How to Use Editorial Book Reviews in Your Book Marketing

An editorial review has arrived, and there’s a sentence in it that captures your book beautifully. Sharing that sentence can help readers understand what to expect. The useful next step is to put it where people are already deciding whether your book is for them.

This guide walks through ways to use editorial book reviews in your marketing, from choosing an excerpt to building a simple campaign. If you’re new to the terminology, our guide to editorial reviews and reader reviews explains the difference.

Start with a specific quote and the full review

Read the whole review before choosing a line. A useful excerpt tells readers something concrete: perhaps the mystery has an intricate puzzle, the memoir offers an intimate perspective, or the nonfiction book explains a difficult subject clearly. Broad praise can feel encouraging, but a precise observation helps the right reader recognise a good fit.

Keep the source, author or publication name, review date, and original link together in your notes. Check the publication’s quotation and image-use terms before reusing its text, logo, badge, or artwork. If the terms are unclear, ask for permission and the preferred attribution. Sharing a short excerpt with a link is a different request from reproducing the entire review.

Preserve the meaning of the passage. Don’t remove a qualifying phrase or join fragments in a way that changes the reviewer’s opinion. If a review says the pacing is slow but rewards patient readers, presenting it as praise for a fast-paced thriller sets the wrong expectation.

1. Put the review beside the book on your author website

Your book’s page is a natural home for an editorial quote. Place a short excerpt near the description or sample chapter, add clear attribution, and link to the full review. Visitors should be able to see which book was reviewed without having to hunt through a general testimonials page.

Keep the quote readable as text, even if you also create a graphic. An image containing tiny type is difficult to read on a phone. If the graphic repeats the same nearby text, avoid making readers work through the same wording twice.

A simple arrangement is enough: book cover, a brief description, the attributed review excerpt, and one clear next step such as “Read a sample.” You can still offer buying links below it, but the review should help a visitor make an informed choice.

2. Give newsletter readers a reason to care

A newsletter announcement works better when it connects the review to the book itself. Instead of sending only “We got a great review,” explain what the reviewer noticed and share a small piece of the story behind it.

Illustrative newsletter structure: “A new review of [Book Title] focuses on [specific theme or feature]. That matters to me because [brief personal context]. Here’s a short excerpt: [permitted quotation and attribution]. You can read the full review here: [link].”

Choose one main action for that email. You might invite subscribers to read the review, try a sample, or learn more about the book. Give each message a purpose instead of stacking several competing requests beneath the quote.

3. Build social posts around the book’s appeal

For a social graphic, choose one short, permitted excerpt and give it enough space to be readable. Include the book title and source. Use the caption to explain the premise or the aspect of the book highlighted by the reviewer, then provide the appropriate link for that platform.

You can approach the same review from different angles without posting the same image repeatedly. One post might discuss the central relationship; another might explain the research behind the setting. Each should give readers something useful beyond another announcement of praise.

• Check the crop: make sure the title, quotation, and attribution remain visible in the platform’s preview.
• Check the cover: use the correct edition and avoid stretching the artwork.
• Check readability: view the image at phone size before posting.
• Check the destination: send readers to the full review or a relevant book page, whichever matches the caption.

4. Add selected review coverage to your press kit

A press kit can help a journalist, podcast host, bookseller, or event organiser understand your book quickly. Include the book description, author biography, contact details, cover image, and a small selection of attributed review excerpts or links.

Choose coverage relevant to the person receiving the kit. A podcast about historical research may be more interested in a review’s comments on the setting than its remarks about romantic tension. Keep the full source available so they can read the surrounding context.

An editorial review is one part of your introduction. It does not replace a clear pitch explaining why your book fits that outlet or event, and it does not guarantee coverage.

5. Check the rules before using a quote on retailer pages or covers

Retailers have different fields and rules for editorial material, and those can change. Check the current guidance for the retailer and marketplace you use before placing a quote on a product page. Avoid treating an editorial excerpt as if it were a customer review submitted by a reader.

For a print cover or another permanent design, confirm the permitted wording, attribution, and use of any logo or seal before approving the final file. A long quotation that reads well on a website may be too small to read on a paperback thumbnail.

If your separate goal is to encourage customer feedback on Amazon, follow our guide to honest Amazon book reviews. Keep that process distinct from sharing editorial coverage.

A simple plan for your next review

• Collect: save the full review link and record any quotation or artwork permissions.
• Choose: select one or two accurate excerpts that describe the book’s appeal.
• Place: update the relevant book page on your author website.
• Share: prepare a newsletter item and a few social posts, each with its own context.
• Check: test the links, attribution, and phone layout before publishing.
• Measure: compare the response with your usual posts or emails, then keep the placements that help readers take a useful next step.

Useful signals include clicks to your book page, sample reads, newsletter sign-ups, or enquiries. Likes can tell you that a post caught attention, but they do not tell you whether someone explored the book. A single campaign is also too small a sample to establish what will work every time.

What if the review is mixed?

Read the criticism before deciding how to use the review. You may find a fair observation that helps you describe the book more accurately or improve a future manuscript. You don’t have to turn every review into promotional material.

If you quote a positive passage from a mixed review, retain its meaning and provide the source. Avoid suggesting that the reviewer offered an unqualified endorsement when they did not. Clear expectations help readers choose a book they are more likely to enjoy.

Still looking for an editorial review?

Our guide to getting an editorial review for a self-published book explains how to prepare and compare options. For Book Nerdection’s current submission details, visit our editorial book review service page.

A thoughtful review gives you another way to introduce your book. Use it accurately, make it easy to read, and connect it to the information a potential reader needs next.

If you’re ready to approach a reviewer, use our book review request template and submission checklist to put together a clear introduction.