Get Your Book(s) reviewed!
Rukia Publishing Cannot and Does Not Accept Review Requests
As a book promotions company we are considered as a biased reviewer
Free Review Sites
1. Affaire de CoeurAffaire de Coeur is a bi-monthly literary magazine that has been around for 34 years. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, it reviews works from a variety of genres, including historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, young adults, non-fiction novels and more. Accepted reviews might be featured in the next available print issue based upon the book release date. Keep in mind, though, that availability is limited.
Submission guidelines: http://affairedecoeur.com/contact.html
2. American Book ReviewThe American Book Review is a bimonthly publication that has been around for more than 30 years. It reviews disregarded works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from small presses. It gives strong emphasis to literary and cultural pieces. And although it critiques non-fiction pieces, it does not review self-helpand how-to books.
Submission guidelines: http://americanbookreview.org/FAQ.asp
3. Barnes & Noble ReviewThe Barnes & Noble Review is an online magazine that evaluates works of fiction and non-fiction and gives voice to a wide range of essays, interviews, and other topics.
Submission guidelines: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/about
4. Booklife by Publishers WeeklyThe “Booklife” is the section of Publishers Weekly dedicated to self-published authors. Submission is competitive because it evaluates submissions for traditional and self-published books following the same standards.
Submission guidelines: https://booklife.com/about-us/review-submission-guidelines.html
5. Compulsive ReaderThis is a must-check. The Compulsive Reader has been around the block since 2001 and counts on an extensive portfolio of prolific reviewers. For the most part, it emphasizes works of poetry and literary fiction, but also features in-depth reviews on a variety of book genres and music.
Submission guidelines: http://www.compulsivereader.com/submissions/
6. Rain Taxi Review of BookA quarterly print committed to champion high-quality literature, Rain Taxi Review of Books reviews work neglected by the main media, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction (except self-help, business), art, graphic novels, and on occasion, children, young adult and audio books. This one is worth consideration.
Submission guidelines: http://www.raintaxi.com/submitadvertise/rain-taxi-submission-guidelines/
7. Readers’ Favorite Book Review and Award ContestReaders’ Favorite is another must-see resource. With more than 1,000 reviewers, it reviews published and unpublished books, ebooks, and other manuscripts in more than 100 genres. Once you submit your book, it is upload to a database where reviewers can choose what they want to read. There is no guarantee that all books will be picked for review, but for the author that needs a guarantee, it offers a service called “expedited review,” for a fee. Authors also have a chance to participate in the book giveaway program and other neat and exclusive features from the site. Furthermore, different from other services, Readers’ Favorite doesn’t give reviews below 4 and 5 stars. If reviewers read a book they feel it is not worth an outstanding rate, they write a constructive note to the author. The idea is to help the author improve their craft, instead of bringing down the book.
Submission guidelines: https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm
8. The Los Angeles Review of BooksThe Los Angeles Review of Books is a non-profit organization, with a mission to recreate a new concept of book reviews for the digital era. It welcomes any long-form of authoritative, captivating writing and accepts works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.
Submission guidelines: https://lareviewofbooks.org/about/contact/
9. The New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of Books is an independent literary magazine that has been around since 1963. Highly regarded for bringing a critical and substantial perspective of the arts, the journal counts on a diversified roster of writers and reviews book in multiple genres.
Submission guidelines: http://www.nybooks.com/contact/
10. The RumpusCelebrating art and authenticity, The Rumpus showcase reviews of the most diverse genres as well as essays, interviews, music, film, and comics. It also champions the work of unknown authors or those overlooked by the mainstream media.
Submission guidelines: http://therumpus.net/about/#contact
Paid Review Sites
11. Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews has been around since 1933, and it is possibly one of the most regarded review services around. This magazine covers reviews from big houses to small presses and indie authors in all genres and gets millions of impressions a month on its website. The best about Kirkus’ process is it gives the same attention, respect, and unbiased review regardless of which way you published your book. The reviews are done by professional reviewers and writers in diverse industries including librarians, journalists, and literature experts, among others. Reviews get an extra boost when editors choose 40 of them to be featured in the bi-monthly issue of the magazine and one to the weekly email newsletter—potentially reaching more than 50,000 readers. All of this comes at a price, though. A standard review (7–9 weeks) costs $425 and express reviews (4–6 weeks), comes at $575.
Submission guidelines: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie-reviews/how-it-works/
12. Choosy BookwormChoosy Bookworm is a book marketing website, providing a range of tools for authors. Among the services, it offers a popular reading and review program that abides by Amazon review standards. The books are reviewed by readers/subscribers of Choosy Bookworm. Once you sign up, you choose between standard ($149) and premium services ($299)—the packages include advertisement space on Choosy Bookworm’s site and newsletter—and submit your ebook file. Depending on the package you choose, your book is submitted to a certain number of “interested readers,” who will leave their honest opinion about the material. The program is so popular that some of the features are fully booked for months. It is worth checking out because some genres are more popular than others, so your book might have a better shot of getting a fast turnaround. Also, it accepts both published and pre-released books.
Submission guidelines: https://www.choosybookworm.com/book-reviews/
13. Reading DealsReadingDeals.com is another popular book-promotions site, and it is operated by Book Marketing Tools. It offers a book-review service starting at $79 (Classic) and goes up to $129 (Featured). Both packages include promotion add-ons through social media and/or special placement. The books are reviewed by members of its Review Club, and reviews comply with Amazon and FCC guidelines.
Submission guidelines: https://readingdeals.com/reviews
14. Enas ReviewsEnas Reviews offers a more affordable option for your review needs. For a maintenance and listing fee of $29, you will receive a thorough critique of 400-500 words written by professional writers. The site currently accepts all genres.
Submission guidelines: http://enasreviews.com/get-book-reviews/
Additional Review Outlets (Free)
15. AmazonLooking for Amazon top reviewers is a smart way to get reviews for your book. Why? Because Amazon incentivizes reviewers who write quality, helpful reviews to customers—top reviewers receive special badges and Hall of Fame placement. The higher the rank, the better for the reviewer. And this will depend on the number of “upvotes” the reviewer receives. In other words, the more quality reviews they write, the higher the chances of upvoting.
When you go to the Amazon top reviewers page, you scroll through the list and look for the reviewers’ requirements. Many will have their information, including email or website and what they review at the page. Although some only review products, many review books as well. As a side note, it is beneficial to focus on genre-specific reviewers.
As I mentioned in a previous post, get familiar with their requirements and reach out. Although it might be tiresome to navigate the list, you may find people who are sincerely interested in your genre who will become a fan and be willing to review your future releases.
Writing & Book Bloggers SitesReaching out to book bloggers and writing services are also an excellent way to get your book reviewed. Still, keep in mind that those people also receive a lot of requests and might have limitations with time (as happened to me). So follow their requirements closely and be patient with response time.
16. Crime Scene ReviewsThis site focuses mostly on mysteries, thrillers, crime novels, espionage, and contemporary and international fiction.
Submission guidelines: http://crimescenereviews.com/about-reviewer/review-policy/
17. Masquerade CrewIt currently reviews most genres, but as a requirement, authors must have a Twitter account. Submission guidelines:
http://www.masqueradecrew.com/2016/12/authors-submit-your-book-for-review.html
18. XterraWeb Books & MoreIt accepts most genres except comic books, graphic novels, and textbooks.
Submission guidelines: http://editing.xterraweb.com/book-reviews
19. Social MediaSocial media is another powerful way to get book reviews because there are all types of readers interacting and discussing the latest on their readings or favorite authors.
I particularly find LinkedIn valuable to reach out to book reviewers and receive a quick response. Maybe because of the nature of the network (business-like), the probability of finding professional reviewers increases.
At the same time, you can be successful at finding reviewers in Facebook groups. There are groups where not only writers can promote their work, but there are also readers willing to give authors feedback. The more active groups you participate in, the better.
Twitter is another helpful source. If you go to the search toolbar and enter the hashtag for #bookreview or #bookreviewer, a list of entries will come up. You click on “people” and there you can find many to choose from, according to your genre.
The same principle you used on Twitter, you apply for Instagram. The difference is that on Instagram, you will have to click on each image that pops up in order to reach the user profile.
We would also like to add to this list, Tumblr! Tumblr is a great place to find book reviewers. Log on and search up book lovers, book bloggers, book reviewers; the possibilities are endless on Tumblr. If you find someone that has read a book similar to yours, send them a message asking if they would be interested in reviewing your book. Just make sure you provide the link to your book so they can take a look at it and let them know you are happy to send them a copy for free. We have done this ourselves and it has worked out beautifully.
Please be sure to follow the submission guidelines that each of these places has set forth to ensure a smooth experience. There should be a place for every genre here!
Some words of caution here: Reviews can evoke some pretty nasty feelings and sometimes, responses. Keep your cool at all times. Be professional.
These reviews are honest to goodness reviews of your work, so you will have to keep your "thick skin" and expect brutal honesty. That being said, not every one is going to like your book. Whether it is your writing style, your word choice, the story line itself~there could be a hundred different reasons for a negative review.
DO NOT let a negative review stop you from writing. Use it to your advantage. Every review whether it is good or bad has a point that is being made. It is just feedback. It isn't a personal attack. And most certainly, DO NOT respond to any review negatively. DO NOT lash out. Doing this is detrimental to your position as a respected author and could hurt the chances of you not only getting more reviews, but getting your book on a best sellers list. It starts an ugly tail spin that doesn't help you at all. Simply thank them for their review, acknowledge any advice and move on.
If you should ever need to talk, please feel free to reach out to us. Even if it is to vent about a "bad" review. We will help you work it out.
We will be posting this on our website so it will be available to all who visit us. If you have a place to add, please send us an email with the same information available that is found here, along with any personal tips you have discovered that helped you acquire a review.
1. Affaire de CoeurAffaire de Coeur is a bi-monthly literary magazine that has been around for 34 years. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, it reviews works from a variety of genres, including historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, young adults, non-fiction novels and more. Accepted reviews might be featured in the next available print issue based upon the book release date. Keep in mind, though, that availability is limited.
Submission guidelines: http://affairedecoeur.com/contact.html
2. American Book ReviewThe American Book Review is a bimonthly publication that has been around for more than 30 years. It reviews disregarded works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from small presses. It gives strong emphasis to literary and cultural pieces. And although it critiques non-fiction pieces, it does not review self-helpand how-to books.
Submission guidelines: http://americanbookreview.org/FAQ.asp
3. Barnes & Noble ReviewThe Barnes & Noble Review is an online magazine that evaluates works of fiction and non-fiction and gives voice to a wide range of essays, interviews, and other topics.
Submission guidelines: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/about
4. Booklife by Publishers WeeklyThe “Booklife” is the section of Publishers Weekly dedicated to self-published authors. Submission is competitive because it evaluates submissions for traditional and self-published books following the same standards.
Submission guidelines: https://booklife.com/about-us/review-submission-guidelines.html
5. Compulsive ReaderThis is a must-check. The Compulsive Reader has been around the block since 2001 and counts on an extensive portfolio of prolific reviewers. For the most part, it emphasizes works of poetry and literary fiction, but also features in-depth reviews on a variety of book genres and music.
Submission guidelines: http://www.compulsivereader.com/submissions/
6. Rain Taxi Review of BookA quarterly print committed to champion high-quality literature, Rain Taxi Review of Books reviews work neglected by the main media, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction (except self-help, business), art, graphic novels, and on occasion, children, young adult and audio books. This one is worth consideration.
Submission guidelines: http://www.raintaxi.com/submitadvertise/rain-taxi-submission-guidelines/
7. Readers’ Favorite Book Review and Award ContestReaders’ Favorite is another must-see resource. With more than 1,000 reviewers, it reviews published and unpublished books, ebooks, and other manuscripts in more than 100 genres. Once you submit your book, it is upload to a database where reviewers can choose what they want to read. There is no guarantee that all books will be picked for review, but for the author that needs a guarantee, it offers a service called “expedited review,” for a fee. Authors also have a chance to participate in the book giveaway program and other neat and exclusive features from the site. Furthermore, different from other services, Readers’ Favorite doesn’t give reviews below 4 and 5 stars. If reviewers read a book they feel it is not worth an outstanding rate, they write a constructive note to the author. The idea is to help the author improve their craft, instead of bringing down the book.
Submission guidelines: https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm
8. The Los Angeles Review of BooksThe Los Angeles Review of Books is a non-profit organization, with a mission to recreate a new concept of book reviews for the digital era. It welcomes any long-form of authoritative, captivating writing and accepts works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.
Submission guidelines: https://lareviewofbooks.org/about/contact/
9. The New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of Books is an independent literary magazine that has been around since 1963. Highly regarded for bringing a critical and substantial perspective of the arts, the journal counts on a diversified roster of writers and reviews book in multiple genres.
Submission guidelines: http://www.nybooks.com/contact/
10. The RumpusCelebrating art and authenticity, The Rumpus showcase reviews of the most diverse genres as well as essays, interviews, music, film, and comics. It also champions the work of unknown authors or those overlooked by the mainstream media.
Submission guidelines: http://therumpus.net/about/#contact
Paid Review Sites
11. Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews has been around since 1933, and it is possibly one of the most regarded review services around. This magazine covers reviews from big houses to small presses and indie authors in all genres and gets millions of impressions a month on its website. The best about Kirkus’ process is it gives the same attention, respect, and unbiased review regardless of which way you published your book. The reviews are done by professional reviewers and writers in diverse industries including librarians, journalists, and literature experts, among others. Reviews get an extra boost when editors choose 40 of them to be featured in the bi-monthly issue of the magazine and one to the weekly email newsletter—potentially reaching more than 50,000 readers. All of this comes at a price, though. A standard review (7–9 weeks) costs $425 and express reviews (4–6 weeks), comes at $575.
Submission guidelines: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie-reviews/how-it-works/
12. Choosy BookwormChoosy Bookworm is a book marketing website, providing a range of tools for authors. Among the services, it offers a popular reading and review program that abides by Amazon review standards. The books are reviewed by readers/subscribers of Choosy Bookworm. Once you sign up, you choose between standard ($149) and premium services ($299)—the packages include advertisement space on Choosy Bookworm’s site and newsletter—and submit your ebook file. Depending on the package you choose, your book is submitted to a certain number of “interested readers,” who will leave their honest opinion about the material. The program is so popular that some of the features are fully booked for months. It is worth checking out because some genres are more popular than others, so your book might have a better shot of getting a fast turnaround. Also, it accepts both published and pre-released books.
Submission guidelines: https://www.choosybookworm.com/book-reviews/
13. Reading DealsReadingDeals.com is another popular book-promotions site, and it is operated by Book Marketing Tools. It offers a book-review service starting at $79 (Classic) and goes up to $129 (Featured). Both packages include promotion add-ons through social media and/or special placement. The books are reviewed by members of its Review Club, and reviews comply with Amazon and FCC guidelines.
Submission guidelines: https://readingdeals.com/reviews
14. Enas ReviewsEnas Reviews offers a more affordable option for your review needs. For a maintenance and listing fee of $29, you will receive a thorough critique of 400-500 words written by professional writers. The site currently accepts all genres.
Submission guidelines: http://enasreviews.com/get-book-reviews/
Additional Review Outlets (Free)
15. AmazonLooking for Amazon top reviewers is a smart way to get reviews for your book. Why? Because Amazon incentivizes reviewers who write quality, helpful reviews to customers—top reviewers receive special badges and Hall of Fame placement. The higher the rank, the better for the reviewer. And this will depend on the number of “upvotes” the reviewer receives. In other words, the more quality reviews they write, the higher the chances of upvoting.
When you go to the Amazon top reviewers page, you scroll through the list and look for the reviewers’ requirements. Many will have their information, including email or website and what they review at the page. Although some only review products, many review books as well. As a side note, it is beneficial to focus on genre-specific reviewers.
As I mentioned in a previous post, get familiar with their requirements and reach out. Although it might be tiresome to navigate the list, you may find people who are sincerely interested in your genre who will become a fan and be willing to review your future releases.
Writing & Book Bloggers SitesReaching out to book bloggers and writing services are also an excellent way to get your book reviewed. Still, keep in mind that those people also receive a lot of requests and might have limitations with time (as happened to me). So follow their requirements closely and be patient with response time.
16. Crime Scene ReviewsThis site focuses mostly on mysteries, thrillers, crime novels, espionage, and contemporary and international fiction.
Submission guidelines: http://crimescenereviews.com/about-reviewer/review-policy/
17. Masquerade CrewIt currently reviews most genres, but as a requirement, authors must have a Twitter account. Submission guidelines:
http://www.masqueradecrew.com/2016/12/authors-submit-your-book-for-review.html
18. XterraWeb Books & MoreIt accepts most genres except comic books, graphic novels, and textbooks.
Submission guidelines: http://editing.xterraweb.com/book-reviews
19. Social MediaSocial media is another powerful way to get book reviews because there are all types of readers interacting and discussing the latest on their readings or favorite authors.
I particularly find LinkedIn valuable to reach out to book reviewers and receive a quick response. Maybe because of the nature of the network (business-like), the probability of finding professional reviewers increases.
At the same time, you can be successful at finding reviewers in Facebook groups. There are groups where not only writers can promote their work, but there are also readers willing to give authors feedback. The more active groups you participate in, the better.
Twitter is another helpful source. If you go to the search toolbar and enter the hashtag for #bookreview or #bookreviewer, a list of entries will come up. You click on “people” and there you can find many to choose from, according to your genre.
The same principle you used on Twitter, you apply for Instagram. The difference is that on Instagram, you will have to click on each image that pops up in order to reach the user profile.
We would also like to add to this list, Tumblr! Tumblr is a great place to find book reviewers. Log on and search up book lovers, book bloggers, book reviewers; the possibilities are endless on Tumblr. If you find someone that has read a book similar to yours, send them a message asking if they would be interested in reviewing your book. Just make sure you provide the link to your book so they can take a look at it and let them know you are happy to send them a copy for free. We have done this ourselves and it has worked out beautifully.
Please be sure to follow the submission guidelines that each of these places has set forth to ensure a smooth experience. There should be a place for every genre here!
Some words of caution here: Reviews can evoke some pretty nasty feelings and sometimes, responses. Keep your cool at all times. Be professional.
These reviews are honest to goodness reviews of your work, so you will have to keep your "thick skin" and expect brutal honesty. That being said, not every one is going to like your book. Whether it is your writing style, your word choice, the story line itself~there could be a hundred different reasons for a negative review.
DO NOT let a negative review stop you from writing. Use it to your advantage. Every review whether it is good or bad has a point that is being made. It is just feedback. It isn't a personal attack. And most certainly, DO NOT respond to any review negatively. DO NOT lash out. Doing this is detrimental to your position as a respected author and could hurt the chances of you not only getting more reviews, but getting your book on a best sellers list. It starts an ugly tail spin that doesn't help you at all. Simply thank them for their review, acknowledge any advice and move on.
If you should ever need to talk, please feel free to reach out to us. Even if it is to vent about a "bad" review. We will help you work it out.
We will be posting this on our website so it will be available to all who visit us. If you have a place to add, please send us an email with the same information available that is found here, along with any personal tips you have discovered that helped you acquire a review.