Reviews FAQs
Why should I pay GRR to handle my ARCs?
Because ensuring that early readers actually leave reviews is time-consuming and that time is better spent writing new books!
Gay Romance Reviews will take care of everything from finding interested reviewers from within our carefully selected team, sending the file(s), following up, and tracking the results.
External review services like ours are also a great way for new readers to discover your work. We regularly hear from our reviewers that they’ve found a new favourite author to binge-read after reading an ARC they got from us.
Who are the GRR reviewers?
Our reviewers are super-fans, recommenders, supporters, and lovers of gay romance.
They’re carefully selected based on their reviewing history, engagement with the online MM community, and their enthusiasm for both the genre and discovering new authors.
Do you only accept new releases?
Nope! We’ll work with any title, new or old. As long as it’s gay romance of some sort, we’re in. There’s never a bad time for fresh reviews.
My book is enrolled in KDP Select/Kindle Unlimited. Can I still submit it?
Amazon says the following about offering review copies in general:
Can I give free or discounted copies of my books to readers?
Amazon
You may provide free or discounted copies of your books to readers. However, you may not demand a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review.
And this in direct reference to books enrolled in KDP Select:
Exclusivity. When you include a Digital Book in KDP Select, you give us the exclusive right to sell and distribute your Digital Book in digital format while your book is in KDP Select. During this period of exclusivity, you cannot sell or distribute, or give anyone else the right to sell or distribute, your Digital Book (or a book that is substantially similar), in digital format in any territory where you have rights.
Amazon Jan 2020 Update
Per the above quotes, we believe offering review copies to the private team of reviewers through our program is acceptable under the Terms of Service laid out in the KDP agreement. However, as Amazon’s ToS are subject to both interpretation and change, the ultimate decision on distributing ARCs through our program resides with each author.
For more information, please see the Kindle Direct Publishing Terms and Conditions Agreement
My new release is book 3 in a series—can I submit the first two books so reviewers can get caught up?
Yes. Later books in a series always get a better response when our reviewers have the opportunity to catch up with a series they might not be familiar with. Ask us about discounted rates for submitting multiple books in a series!
Can I limit the number of copies available?
Yes. Part of the submission process is setting a maximum number of copies you’re comfortable with. Should the requests exceed your limit, we will offer you the opportunity to increase the limit, but you will always make the final decision about how many copies of your books will be distributed.
Do you guarantee the number of copies that will be sent out?
We do not. Our reviewers enjoy a wide variety of sub-genres, topics, and tropes, but whether or not they decide to request an ARC is completely up to them.
Do you guarantee positive reviews?
We do not. Our reviewers will leave honest reviews based on their reading experience. Should a reader choose not to leave a review that would be negative, they simply need to inform us.
Are the reviewers paid or compensated in any way?
Definitely not. This is expressly against Amazon’s Terms of Service.
Where will the reviews be posted?
Our primary goal is to have reviews posted to Amazon. We have reviewers from around the world, so not all reviews will be posted to the .com site, but 90% will be posted to Amazon.
We also have some amazing reviewers who either do not or can not post on Amazon, and they will report Goodreads and/or Bookbub reviews.
How long until the reviews are posted?
Our readers are given at least 14 days to review each book. Depending on when GRR receives your title(s), reviews can be posted as soon as the first few days of release. The ideal timing is 7-10 days before release.
What book formats do you accept?
We prefer mobi files, but also welcome epub.
You can also submit a book with a Prolific Works or Bookfunnel link, but for the privacy of our reviewers, it must be set to not collect personal information beyond a name.
We do not currently accept print books but would be open to exploring this method if requested.
What steps do you take to prevent piracy?
While it’s impossible to eliminate piracy completely, we do take steps to prevent the chances of it.
By being selective with who we accept to the team, we know that our reviewers are book lovers and author-supporters.
We store all files in a private cloud accessible by only 2 administrators.
We track which reviewers are following through with their reviews, and if they’re unresponsive to our reminders they’re placed on the ‘naughty list’ until they’re caught up with outstanding reviews.
In more than two years, we have never had a reported piracy concern and will continue to do our best to maintain this success.
Are there any books you won’t accept?
Keep it Amazon-legal. No bestiality, necrophilia (zombies and vampires excluded), or pedophilia.
AUDIO – Do you have US and UK reviewers?
We sure do! We are always looking to add more UK reviewers to our team to increase the number of codes we’re able to send out, but we also have many reviewers who are able to use codes for either site.
AUDIO – My codes are for Audiobooks.com rather than Audible – can you still take them?
Of course. Audible is definitely the preference among our reviewers, but they’re very flexible. As long as a paid account/subscription is not required, we’ll accept codes for any site.
Tours FAQs
What is the difference between a blitz and a tour?
The main difference is the length of the event. A blitz is a quick promotional tour that happens on or around release date. A tour is a longer event (minimum 7-days) and usually features exclusive content from the author and/or their book. A tour usually attracts more participants because of its extended timeline.
What is an Instagram Spotlight?
An Instagram Spotlight (or tour) is when we host your book on Instagram rather than blogs and websites. Instagram is picture-focused so we ensure we have a range of eye-catching imagery of your book in the square sized format for Instagram. This style of tour is a great way to engage with and reach new readers over the social media platform.
How many bloggers are on your list, and how many blogs can I expect to take part in a blitz or tour?
We are pleased to have almost 150 bloggers and Instagrammers on our list. Participation will vary from book to book depending on schedules, readership, and reviewer reading preferences.
Do you guarantee a minimum number of participating blogs?
We do not. Each blogger will chose to participate in the tours that they are interested in, and feel will be of interest to their readership.
How far in advance should I schedule a blitz or tour?
For best results, we recommend scheduling services no less than four weeks in advance.
What do I need to have in order to schedule a service?
Our submission form will collect the basic information (title, blurb, length, etc.) about your book and the service(s) you’re requesting. At the very least, we need to know the release date and genre/tropes so that we can begin reaching out to our team of bloggers ASAP. The more information you can provide, the better.
I don’t have my ARC file ready yet, can I still schedule service?
Definitely! The sooner you’re able to send it, the more time bloggers will have to read and prepare their reviews, but it’s not required to have upon signup.
Why should I offer a giveaway?
A giveaway helps attract readers, are shown to be good for engagement and can help expand/drive activity to your Social Media accounts, newsletter, or relevant sites. Plus, who doesn’t like the chance to win things?
I don’t see exactly the services I want, does that mean you can’t help?
Not at all! We are happy to chat with you and create a custom tour to meet your needs. Click here to contact us.