Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 2 - The High Cost of Book Reviews
I’ve been in the business of writing and illustrating books now for a few years and one of the areas which I find most frustrating is that of the editorial review. You would think that a good book just naturally gets good reviews, but that is not how the industry works. Traditional publishers send off their books to review boards months before they are ever published and usually pay nothing to have them reviewed. Self-publishers don’t have this possibility. They have to pay to have their books reviewed and this is not cheap.
Book Reviews are on average $399
Kirkus Reviews leads the list of editorial reviews worth wanting, but at $399 for children’s book publishers it warrants the question of whether or not it is worth the investment. Booklist belongs to the American Library Association which sounds like a great alternative, however, there is a catch. They receive so many submissions per year that your chances as a self-publisher are pretty slim. This is why they offer Blue Ink Review as an alternative. At $445 it is even more expensive than Kirkus Reviews. Publisher’s Weekly does not review self published books, but instead offers their services through Book Life. Once again, an editorial review here will set you back $399. The list continues.
It doesn’t stop there…
You would think that once you actually pay $400 to get your book reviewed by one of these services that that would be the end of things, but this is not the case. All of these companies have realized that they can make a ton of money off of self-publishers. This week, I received an email from Kirkus letting me know that my book had been chosen to be in the Indie’s Worth Discovering Magazine. Sounds great, right? Except that to even have my book listed, I would need to pay $999. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of money sitting around. Let’s say I wanted to set up a profile page so that people could learn more about my book. That costs $2500! And it doesn’t stop there. Kirkus is not the only review board that offers such services. It is a trend that is being followed by many.
Advertisement offer from Kirkus Reviews sent to Kelley Donner in January 2024.
Do you know that when you open up your email and see a list of books with some catch title like “critics choice” or “hottest new releases” that many of these are paid advertising? It is clear that those with money rule the playing field and that it is possible to pay your way to get your book where you want it.
Advertisement offer from Kirkus Reviews sent to Kelley Donner in January 2024.
Are book reviews even worth it?
After reading all of this you may wonder whether or not it pays to get an editorial review at all. Unfortunately, the answer is still yes. Why? Because in many libraries around the US, books are only allowed on the shelves if they have at least 2-3 editorial reviews. At an average of $399 per review, that is $1200 just to make sure that your book is even allowed on a shelf. The world of publishing is not a fair one. When it comes to getting your book reviewed, it’s like joining the circus. You have to learn how to balance the options and know when to jump.
How can we bring about change?
What can you do to help change this system? Support your favorite self-published authors and review their books on Amazon and Goodreads. If you are a librarian, get your favorite author’s books added to your library system and fight for their titles to be included in your collection. If you love a book, post about it on social media. Every little bit of support counts.
The end.
If you would like to learn more about my books, go to KelleyDonner.com or check out my new website StorybookWalk.com and learn how to get kids moving and reading.
