5. Getting Professional Book Reviews: Your Key to Library and Bookstore Sales

When selling your book home, professional reviews are absolutely your golden ticket for reaching librarians and bookstores. Librarians specifically.

While bookstores might glance at these reports, for libraries, they're mandatory documentation.

Think of libraries as those commercial real estate buyers who won't even consider a property without complete inspection paperwork, while bookstores are more like individual homebuyers who might take a chance if they love other aspects of the property.

For libraries specifically, these inspection reports aren't just helpful – they're often required as part of their acquisition process.

In today's climate of increased scrutiny and book banning, librarians frequently need to include 1-2 professional reviews in their purchase orders as documentation to justify their buying decisions.

Without these trusted third-party evaluations, your book simply won't make it through their purchasing system, no matter how perfect it might be for their collection.

Pre-publication reviews are professional evaluations of your book conducted before it's officially released to the public – just like a home inspection that happens for a new home or for before a home is listed on the market. These reviews are written by industry professionals who evaluate your book's quality, merit, and market fit.

Think of these reviewers as certified home inspectors with specialized expertise.

They assess every aspect of your book home – from structure and style to content and market appeal – and provide a detailed report that helps library and bookstores buyers make informed purchasing decisions.

Just as a home buyer might be hesitant to purchase a house without an inspection report, librarians especially are often unwilling to acquire books without these professional evaluations.

Ok, so how do you secure a pre-inspection, or a pre-publication review:

Hire Reputable Inspectors Only – Libraries don't trust amateur evaluations from sites like Amazon. They rely on established review companies like Library Journal, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Foreword Reviews.

Each carries significant weight with acquisition librarians. One positive inspection from any of these trusted firms can open doors to library systems nationwide.

How to Secure Pre-Publication Reviews:

Schedule Your Inspection Early – This is critical! The most common mistake homeowners make is waiting too long. These inspection companies work on specific timelines, typically requiring access to your book home 4-5 months before your official listing date.

This isn't arbitrary—libraries plan their acquisitions around these inspection cycles. Miss this window, and you've likely missed your opportunity for consideration when your book first hits the market.

Follow Pre-Inspection Requirements Exactly – Each inspection company has specific, detailed submission requirements before they'll evaluate your property. Missing even seemingly minor details can disqualify your book from consideration.

Some require digital submissions, others want physical copies. Some have specific formatting requirements for accompanying materials.

Take the time to carefully read and follow each company's pre-inspection requirements to the letter.

We cannot overstate how important these pre-publication inspection reports are for library acquisition. When a librarian sees that starred review from Library Journal or Foreword Reviews, it provides the validation they need to make a purchasing decision.

We should note that these pre-publication reviews are incredibly competitive. Just like applying to an elite university, there's limited space and overwhelming demand..

So what happens if you miss the pre-publication window or your book isn't selected? Fortunately, you still have excellent options like paid professional reviews.

Several reputable review services offer fee-for-service evaluations for books already on the market. While these don't carry quite the same prestige as their pre-publication counterparts, they're still valuable tools for library acquisition.

Think of these as getting a professional home inspection after your property is already listed. It may not be ideal timing, but it's far better than having no inspection report at all.

Libraries that require professional reviews for their acquisitions will still recognize and accept these paid evaluations when making purchasing decisions.

Kirkus Indie, BookLife from Publisher’s Weekly, Foreword Clarion, BlueInk Review, and others provide these professional services specifically designed for indie authors and books already in the marketplace. T

hese reviews still appear in the industry databases that librarians consult, giving your book the professional validation it needs.

The key difference is that these services require payment—typically ranging from $300-$550—but they offer a second chance at professional evaluation if you've missed the pre-publication window or weren't selected from the competitive pool of submissions.

Each positive review builds your book's credibility and gives librarians the documentation they need to confidently add your book to their collections.

Making the Most of Your Professional Reviews

Your Review Game Plan in 3 Simple Steps

1) Start your review planning at least 6 months before publication if possible.

Create a submission calendar and budget that makes sense for your goals.

While most high-impact reviews require an investment, consider it part of your marketing strategy - just like your cover design or editing.

2) When you're ready to submit, make it count.

Include a polished sell sheet (we’ll talk about how to make a profesional book sell sheet in the next lesson) and make the most of your metadata.

Be strategic about where you submit first, targeting the most influential sources for your specific genre and audience.

The good news? Most review sources accept simultaneous submissions, so you can have several reviews in progress at once.

3) Once those reviews start coming in, make them work for you.

Keep copies of everything and create a professional review sheet.

These reviews aren't just for libraries - they're powerful marketing tools. Feature them in your metadata, sell sheet, social media posts, Facebook and BookBub ads, author website, and everywhere else.