List Of 250+ Book Reviewers And Book Blogs | Free Book Reviews

Finding book reviewers and book blogs can be a wearisome task. With few comprehensive lists and guides, it can be tough to know where to look and who to send your story to. 

Some websites and services exist promoting book review services. But their prices can be staggeringly high and the results not guaranteed. That’s why I put together this list.

Getting reviews is important. Not only do they send a positive message to the world that your book is worth buying, but it gives writers crucial affirmation that they have the ability to do the thing they’ve poured their hearts and soul into.

Most of the lovely people below review all genres from all authors and publishers—traditional to indie and everything in between. And they’re all wonderful people who love the written word.

As well as a list of over 200 book reviewers and book blogs, I’ve provided my insights into how to successfully get reviews, where to look and a bit more about what they are and why they’re important.

Jump To A Section

1. List of Book Reviewers And Book Blogs 
2. What Is A Book Review?
3. Why Are Book Reviews Important?
4. The Vital Role That Book Reviewers Play In The Publishing Industry
5. How To Find Book Reviewers
6. How Do You Pitch Your Book To A Reviewer?
7. How Long Do Book Reviewers Take To Get Back To You?
8. Tips For Working With And Finding Top Book Reviewers
9. What Are Book Tours?
10. The Book Blogs Survey – See The Perspective Of Book Reviewers
11. More Writing Resources

List of Book Reviewers And Book Blogs

• SFF – Sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction as a whole (horror, dystopian etc.)
• Fiction – all types of fiction reviewed
• Defunct – Lots of people use this list of book reviewers and refer back to it regularly. Bloggers can and do disappear quickly. It’s a voluntary pursuit after all and some people get snowed under with book review requests. As a result, they shut down their sites. Rather than remove them from the list, I mark them as “defunct” so that anyone who may have submitted can update their own records. 

Download This List Of Book Reviewers

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What Is A Book Review?

A book review is the honest opinion of a published piece of fiction or non-fiction. This review might be published on online stores like Amazon, websites like Goodreads and Bookbub, and on the likes of book blogs.

Many book reviews are given voluntarily and free of charge. Some writers and publishers may solicit reviews, seeking honest opinions in exchange for free copies. Some platforms charge writers for reviews.

Why Are Book Reviews Important?

A book review is a great way for a writer to help spread the word about their book. Honest opinions of dedicated readers, especially ones with followings, can help a writer reach new audiences.

And when it comes to convincing people to take a chance on your story, if you have a bunch of flowing book reviews, it’s going to help defeat the cynicism in their minds and encourage them to take a chance.

I’ve experienced the benefit of this first hand. When Pariah’s Lament came out, more people bought copies off the back of the early reviews. People would say to me “the reviews were brilliant; I’ve got my copy.”

Reviews tell people what the book is about. While we writers are supposed to contribute to that end, it can be difficult to remove yourself from the story and present it as a reader. In fact, writing a blurb and synopsis can be more difficult than writing a book!

The Vital Role That Book Reviewers Play In The Publishing Industry

The role that book blogs and reviewers play in the world of publishing cannot be understated.

They’re relied upon by everyone in the industry from major publishing houses to self-published authors to help spread the word and drum up interest and excitement for new releases.

What makes it all the more admirable is that many book reviewers do it for free.

Do Book Reviewers Get Paid?

Not all book reviewers get paid for the work that they do. Many of them do it purely for the love of reading. To help upcoming authors—and even the more established ones—promote their work.

They share their thoughts to hopefully inspire and encourage others to pick up books, and for that, we must always salute those unfaltering book reviewers.

The Most Famous Book Reviewers

As we’ve seen, book reviews are an important part of the publishing industry. They provide readers with a sneak peek of the book, and help them to decide whether or not they want to buy it.

Nowadays, some of the most famous book reviewers have a huge following on social media, which is why they can influence the buying decisions of millions of people.

Some well-known book reviewers, organisations and media platforms include:

• Oprah Winfrey
• Kirkus Reviews
• The New York Times Reviewers
• The Guardian Reviewers
• Sky Arts Book Club Live
• Richard And Judy
• Publishers Weekly

Do Book Reviewers Read The Whole Book?

If you asked this question to a professional book reviewer they may well take offence. Book reviewers are passionate readers. They love the written word and love to escape and explore new worlds and stories. 

The vast majority of bloggers will read the full book before leaving a review. Otherwise, their opinions would be disingenuous and inaccurate. They may, for example, miss out on a huge moment that resolves many of the issues they have with the story or characters. 

If a book reviewer doesn’t read the whole book, they will usually say something along the lines of “did not finish (DNF)”. 

As a writer, it can be useful to learn the reasons behind their failure to get through the book. A scene or character may have turned them off. You can learn a lot from feedback like this, but at the same time, don’t take it to heart. And remember, you can’t please everyone. 

How To Find Book Reviewers

Knowing how to find book reviewers isn’t always clear. And unfortunately, the process of looking is quite a tedious task.  There are some paid services like NetGalley but the prices are eye-watering.

It’s because of this I put together this growing list of book reviewers. For me, it always serves as a starting point.

Book Review Sites

But there are other platforms you can use to solicit reviews for your books, some of them free, some of them paid.

• Story Origin – $10 a month with a free option.
• BookSirens – a small fee to register a book and $2 per accepted review
• BookSprout – free with paid upgrades

And then you have social media. Twitter is always a good place to find reviewers, but overtaking it now is Instagram.

The thriving #bookstagram community specialise in presenting your book in aesthetically beautiful ways. I reached lots of new people via Instagram reviews and now it’s becoming more of a focus when soliciting book reviews.

Other hashtags that you can search for include:

• #bookreview
• #fantasybookreview
• #bookblogger
• #bookbloggers
• #writingcommunity
• #amreading
• #readersofig
• #readersofinstagram

Further Reading – 5 Reasons Why All Writers Should Use StoryOrigin

How To Find Book Reviewers On Amazon

Amazon is one of the biggest marketplaces in the bookselling world, if not the largest. Many authors place great weight on the number of reviews their books receive on the platform. It’s only natural, therefore, for writers to want to know how to find book reviewers on Amazon. 

There’s a system known as Amazon Vine which is reserved for the platform’s top reviewers. It’s possible to search Amazon’s list of top book reviewers too. From there you can:

• Research their profiles to see if they’ve reviewed any books like yours.
• Look for any contact information, such as websites, email addresses or social media profiles.
• Pitch your book to them using the tips we’ll cover below.
• Be patient and hope for a reply. You can send a follow-up email after a couple of weeks but bear in mind most book reviewers won’t respond if they’re not interested. 

It’s important to bear in mind that you can’t post reviews for books that are listed for pre-order. Only when the book has been published can people post reviews. 

Paid Reviews v Free Reviews

A lot of people ask whether they should pay for their book reviews or should only ever offer up a free copy of their book in exchange. That in itself is a form of payment.

But there are book review sites that allow you to advertise your book to potentially interested reviewers. Some sites even pair you up with a book marketer. However, the costs of some of these can be significant. Net Galley for instance charges hundreds of dollars.

The upshot of using a paid service like this is you tend to get more results and more quickly too. It also helps you access the likes of reviewers on Amazon, which can be important when it comes to selling books.

So if you have resources to burn and want results faster, you can access good reviews for a fee. Plus, these are services that even a traditional publisher would utilise.

Finding The Best Book Reviewer And Book Blogs For Your Story

As you’ve seen so far, there are many different ways to find book reviewers and book blogs. You can scour the Amazon reviewer lists, search through databases like the one on this page, or pitch to people on social media. 

However, it’s important to ensure that you target the right people—those who will appreciate your story. 

Finding the best book reviewer for your novel, however, can be headache-inducing. You may find an ideal candidate only to see that they’re closed to submissions or that they’ve been inactive for a while. 

There’s a way to find ideal book blogs, though. And that is to use social media. 

First up, it’s good to make a list of comparative titles to your own. If it’s an epic fantasy involving dragons, you may wish to liken it to Game of Thrones. Or if you have elves and trees that walk and talk, you may liken it to Lord of the Rings. 

The next step is to search on social media for book reviews relating to these titles. Be sure to sort by recent posts so you’re getting the feed of the most up-to-date book blogs. 

From there, simply pitch your story to the book reviewer and hope that they like it. 

How Do You Pitch Your Book To A Reviewer?

Book bloggers get bombarded with review requests every week. The more popular the blog, the more requests they’re likely to get.

This can make it tricky for a writer to stand out from the crowd. But there are a few things you can do:

• Always be polite and courteous. Appreciate the position the book reviewer may be in—swamped with requests, pushed for time maybe, with this being their hobby, after all.
• Provoke curiosity. This is a pitch. We need to sell the story to the reviewer. Lure them in with intriguing detail. Give them a means to learn more if they want to (a link to your Goodreads page perhaps). But be sure to give them all the key details – book title, word count, genre.
• Read their guidelines and adhere to them.
• Offer to support the book blog in some way. Can you write a guest post or take part in an interview?

It’s important to be patient too. Following up a couple of weeks after not hearing anything is worthwhile, but beyond that, it’s a waste of time.

Most book reviewers simply lack the capacity to reply to every email. They pick what they like. It’s a waste of time to bombard them with follow-up emails as a result.

Before we get into the meat of the topic, here are a few quick tips on seeking reviews from book blogs:

• Don’t send your book to a reviewer straight off the bat. You have to pitch it to them first, pique their interest and hope they request a copy for review.
• Give a brief description of your book and state why you think it would be of interest to them and their followers, and wrap it up by offering to send them a copy in the format of their choosing. If you also mention that you have no time frame for the review in mind, reviewers tend to appreciate that. 
• Be prepared to send a copy of your book in the format of their choosing. More often than not it’ll be MOBI (Kindle), EPUB, PDF, or on the odd occasion, paperback. If you just have a Word Doc and need to convert it to other formats, try using Calibre eBook Management. Totally free and converts your docs to a high standard.
• Have your blurb, book links and cover image ready to send along with your book. All of them may well be requested.
• Read the guidelines. Each reviewer has their own preference regarding what to include. Some like the blurbs, while others prefer links to the likes of Goodreads. So be sure you have your Goodreads page ready to rock too.

How Long Do Book Reviewers Take To Get Back To You?

This purely depends on the reviewer, how busy they are and how quickly they read. When you first send your request you may be met with silence. That could go on for weeks or maybe months. Then out the blue you may hear back. However, most reviewers, if they’re interested, will respond to you within a few days asking for more information. 

When a book blogger accepts your story, they will ask when you’d ideally like the review by (often relating to the release date of the book).

Most book reviewers will aim to hit that date. And if they can’t many of them are honest and open so will tell you straight. Generally, the timeframe will be agreed upon at the outset. But remember that everyone is human and a multitude of factors can impact deadlines, so be patient and understanding.

Tips For Working With And Finding Book Reviewers

We’ve covered a lot of ground so far in this guide. Along the way, we’ve also touched upon finding book reviewers. In this section, I just wanted to add in a few more tips that have slipped through the net:

• Remember to be human. Some of the best book reviewers get snowed under with requests and submissions. They may not have the time or capacity to reply to you. Don’t take it personally. Appreciate their position and move on to the next.
• It’s a numbers game. If you’re lucky, you may get a rate of responses to your queries and pitches of about 40-50%. The reality is more likely around the 20-30% mark. Of those who agree to review your book, about half of those will leave a review. This could be because they didn’t like it, or maybe they just never got around to reading it.
• Your fellow writers can also be book reviewers. Yes, we all would love to get a review from a popular magazine or website. But the key is getting the book before someone keen enough to write an honest review. Your fellow writers, some of who may have helped you finish the book, are ideal candidates to ask for reviews.
• Sign up for BookBub – this website is one of the biggest marketing platforms for books in the world. It holds the key to a mailing list mustering millions. To feature on that list, writers have to create a profile for themselves and their book on the BookBub website. Then they must apply to feature and stump up the hefty fee. If you have money to burn, this would be a good option.
• Persevere. There will be many times when all you hear is cold hard silence. But every once in a while, a reviewer will respond excitedly. Chase those little successes!

What Are Book Tours?

Book tours are a great way of gaining exposure for your book. It simply means that your book will undergo a tour of numerous blogs and websites (around 8-12).

On this tour, there is often a mix of book reviews, author interviews, giveaways and guest content from yourself.

It’s essentially a marketing blitz over a 7-10 day period. And they can be mightily effective at gaining exposure for your book, especially in the run-up to release day.

The Book Blogs Survey – See The Perspective Of Book Reviewers

Last month I conducted some primary research. I asked a number of book reviewers about their perspectives and the advice they’d give to writers looking to pitch their work to them.

The results of my Book Blogs Survey are some of the most fascinating and useful I’ve ever compiled for this website. Below, you can find a breakdown of just some of the findings, with a full downloadable report to follow in the near future. 

What advice would you give to authors querying book reviewers?

Always read blogger’s review policies. Are they open for requests? Is your genre one of their accepted genres? Many of us don’t have time to write back to everyone, so if an author’s query doesn’t respect my guidelines, I generally will delete the email without reply.

The reviewer gives instructions on how to request or query a review follow the instructions completely. Not doing so is the quickest way to get tossed in the discard pile.

Please include a synopsis that is compelling and concise. If a blogger says they don’t read a genre your book falls into, please don’t send a request and waste both parties’ time.

Keep your pitches short. Say “here’s my book if you fancy reviewing it” rather than “would you like a copy of this to review”. Include a link to book file so we don’t have to specifically request. Basically, don’t try to put the reviewer under any obligation. Leave the book on my desk and walk away.

Read their review policy and don’t send a query if they are closed to reviews or don’t read your genre.
They shoud do research on the Blog or whichever mean the reviewer uses before submitting a query

What attracts you most to a book when reading a query?

• 81% of responders said the description of the book
• 5% said the book cover
• 5% said other reviews
• 5% said the genre of the book

What turns you off a book most of all when reading a query?

• 29% of responders said authors who failed to research their blog
• 24% said receiving a generic query
• 10% said a weak pitch
• 5% said not following submission instructions
• 5% said a new author comparing their book to a legend
• 5% said very lengthy descriptions. 

More Writing Resources

If you happen to be looking for publishers for your work, I also have the following lists too, as well as other writing tools and guides:

• List of fantasy publishers
• List of fantasy magazines and journals
• List of writing groups
• Check out my free book description generator here

If you need any help navigating this list of book reviewers, please get in touch. 

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richiebilling

Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft.

Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

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