Customer Reviews

How to Get Your Book Reviewed - Sell More Books by Using Reviews, Testimonials and Endorsements for Book Promotion

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Wow...Dana's book, "How to Get Your Book Reviewed" is an invaluable resource for authors who want more exposure for their books. I appreciate the real life case studies and all the resources she packed into it. If you read this book and then take action, expect to see results!

Shelley Hitz, www.Self-Publishing-Coach.com

How to Get Your Book Reviewed is an information-packed book for both the debut author and the seasoned mid-lister. Some authors are more pro-active about their careers, which compels them to research relevant marketing techniques. Marketing one's book is a part-time job in itself, and it is no longer the sole responsibility of the publisher. Successful authors must devote plentiful time towards promoting their own books.

In the virtual marketplace, the internet, more books are being published then ever before. Authors seeking to make a splash with their books are up against the Big Name Authors and the super self-promoters. For those authors who tend towards introversion, marketing oneself can be a tough gig. One solution, purported by Dana Lynn Smith, is to get your book reviewed for coveted publicity.

Book reviews speak louder than an author spam-shouting on Twitter, "Buy my book!" Quality book reviewers abound, but how can the amateur author locate these people? How can the new authors coax the inundated reviewers to pick up their specific book?

Dana begins the book by showing the benefits of book reviews to one's writing career. She explains the book review process and teaches how to submit review copies. One learns what can go wrong with book reviews through the Potential Pitfalls section. She explains the difference between blurbs, endorsements, testimonials, and customer reviews. Discover how the author can use each to its full advantage. A few chapters provide dozens of links to review sites, book blogs, virtual reader communities, book review journals, print media, and other book review sources. There's even a chapter about how to write solid book reviews. The last part of the book ties all the information together into a brilliant book review marketing plan.

As a result of my reading this book, I feel confident to venture into the marketplace with my debut novel. I understand the best methods to reach my potential audience and the proper book reviewers for my work. What once was a mysterious process now makes perfect sense. Dana knows just how to speak the author's language by appealing to our longing for long-term writing success. How To Get Your Book Reviewed is the On Writing of obtaining and implementing quality book reviews.

Just how important is a book review and why should writers bother with them? The benefits to any author are mind-boggling in terms of the potential reviews have to boost an author from obscurity into the stratosphere. Dana Lynn Smith's How to Get Your Book Reviewed opens many possibilities that encompass not just reviews and their benefits, but also the add-ons of marketing and promotion.

How to Get Your Book Reviewed is a step-by-step method to creating a winning book marketing strategy. Beginning with understanding the book review process and why many submitted books do not get reviewed, this guide takes the writer through the entire process. Given the hundreds of thousands of book published each year, the author stresses the need for writers to make sure their product meets the industry standards. This book also offers great tips on the extras that can draw positive attention and ensure their book is chosen above others: a media kit, a good press release and sell sheet--simple elements that are actually a valuable tool to further publicity.

Each chapter is laid out in user-friendly fashion, with details that will save a writer time and money: how to search for favorable outlets, how to approach potential reviewers, timelines attached to review publications, and details on print and online options. The guide also explores the formal (literary and review journals, newspapers, magazines etc.) and informal avenues (blogs, book and author sites, virtual reader communities) available to the writer seeking reviews. Approaching people or experts for endorsements and testimonials is also covered. Interspersed throughout are the succinct savvy tips for which Dana Lynn Smith is renowned. The author also provides many useful web links to review sites, and explains the process of getting reviews uploaded. A section on Amazon gives great advice on how to successfully utilize the Amazon tool.

This gem is the definitive guide for any writer who wants to get their book out there. I highly recommend this publication!

As new marketing director for Christian Author D.I. Telbat, I needed to find detailed, step-by-step instructions on how and where to find book reviewers for his new book. Dana Lynn Smith's book, How to Get Your Book Reviewed, was the best instruction I could have hoped for, and more! Because she is an excellent teacher, and explains things so well, even a newbie can follow her.

Having read this book, and then acting on her suggestions, I cannot stress enough how important book reviews are for a book and author! Dana Lynn Smith states on page 3 of her PDF version, "In addition to bringing books to the attention of potential book buyers, endorsements, testimonials and reviews provide 'social proof' that the book is valuable to others, and help the reader determine if the book is a good fit for them."

And this is true. When I followed her clear instructions, I was able to find and effectively contact top reviewers and we began to receive 5-star reviews on Amazon for our new fiction book. Then the sales began to come in. We believe this is because we now have that social proof.

After learning how to locate relevant reviewers, I then needed to find out what to send them. Dana Lynn Smith not only tells you how to do things, she shows you in many examples and illustrations, and then sometimes she even gives you templates to help you learn as well! I received the PDF version of How to Get Your Book Reviewed from her site, and she offers extras with that particular version.

She says we need a Media Room set up before seeking reviewers. I didn't know what a Media Room was to contain. But no fear! She taught step-by-step through what items it should be comprised of, including how to create a Sell Sheet, and we now have a full Media Room with all the ingredients any reviewer could ever want.

Dana Lynn Smith offers lists of excellent review sites and book blogs. And she gives lots of tips, such as how to give out our email address in a way to keep spammers out. Her book includes case studies, illustrations, and screenshots of different aspects of what she teaches, along with dozens of hyperlinks.

My thanks to Dana for such an excellent resource that I will keep close at hand for all of our future review needs! I highly recommend How to Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith.

Long before there was social media, there was the ultimate social proof: book reviews. Book-buyers have been making buying decisions based on reviews since at least the 17th century--back when there were far fewer books to choose from! Today, hundreds of thousands of books are published each year, so standing out from the crowd is more important than ever. Strong reviews can be the tipping point that turns browsers into buyers. How to Get Your Book Reviewed is the most helpful guide I've seen about soliciting reviews and using them effectively in your marketing to sell more books. Do not miss it!

Grael Norton, Senior Faculty, AuthorsAcademy.com

Dana Lynn Smith's book HOW TO GET YOUR BOOK REVIEWED is a very readable and complete "how to do it" guide to do just what her title indicates. In the book's thirteen major sections every possible aspect of how to get your book reviewed is detailed. I have had some success with securing print, audio (radio) and television reviews both pre and post publication of each of my three books. The third book WHAT IS MAN? MALE AND FEMALE which will be on Amazon Search Inside this December will have five great print pre- publication reviews.

Dana's book, especially specific topics such as "Select Potential Reviewers", "Sending Queries vs. Sending Books", "The Self-Publishing Bias" (all my books are POD by choice), and "Researching Media Contacts" were particularly useful to me. I highly recommend this book especially to the beginning author who wants to avoid the "trial and error" method of securing reviews that I originally followed!

Bernard J. Fleury, Ed.D.

Another savvy winner!
"How to Get Your Book Reviewed" demystifies behind the scenes areas authors need to understand. I got some great ideas for getting reviews for my forthcoming "Relaxing the Writer." Since this is my first non-fiction (and self-published book) I need all the help I can find.
As a former librarian who relied on reviews for purchasing decisions I know how good reviews in the right publications make the sale.

When I'm working with clients or answering questions for the readers of my HowToDoItFrugally book The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher., reviews are always among the biggest concerns. Yes, there is book bigotry out there. Yes, it is a tough row. But it can be done.

Lots of how-to books for writers touch on the subject of getting reviews. But Dana Lynn Smith's new how-to is the most complete guide for getting reviews around. It's must for an author's e-cabinet of book promotion essentials! I hope each and every author finds Dana's book and reads up on the subject before his or her book is published.

It's never too late to get reviews but knowing about reviews early on will benefit books much more if an author has the essential information early on. It will put them in a better position to do it themselves or partner with their publisher.

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The reviewer is a multi award-winning novelist, poet, and author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books--one for writers and one for retailers.

So few authors truly understand the concept of book reviews, how to get them, and the value of them. Many authors misunderstand and even avoid pursuing this opportunity for great promotion.

Exposure sells books. One way to get that exposure is through many strategically placed book reviews. Here's a book designed to help you navigate the enormous world of book reviews as a marketing tool for your publishing project. I recommend 'How to Get Your Book Reviewed' for all authors.

Dana Lynn Smith's How to Get Your Book Reviewed offers a comprehensive recipe for getting others to help you promote your book with reviews, quotes, and testimonials.

I'm impressed by the amount of detailed advice communicated in an organized and conversational format; take a task as basic as sending out books for review. Her advice includes suggested etiquette, what to include with your book, how to shop for padded envelopes and card board mailers, and different shipping and mailing options.

If you're sending out a lot of review copies, she even suggests inviting your friends over and having a "pitch-in and help me send our copies of my book" party.

It's a common problem that authors usually spend more time writing their book than marketing and promoting their book....and then wonder why there book isn't selling.

Limited book marketing and promotion budgets are not valid excuses for failing to adequately promote your book. As Dana Lynn Smith describes in How to Get Your Book Reviewed, a strategic approach to obtaining quotes, reviews, and testimonials can pay big dividends getting your book noticed by the right people in the right places.