SALE PRICES ARE VALID until midnight PST Friday, Dec 5, 2025!
ONLINE SALE – LIMITED TIME
Check out these awesome sales!
Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration, The Chanticleer Authors Conference package that will take place in beautiful Bellingham, Wash April 16-19, 2026.
Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!
Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.
We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!
This sale ends firmly at midnight PST Friday, December 5, 2025.
Celebrating Small Business Saturday
This Small Business Saturday (November 30, 2024), we’re proud to celebrate the small businesses that make our communities thrive. As a small, independently-owned business based in Bellingham, Washington, Chanticleer Reviews and Media is honored to play a small but important role in the ever-changing publishing landscape.
Founded in 2011 with the rise of digital publishing, we’ve helped authors from across the globe navigate this exciting new era of content creation. It’s your support that allows us to continue our work, and we’re grateful for the vibrant Chanticleer community we serve.
In the spirit of Small Business Saturday, we encourage you to shop local, support indie authors, and visit your favorite small businesses. Here in Bellingham, our partner Village Books is hosting a great sale this weekend (both in-store and online)—check it out!
Thank you for being part of what makes Chanticleer so special. Together, we’re supporting the future of publishing, one author at a time.
As always, please contact us at info@ChantiReviews.com for any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
We wish you and yours a happy and safe Holiday Season
We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!
Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!
Kiffer, David, Argus, Dena, Scott, Anya and the Entire Chanticleer Team!
You can save an additional $100 by bundling with a Print Editorial Review before you click “Add to Cart!”
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We give your book the same high-quality attention we give to any bestselling title. Our editorial reviews include SEO, metadata, tagging, and long-tail promotion to ensure your book gets seen by the right people at the right time.
Save $75 on Children’s Picture Book and Early Reader Reviews
Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.
Sale Applies to:
Standard Editorial Book Review Package
Audiobook Reviews
Children’s Book Reviews
Expedited Reviews
Take your Author Career to the next level!
SAVE ON the 2026 CHANTICLEER AUTHORS CONFERENCE with this T.G.I.A.N.A.T. Discount Codes
Receive a $100 discount off CAC26 registration, The Chanticleer Authors Conference package that will take place in beautiful Bellingham, WA April 16-19, 2026.
Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!
Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.
Multi-channel Marketing
and the Business of Being a Writer
The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms
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Use this code upon checkout to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference. 6R3PQ7MEV6JV
Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once A Year CYBER SALE!
DISCOUNT CODES ARE VALID: Until midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025
Chanticleer Editorial Book Review Package for $395
Purchase the book review package now and you can redeem it anytime in the future.
Use this code upon checkout to receive the discount of $100: VJ4XVGCBMJBV
Audiobook Reviews are also eligible for Chanticleer’s only CYBER SALE of the YEAR! Use code 2CLZUVZEHADfor Audiobook Reviews!
Our Book Review Package (Regularly $495) includes SEO, Meta-Data, Tagging, Social Media Promotion, and Publication in the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine.Don’t delay! Be one of the lucky few to get in on this incredible rate.
We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!
Use this code upon checkout to receive the once a year CYBER discount of $100: VJ4XVGCBMJBV
Audio Book Reviews are also eligible for Chanticleer’s only CYBER SALE of the YEAR! Use code 2CLZUVZEHADfor Audio Reviews!
Our Book Review Package (Regularly $495) includes SEO, Meta-Data, Tagging, Social Media Promotion, and Publication in the Chanticleer Reviews Magazine. Don’t delay! Be one of the lucky few to get in on this incredible rate.
We’re offering $75 off our Children’s Book Reviews! Use the code on checkout to your book reviewed for the discounted rate of $250! Only available November 24-December 5, 2025!
Past Presenters have included: D.D. Black, Maggie Marr, Kim Hornsby, Ace, Robert Dugoni, Chris Humphreys, Scott Steindorff, and other insightful and exciting presenters!
Sessions on Fundraising for Authors, Audio Book Creation, Multiple Selling Platforms, Digital Marketing, Expanding Readership, Advanced Writing Craft and Content Creation, Understanding LLMs, Social Media Efficacy, Increasing Sales on Amazon, and SEO.
Multi-channel Marketing
and the Business of Being a Writer
The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms
Take Your Writing Craft to the Next Level at #CAC26
Use this code upon checkout to receive this $100 discount – our deepest discount for the conference. 6R3PQ7MEV6JV
Don’t Delay! Take advantage of this Once A Year CYBER SALE!
DISCOUNT CODES ARE VALID:
Monday, November 24th until midnight PST Friday, December 5th, 2025
CYBER SALE – LIMITED TIME
As always, please contact us at info@ChantiReviews.com for any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
We wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
We are thankful for you, Dear Chanticleerians!
Be well. Stay safe. Keep on Writing Because We Need Good Books More Than Ever!
Kiffer, David, Argus, Scott, Anya, Dena, and the Entire Chanticleer Team!
When it comes to selling books, getting noticed can be just as challenging as writing the manuscript itself. Readers can look at the blurb on the back of the cover or check the customer reviews online, but how can they know the quality of the writing and whether or not they’ll be carried away with story?
That’s the job of a professional Editorial Review!
Editorial reviews are professional critiques, often written by industry experts, literary critics, or reputable publications. They offer an authoritative voice that authors can use to help shape a book’s reputation before it ever reaches the bookshelves.
Chanticleer Book Reviews loves helping authors get their books noticed by providing professionally written Editorial Reviews they can use across all their marketing channels, both traditional and digital! In this blog post, we’ll explore what editorial reviews are, why they matter, and how authors can strategically use them to boost credibility, attract readers, and enhance their book’s visibility in a crowded market.
What is an Editorial Review?
Customer reviews are great at relaying the emotional response casual readers experience when reading your book, but there’s little professional control and almost zero authorial control in what the content of those reviews are. Reader Reviews tend to quite brief, and often only touch lightly on themes and events in a book. Plus, there’s no guarantee that this reader is a good fit for the book as a whole.
Editorial Reviews, on the other hand, are written by professional literary experts and provide insights into the quality of writing as well as the emotional impact these expert reviewers experienced when reading. Unlike customer reviews, Editorial Reviews are unbiased, polished assessments that focus on story elements, such as the quality of writing, originality, structure, and the overall impact provided by the narrative. From the craft of storytelling to the story itself, Editorial Reviews give readers a peek inside the reading experience to let readers know what to expect.
Why an Editorial Review Matters
Professional editorial reviews act as endorsements of your work. They take a deeper dive into the book, evaluating its bones and providing a sense of credibility and authority. That expert vetting can have a great influence on book sales and visibility for a new novel among booksellers and librarians (who often rely on reviews for purchasing decisions), literary prize committees, and readers who seek trusted recommendations when looking for their next book. Editorial Reviews help readers sift through the overwhelming number of books published every year, highlighting books with strong literary merit, originality, or cultural relevance and guiding readers toward quality content.
In short, Editorial Book Reviews function as a bridge between authors, publishers, and discerning readers, which plays a crucial role in shaping the success, reputation, and cultural impact of a book.
What to Expect from an Editorial Review
Being reviewed by a reputable book review company, such as Chanticleer Book Reviews, is key to capturing the interest of readers through effective book marketing. Each company’s review process is different. This is ours—
Clear Timeline: 6-9 weeks for standard reviews, 3-5 weeks for expedited service
Human Expertise: All reviews are read and written by professional reviewers whose other work you can view on our website
Marketing Focus: We edit each review to ensure at least 3 blurbable lines and optimize for SEO impact
Author Control: All paid reviews require your approval; we respect that no one knows your work better than you do
Throughout the process, we stay in touch with the author, letting you know when your review has begun and working with you to refine it when it’s finished. We know Editorial Reviews are meant to work as a marketing tool to introduce your story to readers, and that’s why it is important to us that we offer authors and publishers the first look at their reviews to check for any comments, edits, or corrections that are needed to get it ready for their marketing.
How You can Use an Editorial Review
To use your Editorial Review as a marketing tool look for all the ways, online and in-person, where you are presenting your book. Add a quote from the review to your book’s cover or an inside page, place it in a press release, ads, and promotional materials.
I’ve used quotes from my review in tabletop signs at book fairs and readings at libraries alongside the blurb. I’ve also used blurbs on my website, in newsletters, and on social media in memes and messages. I’ve even seen them in video trailers! – Dena
Reviews can also be part of an introductory email to bookstores and libraries, or if you are looking for an agent or publisher, an Editorial Review can provide them with a solid recommendation they can believe in. Some of our authors have purchased a review prior to their book being published for this very reason!
When it comes to your selling sites, like Amazon, quotes from your Editorial Review can be pasted right on your book’s selling page where the customer can read an expert’s opinion alongside the customer reviews. Amazon (and Goodreads, which is owned by Amazon) are great places to post quotes from the review. In fact, don’t miss out on posting your review on these pages, as Amazon is the world’s busiest purchasing website for books, and Goodreads is specifically dedicated to readers.
NOTE: A few years ago, Amazon changed its policy to limit access to selling pages to only the author. This move was prompted by the need to prevent fraud and keep control in the hands of the authors. It is Amazon’s policy not ours –even though Amazon ranked us highly and gave us special recognition.
But there IS something that only you can do—
Post a blurb from the review in the Editorial Reviews section on your book’s Amazon page!
How to post an Editorial Review to Amazon
To add an Editorial Review to your book’s Amazon selling page you must first create an Amazon Author Central account. This is the portal to your selling page to add, edit, or delete the content, all in the hopes of creating a more engaging experience for shoppers who visit your page.
If you don’t have an Amazon Author Central account, here’s the link to get you started:
The welcome page should look like this. Click on “Books” to get started (circled in red):
2. Your books will pop up and you can add as many books as you like.
3. Click on the book you want to add the Editorial Review for and you’ll next see a page that looks like this:
4. Press the “Add review” button and you’ll be able to place your editorial review, or a quote from your editorial review, into the data box, just like this:
5. Press “Preview” to make sure it looks professional, then press “Submit” to make the review go live on Amazon! You can add one review or more, we suggest adding 4 or five reviews that when combined will provide a well-rounded comment on your book. After you press “Submit” you’ll see a “Success!” message pop up on your screen that will tell you it can take 3-5 days for the review to publish, but I’ve seen the turnaround be much faster than that.
A Few Insiders Tips
For a professional look, do not post the entire review. A well-selected blurb will do nicely. Using different blurbs on different marketing pieces, your selling pages, your website, in posters, etc., will give readers considering your book a broader view of the quality and experience they’ll have when reading your book, and it will also make the blurbs fresh and enticing!
Be sure to use ellipses when using a quote from the review.
Always give attribution! We prefer “Chanticleer Book Reviews” for our Editorial Reviews.
Editorial Reviews are powerful tools that help authors show their work has been vetted by professionals. They help build trust with readers, retailers, and the industry, and can be the final decision maker when readers are at the check stand online or at their favorite corner bookstore!
We hope this quick tutorial helps you get the most out of your Chanticleer Book Review, on Amazon and across all your marketing channels!
Ready for Your Marketing Breakthrough?
Limited Time: Final Summer Push for Autumn Marketing Success!
Get your book professionally reviewed and ready for fall marketing season with our Labor Day Review Sale:
Don’t miss this opportunity to get the professional credibility your book deserves before the busy autumn reading season. Our reviews provide the marketing ammunition you need to succeed on Amazon and beyond! Complete with SEO optimization, multiple quotable lines, and the expert validation that turns browsers into buyers.
Transform your book marketing with professional Editorial Reviews that work as hard as you do. For one week only, save big on the industry credibility that turns browsers into buyers.
The Chanticleer Editorial Reviews Difference
We know the best when we see them!
Robust SEO Package That Keeps Working
Your review doesn’t just get published and forgotten. Each Chanticleer Editorial Review comes with our comprehensive All-In-One SEO (AIOSEO) package that maximizes your book’s digital footprint across Google, Bing, and other search engines. When algorithms change, we update your review to maintain high rankings, ensuring long-term marketing value that compounds over time.
Human Expertise in Your Genre
Every review is read and written by a professional reviewer who specializes in your target audience. No AI shortcuts – just expert analysis from someone who understands what makes your genre tick.
Marketing-Ready Content
We craft each review to provide at least three quotable lines you can use across all your marketing channels. From Amazon Author Central to book covers to social media, you’ll have professional endorsements ready to deploy wherever you need credibility.
Complete Marketing Package Included
Every Editorial Review comes with:
Mini-Marketing Kit featuring shelf-talkers and eye-catching silver-foil book stickers
Social media promotion across our channels with strong engagement rates
Newsletter promotion to our subscriber base
Direct links to Amazon, independent bookstores, and your author website
Author approval process for you to have final say before publication
The Review Itself:
450 words of professional analysis for full-length books
6-9 weeks standard turnaround (3-5 weeks expedited available)
Triple the engagement of our competitors on social media
Years of ongoing SEO value as we maintain and update your review’s search rankings
Thank you for this superb review! I am very pleased with it as it captures both the complexity of the battle and the human emotions and cost. I will leverage it in all my social media, with props to Chanticleer!
This review has found me humbled and speechless. I have no corrections, please publish as is. I will include it on my book’s website in the Reviews section. I’m honored and truly appreciate this magnificent review.
Thanks for your insightful review of my book, Minnesota Poems from the Outposts. I really enjoyed reading all your comments, which highlighted perceptions that I’d not entirely assembled in my own mind.
Unlike one-and-done review services, Chanticleer Editorial Reviews become permanent marketing assets. We continue promoting selected reviews through blog posts, social media features, and newsletter highlights, ensuring your investment keeps paying dividends.
Ready to Elevate Your Book Marketing?
Professional recognition provides the third-party validation that turns curious browsers into confident buyers. In a crowded marketplace, editorial credibility makes the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked.
Your book deserves professional marketing tools that match the quality of your writing. This week only, get them at our lowest prices of the year.
Bookstore Romance Day might just be your perfect match
You know the feeling. Your heart swoons for them, you squeal in excitement as companions come together in love, whatever it is, you’ve found it between the pages of a book. True romance to light a fire in your heart.
Held every August, this delightful celebration brings together two of life’s most irresistible pleasures: independent bookstores and the romance genre. It’s a day where book lovers gather to celebrate the cozy, quirky, fiercely passionate indie bookshops that make discovering those romantic tales feel like magic.
Bookstore Romance Day is your excuse (not that you needed one) to support a local business, shop small, and maybe fall in love with a book, a bookstore, or even both. Buying from a local independent bookstore makes the whole community better!
It’s time to go on a date with your town’s Indie bookstore!
Independent bookstores are the heart and soul of their communities, championing local voices and fostering meaningful connections between readers and authors. They also provide an unrestrained avenue to books that can be overlooked by a curated algorithym that threatens to overlook great, but unknown, books.
The space a bookstore inhabits is an intimate expression of the community itself. Every shelf reflects the personality and passion of the booksellers who hand-pick each title based on the desires of the readers they serve. It’s a great way to validate the diversity of your community through their varying interests in reading material.
Support Your Local Bookstore and Indie Authors!
Frequenting an indie bookstore and supporting indie authors comes from the connection, passion, and joy of storytelling shared between themselves and their community. When a reader chooses to shop local, attend readings, or simply spread the word about a favorite new release, it’s like slipping a love note into the hands of those who pour their hearts into every page and every recommendation. These small gestures create ripples—helping authors find their readers, bookstores to keep their lights on, and neighborhoods to become rich with imagination and soul. It’s a romance rooted in reciprocity: when we show up for our bookstores, they show up for us, again and again, with stories, romance and all genres, that make us laugh, cry, and believe in happy endings.
Show Your Love of Bookstores and the Romance Found Inside
Next time you stroll down to your corner independent bookstore, take a moment to think about the amazing relationship your favorite bookseller has with your community and pick up a romance to fall in love with as you celebrate Bookstore Romance Day!
Fall in love with the romantic streaks from these Chanticleer authors!
Vermilion Harvest
By Reenita M. Hora Overall Grand Prize CIBA winner!
Reenita M. Hora’s Vermilion Harvest weaves love and liberation into literary gold.
“Why do love and freedom have such a complicated relationship?” This haunting question pulses through every page of Vermilion Harvest, Hora’s breathtaking debut that creates, in one of history’s darkest moments, a luminous testament to the power of love in transcending boundaries.
A star-crossed romance sparks against the backdrop of empire.
Set in 1919 Amritsar, Vermilion Harvest introduces readers to Aruna Duggal, a nineteen-year-old Anglo-Indian schoolteacher caught between worlds—too brown for British acceptance, too white for Indian belonging. Born from violence, raised in the shadows between communities, Aruna navigates life’s margins until she meets Ayaz Peermohammed, a passionate Muslim law student from Lahore. Ayaz’s dreams of Indian independence ignite something revolutionary within Aruna’s heart.
The subtitle “A Spicy Lesbian Romance” belies the true emotional depth of Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act. This story is a testament to the unbreakable connection between a “Tribe” of 60ish lesbian women, and the unexpected possibility of love appearing even in the darkest of times.
The story opens as Shannon, a member of the Tribe, witnesses her lifelong best friend, Linda, pass away after a decade-long battle with breast cancer.
Shannon has been by Linda’s side during the last part of her battle, and now she’s the friend who sends the rest of The Tribe the simple message “She’s gone.” They make a plan to come together on Labor Day weekend to celebrate Linda’s life at Shannon’s family’s beachside resort on the Jersey shore in the hopes that the closeness and comfort they’ve shared as friends all these years will help them begin to heal. When they arrive at the coastal cottage, they toast their friendship with a quote from Rumi, “Friend our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, you feel me in the firmness underneath you.”
It is here, with the gathered Tribe, that we begin to understand the long, complicated history between Shannon O’Connell and Elizabeth Mathews.
Antonia Gavrihel shows off superb storytelling and narration skills in her audiobook, Back to One, where passion, family, and, most importantly, friendship clash in an emotionally intimate slow-burn romance.
When Catherine Leigh meets famous actor Kyle Weston at a Hollywood party, an unbreakable bond snaps into place. But, while Cate and Kyle each acknowledge this intense connection, their life situations make a courtship impossible. Cate is happily married, and Kyle’s career leaves him with little time for any personal ties.
The two vow to take romance off the table and love each other as best friends—or at least try to.
Cate and her young family help reinvigorate Kyle’s strained relationship with his son Scott, while Kyle revives Cate’s acting career. This surprisingly wholesome romance focuses on the support that two true friends can give each other, and how it forms a strong foundation to lean on during difficult times.
Back to One, Gavrihel’s debut novel, was quickly followed up with three additional books in the series of the same name. This audiobook version brings even more vibrancy to her work.
Spruce Harbor Possibilities, the second book in David A. Stone’s Spruce Harbor series, pulls an independent bookstore owner and a savvy tech billionaire into an improbable whirlwind romance, but each with their own reasons to be guarded about love.
Romantic Maggie Bennett’s last breakup diminished her self-confidence, and she’s since put all her energy into running her cozy literary shop in the small community of Spruce Harbor, Washington. Her best friend and co-worker Bobby wants her to get back in the dating game, but for the moment Maggie contents herself with the solace of her bookstore and her Golden Retriever, Mr. Darcy.
That is until Jason Porter arrives in town.
Handsome and extremely wealthy, Jason was co-founder of the Lifestar Gaming Company, recently and unceremoniously sacked by the Board of Directors and his business partner.
Though they come from different worlds, there’s an undeniable attraction between Maggie and Jason.
Luca Lucchesi had it all—a successful restaurant, a loving wife, an adoring mother. Then it all came crashing down. Occhi Belli by Tim McDonald explores the depths of Luca’s despair, his battle with alcohol, and ultimately his journey back to life—and love.
Luca hadn’t planned to work in the restaurant industry but eighteen years later there he was, what one would call a “lifer.” Time flows differently in the lives of restaurant people, and it flew by for Luca. He was coming up on Occhi Belli’s tenth anniversary but felt like he’d opened it just yesterday. Luca’s vision had been a simple one—to build a great restaurant with great food and great characters. With that goal in mind, he built Occhi Belli into a hugely successful neighborhood gem in north Seattle. He’d poured his life into it and truly loved it, but at what price?
He knows he drinks too much, but it is part of the world in which he lives. So far, he’s been lucky and has never been caught driving after drinking. Then his luck runs out.
He totals his car, is hit with a DUI, and his life begins to unravel. His wife, Lillian, announces she’s had enough and files for divorce. After nine years of watching Luca put his restaurant and alcohol before her and their marriage, she chooses her own well-being over his. But suddenly single at thirty-six, Lillian wonders what she will do next.
Celebrate the Romance Genre with Professional Recognition
Romance is one of the most beloved and marketable genres today, and a little romance goes a long way in making any book more appealing to readers. Professional recognition helps your love story stand out in this competitive but rewarding market.
Got a great romance read?Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviews provide the professional third-party validation that romance authors need to build credibility with readers. Our comprehensive reviews serve as powerful marketing material, giving you polished content to share with romance readers who are always hungry for their next great love story.
Confident you’ll get a great review? Consider submitting to the Chanticleer International Book Awards Chatelaine Romance Division. Whether you’re writing contemporary romance, historical love stories, romantic suspense, or steamy sensual fiction, the Chatelaine Awards recognize outstanding romance across all subgenres.
Award recognition adds prestige to your romance novel while providing ongoing marketing material that resonates with romance readers—one of the most loyal and enthusiastic reading communities. Romance readers trust recommendations, and professional recognition signals quality they can count on.
The romance market rewards authors who invest in professional credibility. Give your love story the recognition it deserves.
Few sights are more thrilling than seeing your book lined up on an independent bookstore shelf—your name on the spine, your story ready to find its perfect reader.
Getting there takes more than luck. It requires strategy, relationship-building, and understanding how bookstores actually operate.
After speaking with event coordinators, consignment managers, buyers, and successful authors, we’ve gathered the most practical advice for getting your book into independent bookstores. The good news? There are three distinct pathways to explore, and each offers unique opportunities for building lasting relationships with booksellers.
The Three Pathways to Bookstore Success
Understanding your options helps you choose the right approach for your situation and goals:
Events – Host readings, signings, or launch parties Consignment – Place books directly with individual stores Wholesale Orders – Get picked up through distributors like Ingram
Each pathway requires different preparation, but all share one crucial element: treating booksellers with genuine respect and professionalism.
The Golden Rule of Bookstore Relationships
Before diving into strategies, remember this fundamental truth: day-to-day booksellers are often the people who will hand-sell your book to customers. Making a positive impression isn’t just good manners—it directly impacts your sales potential. Consciously or unconsciously, people are less inclined to recommend books by authors who’ve treated them poorly.
The publishing world is surprisingly small, and bookstore networks are even smaller. Always maintain your professionalism, even during challenging interactions. Your reputation travels faster than you might expect.
Pathway #1: Starting with Events
Our own David Beaumier at an author event
Most authors connect with bookstores through events first. This approach builds relationships while giving you immediate face-to-face time with both booksellers and potential readers.
Research Before You Reach Out
Visit the bookstore’s website and thoroughly explore their events section. Understanding their process, requirements, and calendar helps you ask informed questions rather than basic ones that signal you haven’t done your homework.
Respect Their Time and Schedule
Bookstore staff often wear multiple hats, so timing matters enormously. If an events coordinator prefers meeting in person, work within their schedule. Showing up unannounced or at inconvenient times can create resentment rather than opportunity.
Take Ownership of Your Promotion
Think of bookstore events like editorial reviews or book awards—the venue provides some promotion, but their audience is broader than yours. Not everyone who follows their social media will be interested in your specific book.
Your promotional responsibilities include:
Using any media kit templates the bookstore provides
Reaching out to local publications and media
Connecting with regional bookseller associations (like the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association)
Leveraging your own social media and newsletter
The most successful events happen when you leverage multiple forms of promotion simultaneously.
Pathway #2: Consignment Programs
Rather than jumping straight to wholesale orders, research whether bookstores offer consignment programs. In consignment arrangements, you act as your own distributor—delivering books directly and managing inventory.
The Consignment Advantage
Better profit margins: You can receive as much as 70% of sales revenue
Direct relationships: Regular contact builds stronger connections with staff
Flexibility: Easier to adjust inventory based on what’s actually selling
Smart Consignment Management
Ruth Amanda, the 2024 CIBA Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner, offers brilliant practical advice: keep a master list of every consignment location with contact names and phone numbers. Once quarterly, make your rounds in one efficient sweep, calling ahead to check inventory levels.
Pro tip: When visiting to restock, give advance notice of your arrival time. This courtesy allows bookstore staff to plan their day and potentially spend time discussing how your book is performing or ways to improve its placement.
Pathway #3: Getting Picked Up by Buyers
The ultimate goal for many authors is having bookstores order directly through distributors like Ingram. This creates ongoing sales without requiring you to manage individual store relationships.
Understanding “At Terms”
Bookstores look for books available “at terms,” which means:
Returnable: You accept returns of unsold inventory
Regular discount: Typically 45% off retail price for bookstores
The Returns Reality
Don’t return the toys!
Returns can feel scary because it means you pay shipping both ways, and money you thought you’d earned gets clawed back. For paperbacks, you can opt for “destroy returns” where bookstores remove the cover and recycle the rest rather than shipping books back.
However, non-returnable books face significant disadvantages. With bookstores operating on thin margins and limited shelf space, they’re less likely to risk inventory space on non-returnable titles when proven authors offer returnable options.
The Magic of “REG” Status
When you set your wholesale discount at 45%, a special code appears on Ingram’s ordering system: “REG” (regular discount). This green flag signals to bookstore buyers that your book meets industry standards for wholesale ordering.
Most bookstores will work with discounts as low as 35%, but that 45% threshold creates preferential treatment in ordering systems.
Getting on Ingram
Ingram dominates English-language book distribution worldwide. For independent authors, they’re the primary distributor that bookstores trust and use regularly. The good news? Getting your books into their system is straightforward through services like IngramSpark.
The most successful authors understand that bookstore relationships often extend beyond business transactions. Ruth Amanda’s experience illustrates this perfectly: a gift shop owner whose grandson loves Ruth’s writing became a champion who helped her get into five additional gift shops, plus museums that now carry her books.
When someone champions your book:
Express genuine gratitude
Keep them updated on new releases
Offer them first copies or special editions
Remember that these relationships can open unexpected doors
Champions can emerge from the most unlikely places—gift shop owners, bookstore customers, even other authors. Stay open to possibilities and nurture relationships that feel authentic.
Professional Presentation Materials
When approaching bookstores, treat your materials like a gift that shows respect for their time and consideration.
Essential Media Kit Components
Your book (obviously)
Professional sell sheet with key details and selling points
Promotional materials like bookmarks, pins, or branded items
Personal touch like tissue paper, color coordination, or small treats
The presentation signals that you take your work and their consideration seriously.
In-Store Promotional Opportunities
Once you’ve established a relationship, ask about additional promotional support:
Shelf talkers highlighting your book
Bookmarks for customers
Window display opportunities
Cross-promotion with related events
A shelf talker for Chanticleer Author Susan Faw’s Award Winning book, Seer of Souls
Don’t assume these opportunities exist, but don’t hesitate to ask. The worst they can say is no, and many bookstores appreciate authors who think proactively about sales support.
Timing Your Approach
Best timing for initial contact: When you have a finished cover and confirmed publication date
Follow-up protocol: Reach out twice over two weeks, then call to ask about preferred contact timing if you haven’t heard back
Relationship maintenance: Quarterly check-ins for consignment, annual updates for wholesale accounts
Setting Realistic Expectations
Courting bookstores requires persistence, patience, and thick skin. Not every store will be interested, and that’s normal rather than personal rejection. Focus on building genuine relationships with stores that align with your book’s audience and your values as an author.
Success often builds slowly. One store can lead to referrals, one event creates ongoing relationships, one champion opens multiple doors you never expected.
Your Next Steps
Getting a self-published book into bookstores is essentially a job in itself. But independent authors have already proven they possess the essential qualities: persistence, patience, and unwavering belief that their book deserves shelf space.
Start with research, approach with professionalism, and remember that every successful author-bookstore relationship began with that first respectful conversation.
Professional Support for Bookstore-Ready Books
When approaching bookstores, presentation quality matters enormously. Booksellers can immediately spot the difference between professionally prepared books and amateur efforts.
Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviewsprovide the professional third-party validation that bookstores respect. Our comprehensive reviews serve as powerful marketing material while offering robust SEO optimization that maintains long-term value. When bookstore buyers see professional review credentials, it signals serious authorship.
Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) recognition creates the “award-winning author” credentials that help books stand out in competitive markets. Our 28 divisions across fiction and non-fiction categories provide multiple opportunities for recognition that bookstores and customers value.
Both services generate the professional credibility that serious bookstore relationships require—exactly the kind of validation that transforms good books into shelf-worthy titles.
Discover how professional recognition enhances your bookstore prospects
A Strategic Guide to Reader Engagement and Audience Growth
Your author newsletter isn’t just another marketing obligation—it’s your most direct path to sustainable reader relationships and long-term book sales.
Email marketing remains the highest-converting digital marketing channel, yet it’s easy to treat author newsletters as afterthoughts. While social media algorithms limit your reach and book retailers control your visibility, your author newsletter represents the only marketing channel you truly own. When developed strategically, it becomes your most powerful tool for sustained reader engagement and genre-specific audience development.
Why Your Author Newsletter Matters More Than You Think
The GOAL!
Professional authors recognize that newsletter subscribers convert to book buyers at significantly higher rates than social media followers. Unlike platform-dependent marketing strategies, your email list provides direct access to engaged readers who have explicitly requested your content. Publishers and agents increasingly evaluate authors based on email subscriber metrics, understanding that a quality newsletter audience indicates genuine reader demand and marketing capability.
The most successful authors don’t just collect email addresses—they cultivate reader communities through consistent, valuable newsletter content that strengthens the author-reader relationship with every issue.
Building Your Newsletter Foundation
Hari Seldon understands the importance of a good Foundation
The blinking cursor is hard enough when it comes to creative writing, but for many authors marketing poses a unique challenge. Reframing newsletter writing as something you can do with prompts can turn it into a strategy for success!
Author newsletters can be thought of in two main arms: personal connection and professional value. For both of these, focus in on what engages readers and drives those open rates.
Prompts for your Newsletter
Writing Journey: Writing Craft and Wins
Behind the scenes strategies for making your writing work. No one shares the same experience as a writer, and giving insight into your unique journey can draw readers in! Consider what you feel like you’re an expert in: World Building, Character Development, Dialogue.
And it’s not just writing craft! Share achievements authentically—book awards, positive reviews, speaking engagements, or publishing milestones. These updates build credibility and social proof while keeping readers invested in your career trajectory. Frame these as shared celebrations rather than simple announcements.
Reading Recommendations and Genre Insights
Writers are a great voice within their own genre, and you have the book recommendations to prove it! Thoughtful recommendations can follow a formula to make them easier to write such as a star rating, plot summary, what you loved the most, and who would be the best reader for that. Not only do these recommendations help drive engagement with your readers, but it can help connect you with other authors, creating two valuable links for you!
Exclusive Content and Early Access
These are often the lead magnets of your newsletter. A free short story or that prologue you wrote that didn’t make it into your final draft can be great bonus content for people who already love your work or to bring in people who are just discovering it.
Other great benefits can be raffles, access to playlists you write to, opportunities to join your ARC Team, and so much more! The list of ways you can reward people for following you are nearly limitless. All this helps them feel like subscribing to your newsletter is a privilege, not an obligation.
Mastering Newsletter Subject Lines
Your subject line determines whether readers open your newsletter or delete it. Focus on the most compelling element of each issue rather than generic announcements.
Instead of: “Monthly Author Update” Try: “The Research Discovery That Changed My Entire Plot”
Instead of: “New Book Release” Try: “Three Years of Writing Led to This Moment”
Instead of: “Newsletter #47” Try: “Why I Almost Deleted This Entire Manuscript”
The most effective subject lines create curiosity while promising specific value relevant to your genre audience.
Multi-Channel Marketing for Audience Growth
We all start somewhere
Event-Based Acquisition: Maximize both virtual and in-person events for newsletter growth. Create QR codes linking directly to signup pages, offer event-exclusive subscriber bonuses, and position newsletter signup as continued connection rather than marketing obligation. Physical sign-up sheets are also great for people who are tired of dealing with screens all day.
Cross-Promotion Opportunities: Participate in genre-specific newsletter cross-promotions with fellow authors and through podcast tours. Having a website with a newsletter and landing page is a great way to make sure people who look you up can find an easy way to stay up to date after that first or second good impression.
Website Optimization: Ensure newsletter signup is prominent but not intrusive on your author website. Multiple signup opportunities—header, sidebar, post-content, and dedicated landing pages—increase conversion without overwhelming visitors.
Maintaining Consistency and Relevance
Successful author newsletters benefit from consistent publishing schedules and strategic content planning. Develop an editorial calendar that balances personal updates with genre-relevant content, seasonal considerations, and book release timing.
Brandon Sanderson, an author famous not only for his exceptional success as a writer of high fantasy, but also for his record-breaking Kickstarter campaigns, recommends a minimum of two newsletters a year. Most authors can probably swing once a month. Find a system that works with your schedule and ability to create engaging content and run it from there!
Measuring Newsletter Success
Track metrics that indicate genuine reader engagement rather than vanity numbers.
Recent industry data shows that the overall average email open rate across all industries is 39.7%, with newsletters focusing on specific niches achieving 16% higher open rates than general content. Welcome emails perform exceptionally well, with an average open rate of 47%, making your initial subscriber communication crucial for long-term engagement.
Click-through rates typically range from 1.0% for general industry averages to 3.2% for well-optimized campaigns. Interactive or dynamic newsletters achieve 2x more engagement than static content, suggesting that authors should incorporate multimedia elements and engaging formats.
Key Performance Indicators for Author Newsletters:
Open rates by content type (identify your most engaging topics)
Click-through rates to book purchase links (measure commercial effectiveness)
Subscriber growth rate and retention (track audience development)
Direct responses and reader interaction (gauge community engagement)
Book sales correlation with newsletter campaigns (measure ROI)
The Importance of Welcome Emails
Your welcome email represents the highest-engagement opportunity in your entire newsletter strategy. With average open rates of 47%, this first impression often determines long-term subscriber engagement. Use welcome emails to set expectations, deliver your promised lead magnet, and establish the value proposition that will keep readers opening future newsletters.
Building to Benchmark Performance
Don’t expect immediate success with industry-average metrics. The typical conversion rate from free to paid newsletter subscriptions is around 5%, but building a quality engaged audience takes time and consistent value delivery. Focus on delivering exceptional content to your niche audience rather than chasing vanity metrics. Newsletters with A/B testing and comprehensive pre-send quality checks achieve 28% higher returns than those published without optimization.
Where to Start
There are quite a few newsletter platforms out there, and it’s worth doing a little research to determine what’s the right fit for you.
Mailchimp: The Comprehensive Solution Mailchimp offers sophisticated tools and extensive customization opportunities that can elevate your author newsletter to professional standards. The platform excels in automation capabilities, detailed analytics, and integration options with other marketing tools. However, new users often find the interface complex and less intuitive initially. The learning curve is worth the investment, particularly for authors serious about email marketing optimization. Mailchimp offers a free tier for up to 500 subscribers, making it accessible for emerging authors, but costs increase significantly as your subscriber base grows. You can see our write up on Mailchimp here!
Substack: The Creator-Focused Choice Substack has revolutionized newsletter publishing by combining simplicity with powerful monetization features. The platform functions as both a newsletter service and a content discovery network, potentially expanding your reader base through its built-in social features. Everything about Substack prioritizes ease of use—from scheduling newsletters to managing subscriber interactions. The platform’s standout features include seamless paid subscription integration, content paywalls for premium readers, and direct financial support from subscribers. For authors considering paid newsletter models, Substack’s integrated payment system eliminates technical barriers to monetization.
Additional Platform Considerations Beyond these popular options, authors should also evaluate Kit – formerly ConvertKit (excellent for creator-focused automation), Beehiiv (rapid growth in creator economy), and MailerLite (budget-friendly with solid features). Your choice should align with your technical comfort level, monetization goals, and long-term audience development strategy.
Learn from the Best
We know the best when we see them!
Lately, we’ve been discussing our favorite newsletters with some of our authors. Here are some great options to follow:
Your author newsletter represents direct access to readers who have chosen to hear from you regularly. With strategic content development, consistent value delivery, and professional audience growth tactics, your newsletter becomes more than a marketing tool—it becomes the foundation of a sustainable writing career built on genuine reader relationships.
One last tip: Overlap between Social Media and Newsletters
Any section that you write about on your newsletter can be turned into multiple social media posts. Anything that’s more text intensive can be a great Facebook post or thread on Bluesky, and anything image focused can be great for Instagram or TikTok! If you’re one of those authors with video skills, you can even turn your newsletter into a script and use sections for short form content. You can read more about our social media suggestions here!
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox article.
Looking to add more wins and news to share with your readers? Consider getting professional validation that enhances your author platform and provides compelling newsletter content. A Chanticleer Editorial Review offers you a comprehensive professional assessment that not only serves as powerful marketing material but also comes with robust SEO optimization through our AIOSEO package. When algorithms change, we update your review’s online presence to maintain high search engine rankings, ensuring long-term marketing value.
For authors seeking recognition that resonates with readers, our Book Awards program features 28 divisions across fiction and non-fiction categories. These awards create multiple tiers of achievement that strengthen your digital footprint and provide ongoing marketing material for newsletters, social media, and author bios. We regularly hear from authors that award recognition increases book sales when results are announced, giving you concrete success stories to share with your newsletter subscribers.
You know you want it…
Both services provide the professional third-party validation that serious authors need while generating authentic content for reader engagement—exactly the kind of wins and achievements that make compelling newsletter material.
The Rise of Bluesky: A New Frontier for Author Marketing
Bluesky has emerged as a compelling social media alternative for authors seeking fresh ways to connect with readers and fellow writers. As this decentralized platform surpasses 30 million users as of February 2025, authors are discovering its unique advantages for building literary communities and marketing their books in a less cluttered digital environment.
This growing platform offers a refreshing approach to social networking that addresses many pain points authors experience with other social media options. Its focus on transparency, user control, and community-building makes it particularly well-suited for writers looking to establish meaningful connections with their target audience.
What is Bluesky
Bluesky was created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and, in the simplest terms, it is a decentralized social media app that runs similar to Twitter in its design and algorithms. As of February 2025, this up-and-coming platform surpassed 30 million users, and while growth has slowed since its last spike, the network is continuing to see more users come on board.
The most notable difference between Bluesky and other social media platforms is its use of a decentralized social network protocol. AT Protocol is a tool that allows users to see how the platform works and build their own apps with an innate ability to connect with Bluesky. This provides users with more accessibility, transparency, and the ability to take your followers, posts, and username with you if you switch to another network—a necessary update for most users.
Bluesky also provides more customizable features that give the user more control over what we see, the rules you set for moderation in the different communities you join, and more options to block content, accounts, hashtags, etc.
What Makes Bluesky Different for Authors
Of course, these changes appear to be positive for Bluesky’s users, but what about authors specifically?
Great news! Authors are finding a home on Bluesky, where they are connecting with the literary world, other writers, and fans.
Bluesky is prioritizing a sense of community with a less vitriolic style of communication and a more supportive environment. The perfect place for authors! You’ll also find less ads and bot-created content, which is a refreshing change. Overall, Bluesky feels like it’s less complicated than other social media sites when it comes to the backend operations of analytics, scheduling, etc. Part of this is that functionality is limited in some areas, such as pre-scheduling posts, but the way Bluesky is designed, both in functioning and aesthetics, is intuitive.
Even new authors can dive into the right community quickly. Their “Starter Pack” feature curates collections of users with custom feeds that align with the topic of your choosing, such as ‘authors.’ All you have to do is select the Starter Packs subheading to the right of Feeds. Click Create, and that’s where you’ll find Bluesky’s tools, including the Starter Pack, then just add a name and description, and you are ready to meet some new Bluesky friends!
Five Tips to Get Started on Bluesky Right Now
Authors can maximize their presence on Bluesky by implementing these five targeted strategies designed to build visibility and engagement:
1. Craft an Author-Focused Profile that Converts
Creating a compelling author profile is the foundation of successful Bluesky marketing. Include these essential elements:
A professional yet approachable profile picture that matches your author brand
A concise bio highlighting your genre, notable works, and any awards or recognition
Strategic links to your author website, preferred bookstore, or latest release
Relevant keywords that help readers interested in your genre find your profile
Include any professional recognition you’ve received such as Book Awards or Editorial Reviews
Pro Tip: Think of your Bluesky profile as a micro author website—it should clearly communicate your unique value proposition as a writer within seconds.
2. Leverage Decentralization to Find Your Reader Communities
One of Bluesky’s strongest features is its ability to connect authors with niche communities of engaged readers:
Identify and join communities related to your specific genre using relevant hashtags (#TrueCrime, #UrbanRomance, #HistoricalFiction)
Study community guidelines to understand what content resonates with members
Participate authentically before introducing your books or writing
Create custom feeds that aggregate content from your ideal reader demographic
This targeted approach allows authors to focus marketing efforts on readers already interested in their genre, rather than broadcasting to a general audience.
3. Develop a Strategic Posting Plan
Effective Bluesky marketing requires thoughtful content creation that balances promotion with value:
Share insights into your writing process that readers can’t find elsewhere
Post high-quality visual content featuring your book covers, teaser quotes, and reader reviews
Create unique hashtags for your books and encourage readers to use them
Host interactive Q&A sessions to build reader relationships
Maintain a consistent posting schedule to build audience expectations
Document authentic moments from your author journey through images and short videos
The most successful authors on Bluesky treat their content as an extension of their books—providing value while showcasing their unique voice and perspective.
4. Expand Your Author Network Strategically
Growing your Bluesky presence requires proactive community building:
Offer followers exclusive content and early announcements to reward engagement
Share limited-access material like short stories, character sketches, or alternate endings
Collaborate with complementary authors in your genre for cross-promotion
Create virtual book clubs or writing challenges to foster community
Encourage and highlight reader-generated content about your books
Balance promotional posts with valuable content that serves your audience
Remember that successful author marketing on Bluesky isn’t about promoting a single book but building a sustainable author brand that supports your entire writing career.
5. Measure and Refine Your Bluesky Strategy
Data-driven decision making separates professional author marketing from casual social media use:
Track engagement patterns using Bluesky’s analytics tools
Experiment methodically with different posting times, formats, and content types
Identify which content generates the most meaningful reader interactions
Adjust your strategy based on performance data
Set specific goals for your Bluesky presence tied to broader marketing objectives
This analytical approach ensures authors invest their valuable time in activities that genuinely advance their marketing goals rather than simply accumulating vanity metrics.
Bluesky is for Authors
For authors committed to building sustainable careers, Bluesky represents a valuable addition to their marketing toolkit. The platform’s emphasis on transparency, authentic connection, and user control aligns perfectly with what today’s readers expect from author interactions.
While Bluesky’s user base continues to grow, its quality of engagement often surpasses that of larger platforms. Authors who establish themselves early on Bluesky position themselves advantageously as the platform expands, building valuable reader relationships in a less competitive environment.
The strategic approaches outlined above will help authors leverage Bluesky’s unique features while integrating this platform into a comprehensive book marketing strategy that drives long-term career success.
Thank you for joining us for this Writer Toolbox Article
There is so much to learn and do with Chanticleer!
From our Book Award Program that has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to our Editorial Book Reviews recognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!
Hungry for more? These articles can help you go even further in marketing:
Social media platforms like Bluesky are valuable tools in your author marketing arsenal, but truly professional authors know the importance of third-party validation and expert promotion. Chanticleer’s professional services are designed specifically for authors serious about maximizing their book’s visibility:
Chanticleer Editorial Book Reviews: Our professionally crafted, SEO-optimized reviews complement your social media efforts by providing the credibility that comes from respected third-party assessment. Each review is strategically written to improve your book’s discoverability across all platforms—including social media sites like Bluesky where you can share snippets to enhance your authority. Learn more about our Editorial Review service here.
Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs): While building your social media presence is important, award recognition creates promotional opportunities that social posting alone cannot match. The CIBAs give your book multiple visibility opportunities and provide prestigious credentials you can feature prominently in your Bluesky profile. When you submit your book to the CIBAs today, you’re joining a community of excellence that readers trust.
You know you want it…
Don’t let your great book remain hidden online. With Chanticleer’s professional services working alongside your social media marketing efforts, you’ll find more readers than ever before.
