Are Paid Book Reviews a Good Idea?

Many first-time authors wonder about paid book reviews. Are they a stamp of credibility or a liability? What status do they hold among readers and the publishing industry at large? Are paid reviews ever worth it?

In this post, we’ll look at what the experts say, discuss any potential benefits of paying for reviews, and look at alternative (but effective) strategies you might consider before paying for a book review yourself.

Topics Covered In “Are Paid Book Reviews a Good Idea?”:

Two Main Types of Book Reviews
      Customer Reviews
      Editorial Reviews
Industry Thoughts on Paid Book Reviews
Are There Any Benefits to Purchasing a Paid Book Review?
What to Do Instead
      Send Out ARCs
      Ask Actual Readers for Reviews
      Do a Goodreads Giveaway
      Keep Writing

Ready to Publish Your Book?

Two Main Types of Book Reviews

As Jane Friedman notes in her excellent blog post on paid reviews, there are different types of reviews. It’s important to understand these types of reviews and what is and isn’t allowed by your publishing platforms (and the law).

Customer Reviews

Have you ever purchased an item after glancing through the reviews, but the item you received was garbage? Fake customer reviews are everywhere, and they’re incredibly effective at manipulating consumer trust. That’s why both Amazon and the FTC are cracking down on them.

As Dan Holloway of ALLi reported in August 2024, there are real consequences to deceiving potential readers. You you have your account banned and your professional memberships revoked. You could be fined $50,000. And you could face the wrath of readers who don’t appreciate feeling like they’ve been cheated into buying your book.

Takeaway: Never pay for customer reviews on sites like Amazon or Goodreads. The risk to your accounts—and your author career—just isn’t worth it.

Editorial Reviews

Moving forward, when you see “paid reviews” in this post, we’re not talking about the illegal and unethical kind. We’re talking about editorial reviews from trade publications (you may have heard of Kirkus Reviews) and professional book review services.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Some of these reviews are free, especially for traditional publishers, but they’re not always available to self-publishers. And when they are, there’s often a fee involved.

(Note: Some book review companies also offer to include their review in trade journals or post it on their website. The value of these “perks” is beyond the scope of this post; we will be specifically looking at the reviews themselves.)

Industry Thoughts on Paid Book Reviews

So is it wrong to pay for a book review when that may be the only way to access something a traditionally published author could get for free? Let’s look at what others in the publishing industry have to say.

“Paying someone to review your book is unethical.” —Gayle Martin, Good Oak Press, From the Writer’s Desk, 2024

“The majority of authors will not sufficiently benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere.” —Jane Friedman, 2016 (updated 2025)

“I can’t imagine any circumstances under which I’d pay for a review.” —Orna Ross, ALLi, 2013

“Paying for a review and paying for a positive review are two different things. One is certainly unethical. The other has become a necessity in many cases for independent artists.” —Rohit Bhargava, 2024

While authors have different tolerances for paid book reviews of any kind, most recommend saving your money for a different facet of your author strategy.

[See also: “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews,” ALLi]

Are There Any Benefits to Purchasing a Paid Book Review?

It’s hard out there as an independent author. It’s tough to reach authors, easy to get discouraged, and lonely behind the computer. If a book review offers a kind of validation you’re looking for, we aren’t going to tell you you’re wrong to want it.

Plus, paying for a review ensures that you’ll actually receive the review, and in what general timeline. “The biggest benefit of purchasing a book review through a service is that indie authors know exactly what they’re getting,” Daniel Lefferts and Alex Daniel note for Publishers Weekly.

Just know this: A lot of authors have paid for a book review only to find that what they receive contains spoilers or is simply a recap of the book. What’s left may be useful, but because these companies (rightly!) don’t guarantee a positive review, you may not want to use it.

But even if you get the glowing review you’ve been dreaming of, it may not make the difference you’re hoping for. As Friedman also notes, these trade publications have historically served the publishing industry, not individual readers—and the effectiveness of these reviews depends on the audience you’re actually targeting.

“It makes little sense to pay for a trade book review if all you’re going to do is make your book available for sale on Amazon … and consider your marketing job done. This is a huge waste of your money, yet this is what many authors do, because what they’re mainly after is validation, not a marketing tool.”

It’s not illegal, or even immoral, to want validation. But as Jane points out, without strong reader reviews, a healthy star ranking, and a professional sales page, the review may not do any more than make you feel validated.

What to Do Instead

Obviously, independent authors are eager to show social proof that their book is worth buying. So if paying for reviews is off the table, what to do instead?

Send Out ARCs

ARCs, or advance reader copies, are sent out ahead of publication to garner reviews. Instead of approaching a book review company, consider asking for reviews from top bloggers, authors, and other professionals in your field that your readers will be impressed by. 

[See also: “What Is an ARC and How Do I Get One for My Self-Published Book?,” Spoonbridge Press]

If someone your readers appreciate agrees to review an advance copy of your book, you can leverage that review or blurb in all sorts of ways:

• The Editorial Reviews section of your Author Central page
• Your cover design, front or back
• The “Praise For” section of your front matter
• Your online sales pages
• Your author website

There are no guarantees that you’ll receive a review—or that a review will be useful in the ways you’d hoped. But if you can get one, a blurb from someone your readers respect can be more powerful than a review from a company the average reader may have never heard of.

Ask Actual Readers for Reviews

The very best way to inspire authentic readers to review your book is to ask them. A “Note from the Author” at the back of your book, your website, and your author newsletter are three fantastic places to ask your readers to share their honest opinions about your book and let them know how much their thoughts matter to other readers.

Do a Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Giveaways are available to independent authors, and both print books and ebooks are eligible for the program. It is technically free to list your books, but many authors pay a fee—to the tune of hundreds of dollars—to boost a giveaway to wider audiences.

While this fee is meant to inspire additional reader reviews, it is a form of marketing, not a review purchase. Therefore, paying for participation in a giveaway is not against Amazon’s terms of service (or the law).

Keep Writing

It’s easy for new authors to let their hopes get too high for their first book. The more books you publish, the more Amazon’s algorithms will display your book in other areas, and the more readers will dive into your back catalog.

Ready to Publish Your Book?

Spoonbridge Press can help you bring your book to life. When you publish with us, we are happy to coordinate with your existing ARC campaign and even include your advance praise in a “Praise For” section of your book. Schedule a free, no-commitment call to discuss your project with our lead editor.