Reviews are earned or they are a liability.
A book with no reviews is hard to sell. A book with bought reviews is a book that can be delisted. There is a legitimate way to do this, and it is worth understanding before anybody sells you the other one.
Four rules
we do not bend.
An advance reader copy is a finished book sent out before publication to people who might write about it. Everything that makes it legitimate is in the detail.
- 01
Nobody is paid for a review
Not in money, not in vouchers, not in a free book conditional on writing one. The copy is given whether or not they review it, and that is the line.
- 02
Readers are matched to the book
People who read your genre by choice. Sending a literary memoir to a thriller list produces two-star reviews from readers who were never going to like it, which is worse than silence.
- 03
The disclosure is made
Reviewers are asked to say they received an advance copy. It is required in most places, it costs nothing, and readers trust a disclosed review more than an anonymous one.
- 04
Nothing is guaranteed
Not the number of reviews, not the ratings, not the timing. Anybody quoting you a number of reviews is describing something no honest programme can deliver.
Why the shortcut
is the expensive one.
Paid reviews are sold openly, they are cheap, and they work until they do not. Retailers detect them by pattern rather than by content — clusters arriving together, accounts that review nothing else, phrasing that repeats — and the consequences fall on the book, not on the seller who supplied them.
The outcomes run from reviews being silently removed to a title being pulled from sale and an account closed. There is no appeal worth the name. An author who has paid for a book to be made and then loses the listing has lost the whole thing to save a few weeks.
What that means for you as a buyer
If a marketing package quotes a number of reviews, ask exactly how they will be obtained. There is no honest answer to that question that produces a number in advance. That single question separates the services worth buying from the ones that put your book at risk.
Where reviews actually come from
Readers who finished the book. Everything on this page is about increasing how many of those there are and how easy it is for them to say so: a copy in the right hands, a reminder at the right moment, and a book worth writing about.
Before
publication day.
- 01
The copy is prepared
A clean advance edition, clearly marked as one, in the format readers actually want to read it in.
- 02
Readers are found and matched
By genre and by reading history, through reviewer communities and through your own audience — which is very often the better half of the list.
- 03
It goes out early enough to matter
Weeks before publication, not days. A review that lands on launch day is worth several that arrive a month later.
- 04
You are told what happened
How many went out, how many wrote something, and where. Reported afterwards, never promised in advance.
What our authors say
Ours, on platforms we do not own. Which is the same standard we hold your book's reviews to.
- Grand Publishers especially David Alonsa were brilliant
Grand Publishers especially David Alonsa extremely helpful and talked me through everything. He was also very patient with me.l would certainly recommend you all and have already done so
Gail Simmons - Book publishing and promotion
Jason and David and the team have worked hard to get my second book into the public eye, and have made some really good social media pictures and promotions. "The CPO & The Wren" is now selling on both sides of the Atlantic. Geoffrey Spinks
Mr Geoff Spinks - I can't tell you how amazing it has…
I can't tell you how amazing it has been working with Grand Publishing. From the very beginning, the experience has been outstanding. When I first reached out, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to publish a project I had been working on for quite some time. Jerry gave me a call and patiently walked me through the entire process. He answered all of my questions and genuinely motivated me to move forward with publishing my book. I was then introduced to David Alonso, who became my project manager. He has been fantastic throughout the journey, keeping me updated every step of the way, answering any questions I had, and making the whole process smooth and stress-free. As a first-time author, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. If you're hesitant about publishing, I'd encourage you to speak with the team. If you don't come away from that conversation feeling confident, then I'll have to call myself a liar! Thank you, Grand Publishing, and especially Jerry and David, for making this such a positive and memorable experience.
Booker Odena - Outstanding Service from Grand Publishers
I had a very positive experience working with Grand Publishers. As a new author, I really needed guidance throughout the process, from editing to preparation for publication. David and Jerry, who were incredibly helpful, professional, and supportive, made a significant difference. They took the time to explain each stage clearly and did an amazing job with the marketing, illustrations, and overall development of my book. Their dedication to making the final result as strong as possible was exceptional. I would highly recommend Grand Publishers, especially David and Jerry, who were fantastic to work with.
Juliet - My book, In my happy place.
Some while ago I submitted a raw manuscript to Grand Publishers. Honestly, at first I was cautious about their enthusiasm, in fact I thought it a sales ploy. How wrong I was! The project has been managed by David Alanza, with input from Arthur J Wayne the marketing director. At every stage I have been afforded full control of the artistic direction and have now got a highly polished book that I could never have produced. I'm now in the launch phase and the marketing so far is beyond my wildest dreams. I know that there's much more to come, but wanted to highly recommend anyone with a book that they believe in to listen to and trust Grand. To verify everything I've said, please search Vernon Smith I my happy place and see for yourself.
Vernon Smith - Helpful and professional
Helpful and professional
Elikem Debrah
Our authors are seen on
Review
questions.
We will not give you a number, because nobody can. What we will tell you is how many copies go out and to whom, and then what actually happened.
They can review it if they genuinely read it, though retailers sometimes filter reviews from connected accounts. It is not the risk that paid reviews are, but it is not a strategy either.
Some will be. A book with only five-star reviews reads as suspicious to experienced readers, and a mix is more persuasive than a wall of praise. If early readers all stumble in the same place, that is far better known before the general release than after.
Related, and different. A tour is scheduled coverage on blogs; an ARC round is copies to individual readers. They work well together and we will tell you which is worth it for your genre.
No. Not as an upsell, not discreetly, not through a third party. It is the fastest way to lose a listing and we will not put a book we made at that risk.
When is publication day?
If it is more than a month away there is time to do this properly. If it has passed, there are still things worth doing.