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Should you pay for a book review? Nope. And here’s why…

Posted by Scott Gregory on
Snake Oil Salesman

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And where there’s a way, there’s a scam. Someone is always figuring out new ways to repackage old snake oil. Why? Because there’s an unlimited supply of bewildered people wandering around in search of a cure for something. There’s a reason snake oil salesmen travel from town to town– the last town tried to hang ‘em! Our Internet is even better than a wagon and a pair of quick horses. The good old www lets people swindle from far off safety. Which brings us around to the topic at hand;  

Should you pay for a book review? Nope. Book reviews don’t sell books except for a few big names like Publisher’s Weekly and The New York Times. And of course, they don’t charge. Now, I realize it can be hard to get that first review for your new book, and paying for one might just make the comments more favorable but, there are better ways to get there. Try your local papers. Any old publication will do. Even the smallest of places has a Herald or Reporter or Courier lurking near the supermarket entrance. If you can’t find one, contact your big local newspaper. They own the presses that all the other publications use for their papers. They will have a list of all the local venues you might call upon for a review. Not only is such a review FREE, but somebody might actually read it and buy your book online. Then you take that review and post it on Amazon, assuming it is favorable.Here’s another freebie; Bloggers. Find blogs that suit your genre of book and pitch it to them. They get a signed book and something to fill their Tuesday blog with, and you get a free review (with clickable links to Amazon).

Scam artists are like bears. The best way to get rid of them is to stop feeding them. Don’t pay for anything that isn’t proven and always look for free alternatives. The free ones are usually the best anyway.