Once a book has been out for a while without many reviews, "who do I even ask?" is often the practical sticking point. Authors know reviews would help, but are not sure where legitimate reviewers actually come from, beyond vaguely hoping readers will leave one unprompted. This guide sets out the realistic sources worth pursuing, and how to approach them without resorting to mass emailing or anything that would breach a platform’s [customer review guidelines](/resources/book-sales-growth/what-are-ethical-ways-to-get-more-reviews).
None of this guarantees reviews. Reviewers, like readers, choose freely whether to read and whether to write about a book, and a genuine reviewer may decline, go quiet, or simply not enjoy the book. What this guide can offer is a sensible, ethical process for reaching people who are actually likely to be interested, rather than people who are not.
Start with existing readers
The most overlooked reviewer source is often the readers a book already has: people who bought it, borrowed it, or mentioned enjoying it somewhere. A short, polite note at the back of the book, on a website, or in a newsletter, asking readers who enjoyed the book to consider leaving an honest review, reaches people who have already decided the book was worth their time.
This works because it targets people with a demonstrated interest, rather than strangers with none. It will not produce a large number of reviews quickly, but the reviews it does produce tend to be genuine and specific.
Mailing list subscribers who genuinely read
A mailing list built from people who signed up because they were interested in the book or the author’s work is a reasonable place to mention that reviews are welcome and helpful. The distinction that matters is between subscribers who have actually read (or received) the book and a generic list assembled for other purposes; asking people who have not read the book for a review is not a legitimate route, whatever the platform’s current policy says about it.
ARC and review teams
An Advance Reader Copy (ARC) team, or a similarly structured review team after publication, is a group of readers who agree in advance to read and, if they choose, review a book. Recruiting for this works best through channels where genre readers already gather, such as the author’s own list, relevant reader groups, or genre-specific communities, rather than broad public callouts with no filter on interest.
See our fuller guide on building a review team after publication if the book is already out and an ARC in the strict sense is no longer relevant.
Book bloggers and genre reviewers
Many book bloggers and independent reviewers specialise in a genre or category, and cover new titles within it as a matter of course. These reviewers are usually easy to find by searching for blogs or accounts that regularly review comparable books, and most publish clear submission guidelines covering what they accept, current backlog, and preferred format.
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Genre/topic list | Reviewers who do not cover the book’s genre are unlikely to accept it, however polite the request |
| Open or closed for submissions | Contacting a reviewer during a stated closed period wastes their time and yours |
| Format accepted | Some accept only physical copies, others only digital; sending the wrong format can end the request immediately |
| Lead time | Reviewers often need weeks or months before a review appears; this affects timing, not whether to ask |
Reading communities and book clubs
Online reading communities and book clubs built around a genre or theme can be a source of engaged readers, provided the approach respects each community’s own rules about self-promotion, which vary widely and are often strict. Some communities welcome a well-framed post about a relevant new release; others do not allow author self-promotion at all. Reading and following the rules of a specific community matters more than the size of its membership.
Specialist reviewers and media, for some non-fiction
For non-fiction with a clear professional, academic or specialist angle, subject-specific publications, newsletters or trade outlets sometimes review relevant books, alongside general book reviewers. This route depends heavily on the specific subject and audience, and is not realistic for every non-fiction title; a general business or self-help book is unlikely to interest a specialist trade journal unless the content genuinely fits its focus.
Librarians and booksellers, carefully
Librarians and booksellers occasionally write or share reviews, but outreach here needs particular care: many do not review books on request, have their own acquisition processes entirely separate from reviewing, and can find unsolicited author contact unwelcome. Where there is a genuine, established relationship, or a clear, appropriate route such as a local event, this can work; a cold request sent widely rarely does.
Relevance matters more than list size
It is tempting to treat reviewer outreach as a numbers game: contact as many people as possible and hope some respond. In practice, a shorter list of reviewers who are a genuine fit for the book’s genre, tone and audience tends to produce a better response rate and more useful, honest reviews than a long list assembled without checking fit first.
Example
Imagine two authors of a quiet literary novel. One sends the same generic email to two hundred bloggers found through a broad search, regardless of what they usually cover. The other identifies twenty bloggers who specifically and recently reviewed comparable literary fiction, and writes each a short, specific note referencing a book they reviewed. The second approach, though smaller, is far more likely to be read, let alone answered.
What not to do
Do
- Read and follow each reviewer’s stated submission guidelines, including closed periods and format preferences.
- Send short, specific, personalised requests that show familiarity with what the reviewer actually covers.
- Keep a simple record of who has been contacted and when, to avoid repeat unsolicited requests.
- Accept a decline, or silence, as a normal outcome rather than following up repeatedly.
Avoid
- Send mass, unsolicited emails to long lists of bloggers or influencers with no check on genre fit.
- Offer payment, gifts or incentives in exchange for a positive review.
- Scrape personal contact details from social media or other sources to build a reviewer database.
- Ask readers, friends or family to review in ways that a platform’s policies prohibit, such as disguising a personal connection.
A simple reviewer research list
A short, well-kept list is more useful here than memory or scattered notes. The worksheet below is for the author’s own planning; it is not a contact database and should not store more personal information than is needed to make a request politely.
Private worksheet
Reviewer outreach research list
Use this privately to research and track reviewer outreach, one row of notes per reviewer or community. Nothing here is scored or sent anywhere.
Your answers stay in this browser tab only. Nothing is scored, sent or saved to an account.
What comes after outreach
Sending a request is the start of the process, not the end of it. Some reviewers will decline, some will not reply, and some will read the book and choose not to review it; none of this reflects badly on the book. It is worth thinking about how review copies are actually provided and tracked, without conditioning the copy on a positive outcome, which our guide on ARC readers after publication covers in more detail.
Common mistakes
- Emailing broadly instead of relevantly. A long list contacted without checking genre fit produces a worse response than a short, well-matched list.
- Ignoring stated submission policies. Contacting a reviewer during a closed period, or in the wrong format, tends to end the request before it is considered.
- Treating a decline as a personal rejection. Reviewers decline for many reasons unrelated to a book’s quality, including backlog, timing and personal taste.
- Building a scraped contact database. Collecting personal details without consent is not an ethical or sustainable outreach method.
- Following up too often. Repeated follow-ups after silence can turn a reasonable request into an unwelcome one.
Frequently asked questions
Is it acceptable to ask readers directly for a review?
Yes, asking readers who have actually read the book for an honest review is a normal and accepted practice. What is not acceptable is asking specifically for positive reviews, offering incentives, or asking people who have not read the book.
How many reviewer requests should I send at once?
There is no fixed number. A smaller number of well-matched, carefully written requests tends to work better than a larger number of generic ones sent at once.
Should I pay a service to find reviewers for me?
Some legitimate services help with editorial or trade reviews; this is different from paying for customer reviews, which most platforms prohibit. Understand exactly what any paid service provides before using one.
What if a blogger never replies?
No reply is a common and normal outcome. It usually reflects volume of requests or lack of fit rather than anything about the book, and does not call for repeated follow-up.
Can I ask librarians to review my book?
Some do, but many librarians do not review on request and have separate acquisition processes. A cautious, low-pressure approach through an appropriate channel is more realistic than a direct ask for a review.