Making the Case for Fee-based Reviews of Self-published Books

Publishing Perspectives

Patti Thorn, former books editor of the Rocky Mountain News, has co-founded BlueInk Review — a pay-to-play platform that reviews self-published books.

Now the self-publishing world has exploded, and the dilemma self publishers face in obtaining credible, critical reviews has only worsened, while the need is greater than ever: with so many unvetted books out there, how will authors convince readers that their particular title is worthy of attention? Where is the filter readers need in order to find the gems in this vast pool of material?
Self-publishers can get reviewed by sending their books to various websites that offer free review services. Many of these sites rely on volunteer reviewers who are allowed to choose the books that appear interesting them to review; the rest of the titles fall by the wayside. Often, the resulting reviews are sophomoric, as you might expect from random volunteers. And with so many little-known sites, how can readers know if these reviews are trustworthy?
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