Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5… but at least 20 – that’s right: TWENTY — “Bookstagram Reviewers” have reached out to me on Instagram since the year began (and we’ve barely made it to February!)…

Them: “I’ll read and review your book, and post it on my feed.”

Me: “Oh, nice, thanks!”

Them: “Here are my prices…”

Me: “Wait, what?”

They wouldn’t dare approach a big-time author asking to be paid to review and promote their book, but indie/self-published authors like me are fair game.

Book Promotion vs. Bookstagrammer

First, a disclaimer:

There was once a point in my author journey where I balked at even having to give my books away for free.

Now, 2 and a half years wiser, I have seen the benefit of running free promotions to promote sell-through of your other books (which I documented here).

Apart from giving away almost 4000 books for free via KDP & other promos, I’ve also shopped my book around to book clubs and to book/blog tours where they handle the service of generating some buzz and inviting reviewers, but it’s voluntary with no guarantees of even a single review.

…But paying someone DIRECTLY to review your book is quite another matter.

Paying for Reviews vs. Exposure

It’s pretty clear that Amazon frowns on paid reviews, but it’s a little sketchy when it comes to the arena of book promotion.

Bookstagram reviewers are a middle ground: they usually offer package deals with promotion and author interviews, with reviews included.

It’s not a bad way to make money, if you’re a voracious reader. And I’m sure a lot of them have been responsible for a huge uptick in sales for some authors.

But there’s not a lot of tracking provided. Some may share some statistics via screenshots of past authors happy with the service, or their activity on a post, etc… but these are not verifiable (anyone can mock up something in Photoshop, and bots can generate likes), and most only expect you to make a decision based on the amount of followers they have — whether or not their followers are even your target market (chances are, they’re not).

Furthermore, they can’t promise you any amount of sales (or even “likes” on the post) and there’s a big chance you can throw money at it and get exactly zero back in return.

That’s the same that could be said for most types of marketing, sure, but Instagram has given a whole new realm of possibility for all the “entrepreneurs” out there… and that’s the problem.

But the worst — the absolute worst of it, is that if you actually read through some of these Bookstagram “reviews”, it gets glaringly evident that in many cases THEY HAVE NOT READ THE F**KING BOOK. They’ve checked the blurb, skimmed some reviews, maybe read the first few pages, and then threw together a generic paragraph or two that is just a slap in the face to any author who has actually poured his or her soul into their work.

And THAT is my biggest problem of all.

P.S.A. to Bookstagram Reviewers: Best Practices

Don’t solicit authors. Just don’t. (Particularly 10 seconds after a follow, when you haven’t even given a proper look at their feed or read a thing about their books. Just saying.)

Unless you see an author post about “Looking to promote my books, please DM me with your prices”. If they say that openly, then by all means: COME THROUGH!

If you do want to make a business of this bookish life, create a website with all your packages and then point to that link in your profile. That leaves it up to the author to seek you out.

If you’re hungry for work, perhaps post in your feed or story “Authors – special reduced rates for packages” and see what bites you get.

You can also be kind and offer a range of services that includes free options, e.g. partnership “If I write you a review, please post about me and get others to follow”.

A little love goes a long way, and if you build up that love and trust among authors, they might be the ones begging you to promote them and eager to pay.

Why I Won’t Pay for a Bookstagram Review

I’m not saying Bookstagram reviewers won’t get you more exposure or more sales. Not at all. Some are valid, and many are excellent at what they do.

Me personally… I’m hanging onto those purse strings. My reasons:

1. Firstly, I want someone to be ORGANICALLY drawn to my book, not just looking at it as a means to make some cash.

Every time someone reaches out (before they mention the price list) it’s always about flattery: “your books look great, I would love to promote you” etc. etc. — but if it’s a paid promotion, flattery immediately becomes disingenuous.

It is hard to say that someone is GENUINELY interested in my book, if they are only going to read and review it if I pay them.

I just don’t need that kind of convoluted energy in a potential reviewer.

2. Secondly, having an entire business around getting payment for reviews is always going to make me uncomfortable.

I love getting reviews. You can check out some of my faves here:

• Climbing The Walls (Hart & Cole Book 1) – Reviews
• Pandora’s Poison (Hart & Cole Book 2) – Reviews
• Pandora’s Price (Hart & Cole Book 3) – Reviews

I also love writing reviews. You can visit my Reader Blog here.

I do not charge writers to review their books. You can see my Review Policy here.

Reviews are important. Hella important. But they should always be voluntary. And free.

3. Finally, I personally am not always moved to write a review. I question those who are.

I think that those who claim to be “voracious readers” who “love to support writers” are missing the big elephant in the room:

If you love reading and you love writers, buy their books.

(And if you’re a writer that wants reviews, sure — send over a free copy and hope you get a review.)

BUT don’t randomly solicit a writer to send you their book for free, and THEN pay you to write a review!

Unless you’re able to guarantee that this writer is definitely going to get AT LEAST the investment they put into you, in sales… you’re not helping. The fact remains:

If you truly are a voracious reader, and you come across a book you like, you’ll buy it.

Especially if it’s just a couple bucks, or even FREE on Kindle Unlimited, like all my books in my “Hart & Cole” series are.

…And if it moves you enough to want to write a review, you will.

…Yes. It is that simple.