*** Four Simple Tips to Scoring A Good Book Review

Major book review services receive thousands of submissions for review every month, but these critical tips will help move your book to the top of the list.

With nearly 200,000 books published every year, the publishing industry is without a doubt, an extremely crowded game. It’s often hard to get your work noticed, especially if you don’t have a big-name publishing house behind your book. One of the best methods for promoting and gaining credibility for a book is to have it reviewed, but most reviewers have long waiting lines and strict submission guidelines. The following “insider” tips can improve your chances of obtaining a valuable book review.

1. Prepare Ahead of TimeDon’t request a review while you’re still waiting on your book shipment; it’s essential to have a copy of your book ready to send in when your submission is accepted. Sometimes reviewers search for more information about your book online before deciding whether or not to review your book. Creating a website for your book or listing it for sale on a popular site, such as Amazon.com will increase your book’s visibility and may help the review service make their decision.

2. Always Read the DirectionsBefore requesting a book review, check to be sure the service reviews your genre—some services review only for specific genres. Most reviewers have their submission guidelines listed online, so there’s no excuse for not following their exact directions. Reviewers can receive hundreds of submissions every month and it’s important to understand they just don’t have time to deal with authors who don’t follow their guidelines.

3. Be ThoroughWhen submitting your book for review, you’re really trying to “sell” it to the reviewer. In order to effectively market your book, provide as much information as possible. When the review service asks for a synopsis of your book, they don’t need every last plot point, but it’s definitely not the time for a brief, one-line summary.

4. Be Aware of ScammersAlthough plenty of legitimate review services can be found online, so can plenty of scam reviewers. Scammers do not actually read your book; they use the synopsis to write a review instead. If a reviewer doesn’t offer to provide tear sheets or doesn’t have reviews posted on their website, then there’s a good chance it might be scam.

By using these four, easy-to-follow tips, your book has a better chance of passing up the competition and being accepted for a book review. But it’s important to always remember the incredible volume of submissions reviewers receive on a regular basis, and be understanding of the high demand for reviews.