Reviews are the proof every browser looks for before buying a book. A page with zero reviews asks a stranger to take your word for it; a page with honest reviews lets other readers vouch for you.
The good news is that knowing how to get book reviews is mostly a matter of process and timing. This guide covers Amazon's rules, building an ARC reader team, the main book review sites, editorial reviews and an outreach email you can copy.
What are Amazon's rules on book reviews?
Start here, because breaking the rules can get reviews removed and put your account at risk. These points come straight from Amazon's community guidelines and KDP's customer reviews help page, checked in October 2026.
What's allowed
- Free advance reader copies. Reviewers may "review free books (advanced reader copies) from authors or publishers," but the author can't require a review in exchange or try to influence the reader's opinion.
- Free or discounted copies of your book. KDP allows these as long as you don't require a review or try to influence it.
- Asking for an honest review. A neutral request for an unbiased review is fine.
What's not allowed
- Paying for reviews or offering anything of value for one. Amazon lists payments, refunds, discounts, products, gift cards and services. KDP adds that offering anything other than a free or discounted copy of the book, including gift cards, will invalidate a review.
- Reviews from people with a personal connection. Customers may not post reviews on products from authors they have a personal connection with. That covers close friends and family.
- Reviewing your own book or a competitor's, or any product you have a financial interest in.
- Review swaps with other authors. A review given in return for another review is still a review in exchange for something, and a fellow author you know may also fall under the personal-connection rule.
- Asking only for positive reviews, or only asking happy readers to post.
There's also an eligibility rule for reviewers. Amazon says customers must have spent at least $50 on Amazon.com with a credit or debit card in the past 12 months to post reviews or star ratings. Some of your ARC readers may not qualify, so don't be surprised if a promised review never appears.
Key takeaway: You can give books away; you can't buy opinions. Send ARCs freely, ask for honesty and accept whatever readers say.
How to get book reviews before launch with ARC readers
ARC readers are people who get an advance copy of your book in return for considering an honest review. They're the backbone of launch-week reviews for most authors.
How do you build an ARC team?
- Decide the format. Most ARCs are ebooks (EPUB or PDF), delivered through a file-delivery service or an ARC platform. Print ARCs cost more but suit influential reviewers.
- Write a short sign-up page explaining the book, who it's for, when copies go out and what you're asking for: an honest review once the book is live.
- Recruit from warm audiences first: your email list, LinkedIn connections, professional communities, past colleagues and clients (not close friends or family).
- Add strangers who match your reader through ARC platforms and relevant online communities.
- Send copies three to four months before launch with a reading schedule and the launch date.
- Follow up twice: a friendly mid-point check-in and a launch-day email with direct links to review pages.
A good ARC team is usually larger than the number of reviews you want, because not everyone will finish the book or post. Plan for drop-off rather than chasing people.
What should you send ARC readers?
- The ARC file and simple reading instructions
- The publication date and where the book will be sold
- A one-line request for an honest review, positive or negative
- A note that reviews can go on Goodreads before launch and on retailer pages once the book is live
- A thank-you, with no strings attached
How do you get reviews on Amazon for a book after launch?
Amazon reviews generally can't be posted until the book is on sale, so most come in during launch week and the months after. To keep them coming:
- Email your ARC team on launch day with the direct link to your book page.
- Put a short, neutral request at the back of the book, such as "If this book helped you, an honest review helps other readers find it."
- Ask your email list once or twice a year, especially after sending something useful.
- Mention reviews in interviews sparingly, with the same neutral wording.
- Reply to reader emails with thanks, and only then mention that an honest review helps.
Don't respond to negative reviews on Amazon. It rarely changes minds and often draws attention to the review. Learn from patterns and move on.
What are the best book review sites and ARC platforms?
Book review sites fall into three groups: ARC platforms that connect you with reviewers, reader communities, and paid editorial review services. Prices change often, so check each site's current pricing before you budget.
ARC platforms
- NetGalley. Long used by publishers to share digital review copies with reviewers, librarians, booksellers and media. Listings are paid; independent authors often join through co-op programs or publisher associations to share the cost.
- BookSirens. Lists ARCs for its community of reviewers. On its pricing page, BookSirens currently offers a pay-as-you-go plan at $10 per accepted book plus $2 per reader download, or a $100-per-year author plan with no per-download fees.
- Your own list. Free, and often your most reliable reviewers, because they already like your work.
Reader communities
- Goodreads. You can't buy reviews here either, but giveaways put your book in front of readers who add it to their shelves. Our Goodreads giveaway guide covers costs and whether it's worth it.
- Niche communities. Professional groups, subreddits and forums where your readers talk, used with care and within each community's rules.
Paid editorial review services
Editorial reviews are written by professional reviewers and publications, not customers. Some services review independently published books for a fee. For example, BookLife Reviews, from Publishers Weekly's indie platform, charges $399 ($499 for books over 100,000 words), and the review stays private until you choose to publish it. Kirkus Reviews runs a similar paid program for indie authors.
A paid editorial review is not a customer review. It doesn't appear among Amazon star ratings, but you can quote it in your book description, on your website and in pitches.
| Option | Cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own ARC team | Low (your time) | Every author | Drop-off; personal connections can't review on Amazon |
| NetGalley | Paid listing; co-ops reduce cost | Reaching trade reviewers, librarians, booksellers | Many requests, fewer reviews; vet requesters |
| BookSirens | Per-download or annual plan | Indie authors wanting reader reviews | Check genre fit for nonfiction |
| Goodreads giveaway | Paid listing plus books/shipping | Shelf adds and visibility | Winners aren't obliged to review |
| Paid editorial review | Hundreds of dollars | Quotable credibility | Not a customer review; no guarantee of praise |
How do editorial reviews and endorsements work?
Editorial reviews include endorsements (blurbs) from experts and authors, and reviews from publications. For nonfiction, an endorsement from a respected name in your field can carry more weight than any number of star ratings.
To get endorsements:
- List 15 to 20 people whose names your reader would recognize: authors, practitioners, academics.
- Ask early, five to six months before launch, with a short note and an offer to send the manuscript.
- Make it easy: a deadline, a length guide (one to three sentences) and permission to edit for length with approval.
- Thank everyone, including those who decline.
You can add editorial reviews and endorsements to your book's Amazon page through Amazon Author Central, under the book's Editorial Reviews section. If your publisher manages your listing, check with them first so edits don't conflict.
What should a review request email say?
Keep it short, specific and neutral. Here's an outreach email you can adapt for ARC readers and reviewers.
Subject: Advance copy of [Book Title] for you?
Hi [Name],
I noticed you [reviewed / wrote about / work in] [specific topic],
so I thought you might like an early look at my new book,
[Book Title], out [publication date].
It's for [specific reader] who want to [specific outcome]. One idea
you might find interesting: [one-sentence insight from the book].
If you'd like a free advance copy (ebook or print), just reply and
I'll send it over. There's no obligation. If you read it and want to
share an honest review, positive or negative, on Goodreads or a
retailer site after [launch date], I'd be grateful.
Thanks for considering it,
[Your name]
[Website] | [One-line credential]
Notice what it doesn't say: no request for five stars, no "in exchange for," no incentive. That keeps you within Amazon's rules and makes the email more pleasant to receive.
Tip: Personalize the first line every time. One sentence showing you know their work does more than any subject line trick.
What mistakes should you avoid when getting book reviews?
- Buying reviews from services, freelancers or "review exchanges."
- Asking family and close friends to review on Amazon.
- Offering gift cards, entries or bonuses in exchange for a review.
- Sending ARCs too late for readers to finish before launch.
- Chasing readers repeatedly. Two follow-ups is enough.
- Arguing with reviewers. It never helps.
How do reviews fit into the rest of your book marketing?
Reviews make every other part of your book marketing work harder. Ads convert better, deal newsletters are more likely to accept your book and podcast listeners who check your page find proof waiting.
Schedule review work at least three months before launch in your book marketing plan, alongside interviews and email. Podcast interviews are also a natural source of reviews later on, because listeners who connect with you are more likely to write one. If you want help reaching new audiences around launch, a book publicist can handle media and podcast outreach while you focus on readers.
