Just a Reminder: Extending the Usefulness of a Great Book Review

I know how hard it is to get reviews because I get about ten requests a week and hear laments from the writers in groups I belong to—both online and in person. That’s why I started my other blog,  The New Book Review; so I could somehow lend a hand when I had to say “no”—which is most the time.

But I’ve also been collecting unusual approaches to getting reviews and one is to join a forum or a list-serve full of people interested in the subject of your nonfiction or the theme of your fiction. After you’ve been around a while, just put out a general request. Many will be delighted to get a free copy of your book and, because they know you, they may give more effusive praise than you’d ever hoped for. 

Another is to subscribe to Dan Poynter's newsletter. He offers his subscribers the chance to pitch their book for reviews at no cost. He even includes cover images of the books being pitched in his newsletter and asks that his subscribers only review if they can give the book five stars. 

Please note: If you decide to use my New Book Review, please follow the submission guidelines in the left column of the blog exactly. It’s popular and so I have to make it pretty much a copy-and-paste operation.

PS: The Frugal Book Promoter includes information on getting book reviews several places in the book (use the index to find them!) including getting reviews in the most prominent journals and other media by going through the back door.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .