Publishers – Tips for Using Review Copies to Generate Interest, Reviews, and Sales

Getting started with the Edelweiss Review Copy Module? Awesome! (Not signed up? Learn more here.)

First, learn the basics of how to upload your titles and manage requests in Edelweiss here.

Now, let’s talk about how to get the most out of review copies!

Start out by determining your goals and target audience for the review copy. For example, are you focused on:

  • Booksellers considering purchase or nomination to IndieNext?
  • Librarians considering purchase or nomination to LibraryReads?
  • Reviewers or media who may share reviews on their blog, social media, Goodreads, or in other publications?
  • Teachers and professors considering selection for their courses?
  • Award nominations, generating overall public interest, or some other use case?

Clear goals help you make decisions about the management of your review copies and your marketing strategy. For example:

  • Should you make your title available for your target audience to download immediately? Should you require users to request it so that you have more control over access? Are there any users that you do NOT want to have access at all?
  • Should you Auto-Approve certain users or communities? For example, if your target is booksellers, you could Auto-Approve ABA members or B&N employees. This means that your titles will be automatically approved for them to download. More options to auto-approve professional Communities on Edelweiss here.
  • What specific actions should you ask readers to take?
  • Are there certain award or nomination deadlines for you to keep in mind?
  • What actions should you ask of your sales reps and internal teams?

Using Review Copies INSIDE Edelweiss:

  • Monitor your DRC activity to look for early trends, cultivate new relationships when appropriate, and feature compelling reviews for other users to easily view when learning about the title!
  • Before approving a request, review the requestor’s profile to see if they may help you reach your goals.
  • Customize your approval message with a specific call-to-action. You can ask readers to leave a review in Edelweiss, nominate for a certain purpose, share in a Community, etc. Remind them of desired timelines or deadlines if appropriate.
  • Create Contact Groups in Edelweiss and pre-approve them for the title. Then use the Share Tool to generate a pretty link that can be included in an email, notifying them that they have immediate access.
  • Ask sales reps to reach out to their accounts and include review copies in catalog markups. Sales reps’ accounts can be Auto-Approved so that users can immediately download the title. You can also customize who has the ability to approve requests, like sales reps.
  • Garner the attention of 200,000+ book professionals by promoting your title in Edelweiss. Review copies pair well with featured titles and title banner inserts. You can also purchase a banner ad in our various newsletters and promote to target audiences based on genre, user types (booksellers, librarians, etc.) or the Edelweiss audience at large.
  • Add title-specific custom messages to your review copies when appropriate.

Using Review Copies OUTSIDE Edelweiss:

  • Use the Quick Send feature in Edelweiss to send a pre-approved download link to specific users who need it.
  • Include a link to the title in email blasts or newsletters to contact lists.
  • Share links to the title frequently on social media with eye-catching images.
  • Advertise the review copy on your website.
  • Ask the author to share with their contacts and on their social media outlets.
  • Consider other advertising opportunities that may help you reach your target audience, driving traffic to the review copy in Edelweiss for easy management.