Types of Book Reviews

It is no secret that one of the factors when it comes to an author’s success is having a good review. Book reviews come from either professionals or readers. It is not simply written to engage readers from buying the book but rather to identify how effective the delivery of the message is.

There are types of reviews that have been used in the publishing industry. For authors and inspiring writers, knowing these types of reviews is important.

Types of Reviews

1. Reader Reviews

This is the most popular type of review. When you hear the word book review, you would automatically assume that book reviews are all about those you see on a website. Wherein a reader will rate their experience with the particular book.

This type of review that you often see in the comment section when you are about to purchase a book is called a reader review. It has a star rating system. Which serves as a basis for the popularity and quality of the book.

An example of this is Amazon, where thousands of reviews were left by those who purchased and read the book. These reviews could affect the potential of the book being sold. Furthermore, reader reviews can also be quite tricky as they needed to be under scrutiny by these websites. Paid reviews are disclosed to give awareness to the readers.

2. Endorsement Reviews

Endorsement reviews are considered to be an influential medium for authors even before the book is published. To acquire an endorsement review, the author will send a copy of their manuscript to a notable publisher. It is sent in the respective sector that your book represents (this is called an ARC or advanced reader copy).

It is not necessary to know the endorser personally. Writing them an email with killer content would suffice. Ensure that the receiver of your email is a well-known figure or similar in the field in what your book is all about. Having an endorsement review is one of the best marketing.

3. Trade Reviews

Do you plan to market your book in a local library? Trade reviews are the right ones for you!

Trade reviews are the type of reviews that are most preferred by librarians and booksellers. These are produced by well-established publishing companies. As an author and aspiring writers, having your book reviewed by a known company can be greatly beneficial to your standing as an author.

Examples of these known companies are Kirkus Review, Clarion Review, Blueink Review, Pacific Book Review, US Book Review, and Los Angeles Times Media Review. One thing to note is that when an author wants their book to be reviewed by these companies, they need to pay a fee, and the feedback can be positive or negative.

If your book has good feedback on its end, this is essentially beneficial. It is upon your discretion if you want to proceed.

4. Editorial Reviews

Editorial reviews are a type of review that is needed to be reviewed by a third party. It is typically evident in a blog or article. Editorial reviews are often interchangeable with a trade review. But to denote the difference between the two, editorial reviews can come from companies that do not solely offer publishing services.

These reviews can also come from local bloggers, New York Times (a famous entity that provides well-written editorial reviews), news stations, etc. The reviews can be either positive or negative. Authors can opt to have their book reviewed by a blogger that has similar demographics as they are. You should also check if the website has good traffic.