpt on the book jacket, etc., so it was worth it for my marketing mix, but I think there are probably better ways to spend marketing dollars.

Diane O\'Connell

One of my authors (I’m an independent editor) had the same experience with Kirkus. The review was positive, but was 90% devoted to detailing the plot, including spoiling a major plot twist. There was nothing really “quotable” in the review, so the author was unable to use it — even though he got a good review.

Jean Hoefling

TK Greenleaf, I’ve found this endless synopsis thing to be true with many of these review sites, whether paid or free, and I don’t get it. I write reviews for Blue Ink Review, and we are required to read the entire book, and I spend as little of my word count as possible on the synopsis, and always read the whole book, for better or worse. My guess is that any of the bigger review sites require the same of their reviewers, whether individual reviewers follow through or not. That client is shelling out a ton, and it’s just unethical not to respect that.

Sivuyile Daniel

Thank you for your honesty.

Marcy McKay

My novel has been all of five weeks, and I have 43 reviews…all four-and-five stars. Not one of those has been paid, and it’s fun that so many reviews came from strangers. I’m VERY proud of what I’ve accomplished, but getting those reviews has been harder than writer the book (not really, but sort of).

I’m trying to get 60 reviews and saving my money for BookBub for the very reasons you laid out. It’s interesting because my first inclination about “paid reviews” was it’s unethical, but I do respect Kirkus. Thanks for really making me think, Jane.

Cathey Nickell

43 is fantastic! I’ve only gotten 23… it is HARD WORK! You’re right.

Marcy McKay

Thanks, Cathey. I knew it’d be hard, but even so much harder than I expected. I can name 8 people who’ve read my novel and liked it (they told me through email, Facebook, Twitter) and SAID they would write review, but haven’t. Grrr.

Good luck with you and gathering reviews.

C.David Gierke

I also had multiple individuals say they really liked my book, but didn’t write a review… even after I sent them a detailed description as to how it could be done on Amazon, B & N and Goodreads!

Stanley C Straub

I’ve found the same thing. I’ve had readers tell me how good the book was, said that they would write a review, and yet they haven’t written one. I thought writing a book was hard but I think unless you’re willing to shell out lots of money for reviews, the getting of reviews is much harder. I’ve begged for reviews and I’ve only gotten one or two by begging. I’ve written to reviewers who said that they would review my book if I sent it to them. I’ve sent it to them and then waited for their review. Out of many that I wrote to, only a couple actually wrote a review. So far I’ve gotten eight reviews on my latest book in over a year of trying to get them. I write a blog, use twitter, and facebook. I’m not willing to pay for reviews and maybe that’s my problem. All of the paid review sites tell you how great they are and how well they work. However, I personally think that they only work great for them to make money. Thank you Jane for bringing up this issue. There must be a trick without spending lots of money that we’re not aware of. I hope that if anyone finds out what it is, they’ll let us know.

Bruce Hartman

Stanley, You are so right! Lots of people will promise, but it takes time. Jane’s article gives great advice, and is my go to for any self publishing advice. It is a lot like running for office, you have to all the little things, as hard as that may be.

Adam

Hey there, can you give me some advice on getting reviews? I’ve approached a metric ton of bloggers, emailed 800 top reviewers, posted on all sorts of communities asking for reviews over the last 4 weeks, and I have 5 reviews total.

Thanks

C. David Gierke

My findings, exactly! Getting honest reviews is harder than the writing… by far.

Frances Caballo

I am so glad you published this post. There’s something about paying for a review that has never appealed to me. And when authors promote a Kirkus review, I tend to dismiss it. I would much rather promote my readers’ reviews than a review I had to purchase. Reader reviews are authentic, more meaningful, and, of course, provided without compensation.

Paul Ottley

Thanks for that Frances, I think I will follow your lead. I write books, and of course I also want to sell my books, to help people get inspired by what I have written for them.

Cate Baum

As an expert in paid reviews, and the COO of Self-Publishing Review, one company you linked to, I feel I need to get into this – you could have come to us, the specialists in the field for advice and comment; instead you have drawn conclusions without reliable data. I saw your post on Facebook where writers were saying paid reviews were useful to them, but I’m not seeing that here. You have not reported it. Some said it wasn’t useful as well, but this seems to be a blanket dismissal of something that works for a lot of writers, or it wouldn’t be increasingly commonplace.

To start, this paragraph doesn’t make a lot of sense:

“I believe readers are generally not persuaded by one professional review when there are few reader reviews and/or a low star rating. Like it or not, purchasing behavior online is driven by quantity of reviews that help indicate a book is worth the price, assuming no prior exposure to the author.”

People get an editorial review to put in the Editorial Reviews section on Amazon so that people might be more inclined to buy the book and add a customer review. Amazon have done this officially because expert reviews are more valued by consumers more of the time than a customer review – I have independent studies to prove this. This is because an expert reviewer can judge a book’s viability, readability, and the writer’s talent much more astutely than someone who reads a few books a year. We have scientific data on this I would have been happy to share if you had asked.

Another: “If all you intend to do with your paid review is add it to your book cover, your website, your Amazon book description, or other online marketing copy, then it is not likely to have any noticeable effect on your sales.”

You don’t understand the reason an author needs an editorial review. Reviews of any kind cause a cumulative effect and not a direct sales to review ratio. The main difference between an editorial review and a customer review is this: A customer buys the book before they write a review. The editorial review is written before a customer buys the book. So you’re working back to front if you want customer reviews to sell books.

For the vast majority of self-publishers, where KDP is their bread and butter, libraries and “the trade” aren’t important. Honestly, this seems sort of old-fashioned and print-centric for today’s industry. What authors mostly want is a review to get the ball rolling with readers directly. Authors are much more concerned with Kindle sales than library distribution, which they can get anyway with Smashwords or with KDP extended distribution. This is your core argument, but there’s a really small percentage of writers who even have a book in hard copy these days. Seems really out of touch to be talking about this as a main concern.

You’re underestimating how difficult it is to get reviews for free. If you send a query to 100 book blogs and don’t receive many responses, or get a badly written 100-word review on a low-traffic site, that does nothing for sales. Additionally, a review from a higher-profile source can help get a foot in the door with book bloggers than a book that has no reviews from other book sites. Even if you do get free reviews, again, these don’t look professional on your Editorial section, and do nothing to augment your book selling plan.

I have worked with thousands of indie authors so I know what they want – library exposure is not one of the wishlist, especially given many libraries are closing and don’t have money for trad books, let alone taking a shot on a self-publisher. Sales and ranking are the main concerns these days, both of which are helped with an editorial review. It’s about getting a manuscript critique that’s live on the site/social networks, and making an Amazon page/author site/marketing materials as enticing as possible.

We get reviews in front of nearly a quarter of a million readers when someone buys a review from us. That’s not nothing.

It’s strangely narrow minded to dissuade writers from any useful tool when bookselling is becoming increasingly more difficult. It’s highly fashionable to criticize paid reviews without really researching the plus points, but it’s really a lack of understanding of how hard it is to promote a book among the millions of titles available, and honestly, this article does not reflect your findings on Facebook, which I monitored, that were clearly as positive as they were negative, with authors reporting good sales after paid reviews – something I can corroborate.

I’m sorry you thought you had to join in the paid review bashing. Unfortunately you did not report the facts from your research correctly, and although you linked to us, did not ask us or any of the other companies listed for our opinion, comment, or advice. We have loads of facts and figures from independent studies conducted by marketing experts, universities, and even Amazon that we could have shared with you instead of your points in this post, that are honestly kind of misleading and yet again don’t give the right up-to-date information for indie authors today.

The amount of professional care and attention we give to reviews is beyond just writing a few paragraphs, and I deeply resent the myth being perpetuated by articles like this that as book professionals we don’t do everything in our power to make sure authors get the most they can out of their review package. This whole idea of rejecting book marketing experts in self-publishing has to end. It’s just silly, and smacks of being stubbornly against the tide of progress for no reason. There are going to be a lot of noses cut in spite littering the self-publishing industry floor at this rate, and a lot of disappointed writers who read articles like this and think it’s fine to scrimp on professional tools. It’s not.

Cate Baum

I wish that when bloggers blog about paid reviews they would use hard fact instead of opinion. I work with paid reviews every day for 16 hours a day. I see hundreds of authors making sales as a result. Some have even gotten trad book deals from our reviews.

Here are the independent study links I collated into a piece 2 months back. Research comes from the UK government, several universities and well-known marketing sources used in the book industry.

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2015/12/how-paid-reviews-sell-books-facts-and-figures/

Henry Baum

I really think you’re looking at self-publishing through the lens of traditional publishing. Most self-publishers have very little interest in the library market – they’re interested in Kindle sales and online marketing. So, yes, a paid review won’t necessarily help you reach library buyers, but if that’s your main argument against paid reviews, it’s a very narrow lens. And then you say this:

“If the paid review is just one piece of a larger marketing plan to gain visibility, then you’re in a better place to capitalize on a positive paid review. If you can see it as a steppingstone—as a way to get people on board quicker—that’s the right mindset. A positive review from a known or trusted source can help lead to other reviews—or interview opportunities, or other media coverage. Or you could use the review in advertisements to the trade.”

Then what’s the argument against paid reviews, given that the majority of authors use a review exactly like this?

You mention in passing things like back cover copy/Amazon Editorial review/marketing materials like those are small issues – those are huge parts of a book release. I obviously have skin in the game of paid reviews, but this really isn’t looking at what paid reviews offer in the current market.

You’re conflating paid review and “professional trade review” like they’re the same thing – as if the main reason people buy paid reviews is to be recognized by mainstream publishing. It just isn’t. This is a Kindle world now – that’s where most self-publishers want to be recognized.

Henry Baum

Addressing your points.

1. Editorial Reviews are listed before customer reviews on Amazon, so Amazon itself prizes them more. In the study Cate links to, it’s determined that a reviewer with an established reputation has a greater impact than customer reviews. Obviously, customer reviews are hugely important, but a good Editorial Review can help get that process started. You’re linking to Tim Grahl – someone with an established reputation and fan base. Many self-publishers do all of the things he says and come up empty. It’s the kind of thing that’s encouraging to read, but doesn’t always work in the real world.

2. I really don’t think paid reviews and “professional criticism” are nearly the same thing. In my experience – and that experience is 100 hours a week working with self-publishers – the people who care about professional criticism and “the trade” are approaching zero. This isn’t about gatekeeping, it’s about exposure. There’s more exposure on a site with good traffic. And there’s more clout with an established service than Bob’s Book Reviews.

3. If you’re conflating paid reviews with Author Solutions, that’s pretty low. To not just me, but everyone who uses the service, which comprises all types of writers. Our lowest priced review is $69 – it’s hardly a rip-off to get book cover copy, Amazon Editorial Review, social media posting, etc. I just really think you’re underestimating how hard it is for so many authors to get any sort of coverage. There are millions of books all vying for attention, so authors need every tool they can get. If having an Amazon Editorial Review is better than not having one, then you’re steering authors away from something that can help them.

Cathey Nickell

This IS a good point for all of us to remember, Cate, when you say, “Reviews of any kind cause a cumulative effect and not a direct sales to review ratio.” I think that’s important to remember. I just really love all the information I’m gathering here. Thanks.

Millicent Hughes

Perhaps thou doth protest too much.

Lynn

Thank you. As a self published author this comment is very helpful (and encouraging)

Cathey Nickell

Thank you for all this information, Jane! What a great article. I’m an indie author of a children’s picture book, and I’ve been working hard to get free PR wherever I can. It pays off; I got a big story in our newspaper, but I just got lucky (my news release hit the right person at the right time). I’ve gently prodded my book buyers to provide free reader reviews, and it does start gradually paying off. But it’s gradual … it’s hard to get a reader to sit down and write a review. I’m now considering purchasing a Kirkus Indie review, only because it is one of the requirements for a Texas book contest I want to submit my book to (a favorable review from one of 5 outlets is required, and Kirkus is one of those; the others wouldn’t accept a self-published book). And of course, I’ll just have to hope that the review is favorable, if I do decide to pay Kirkus. It’s a gamble, but this book contest is an important part of my marketing plan — realizing of course that I might not even win. You’re so right – it’s not just about sales. It’s also about networking with libraries, schools, local bookstores, etc. I’m doing all that, and it seems to be working. Keep writing great articles like this, I appreciate it very much.

trackback

[…] Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It? […]

trackback

[…] Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It? (Jane Friedman) Paying for professional book reviews remains a controversial topic that very few authors have practical, unbiased information about. In fact, it’s not even well-known in the author community that paid book reviews exist, and even less is known about the value of such reviews. […]

Richard

Anyone considering paid review services should read a recent article in The Huffington Post entitled “Book Reviews: Should You Pay for Them?” which you can find here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-houghton/book-reviews-paidfor-or-n_b_7903594.html

It’s a very refreshing article that concludes that “if you have the money to pay for a review, and feel comfortable doing it, then do so. It pays to remember that getting reviews for your book is akin to getting publicity for it. Time, effort, some money spent, and being tenacious are needed.”

Self-publishing authors are at a big disadvantage over traditionally published authors. So is it any wonder they pay for book reviews to help get visibility of their books?

The reason I like the article is because it is brutally honest in admitting that authors do pay for book reviews published on Amazon, Goodreads, and in blogs.

Many authors may not like the idea of paid book reviews, but as long as they are honest, and not misleading the reader, it’s just part of modern day ebook marketing. Just like many were against shops open on a Sunday, or advertising on football shirts, it’s just the way it is right now. To ignore it, is simply to get left behind.

Authors don’t select to use paid review services because they want to cheat or mislead the reader. They do it because indie authors today play on an uneven playing field which is stacked in favor of the traditionally published author.

Unlike traditionally published authors, self-published authors have practically no presence in actual bookshops. Print distribution and lack of shelf space in bookshops and other stores is literally stacked against the self-published author. While indie authors continue to hit the bestseller lists, their presence in bookstores remains negligible if non-existent. This is a shame because it is clear that indie authors can write books as well as any traditional authors.

The second major challenge or barrier facing indie authors is the lack of traditional media coverage. Despite self-publishing authors making the big-time bestseller lists both on Amazon and the New York Times, and having lots of social media support, recognition from the traditional literary community is practically non-existent. Few, if any, top book reviewers published in the traditional newspapers and magazines will cover indie titles.

Thankfully, there are some very reputable and established review services like Kirkus and Self-Publishing Review that will support indie authors. Yes, they are paid review services, and they are honest ones with strong reputations.

So I say hallelujah to these great champions of the self-publishing world. Without them, indie authors would have very few other places to go to help them promote their books and get honest reviews.

trackback

[…] one of her regular posts for the author corps, Jane Friedman titled a Monday article Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It?. Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest and Scratch magazine. She is teaching at […]