An editorial review is an endorsement of your book by well-recognized personalities, people your readers admire and respect. You often see an enthusiastic quote on the cover or just on the inside of a book by someone you have seen in the media or a famous author. This is the ultimate social proof your book is worth buying and reading.
Sounds impressive, right? You might counter that you don’t know anyone that important or famous. That’s okay. You can reach out to anyone to get an editorial review. So, think about who the ultimate editorial reviewer for your book would be. Dream!
Who to Ask?
To get an editorial review, look at
- other authors in your genre who sell well,
- experts in your field with recognizable names,
- people who have endorsed books like yours,
- influencers who share your interests and target market,
- community leaders, and
- anyone else who is respected and well-known who your ideal readers will listen to.
Time and Money
An editorial review may cost money, so remember this is part of your marketing budget. Also, people who offer editorial reviews are busy and sometimes you must wait up to six months to get on their schedule, so this is something I would suggest you do earlier rather than later.
Steps to Take
Here are the steps to follow to get an editorial review:
- Brainstorm who would be a good fit for your book. See the above ideas. Dream big! You might think, ‘what if I ask and they say no?’ I have two things to say about this. First, what if you ask and they say yes? What if you don’t ask and they would have said yes? Second, what if they do say no? So what? For now, brainstorm your best editorial reviewer ideas.
- Put it all down in one place, like a spreadsheet. Name, email address, social media accounts, other books they have endorsed, their books, number of followers, and anything else that might be helpful.
- Write your template. Include your subject line, book topic, book summary, links, requested deadline to be considered for the front or back cover. Don’t forget to acknowledge that they are busy.
- Choose your top ten or however many requests you want to send and write a personal introductory paragraph for each potential reviewer.
- Send the emails and breathe deeply.
Reviews Help Sell Books
Reviews help sell books so find ways to get reviews so more people buy your book. Those first reviews can be challenging to get for a new authors, so have a plan.
Join Author Nation and get your complete guide to getting reviews because reviews matter. Having several excellent reviews helps your ideal readers choose to buy your book.
Do you have a book with lots of positive reviews? Share your secrets to getting reviews in the comments!
– Keep writing
Melody Ann
Author Nation is your go-to resource for becoming a successful nonfiction author, from planning to promotion and everything in between. Download the resource for the stage you are in.