Reviews are an important promotion tool for your book. Reviewers are able to tap into your audience base and help explain to them the merits and timeliness of your book, as well as provide good quotes for you to then, in turn, promote on your website or in other marketing materials.
Here are some tips for seeking out reviewers for your non-fiction book:
Create a Google Alert with the keywords “book review” <genre>
So yours might be “book review” memoir or “book review” health.
Note that “book review” is in quotes to ensure the exact phrase is found.
You will begin receiving alerts with links to book reviews on news sites and blogs. Then, view the review links, verify that the site is credible and generates some decent traffic, and make note of the reporter.
Once you’ve gotten that far, look for editorial contact information so that you can reach out directly to the reporter or editor who covers the appropriate news section. Send a note asking if he or she would like a review copy of your book along with a brief overview of what it is about.
By the way, your best bet is to start building your contact list for book reviews several months in advance. Also, major publications want to review books in advance of the book release, and the rest will want to review the book as soon as it is available.
And of course this strategy will work with a basic Google search as well, though an Alert will keep you informed of current book review listings as they are published.
