Online book reviews catch reader's attention as they give book visibility and credibility. Many people in the publishing industry consider them to be critical to an author's success. As a result, books must be reviewed in the right places to boost their visibility. Success in sales often depends on being discovered by readers, and reviews are strong online content that is influential. Today, many authors directly request reviews from fans and members of their email/newsletter lists. It's quite common to communicate with fans and readers in this way. Most are pleased to receive requests from authors.

Requesting reviews from fans is often best done in newsletter articles. Brief, straightforward requests can be included successfully and news about your book, upcoming events, and promotions. The best chance of getting people's interest is when the request is made as part of the content that fans enjoy reading. Well-regarded bloggers also can be valuable sources of book reviews. For self-published authors working on tight budgets, blog tours that can be done from home and without travel expenses are an excellent idea. Virtual book tours are in increasing use and often produce impressive results.

Once you've connected with a blogger and had an interest in your book, it flows smoothly to ask them for a review. It is, though, crucial to select the right bloggers based on their interests and those of their followers. Success in book marketing with reviews and everything else relies on reaching the right audiences, often referred to as targeting. People who have an interest in the topic of your book are much more likely to buy it. If a blogger they follow and share interests with reviews it, there is a far greater likelihood they'll want to buy and read your book. Targeted marketing is more effective.

Book content is also an excellent place to request reviews from readers, merely include your request at the end. As soon as someone is done reading your book, make sure you ask for a review before they put it down. Adding your review request works smoothly in books published electronically on e-readers. You can include links that send readers to online pages where they can post comments and reviews. If your book is being read increasingly, your review statistics will increase as well. Also, you'll be reaching people at an ideal moment. When someone has finished your book, they're well equipped to review it.