So what can authors do to make their review requests stand out?
1. Personalize
A personalized email makes a huge difference. It’s not that hard to find our names on the blog and yet we receive a lot of requests addressed to “Dear Blogger” or the like. Using our names is not only polite, but it shows us that you’ve checked out our blog. It’s an added bonus if you can show you are familiar with our content and the types of books we like. If you think there’s a reason we would particularly like your book based on something you’ve seen on our site, mention it!
2. Simple is sweet
Simple is sweet. Every time. Emails with over the top fonts and formatting can appear quite amateur. In terms of content, be relevant and concise. We don’t want to have to search just to find your blurb. Equally, it’s best if you include your blurb within the content of the email. If we have to click links to find out about your book and we are rushing through emails, we might not bother.
3. Check the guidelines
I really can’t overstate this. Check the guidelines. Almost all book blogs have a “Review Policy”. This outlines the guidelines for what a book blogger will and won’t read, as well as what information you need to provide in a review request. For example, at Love Reading Romance we only read romance, and we require authors to send us the blurb and the first chapter before we will decide whether to read your book.
4. What else can we do?
Sometimes we might not have time to do a review, but we also have other features on the blog. Let us know if there are other kinds of promotion you might be interested in, such as sharing excerpts or a guest post. If we like the sound of your book, but don’t have time for a review, we might still be able to offer some promotion.
5. Spell check
Spell check your email! If your review request is riddled with spelling mistakes… we will judge you.
6. Finally
Just as you should if you receive a negative review, don’t take it personally if we don’t accept your book for review in the first place. Book bloggers are some of the most passionate readers out there, but we all have different tastes and time restraints.
Most of all, keep writing and keep sending us your books, so we can keep reading and reviewing!
A big thanks to Katie Sadler at HarperImpulse for inviting us to take part in The Romance Festival!
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~ Helena and Stephanie ~
