Should an author pay for book reviews?
Bruce Atchison - author
I recently visited http://www.theusreview.com/USRsubmit.html and was
disgusted to find that they want money for reviewing books. I think it's a
rip off but what do you folks think? It seems to me that it would be better
to have one's books promoted on one's website with good search engine
rankings than to pay somebody to review one's books. There's also the
problem of bias. If a reviewer is paid by an author to review a book, it
seems likely that it won't be an honest assessment.
Please let me know what you think regarding paid reviews. I'd rather earn
my reviews honestly. If I'm mistaken on this point, please explain why.
Sincerely,
Bruce Atchison - author of Deliverance from Jericho (Six Years in a Blind
School) and When a Man Loves a Rabbit ((Learning and Living With Bunnies).
http://www.bookstream.biz/cgi-bin/bookstream/bookstore.cgi?overlord=Details&store_id=132
http://www.bookstream.biz/cgi-bin/bookstream/bookstore.cgi?overlord=Details&store_id=102
Towse
> Dear folks;
>
> I recently visited http://www.theusreview.com/USRsubmit.html and was
> disgusted to find that they want money for reviewing books. I think it's a
> rip off but what do you folks think? It seems to me that it would be better
> to have one's books promoted on one's website with good search engine
> rankings than to pay somebody to review one's books. There's also the
> problem of bias. If a reviewer is paid by an author to review a book, it
> seems likely that it won't be an honest assessment.
>
> Please let me know what you think regarding paid reviews. I'd rather earn
> my reviews honestly. If I'm mistaken on this point, please explain why.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Bruce Atchison - author of Deliverance from Jericho (Six Years in a Blind
> School) and When a Man Loves a Rabbit ((Learning and Living With Bunnies).
I haven't clicked on your link because I don't know what's at the other end.
Ask yourself =why= you want your book reviewed and =who= you think reads
the book review site that you're thinking of paying for a review and
=what= you plan to do with whatever review you get.
The five top book review sources that USAn libraries use to make book
purchase decisions are Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, New
York Times, and Midwest Book Review.
Kirkus offers to review your book and put the review up on their site
for $400 with their Kirkus Discoveries program. If you don't like the
review, you can ask them not to post it on their site. If you don't like
the review, you don't get your money back.
<http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/discoveries/index.jsp>
Is the Kirkus Discoveries program worth it? Maybe. Certainly worth more
than a review on a review site I've never heard of.
"NOTE: All reviews must be attributed to Kirkus Discoveries. Attributing
a Kirkus Discoveries review to Kirkus Reviews is incorrect and
misleading, and will result in corrective measures."
Getting your self-published book reviewed by a traditional source is
pretty much impossible: paying for a review may be the only alternative
you have.
Other people have discussed this issue elsewhere.
<http://bookmarket.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=523145%3ATopic%3A34230>
The two links at the bottom of your post don't work.
--
Sal
Ye olde swarm of links: thousands of links for writers, researchers and
the terminally curious <http://writers.internet-resources.com>
bnwg...@gmail.com
by the publisher. The big trade magazines that you mention rely
heavily on advertising dollars from the largest publishers, which are
in turn given priority handling and feature promotion, regardless of
the quality of the book. However, they sell the falsehood that all
books are reviews and considered equally. This is a myth like the
Tooth Fairy. Having worked in that industry for 40 years, I’ve
witnessed moments when submission packages were discarded unopened.
Furthermore, a legitimate book review site that charges a modest fee
is doing small and self-publisher a huge favor, not only providing
professional reviews but giving presentable ad and marketing copy--
which is exactly the point. No sits and reads book review sites. They
read the backs of books.
Towse
Forwarded this entire thread on to Hallie Ephron, who reviews crime
fiction for the Boston Globe, and asked her what she thought.
She replied (in part):
-----------------
Are all book reviews paid for by publishers? If you pay to have your
book reviewed, the review would be worthless. It's true that FEATURES
about books and authors (not reviews) are driven by what these
publications think their readers are interested in reading about, not
the quality of the book per se. That's why they're called features and
interviews, not reviews.
I would agree that all books are not reviewed and considered equally.
Books that are self-published, distributed by publishers that don't use
standard distribution channels or offer standard discounts or adhere to
publishing standards have an uphill battle getting reviewed. Ain't gonna
happen unless the author is someone noteworthy. And yes, I discard a
book without consideration that falls into one of these categories.
Because there's too little ink to do justice to even a fraction of the
books published by small and large reputable presses.
I would disagree that: "a legitimate book review site that charges a
modest fee is doing small and self-publisher a huge favor, not only
providing professional reviews but giving presentable ad and marketing
copy-- which is exactly the point."
I know of no such "legitimate book review site" and it sounds like just
another way to separate a wannabee author from his hard earned cash.
People who buy books know the difference between a 'real' review and one
that was paid for, just like it's easy to tell the difference between an
enthusiastic blurb and one that just marks time.
-----------------
bnwg...@gmail.com
>
> I would agree that all books are not reviewed and considered equally.
> Books that are self-published, distributed by publishers that don't use
> standard distribution channels or offer standard discounts or adhere to
> publishing standards have an uphill battle getting reviewed.
We've overlooked the non-six-sisters of publishing--anyone that
doesn't have a major pub row address. Small, mini-presses, academic
press, etc. They all have legitimate distribution and standard
discounts. In fact, they give better discounts than the major pubs,
but often cannot buy a review because ad space in the trades is too
expensive. Can we please stop promoting the Manhattan pub row lies? I
pray for the day when the truth emerges. ... I'm done. Figure it for
yourselves. Good luck to you. When the last thin veil between reality
and illusion falls for you, give me a call.
You do not care who I am
my identity here, but I have something to contribute. I guess I'll
just have to hope that the moderators pass this on to the group.
On Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:47:46 EDT, bnwg...@gmail.com wrote:
>Let me let you in on an industry secret: All book reviews are paid for
>by the publisher. ....
Um, I have to say no.
I sometimes review books on a radio program I do. No publisher ever
pays me for the review. In fact it would be a criminal offense for
them to do so.
I don't doubt that some hanky panky may occur among some print
publications but it sure can't be done with broadcast media without a
serious risk of legal problems.
That having been said, there are way too many books to be reviewed. I
review a very small percentage of the books that publishers send to
me.
I do not review vanity press publications. I don't know anyone who
does. I also do not review novels. Outside of that I decide whether or
not to review a book by how interesting it seems to me. Large and
small publishers are judged equally.
Towse
>> I would agree that all books are not reviewed and considered equally.
>> Books that are self-published, distributed by publishers that don't use
>> standard distribution channels or offer standard discounts or adhere to
>> publishing standards have an uphill battle getting reviewed.
>
> We've overlooked the non-six-sisters of publishing--anyone that
> doesn't have a major pub row address. Small, mini-presses, academic
> press, etc. They all have legitimate distribution and standard
> discounts. In fact, they give better discounts than the major pubs,
And all this just doesn't address the point that the books that are not
reviewed or (as you so elegantly put it) whose "submission packages were
discarded unopened" are offered by "publishers that don't use standard
distribution channels or offer standard discounts or adhere to
publishing standards" does it?
Friends published by academic presses have their books reviewed, so I
don't know where you're coming from.
> but often cannot buy a review because ad space in the trades is too
> expensive.
You're still claiming that publishers "buy a review" ... which doesn't
address "If you pay to have your book reviewed, the review would be
worthless."
> Can we please stop promoting the Manhattan pub row lies? I
> pray for the day when the truth emerges. ... I'm done. Figure it for
> yourselves. Good luck to you. When the last thin veil between reality
> and illusion falls for you, give me a call.
I assumed from your e-addr that you were someone closely associated with
US Review of Books and Hopewell Publications, defending your product.
Reality and illusion, life is.
danger...@gmail.com
wrote:
> I recently visitedhttp://www.theusreview.com/USRsubmit.htmland was
> disgusted to find that they want money for reviewing books. I think it
's a
> rip off but what do you folks think?
As you suspect, it's a ripoff. Paid reviews carry no more weight than
advertising. Probably less: advertising is legitimate, but paid
reviews are intended to deceive.
DB