Book review bloggers and bookstagrammers are an ever-growing army of book lovers who help authors promote their books for free, purely for the love of books and reading.
If you are an author and would like to know how to find book bloggers to review and promote your books, or are a book lover and would like to start reviewing books for free, then do have a read of the post below.
How Can Book Bloggers Help Authors?
Book review bloggers can read and review books, promote cover reveals, share book excerpts, conduct interviews with authors about their new release or writing in general, and give authors a platform to write a guest post of their own.
As well as posting on their book review blogs, book bloggers usually share their reviews on social media and all book review platforms such as Goodreads, Amazon, Waterstones, etc.
Book bloggers also take part in blog tours which can give a large visual promotion of a book in a short timeframe (more below).
Where Can Authors Find Book Bloggers?
Firstly, authors will need to do a bit of research and find book review bloggers that will be a good fit for their book. There are a whole host of places that book bloggers hang out.
WordPress.com
Sign up for a free WordPress.com account, access the WordPress reader, and start searching book bloggers, book reviewers, book review blogs, etc. Unlike other bloggers, many book bloggers have a WordPress.com account. It’s a great place to follow and interact with book bloggers. Of course, there are lots of bloggers on Blogspot and self-hosted websites too but as book bloggers offer a service for free, a free WordPress account is a popular choice.
Bookstagram/Instagram
There is a massive ever-growing bookstagram community of readers who have set up an Instagram account purely to share reviews of the books that they have read. Use hashtags to find them:
#bookstagram, #bookblogger, #bookreviewer, #bookworm, #bookaddict, booklover, etc., along with the genre of your choice.
Once you start following these accounts, you will get plenty more recommendations.
Just like bookstagram, there is a book-loving community on Twitter. Use the hashtags:
#writingcommunity #readingcommunity #bookbloggers #bookreviews #bloggerswanted #bloggersrequired.
Facebook is useful for the book blogging groups as well as bloggers’ pages. Search book review blogger for blog pages, although this might not provide so many responses as they will be listed as their blog names. However, there are a couple of good book blogging and author groups.
For authors looking for book bloggers, I would suggest Book Connectors as a great starting point. This group has a huge list of book bloggers for you to view, as well as allowing you to post a request for book bloggers to review your book.
Facebook Blogging Groups
There are numerous blogging groups that you can request reviews in. You may not find much of an uptake as many bloggers and influencers blog as a job, and book blogging is generally free in the UK. However, set up a Google form clearly stating that it is not a paid opportunity and you may get a response. To find these groups search UK Bloggers, Blogger Opportunities, Influencer Opportunities, etc.
NetGalley
NetGalley is a platform where authors and publishers can offer a free advance e-book/arc in exchange for a review. Books are then authorised according to the reviewers’ performance scores. The reviewers usually share to Goodreads, Amazon, etc. too.
Goodreads
Goodreads is a book review platform. If you search out similar books to your own genre, you should find some book review bloggers.
Book Blog Tours via a Blog Tour Organiser
A blog tour is usually organised by a host or tour organiser who does this for a living/sideline. This is a chargeable service and will cost depending on requirements. The blog tour organiser will arrange for a selection of book bloggers to promote a book within a time period, usually to coincide with a book release.
Although this service costs, it has the benefit that the organiser will make all the connections, arrangements, and often artwork such as a blog tour poster and relevant social media images.
I’m sure there are many blog tour hosts out there but I have worked with and can recommend:
Anne Cater – Random Things Tours/Random Things Through My Letterbox
Rachel Gilbey – Rachel’s Random Resources
Of course, authors can promote their own blog tours if they are prepared to make all the connections themselves. The benefit of a blog tour is that your book will get lots of internet coverage during a week/fortnight meaning that readers are more likely to click and explore further if they see something a lot.
How Should Authors Request a Review from a Book Blogger?
Once you have found some book reviewers or bloggers that you think you’d be able to work well with, read their Review Policy, Work With Me, or About Me pages. Ascertain that they are currently accepting review requests and have an interest in your genre, and send them a message to see if they would be interested in reviewing your book.
Address the blogger by name, even if you then copy and paste the message to several other bloggers.
Be sure to cover the following:
* Book title and author name.
* Genre.
* Release date.
* Book blurb or synopsis.
* Type of book, i.e. paperback, hardback, e-book, uncorrected proof.
* Timescale.
* Type of post, i.e. blog post, social media post, review, interview, excerpt, guest post, etc..
* Whether you require reviews posting elsewhere also.
If you don’t hear back, it is acceptable to chase up after two weeks, but if you don’t hear again then you can presume they cannot help you. Most book bloggers will respond either way, but authors should bear in mind that popular bloggers can be inundated with requests daily.
Please note that I am not accepting book review requests for the foreseeable future, as I have so many books to read that I have bought already.
How to Become a Book Review Blogger
If you are an avid reader and like the idea of becoming a book blogger, then delve right in. I do have other posts about blogging, but this post should give you plenty of ideas of where to find other book bloggers and see what they all do. There is also a lovely Facebook group called A Bunch of Book Bloggers that you might like to join.
There are no real rules to book blogging, but I would suggest start off writing reviews on the books you have already bought and enjoyed. Authors will not approach you until you are an experienced and established reviewer.
In your reviews, try to include:
* A brief synopsis either in your own words or copied from the book blurb.
* Why you liked the story, characters, style of writing, etc.
* It is standard practice not to give spoilers about what happens in the story, but if you feel that you want to, then mark your post clearly at the top with “spoiler alert” or similiar.
* You can give a star rating out of 5 if you wish as this is how the review sites score books.
* Include your own photo of the cover, or the stock cover photo.
This is your space of the internet so you don’t have to blog or review in the same style as anyone else. I personally do not give negative reviews as I feel everything is a matter of personal taste, and I would never criticise someone else’s hard work. I prefer to share recommendations.
Book blogging is time consuming and should not be seen as an easy way just to get free books. it is A labour of love, an act of kindness. If you would like to find out where to find free or cheap books to read or review, then you might like my post:
* How to get free and cheap books legally
I hope that this post has been informative to authors on how to find book bloggers to help promote their books. As you can see there are plenty of places to find book bloggers and book reviewers who all like to pitch in to support authors and share the love of reading and books.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Tea & Cake For The Soul 
Hi there! I hope you’re doing well! This is really useful since I am doing a second edit on my first novel! Thanks for the tips!
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Great news, congratulations. I look forward to hearing more about it.
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I love reviewing books and have done for a long time. I think it’s important for authors to have feedback and for other’s to see your opinions. Of course I have to resist totally taking the books apart bit by bit and analysing them like I did while at uni. But I do love to read and share, I just wish I could do it more often.
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Blogs & social media are brilliant platforms for book lovers, readers, reviewers & authors. You’ve made some great points here, Jo, and some good suggestions for those wanting to get into the ‘business’ of book reviewing. xx
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This is a great and informative post! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you.
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Brilliant post.
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Thank you.
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What a great and informative post. Might be useful one day!!
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I do hope you fulfill your dream to become an author one day soon, and that this points you in the right direction for book review bloggers.
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It’s certainly food for thought! Once the house move is out the way….
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