How to Become a Book Reviewer for Publishing Companies

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I wrote my first book review (as a blogger) in 2012. I had recently arrived in England and I was working on creating content for my blog (which was terrible, I might add 🤣) and I decided to write a book review of Dune by Frank Herbet. I didn’t actually love the book, but I wrote the review anyway and that was really the start of how I become a book reviewer for publishing companies.

After I realised I could write book reviews on my blog, I wrote a review for every single book that I read. And I read a lot. In England, I was getting books out from the library every week, I bought my first Kindle with my first UK paycheck and filled that up with books, I found books in opshops and thrift stores and I left England several years later back to New Zealand with over 100 books.

It wasn’t until I was back in New Zealand, beginning to connect with other New Zealand bloggers and book lovers, that I connected with someone who told me about a publishing company that sent out review copies of books.

And that was that. I got in touch, I got accepted, I started reviewing books for publishing companies.

If you’re a booklover and you love the idea of reviewing books for publishing companies, then good news – it’s absolutely doable. Whether you’re a book blogger or you have an Instagram account or TikTok account as a platform in which to talk all things books, being a review for publishing companies is a great way to not only get great titles but also connect with those companies.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to become a book reviewer for publishing companies, from setting up your reviewing presence to pitching publishers and getting those Advanced Reader Copies! Let’s dive in!

Some basics on reviewing books before you get started

Before you start requesting books from publishing companies, it’s a good idea to recognise what they might be looking for. Which is not always people who will say, “Wow, this book was amazing, 5 stars!” (though positive reviews are always nice, right?). They want thoughtful, well-written reviews that explain why a book worked (or didn’t) and who might enjoy it.

ARCs vs. Final Books

As a book reviewer, chances are you’ll mostly be reviewing ARCs (Advance Reader Copies), which are basically early release versions of the book, some of which may not even be the final print yet. They’re usually sent out months before the actual release date of the book, and might still have spelling or grammar issues, or might have some things missing still.

Once I got an ARC of The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, which was very exciting, but there was a page that was blank at the beginning because they hadn’t put a map in yet. That kind of thing.

The final books, of course, are the ones that are going onto the shelves in bookstores and libraries for people to get their hands on.

Where to post your book reviews

When you request to be a book reviewer for publishing companies, they’re probably going to ask you where online you’re going to talk about their books. Here are a few places you might post your reviews and talk more about the books:

• Your blog: This is a given! If you have a book blog (or a blog that talks about books), then this is definitely where you should post your reviews.
• Goodreads: So many people in the world use Goodreads, so it’s a good spot to leave your star rating and some thoughts
• Storygraph: Storygraph is another great book platform for you to share reviews!
• Amazon: Love them or hate them, Amazon sells a lot of books, and you may be asked to post reviews on there
• Instagram or TikTok: Whether it be a carousel, single post, or a video, bookstagram and booktok are HUGE.
• YouTube: If you’re a YouTuber, then you can absolutely share your review and your thoughts of the book on YT.
• Bonus thought: Your library app/wesbite: I don’t know about your library, but you can leave reviews on the Auckland Libraries website.

Building your bookish presence online

Before you head for the publishers’ website or get in touch with them, it’s a good idea to establish a bit of an online presence in books so that they can check out your accounts or your blog.

You don’t need a huge following or anything, not usually, but you do need a bit of a reviewing presence. If you’re just starting out, think about some of the books that you could create content around right now. Maybe start with 10 – 15 book reviews on your chosen platform/s and post them. I’m pulling this number out of thin air by the way, but it’s a good number to aim for to give them a sense of what you would write for them about their books.

See if you can write reviews for some books that you loved and some that you didn’t like that much. Balance!

Pubslihers need to see that you’re: 

• Actually review books. If you’ve only posted one or two reviews, it’s time to start reviewing consistently.
• Have a platform that you share on. Whether it’s Goodreads, a blog, Instagram, or TikTok, you need a space where you share reviews regularly.
• Engage with the bookish community. Chat with other reviewers, comment on posts, and share bookish content beyond just review

If you’re using social media, make sure your bio clearly states that you review books! Something like: “Book reviewer | ARCs welcome | DM for collabs” can signal to publishers that you’re open to reviewing, too.

💡 Check out this post on how to write engaging book reviews.

Where to find books to review

So now you’ve got some book reviews up there, ready for the publishing companies or ARC providers to check out. Now to actually approach them to see if they’ve up for sending you books.

There are a few ways you can approach publishing companies to enquire about their ARC policies and become a book reviewer for them.

Check out publishers’ websites

Most big publishers (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, etc.) have reviewer request forms on their websites. Look up “[Publisher Name] ARC request” or check their social media bios for links. You can also head straight to their websites and have a book. Sometimes they’ll have new book catalogues or PDFs you can download and check out.

Make accounts on eARC websites

There are few places online where you can sign up to become an ARC reader, and honestly, it’s really easy to do. You might need to build up your presence on those sites with your reviews and feedback ratio, but after you get your first few approvals for ARCs, it becomes easier.

Check out NetGalley and Edelweiss+, those are probably the most popular ones.

Indie publishers and authors

Smaller publishers and indie authors are often more willing to send out ARCs, especially to newer reviewers. Many will post review opportunities in Facebook groups or on other social media platforms like Instagram and Threads. Sometimes, they’ll even run competitions or giveaways so you can get your hands on a book that way.

How to pitch yourself to publishing companies

If a publisher doesn’t have a request form on their website (not all of them do!) or you want to request a specific book, you’ll probably need to email them. You should be able to find an email on their website.

Keep it short, friendly, and professional. Here’s a basic template you could try:

Subject: ARC Request for [the book title]

Hello, [publisher’s name eg HarperCollins],

I’m [your name], a book reviewer who shares reviews on [list your platforms here]. I’d love the opportunity to review [book title] by [author] and share my thoughts with my audience.

I typically post reviews on [Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok, etc.], where I have [mention follower count if relevant – it might not be!]. You can check out my previous reviews here: [link to your reviews].

If you’re sending ARCs, I’d be thrilled to receive a copy and share my review leading up to its release. Let me know if there’s anything else you need from me!

Best,
[Your Name]

Just remember that they a) might not be taking on ARC readers at this time, b) will often have only a certain number of ARC copies for book reviewers, and c) might need more information from you. They don’t know you from Jane Smith over there, so be polite, and begin to the bulid the relationship.

Managing your review copies

Okay, so a publishing company as got you on board! You’ll start reviewing books (either physical copies in the post or eBook review copies) and building up your presence online as a book review.

But it’s important to stay organised when it comes to ARCs! Especially if there are any books you receive that have embargos on the book – meaning that you’re not allowed to post anything at all until a certain date.

I recommend you create a Google Sheet or similar to keep track, and think about these sorts of things to keep track of:

• Title and author
• Which publishing company you are getting it from
• When you requested the book
• When you received the book
• Release dates (so you post reviews in a timely manner)
• Whether the publisher requested a specific deadline
• Any publisher guidelines (some prefer spoiler-free reviews)
• And then the date and link when you do publish it.

And remember – if you request a book, actually review it! Publishers will often track who follows through, and if you ghost them, they may not send you more books. Sometimes, they’ll request that you send an email once a month or so with links to any content that you’ve shared. This is what I tend to do.

Now you’ve become a book reviewer!

I have absolutely loved being a book reviewer for publishing companies and sites like NetGally. Not only do I feel super special getting books early on, but it also means that I’m reading books that I love, I get to connect with publishers and build up those relationships, occasionally get invited to events, and generally be a bit more in the know about upcoming books.

There are lots of other perks, too, like blog tours, book launches and releases, and sometimes paid opportunities, too!

So, there we have it! I hope this has been helpful for you as you begin your book-reviewing journey! Let me know if you approach any publishing companies for reviews (if it’s a bit scary, start with NetGalley!) – I’d love to hear how you’re getting on.