When Should Authors Pay For Reviews?

 

There are multiple ways authors can get book reviews. One of them is to pay for ink. Let’s explore if this is a good option.

First, let’s be aware of the various types of book reviews that are out there for the taking:

* Free customer reviews from book purchasers on websites like Amazon or BN.com
* Free Newspaper/Magazine/Online Media reviews
* Author-paid professional media outlet reviews
* Public review sites like GoodReads
* Blogger book reviews
* Paid-for amazon customer reviews

Many book reviews come from manipulation, conflicts of interest, payment, or fabrication. I think book reviews cannot be fully trusted any more than one would a former convict’s job resume.

Book review space, even online, is at a premium. The established news media lack funds to endlessly review books. Over the past 10-15 years, the paid professional book space has grown wildly. With it comes questions of conflicts of interest — can such reviews be trusted by those who read them?

People are already fooled by these bought-and -paid for product plugs:

* Product placements on a TV show
* Celebrity endorsements
* Infomercials
* Advertorials
* Paid influencer social media posts

Every book review should be tainted by suspicion. I often question the value of what I am consuming and can’t but wonder if something is fake, compromised, or distorted.

When I see a book that was reviewed in an industry trade publication, like Publishers Weekly, and it was published by a Big 5 publisher who buys up ad space at the publication, I wonder if PW did them a favor.

When I see a gushing review for a mediocre book in a newspaper, I wonder if the reporter is friends with the book’s author and his judgment is clouded.

When I see a lot of five-star Amazon reviews for an unknown, self-published author, I wonder which reviews were from friends, family, and colleagues. Were these purchased?

When I see a bunch of bloggers positively reviewed a small press book, I wonder if the bloggers did it as a favor to a publicist who offered access to bestselling authors in exchange. Were they paid off?

Yes, I know, it could just be that a great book caught fire and earned great reviews — and nothing more. My point is it is hard to tell what is organic and what is colored by money, bias, or favors.  

Never, ever buy Amazon customer reviews from anyone saying they can get you dozens or hundreds of customer reviews for a fee. They likely are compensating people to write presumably favorable reviews. Amazon, if it discovers the practice, will boot your book off of its system and ban you from selling it.  

However, paying for a book review from professional outlets who publicly state their reviews are purchased is legal, ethical, and strategically advantageous to authors. The good ones will not purposely write only positive reviews; what they offer is guaranteed space or access to be reviewed. They have to uphold their reputation or risk becoming worthless. 

So, dear author, be cautious but willing to pay for certain types of book reviews, and as a consumer be wary of the reviews you see for a book. Few came for free, naturally, and from strangers or journalists. 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum