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As Mike Scott says above, publishers and editors solicit favorable quotes from popular authors of work broadly similar to the book at hand. But that's not where all those quotes on book covers come from. Some are simply quotes from things authors have said in other public venues, like in the course of a review. For instance, there's a quote from Stephen ...

It's really good that you're looking for professional critique - that's a really helpful thing to have! However, a Kirkus book review might well be the wrong address. Kirkus Reviews A Kirkus review exists to help people find books they want to read, or to choose whether or not to buy a particular book. What you're looking for is a critique - feedback ...

When you write a movie review, you are giving a recommendation to strangers. Were your best friend asking about whether he or she would like a particular movie, you could base your answer on your knowledge of his or her likes and dislikes. You can't do that when writing for a general audience. So the focus of a movie review is less "You'll love/hate this" ...

Do not trust Kirkus Indie to provide a real review. I have had a very bad experience with them. I'll say it loud and clear: stay away! I assumed that a company of their repute would, surely, give a full read of the manuscript. I paid $575 for a review (express service). The resulting review was ridiculous - it made such gross mistakes describing the plot, ...

Your list is pretty good, but it's missing something a bit fundamental. Most reviewers tend to think that they're trying to help someone make up their mind whether or not to buy a book based on the what they think of the book's contents. This is only half the equation. What a reviewer also needs to do is show that their opinion is worth a damn. Who ...

You might not get the publicity you're looking for from these kinds of sites. Many don't have focus or the eyeballs that make giving away your product a good financial decision. Genre sites for genre books, are a good exception to that though. This article spells it out better and has some advice on getting some real reviews in real publications.

LibraryThing is a good source for this. They have regular book giveaways where authors can specifically request a review in exchange of the book itself. This will work with a print copy or an e-book. With Goodreads, they only do giveaways with print copies. I have used LibraryThing with both of my fantasy novels and gotten some reviews as a result. The ...

Distinguish between a review and a critique. A review is meant for people who haven't read the book, and is largely intended to help them form their opinion of it; a critique is a discussion of the book which assumes the reader is familiar with the book (or, at least, is willing to read significant spoilers, because he's interested in the critique). If it's ...

My understanding, from what I have been told in my thesis work, is that the literature review should demonstrate that you have read everything that is critical to your work, understood it, and can explain why it is relevant. More practically, this means that you need to identify the core areas of your subject that relate to your thesis topic. They within ...

Well, I think you've already used the word I would use in your question: concise. I would also perhaps split the overall sentence into two lines. A possible suggestion: A solution you can lift is published in W. Richard Stevens's superb and unparalleled book (read "bible"), Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment, Second Edition. It is one ...

Let me include the caveat that you get what you pay for. A review from a friend or a writing group member isn't going to be of same quality as a professional edit by a long shot. Writers Meetups can help you find a writing group in your area, as could Googling "writers club [your area]," as well as checking to see if there's a group at your local library or ...

I have no direct experience in getting professional reviews, but I've been reading about the topic lately. Here's my understanding: Some major newspapers and magazines do book reviews; most have public submission guidelines. Typically, as described on this page for the New York Times, the submission is expected to be from a publisher a few months before the ...

My standard response to a question like this is to go to Critique Circle and create an account. You will be able to find people who are looking for your particular genre who will read your manuscript and provide honest, constructive criticism. Most importantly, it's free! Another option is to try to develop a group of beta readers who are willing to take ...

You're reviewing fiction, which I rarely touch. IMO, more subjective; in addition, I prefer to keep my tastes in recreational reading private. +1 here: someone I can identify with in terms of likes and dislikes Tell me why it is that you responded / reacted the way you did. "The book wasn't about the parrot in the title, but the dysfunctional family ...

Okay, I really like your 1200-page doorstop comment. That's not boring, and it's evocative. Can you use that? This is a big book, but unlike 1200-page doorstops, this book justifies its length. It is the rare treasure that's clear, concise, and complete; its every page gives real, immediate value.

Snappy headline. Compelling lead. Say what you liked. Say what you didn't like. Optional: a little analysis. Optional: compare some aspect of the film, actors, or director to something else in the genre or the person's body of work. Solid close. Write it as though you were addressing a good friend who wanted to see the film, either to recommend it or warn ...

I'm not an official journalist or professional reviewer, but I give great feedback and honest reviews. I've recently found out that I can receive a free book in exchange for a review. While I am an average person (new mom, non-celebrity), my professional background and large social network make me a great candidate for something like this. I am a business ...