What’s a Sponsored Review and Why Would I Want One?
A Sponsored Review only means that we guarantee that we’ll review your book in the timeframe ordered, as opposed to sending your book in for general consideration (in which case, it may not even be selected for review). You also will have the opportunity to approve your review or trade it for an ad that will run on one of our brand websites for 30 days. So, it’s a win-win for you either way!
This is where you’d order our blurb service, too.
You’d want to order a Sponsored Review if your book is more than 90 days past publication date. Once your book passes that date, we won’t even consider it for a free review. Last year, we received nearly 3,000 books to review, and we reviewed about 40% of them. So, you may want to consider ordering a Sponsored Review just because you want it reviewed by one of the nation’s leading book review companies (pssst…that’s us).
Book reviews are, ideally, something you should be lining up a few months prior to your book’s publication date. We provide blurbs for book covers and/or marketing purposes, as well as full reviews.
But it’s never too late to order a book review, even if your book came out several months or years ago. Reviews can be used to reboot slow book sales.
You can order a review from any or all of our city brands.
Standard Sponsored Review
8- to 10-week turnaround
Note that after the payment screen, a form will open, which allows you to provide us with your book information, upload your book file (if applicable), and let us know which brand(s) you’d like your review to come from.
Multiple review orders need to be for the same ISBN.
(If you want to order a fifth review from Kids’ BookBuzz, contact us.)
1 REVIEW
2 REVIEWS
3 REVIEWS
4 REVIEWS
Expedited Sponsored Review
4- to 6-week turnaround
Note that after the payment screen, a form will open, which allows you to provide us with your book information, upload your book file (if applicable), and let us know which brand(s) you’d like your review to come from.
Multiple review orders need to be for the same ISBN.
(If you want to order a fifth review from Kids’ BookBuzz, contact us.)
1 REVIEW
2 REVIEWS
3 REVIEWS
4 REVIEWS
Review + Interview Options
Choose between a written or audio podcast interview and two turnaround times for your book review. Written interviews will appear on the same brand website as your review. Podcast interviews appear on the same brand website as your review, but link to Audible Authors hosted by Podbean.
Note that after the payment screen, a form will open, which allows you to provide us with your book information, upload your book file (if applicable), and let us know which brand(s) you’d like your review to come from.
(If you want to order a fifth review from Kids’ BookBuzz, contact us.)
1 STANDARD REVIEW + 1 INTERVIEW
8- to 10-week turnaround2 STANDARD REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
8- to 10-week turnaround3 STANDARD REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
8- to 10-week turnaround4 STANDARD REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
8- to 10-week turnaround1 EXPEDITED REVIEW + 1 INTERVIEW
4- to 6-week turnaround2 EXPEDITED REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
4- to 6-week turnaround3 EXPEDITED REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
4- to 6-week turnaround4 EXPEDITED REVIEWS + 1 INTERVIEW
4- to 6-week turnaroundInterview Only
4- to 6-week turnaround
Choose which of our book review brand websites you wish it to appear on.
Note that after the payment screen, a form will open, which allows you to provide us with your book information, upload your book file (if applicable), and let us know which brand(s) you’d like your interview to come from.
1 INTERVIEW
Extended Review
8- to 10-week turnaround
1,500 words
Note that after the payment screen, a form will open, which allows you to provide us with your book information, upload your book file (if applicable), and let us know which brand(s) you’d like your review to come from.
1 EXTENDED REVIEW
Blurb
You know those short quotes you typically see on a book’s cover or back? Those are blurbs. They’re also beneficial in one’s marketing efforts, such as press kits or press releases. If you’re on a limited budget or need something with a very quick turnaround, this is a great option. And, having a blurb from a prestigious book review organization such as ours makes you look good {wink}.
1 STANDARD BLURB (UNDER 500 PAGES)
2-week turnaround1 PREMIUM BLURB (UNDER 500 PAGES)
2-week turnaround1 STANDARD BLURB (MORE THAN 500 PAGES)
2-week turnaround1 PREMIUM BLURB (MORE THAN 500 PAGES)
2-week turnaroundExamples of our blurbs:
“A futuristic look into a land where book-burning ceremonies are embraced and those who rebel are punished. Protagonist Billy Stringer is both vulnerably lovable and irritatingly suffocating all at once in his mission to save his future. Brave New World meets 1984 in this Big Brother masterpiece.” — Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review
“An apathetic society and increasing violence towards the innocent produce a singular hero in Persona Non Grata by D.C. Grahame. With snappy rapid-fire prose filled with violence and heart, one man’s story from underground fighter to masked vigilante kick-starts a darkly engaging new series. A superhero tale grounded in reality in the vein of Batman Begins and Kick-Ass.” — John Murray, San Francisco Book Review
“Friendship, family, and fate all play a part once more in book four of Conn’s engrossing One True Child series. The best thing about this book? The fact that it isn’t the last! — Tamara Benson, Manhattan Book Review
Frequently Asked Questions
If I order multiple reviews, will each be written by a different reviewer?
If you order more than one review to appear on the websites of your choice, each will be done by different reviewers. You’ll have an opportunity to approve both, one, or none of the reviews, trading it/them for a website ad.
What formats do you accept?
- Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)
- Manuscripts
- BLADs
- eBooks (all formats, including PDF)
- Printed books
What if I don't like my review?
We do our best to place your book with an appropriate reviewer, which is why we ask for a book description, book cover, and anything else you’d like our pool of more than 120 reviewers to know when selecting a book to review. We are not in the business of providing vanity reviews. Should you purchase a Sponsored Review from us, you’ll be getting an honest opinion of your book and an appropriate star rating (1-5).
Can I submit both a printed book and an eBook?
You may send us both an eBook and printed book as an option for our reviewers to choose; however, with whichever package you end up purchasing, we’ll review ONE type of format. We will list out on your review the book’s format, price, and page count. If you decide, before the review is uploaded to the website of your choice, to change the book’s information (e.g., format, price, or page count), just let us know. If you wish to change any of this information — even the book cover — after it has been uploaded, we can do that, but there will be a $25 fee.
What's your opinion? Should I send in an eBook or printed book?
We get this question all the time. And it’s a really good one! We have a diverse pool of more than 120 adult book reviewers and around 80 children reviewers for Kids’ BookBuzz. Some prefer eBooks, while others like to stick with the printed books. Some live outside of the U.S., and only can review eBooks. So, it really is up to you on which format you want to send for review. Or send us both formats.
Are the Sponsored Reviews identified any differently than your regular reviews?
No, we don’t identify a Sponsored Review any differently than non-Sponsored reviews.
What authors are saying about us…
“City Book Review offers the absolute best promotional opportunities for both traditionally and independently published authors. They’ve built a stable of seasoned professional reviewers whose shrewed and sensitive coverage across a myriad of genres is second to none, rivaling the best Sunday book pages and other major web-based book sites. As authors, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find outlets that cover books in such an insightful and credible fashion that’s certain to serve our cause, no matter the career stage we’re at. I’ve come back to them again and again and have every intention of continuing to do so with future titles.”
—Jon Land, author
“If book reviews are gold, then expert reviews from trusted sources are platinum. I proudly count my review from San Francisco Book Review in the platinum category. It has pride of place next to other notable editorial reviews on my website and I’ve been able to use several great pull quotes in my advertising. Add this to the stellar communication from the staff and you can see why this author is impressed.” -Terri Lee, author of Paper Castles
