how can a new upcoming self-published author get their book reviewed?

[john]

to anyone who wants to review my book "A Friends Rage for Revenge" by Mary Houck. they can.
my book are sold aqt barnes/noble.com, amazon.com and in bordersstores or my website http://www.marysbookonline.com.

[Joss]

You'll have to provide review copies, either physical or electronic versions. If your local paper has a book review section then they might be interested in reviewing a book by a local author. Many communities are interested in supporting local authors. Also, check your local library to see if they'll carry a copy of your book. You can see if your local TV stations are interested in interviewing you about your book. Some might be, some not. I've seen local authors interviewed on my local news programs and in the local newspaper. Don't know about self-published, though. The ones I've seen have been commercially published, but some papers and TV stations might be open to self-published authors. You'll never know until you try. You can also check the local bookstores or other shops around the area to see if they're interested in hosting a signing for you. See if any book review bloggers will be interested in reviewing your book.

Just some ideas.

[S.K.]

Marketing a pay-to-publish book is damned difficult. Many of the avenues open to traditionally published authors are not available. Chain bookstores won't host signings or carry copies (although they will order them for customers). Newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio don't want your press releases and won't do interviews. The library system won't accept free copies. Writing- or book-related conventions won’t let you set up a sales or autograph table, don’t want you on their author panels, and forbid you giving away promotional material.

The author's blog, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other electronic self-promotion efforts seem to have little effect in terms of increased sales.

About the only marketing I've seen have any effect for self-published authors is active participation at forums and chats dealing with the subject of your book. Find your niche market and determine where online they hang out. Some sites may allow you to discuss your book *if someone asks about it* (but will ban you for bringing it up more than once). Some may allow a link to a point of sale in your profile, or to your blog or web-page which in turn links to a point of sale.

You'll sell a few more copies than you might have, but overall, like most self-published books, regardless of quality, total sales will probably remain below 100 copies. More often, the number hovers somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of your total number of friends and family members. This compares pretty unfavorably to the thousands of copies a moderately-selling book from a conventional publisher can anticipate.

I’m sorry not to be able to offer much real hope for promotion, but I figured you’d rather hear the truth than sugar-coated lies which might cause you to waste your time or money.

[YA Fiction lover]

I can help. I just need a copy. Ill review it on my book review blog also on my youtube that should help. I can also get more blogger to review it also. My blog is http://www.irandomblogger.blogspot.com .

[Gerald Cline]

Self-published books (epically fiction) are almost impossible to get reviewed. Most reviewers will not even open one up, let alone give it any space in their column. I've known a couple of self-published authors that have worked the Science Fiction Convention circuit. They succeeded in getting on some panels, and were able to promote their books that way. But most Cons are really leery of self-published authors, and the ones I have known were well known by the organizers of the Cons they participated in.

I have also known self-published poets who go to open mike nights and read their work to audiences in the hope of making a few sales. I assume a novelist could go and read his/her first chapter in the hope of hooking audience members who want to read about what happens next.

Occasionally bookstores will have a night when self-published authors can come read from their works in the hope of selling something. But this is pretty rare.

Your best bet is to have a large circle of friends or family members who will buy copies of your book. Otherwise you do not have much chance and will never become a best selling author. Sorry....