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How do you go about getting reviews for your novels?
Have you ever tried getting people to buy, read, and review your book? I'd love to hear about your strategy and experiences. I recently published my first novel and this was the question that brought me to She Writes. Maria Murnane wrote a great article about it: How to Find Book Bloggers - https://www.shewrites.com/blog/view/2832308/how-to-find-book-bloggers but I also contributed my own article https://www.shewrites.com/blog/view/2832892/book-reviews-what-you-give-is-what-you-get because I realized that I could hardly expect people to review my book if I wasn't doing the same for others. I'm now using my author website and Goodreads to review all the books I'm reading.
Replies
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Ramcy DiekFollowFollowingMy debut novel will be officially published tomorrow and I am facing the same issue. How do I get someone to give my novel Storm at the Keizer Manor a chance? I don't like blogging. Too much pressure, and I have that enough in my life. I did join Goodreads and leave reviews for other authors.
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Lynn TurnerFollowFollowingThe best way to get reviews is to submit to book bloggers. Compiling a list is EXHAUSTING and exhaustive, but it's so worth it because they love what they do, and their influence among the romance reading community is incredible! People WANT us to succeed, so as long as we give them something to get excited about, they've got our backs. ;) I've narrowed my list down to the ones that are most relevant to my genre, so I'm happy to share it with you. Some blogs don't review or promote self published work, but most do, and are enthusiastic about it, because they know that there are so many talented indie authors just waiting to break through. Some are currently closed to review requests, but just keep checking back periodically and submit when they open. ;) Another way to get reviews, which costs a pretty penny (like $400) is to get on NetGalley. It's basically like placing an ad, and anyone interested in reading and reviewing your book will sign up. All of the most influential review sites have an account, so it might be worth the money. I've also assembled a "Street Team" of 50 people, mostly followers from my old tumblr account who followed my stories on a story sharing site. I made a blog post calling for volunteers whom I'd send an ARC copy for them to read for free, in exchange for their honest reviews. There are book tour companies who will use their connections to book bloggers to help you get exposure and reviews. They ask for your cover, blurb, sometimes an excerpt, and any social media links you have. They post an ad for a period of time, and interested bloggers sign up to host you and read/ review your book. It's a cheaper option than NetGalley, and it can be tailored to your needs/budget. Xpresso, Enchanted, and Sage tours are reputable ones, but I'm sure there are more. ;)
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