Book bloggers might be considered the poor author's alternative to a traditional public relations campaign to promote your book but there is nothing poor about them. The right blogs at the right time with thoughtful reviews can really juice a book launch, or re-invigorate a campaign that's leveled out. It's a potentially huge opportunity precisely because you can bypass traditional media gatekeepers.
I think one reason they don't get as much attention from small presses is that they can be labor intensive—but what part of self-publishing isn’t? Like any direct marketing effort your success depends on finding a solid list of possible blogs and then carefully crafting a pitch to only those that are a fit. Next week I'll talk about this latter point but this week I want to share several resources.
Get ready to surf
Just like you might skim an instruction manual, cookbook or travel guide to become familiar with the contents, my recommendation is to click one of these links and explore it for as long as it holds your interest. Only then should move to the next link.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the number of listings in each genre can vary. Where one may have 0 listings for Religion-Fiction, it could have more than a 100 for Paranormal Romance. That's why it's important to get a feel for the depth of each resource relative to your title.
Then return next week for a few pointers about how to select and pitch the right blogs.
The list
In addition to offering review copies of your book, a la classified style, you can find many other resources for writers.
Search by genre and then link to the review site.
This is a more formal directory with additional classifications for formats accepted, review policy and where they cross-promote their reviews. Many include comments and coaching from the reviewer.
Search by genre and then link to the review site.
The Indie Book Reviewer Yellow Pages, by Christine Pinheiro
Available originally in print and eBook formats, this has to be one of the best resources around. Unfortunately it is out of print and a note on Amazon says a new edition will be published in April. Nevertheless keep an eye out for it and consider buying a used or new print edition.
Have you used any of these resources? Are there others that should be listed?
