It depends on what you're paying for. Paying for a professional editorial review, in which an outside reviewer reads your book and writes an honest evaluation, is a long-established practice. Paying a reader to post a customer review or star rating is not allowed by Amazon and other retailers, and it can also run afoul of consumer protection law.
The line is simple: you can pay for a review service, but you can never pay for a particular opinion or for reviews that pose as coming from ordinary customers.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
| Paid professional (editorial) review | Paid customer review | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | A reviewer's time and a written evaluation | A review or rating posted by a reader |
| Where it appears | Your website, marketing, and the editorial reviews section of a book page | The customer reviews section of a retail site |
| Is the opinion honest? | Yes, and it may not be positive | Often promised to be positive |
| Allowed? | Yes, when honest and presented as a professional review | No. Prohibited by Amazon and by FTC rules when tied to a sentiment |
A professional review is clearly labeled as a review from a reviewing service. The reader knows an outside reviewer wrote it, and it isn't presented as an anonymous customer's opinion. That transparency is what makes it legitimate.
Amazon's Community Guidelines prohibit creating, editing, or removing a review in exchange for compensation, and the list of compensation is broad: payments, refunds, discounts, products, gift cards, and services. The one path Amazon sanctions for free products in exchange for reviews is its own Vine program.
Amazon does allow readers to review free advance copies from authors or publishers, but the author can't require a review or try to influence the reader's opinion. Reviews from people with a financial or personal connection to the author aren't allowed either.
For details, see Amazon's Review Rules for Authors.
The Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials took effect on October 21, 2024. Among other things, it:
Violations can lead to civil penalties, currently more than $50,000 per violation. The rule applies to businesses that sell goods and services, which can include authors selling their own books, so it's worth understanding.
Be cautious of a service that guarantees positive reviews or a set star rating, since an honest review can never be guaranteed to be positive. The same goes for any promise of a specific number of customer reviews by a certain date, or reimbursement to readers for posting one. Review swaps, where you review someone else's book and they review yours, are another warning sign, as are fake or newly created reviewer accounts. And be skeptical of rock-bottom prices with no information about who's actually doing the reviewing.
The common thread: if a service won't explain how its reviews are generated, don't use it. A removed review or a flagged account costs far more than whatever fee you saved.
A legitimate professional review service is upfront about what you're buying. The review is honest and independent, and the service says plainly that a positive outcome isn't guaranteed. You know something about who's actually reading your book, whether that's editors, experienced reviewers, or reviewers with relevant background. Many reputable services also let you decide not to publish a review you don't like, and their terms are clear about price, turnaround, and length. Once the review is done, it's yours to quote, as long as you credit the source.
For example, Entrada Publishing's professional reviews are $289 for a standard 5 to 8 week review or $389 for a 3 to 4 week rush review. They are 250 to 350 words and honest and unbiased, positive reviews aren't guaranteed, and you can choose not to have a review published.
Distribution services are also legitimate when they only connect you with reviewers and don't pay them or dictate their opinions. Entrada's ARC review service, similar to NetGalley, makes your book available to bloggers, journalists, librarians, and other influencers who match your genre. No set number of reviews is guaranteed, and reviewers form their own opinions. For more, see What Is an ARC?
Order a professional review and put it to work in your marketing. Send ARCs to readers, bloggers, journalists, and librarians, and ask for honest reviews, nothing more. Ask your own readers too, politely, at the back of your book and in your newsletter. If Amazon Vine is available for your book, use it. And keep improving the book itself: beta readers help you catch problems before a reviewer ever does. See the Complete Guide to Beta Reading.
A Professional Review, Done Properly
Get an honest professional review from Entrada Publishing that you can quote in your marketing. Standard reviews are $289 and take 5 to 8 weeks; rush reviews are $389 and take 3 to 4 weeks. Positive reviews aren't guaranteed, and you choose whether to publish.
Get a Professional Book Review →
Looking for reach? Learn about ARC reviews →
Paying for a professional editorial review from a reviewing service is a common, accepted practice. Paying for customer reviews or for reviews conditioned on a particular sentiment violates retailer rules and FTC rules.
Amazon prohibits reviews written in exchange for compensation. It does allow reviews of free advance copies from authors, as long as the reviewer isn't required to write one or influenced.
No. Honest reviews can't be guaranteed to be positive, and paying for positive reviews is prohibited.
A paid professional review is written by a reviewer you hire and can be quoted in your marketing. An ARC review comes from a reader who chooses to review an advance copy, and you can't control the opinion.
Paid professional review services are an established part of publishing. Look for honest, independent reviews, clear terms, and the option not to publish a review you don't like.