Tips and Tricks to Know When Submitting a Review Request to Book Bloggers
Even though every book blogger has their own list of criteria they wish to receive in a submission, having these things readily available help.
When submitting to book bloggers, it is important to do your research first.
The last thing that you want to do is send them something they don’t want.
Every blogger lists their top picks or what they are looking for on their website under the review policy or in their social media profile description. Looking in these places will tell you what your next steps would be for entering a review submission request. Making sure to mention that you were happy they enjoyed reading this genre will be a subtle way to let them know you did your research.
Another bonus to checking the review policy section or their reviews page on their website is that they will often post a note if their submissions inbox is temporarily on hold.
These bloggers receive numerous submissions and there is only so much time to read. However, I suggest that you keep a working document of all the bloggers you researched. As you check each blogger's profile or website, you should check the status on this document. (Submitted, said yes, not accepting submissions at this time.)
This creates an easy checklist of who you contacted and who you can check in with later if you didn’t hear an answer or if they were temporarily full.
If you can’t find a website for the blogger or their LinkTree only takes you to their social media sites, this is where the ‘simple ask’ comes into play.
You can reach out to them over social media with a simple, pleasant message to see what they accept.
Hello! I came across your profile but wasn’t able to find any information about submissions. I was wondering if you are accepting review submissions at this time. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
By doing this, you aren’t pushing your book on them, but checking in.
In my experience, I received these replies:
Yes, I would love to add you to my list. Thanks for reaching out! Do you need my email?
I’m sorry, but my list is full at the moment. Thank you for reaching out though, maybe check back at the end of the summer.
Or no reply at all.
When I didn’t receive a reply at all, I simply waited a week or two and messaged them to ask if they received my message.
Now that you have made a list of who you are going to submit your review submissions, what should you send?
Some bloggers have forms on their website you can fill out, where they are asking for specific information.
This helps them determine what the timeline would look like in the grand scheme of their other projects. They may ask for the page count, word count, trigger content, if it has a happily ever after, or even if it’s part of a series. So that is why having all the information you need beforehand is important.
I created myself a cheat sheet so that when book bloggers accept review submissions without any requirements, I could have this information ready and tailor it to their individual needs.
It also comes in handy to copy and paste this into those website forms on bloggers' websites.
It looks like this:
This gives them a quick run-down of all the information they may need. I even added links to Amazon, Goodreads, and my social media. An important aspect of this format is that I bolded different areas so they can quickly scan and see what they need to see.
Another key thing to remember is to offer them a free copy of the book.
Now, since we are all working on a precious budget, we can’t always send a paperback. (Shipping and printing costs can add up!) So make sure to mention that you can send a free ebook, PDF, or EPub as a thank you.
Book bloggers can be very important to an author's career, so making sure to thank them after they have posted a review is a must.
Many times, bloggers will mention you in a social media post or send an email letting you know where you can find their review.
Be sure to say thank you and offer to promote their site in any way you can. Even if they don’t reach out to let you know they reviewed it, be sure to send a thank-you email. It doesn’t even have to be long.
Hello! I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read and review ‘insert title here’. I truly appreciate your time and efforts. If there is anything you would like me to share with my followers as thank you, please let me know!
Something as simple as this can go a long way.
Review submissions can feel time-consuming but can prove to be very valuable in the long run.
Take the time to follow these steps and you could add some significant reviews to your portfolio. But never expect a positive review. The best review you can receive is an honest one.