How to Get Book Reviews in 2026

Imagine you're choosing between two products. Do you buy the one with dozens of favorable reviews, or the one with none?

Most people pick the former, and understandably so. Social proof is what turns browsers into buyers — and fuels discoverability on retail platforms like Amazon. As an author, securing book reviews is a top priority, even before your official launch. 

But how can you persuade those first few people to read and review your book? And how can you keep up momentum over time? Here are the 5 most effective ways to obtain reviews as a self-published author.

1. Send out ARCs ahead of your launch

To beat Amazon’s algorithms, you’ll need readers to add their reviews of your book in the first few days following its release. Most people can’t read and critique a full-length work that quickly — so you’ll need to give it to them ahead of time.

This is where advance reader copies, or ARCs, come in. They’re digital copies of your completed manuscript that you give away for free, typically via a service like BookFunnel, in the hope that recipients will post a review of your title shortly after its launch.

Before we tell you who to send ARCs to, it’s important that we mention who not to send them to. In accordance with Amazon’s terms, you must not ask a family member or close friend to review your book; you must not do a review swap with another author; and you must not offer readers a financial incentive to leave a review. This means that you can’t give ARC readers a free copy of your book in exchange for a review — you must simply gift them the ARC and politely request that they leave their thoughts.

Now that the small print is out of the way, let’s talk about how to find these mysterious readers. Our preferred method is always to ask for volunteers from your subscriber base. Fans who receive your newsletter or follow you on social media are much more likely to read, enjoy, and review your book than random strangers online. You can collect signups in a Google form and send the ARCs directly to volunteers.

If you don’t already have one, now’s the time to set up a mailing list.

If you are going to turn to the internet, post a request for ARC readers in genre-specific Facebook groups, subreddits, and other forums. Only after you’ve exhausted these resources should you turn to ARC websites such as NetGalley and BookSirens. These sites will charge you to list your book for a set period of time and can’t guarantee how many users will download, read, or review your title — if any. Always use ARC sites to complement rather than replace your own efforts.

After building a mailing list from scratch two months before the release of his debut, children’s book author Ben P. Fisher managed to secure 100 Amazon reviews in just 5 days. Learn how he did it here.

As crucial as these early reviews are for Amazon’s algorithms, they may not convince a skeptical reader to hit the purchase button. For maximum social proof, you’ll also want to secure a testimonial from someone with a little more authority and sway in the reading community.

2. Submit your book to an editorial review site

Enter editorial review sites. Reedsy Discovery and other highly reputable websites will provide you with an honest review from an experienced and authoritative publishing professional.

We’ve compared the top review sites in the industry and we’re confident that Reedsy Discovery provides the best value for money without compromising on quality. However, you can submit your book to as many review sites as you can afford.

For maximum impact, submit your completed book before your launch date so that you can quote the review in your marketing materials, on your retail pages, and even on your book cover from day one. When an expert says your book is worth reading, readers believe them — so an editorial review could be what seals the deal for many potential buyers.

3. Reach out to book bloggers and social media influencers

Many readers these days also look to bloggers, Substackers, Bookstagrammers, and BookTokers for recommendations and reviews. Securing coverage from one of these influencers will require more effort — but the payoff can be well worth it if the reviewer has a large or highly engaged following.

You’ll need to approach this task strategically. Start by making a list of relevant blogs and influencers. Search for specific phrases such as “YA romantasy reviewer” on social media platforms and look up titles that are similar to yours to see where they’ve been reviewed. 

Narrow your list down according to these factors:

• Genre and audience. Match these to your book as precisely as possible.

• Posting frequency. 1–2 times a week is ideal. If they post more often than that, your book might get lost in the shuffle.

• Number of subscribers or followers. More followers isn’t always better. A small but highly engaged community might net you more sales than a larger but less involved fanbase.

Once you have a shortlist, it’s time to start drafting your pitches. Always read the submissions policy, if there is one, and don’t contact people who aren’t accepting queries.

When writing a pitch, keep things short, sweet, and personal When you reach out, make sure to:

• Address the reviewer by name;

• Mention titles they’ve reviewed that are similar to yours, as well as any other reasons why they would love your book;

• Refer to their review policy and make it clear you understand and accept their terms; and

• Include all your book’s details and a short but compelling description.

Temper your expectations, though — chances are, not everybody will reply to your pitch. We recommend keeping track of your queries and their responses in a spreadsheet. You can follow up after a week or so, but don’t follow up more than twice; at that point, you can safely assume they’re not interested. 

When you get a positive response, all you have to do is send the influencer a copy of your book and wait for their review to drop. You can quote it in your marketing materials in exactly the same way as a traditional editorial review. Some bloggers may also cross-post their review to Amazon and/or Goodreads.

If you need help identifying and reaching out to influencers, you can hire a marketer on our marketplace and ask for influencer marketing.

We’ve now looked at three ways to get reviews leading up to launch day. But Amazon’s algorithms will need a steady trickle of positive reviews to keep your book ranking favorably. Here are two simple but effective ways to turn readers into reviewers in the long term.

4. Add a personal message at the end of your book

Think about it: if someone has read to the end of your book and turned the page to read your back matter, they’re probably a fan. If you’ve been reading up on author mailing lists, you’ll know that this is the perfect opportunity to convert that eager reader into a loyal newsletter subscriber. But it’s also a great opportunity to solicit reviews.

Simply add a short, friendly paragraph thanking the reader and asking them to leave an honest review. Many readers have no idea how important a single review can be for indie authors — so tell them how much it means to you. In your ebook, you can even include a hyperlink to your book’s Amazon or Goodreads page to make it as easy as possible for the reader to follow through.

The more personal and unique you can make your message, the better. However, here’s a starting point if you’re completely stuck for ideas.

Thanks for reading my book! If you can spare a few minutes, please leave an honest review. Every review means the world to me and helps other readers find my work.

You can’t expect all — or even most — readers to answer your appeal, but every time someone responds to the nudge is a win. Indie authors who implement this strategy consistently report a noticeable increase in the percentage of readers who leave a review.

5. Include a polite request for reviews in your welcome email

In the exact same vein, you can ask “warm” readers (those who’ve already read your book) to leave a review in your welcome email when they sign up to your mailing list. These readers are even more likely to have enjoyed your book — but that doesn’t mean they’ve taken the time to write a review. A gentle prod might be all the encouragement they need.

And there you have it: three ways to get initial reviews and two ways to keep them coming. But reviews aren’t the only factor in whether people purchase your title, so be sure to check out the other tips in our guide to marketing a book.