By Christine Kohler
"You have not because you ask not," the apostle said regarding prayer. (James 4:2) Forgive me for taking this verse out of context. But it is what came to mind regarding asking for reviews.
I want to first clarify two qualifiers on this topic. One, I never pay for reviews. (Period. End of discussion. Never have and never will.)
DIFFERENT REVIEW TYPES AND AUDIENCES
Two, I am not referring to reader reviews posted on Amazon or Goodreads or Bookbub. Yes, as authors we are required to hound relatives, friends, strangers to write reviews after reading our books. But that's not what I am writing about in this article. (Similar topic on my blog "An Author and Reader's Guide to Writing Book Reviews.")
The reviews I am referring to are professional reviews and reviews by high-traffic blogs, magazines, and newspapers. In my writing career I wrote books primarily for the trade, mass market, and education market, so my publishers sent my books for reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and library journals (SLJ, etc.) Honestly, I don't know how that works between the publisher and the journals. (I believe self-published authors pay for those reviews. There are articles from self-published authors on the topic. But I don't self-publish, so am not knowledgeable enough to advise.)
KISS A PRESS RELEASE
Whenever I have a book releasing, I send a press release to newspapers and magazines to every place I have lived, or may be relevant to the setting or topic. (Read on my blog "KISS a Press Release.") My experience is that only a very minute percentage have resulted in reviews, especially in newspapers. However, the press releases have generated articles by reporters about me and the book(s) everywhere from a front page to a society column.
SHEPHERD.COM OP
Ben Fox at Shepherd.com reached out to me again and asked me to write reviews on books in comparable themes. (Read on my blog "Marketing Op for Authors @Shepherd.com.") So I was able to plug my poetry book through that avenue.
TARGET SPECIFIC READERS
When my debut poetry book Silent No More: Bible Women Speak Up, A Poetic Meditation (Wipf and Stock, Resources) released this year, I didn't know what to expect for numerous reasons. One, the topic is religious. Two, it is poetry. The publisher, however, publishes in the trade and academic market. (My YA novel No Surrender Soldier sold resoundingly to university libraries so I was hopeful that I had paved a path there. When my historical novel debuted, librarians told me they trusted my research from my nonfiction books, so I found though I write in multiple genres, my reputation does carry across genres—at least with librarians.) I asked the publicist at Wipf and Stock what reviewers would my poetry book be sent to. I wasn't familiar with the two professional reviewers or conferences because they are in the religious market. (I had been published in the Christian mass markets in children's books many decades ago, but then authors didn't do their own marketing.)
ONE GOOD 'YES' IS WORTH THE ASK
I researched reviewers in the religious market that I felt my topic would appeal to their readers and found four bloggers. Two said, "Yes," and two ignored my request.
I wasn't interested in doing a blog hop because I don't post reviews on my blog and didn't feel I had anything to exchange for other authors. However, I was impressed with how British author Rob Seabrook in England organized his bloghop of 11 authors for the release of his debut Christian novel Beneath the Tamarick Tree. I asked Rob to apply to my publisher for a free review e-book through a form on its website. The British blogger/reviewer received the book in this method. I asked Rob because our books should be of interest to the same audience. I am really appreciative Rob agreed; not only did he write an excellent review, but he posted it on Goodreads. To date, it is the only review for Silent No More: Bible Women Speak Up on Goodreads, which makes it the only review to show up on WorldCat, the library catalog.
OVERCOME OBSTACLES
Of the four professional reviewers (one popular Christian women's blog and three professional reviewers with a university, library readership in the religious market), three had a "no poetry" policy. In all three cases, they agreed my topic of Bible women would be of interest to their readers. No arm-twisting on my part. Only one hesitated and I sent a book on the condition she wasn't under any obligation. I bought and mailed copies of my book to these reviewers in the United States only because I didn't want a delay from the time they agreed and when they received the book. It was worth the cost to remove extra steps and made it easier and faster for them to receive review copies. I also ensured they had a hard copy, which is often donated to libraries afterward.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWERS, JOURNALS, CATALOGS
Catholic Library World, Catholic Library Association, was my first choice to request a professional review. I had requested CLW review No Surrender Soldier in 2014. Even though it has a secular publisher, the characters are practicing Catholics, as is the Guamanian culture. CLA agreed and reviewed my debut novel. As a result, one large Catholic high school in Burbank, California, required every incoming freshman read my book and do thematic projects on it the first two weeks of school. I also did a Zoom program. As for Silent No More: Bible Women Speak Up, my librarian contact at CLW readily broke the "no poetry" policy because she believed (as I do) the theme of my poetry book would be of interest to their readers. Silent No More: Bible Women Speak Up, A Poetic Meditation is reviewed by Theresa Grass in Catholic Library World, 2025, Vol 96, Issue 1, p36.
Here are other professional reviews received because I emailed and asked:
The University Bookman at the Russel Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal
All God's Women by Sharon Wilharm, an author, speaker, Bible teacher, podcaster, radio host.
In conclusion, if you have a book releasing, consider how you can reach a wider audience of bibliophiles by asking for reviews. Instead of a shotgun effect, target whom you ask by selecting reviewers whose audience reads in the genre and topic you write. Then, don't be shy, ask.