How To Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith (Review and Giveaway)

I know I'm a lucky person--I'm a writer, a mommy, a wife, a dog owner!--but when the opportunity came to review Dana Lynn Smith's book, How To Get Your Book Reviewed, I thought about buying a lottery ticket, too. This is such a timely book for me--since my historical fiction, middle-grade book, Finding My Place, just came out. So, what did I think of Dana's book, why should you care about getting your book reviewed, and how will this Savvy Book Marketer's guide help you to get your book reviewed? Read on to find out!

Dana begins her guide by explaining why you should care about getting book reviews (which, nowadays, are also recommendations or endorsements from readers on social networking sites and online book stores). This quote sums it up perfectly: "There's no guarantee that reviews will translate into sales, but they certainly increase the odds. With the huge amount of competition facing your book, reviews are one of the very best ways to get your book noticed and to influence purchasing decisions of potential customers."

Okay, so now that you are convinced you need reviews, Dana shows you how to get them. This is a very thorough book with live links in the e-book version. She has three sections basically--by the way, she's thought of everything!--the book review process: how it works and how to submit, different places where you can get your book reviewed (you will read about places you never thought of), and what to do with the reviews once you have them to create sales. She also goes into the pitfalls of book reviews, so you will be aware of what can happen if things don't go exactly as you hoped. 

Dana Lynn Smith

One of the coolest parts of this book are the "case studies." Case studies are real-world examples of the points that Dana makes in her book. For example, she suggests going for the gold and getting high-profile endorsements. Then she presents a case study of Rabbi Ed Weinsberg who wrote a book about prostrate cancer and got endorsements from people like John Gray (Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus)  and Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Another one of her case studies is about getting reviews on Amazon--a self-published author shares his experiences. She shares some important and vital information for all authors--self-published or traditional. Whether you like Amazon or not, this site has great influence on readers. So, you must learn to work with Amazon, and the case studies help you do this.

I also liked the "Savvy Tip" highlighted boxes in How to Get Your Book Reviewed. If you just have a few minutes to skim through the book when you first get it, then read all the highlighted boxes, and you will be well on your way to understanding what you need to do get book reviews and use them to drive sales. Her tips include information on where to concentrate reviews, book promo materials, linking to reviews online and your media kit, and more.

The section of the book that I found the most helpful, full of new information that I didn't know and active links so I can easily explore, is the list of online resources, including reading communities like LibraryThing and Author's Den, and how to work with book bloggers. Authors cannot underestimate the power of social media and blogs--if you can get these readers behind you and supporting you, you are well on your way to success. Some of these bloggers have quite a following and passionately endorse and promote authors they like.

If you have a book coming out in the future, Dana's book is a must! If you already have a book out, How to Get Your Book Reviewed is going to help you--although it may make you panic a bit (like it did me!) because many places want to review your book right when it comes out or even before. But never fear, there are still plenty of resources and information to help you market your book in Dana's guide. I can't wait to get started getting reviews and then check out what other resources Dana has to offer on her website!

Even better news, we have a copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed to giveaway!

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We're giving away a copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win!

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