Tips for the Freelance Book Review Writer

When I first started out as a freelance writer, the first thing I learned (and have held close to my heart) is that a writer reads more than they write. It's important for a writer to constantly read during research, sourcing material received in an interview, using reference material and so on. This is common knowledge to most freelance writers, both novice and seasoned. It's still worth mentioning, though, because it's probably the best piece of advice I've received about my career as a whole.

How have I used this advice in my freelance writing career?

Over the years, book reviewing has always played some sort of role in my freelance writing career. Either I was reviewing a book to help a colleague with their sales or trying to boost my clip file. There are numerous opportunities for book reviewers to break into print listed in Writer's Market (or found on the site) as well as numerous sites on the web (some are paying markets, while many are not).

Here are some examples:
1: Slashdot Book Review Guidelines
2: ForeWord Magazine :: Book Review Submission Guidelines
3: Kirkus Reviews Magazine - Online Book Reviews - Book Reviews ...
4: JOM Book Review Submission Form
5: Flak Book Section Submissions

Rule of thumb:
Pay close attention to the genre of the book you're planning to (or have already) review so your not trying to submit a romance book review to a science fiction market. Read the submission guidelines from top to bottom and, if there's a point you don't understand or don't feel was covered enough, ask around in writing groups (or forums) or send an email asking for some clarification (some advise to use this as a last resort considering the quantity of emails these editors tend to receive on a daily basis).

There are other outlets to consider when you search for targets for your book review:
1: AssociatedContent.com (of course)
2: Epinions.com: they pay based upon performance and, during the month of March, they're sponsoring a "10 review" challenge.
3: Suite101.com: this site is hiring freelance writers now and your pay rate is based solely on page view performance (that's my understanding, that is)
4: Amazon.com: no pay for this site, of course, but there's a lot of exposure
5: Barnesandnoble.com: again, no pay and a lot of exposure

Rule of thumb:
If you're working with one title and multiple sites, keep in mind the majority of these targets want original content. Take the time to make each submission unique to each site. When you're dealing with short reviews, this won't take as long to accomplish as you might think. This is important, though, so don't overlook this important point.

Now, let's talk about how to obtain books for review. There are several databases you can have yourself listed on (along with what genres you're willing to review) like ebookcrossroads, for example. Linda Formichelli has also compiled a huge database of publishing contacts for reviewers to contact and make themselves available for here, in her Review Copy Helper. She's taken the time to compile this contact list and provide some basic (and very valuable) instruction at the top of the list.

Rule of thumb:
Remember, when you ask to review a book or accept an author's request to review a book, you're making an agreement to complete the work. There are several reviewers out there that are bogged down with work and the industry is aware of this fact. However, they are also aware of the fact that there are people out there looking for free books and have no intension to write the reviews. This is unfortunate and tends to make it difficult for new reviewers to be taken seriously in the beginning. So, be as prompt as possible, communicate effectively and follow through.

These reviews will keep you busy (reading and writing) and build your clip file. You'll also find numerous opportunities to network with other freelance writers in the writing and publishing field and generate important leads.