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Blog • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

BookBaby Review: Read This First

BookBaby is a one-stop-shop for almost any self-publishing service you could ask for. While unusually expensive and somewhat opaque, BookBaby’s packages are a popular option for authors who are time-poor (and cash-rich).

• Get your manuscript edited, designed, and distributed in one place.
• Quick, guaranteed turnaround times for editing
• Weekly royalty payments
• Good online support via email and phone
• Unusually high setup costs for print on demand
• The “Complete Self-Publishing Package” no longer offers Facebook ads
• Little choice of editing and design professionals
• Incredibly expensive

For this review, the team at Reedsy has analyzed BookBaby's offerings with an aim to provide transparency and context. As a network of over 1,500 professional editors and book designers , we've helped thousands of self-published authors take their book to market. This puts us in a unique position to compare the quality and value of publishing services in relation to industry standards.

What is BookBaby?

BookBaby is a platform for self-publishing authors that includes editing, design, and marketing services, as well as distribution packages for both ebooks and print books. Over the past couple of years, it’s become one of the most high-profile print-on-demand (POD) companies for authors and continues to be a popular choice in 2024.

Five fast facts about BookBaby:

• Founded in 2011 and based outside of Philadelphia in Pennsauken, New Jersey 
• President is James Foley
• Approximately 8,000 users in 2018 (though not all have actually published a book) 
• Distributes through Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers in over 170 countries 
• Hosts an annual Independent Authors Conference in Philadelphia, with workshops and panels from industry experts 

BookBaby offers several packages and individual services for self-publishing authors. We’ll break down the main ones for you here, but you can check out the full list on their website.

Complete Self-Publishing Package: Not quite complete

Priced at $1,790, BookBaby’s mid-level self-publishing option includes basic cover design, ebook conversion, 25 print books, two ISBNs, plus ebook and print on demand distribution. However, note that editing services are not included. 

In a change from previous years, the Complete package no longer offers assistance with Facebook ads — a feature now found in Bookbaby’s Deluxe package ($2,290).

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Print Distribution: Good quality, priced impractically

Already have your manuscript and cover prepared? Then you’ll want to go with the printed book distribution package, which uses BookBaby’s Print on Demand service. This allows you to choose from various aesthetic options, order high-quality print copies, and sell your book all over the world.

This option comes with a few caveats. First: this is not precisely a Print on Demand option. It’s first and foremost an offset printing supplier that also offers print on demand services so long as the author first makes an order of 25+ books.

Second caveat: their $399 price tag is on top of your actual print order. For reference, 100 copies of a 300-page book will set you back $861. Add the setup fee and shipping, and your total comes to $1,260 for this particular package.

So what does that $399 fetch you? BookBaby touts its extensive distribution network, including every major retailer in the world — but this is a lot of money to pay for that sort of access when competitors like KDP Print offer an on-demand service with little-to-no setup fee.

Ebook Distribution: Pay upfront, get more royalties later

Alternatively, if you don’t want to print any books, you can opt for Bookbaby's $338 ebook conversion and distribution package instead. Though BookBaby plays up its file conversion service and quality checks by “conversion specialists,” you’re mainly paying for the distribution once again. As with the print package, your ebook will be sold in 60+ stores in over 170 countries.

While authors can find distributors like Draft2Digital with little-to-no setup cost, they will keep 10% of net royalties. After BookBaby’s initial payment, all fees are paid to the author. If you’re playing the pure numbers game, BookBaby’s ebook distribution cost will “earn itself back” after your book has made its first $3,380. It's important to bear in mind, however, that this is a business model that doesn't give them much incentive to help you sell more books.

Editing: Flat rates for anonymous editors

Now let’s talk about individual services. For copy editing, BookBaby charges $7/page, while line editing is $10/page. Their site does promise rapid turnaround times at these prices: 8-10 business days for a full line edit, and just 6-8 days for a line edit. These turnaround times are very competitive, and BookBaby claims that their network of editors “work with traditionally published authors in every genre, including many on the New York Times Best Sellers list.”

Putting BookBaby’s rates into perspective, a copy edit for a 300-page book would cost $2,100, and a line edit for the same book would come to $3,000 — slightly higher than average quotes from editors on Reedsy .

Book Cover Design: Two basic options

BookBaby also touts its cover design services, which come in two modes: “Basic” ($399) and “Deluxe” ($549). The Basic design package costs $399 and includes, well, a basic cover design — a single, central image with fairly standard text. The Deluxe package, on the other hand, involves more complex imagery and text. You can see the difference between the Basic and Deluxe options in the images below and make a judgment for yourself.

The verdict: should you use BookBaby?

BookBaby’s platform's upload and order processes are quite streamlined. For those curious as to how the final product might look, watch the video below, which directly compares printed-on-demand books from BookBaby, Blurb , and CreateSpace .  Though there’s no guarantee your book will look like hers, Mandi Lynn’s BookBaby copy has a perfectly aligned cover, text grid, and lovely creamy pages.

BookBaby also offers prompt customer service, with representatives who are always available to help you via email or phone. If support is your top priority — especially if you’re a first-time author who finds the self-publishing process confusing or overwhelming — then this could be the platform for you.

However, it cannot be denied that BookBaby’s pricing is exorbitant. If you use its POD service to print and distribute copies of a standard 200-page book, it will cost you $500 minimum, and likely much more.

Its ebook package isn’t particularly convincing either — $338 for ebook distribution sounds a bit ridiculous when you can format your ebook and publish it on Amazon for free.

Their print option also has very few use cases. The fewer POD copies you order, the less it will cost — and if you simply need copies to sell or give away yourself , there’s no need for a distribution package. So if you’re looking for a handful of high-quality proofs, BookBaby may be a viable path. And obviously, if money is not a concern for you, then have at it.

So what’s the bottom line?

BookBaby is a good option for authors who: 

• Want a simple interface and some hand-holding through the process;
• Don’t mind paying a high price for bulk orders + distribution; and/or
• Only want to print a small number of copies.

BookBaby is not a good option for authors who:

• Want to self-publish and distribute an ebook;
• Plan to print and distribute more than 25 books; and/or
• Require additional services such as editing, typesetting, marketing, etc. — you can find a much better deal elsewhere.

Reedsy rating: 3/5

2 responses

Lewis Kempfer says:

13/09/2019 – 02:47

I used BookBaby to self-publish my first book and have not had a good experience. While it’s true that you can actually reach someone at BookBaby, it’s rarely the same someone. I was assigned a rep who would supposedly shepherd my book through the entire publishing process but that turned out to be false. The printing quality is very good, although there has been a spine alignment issue—where part of the spine design shifts to either the front or the back cover. I used a professional cover designer who’s worked for Random House and knows his stuff. BookBaby could not fix the spine issue and suggested that the front and back covers and the spine all be the same color or pattern so the offset issue wouldn’t be noticeable. I’m now in a living hell due to BookBaby’s in-house printing. They do not do actual POD, at least not in any timely manner. I launched my book on September 9, 2019 and the morning of the launch my book showed the dreaded “temporarily unavailable” status on Amazon. I had followed BookBaby’s instructions and pushed HARD for sales during Amazon’s required 28-day pre-ordering period that determines if Amazon will stock copies of an author’s printed book. I invested in promotional materials, mailings, and Facebook ads to drive pre-sales. But despite my efforts, my book was still unavailable on launch day. Worse still, later on launch day the status changed to “out of stock—ships in 1 to 2 months.” Yes, MONTHS. I learned from BookBaby that my book oversold Amazon’s sales projections (a good thing I was told), yet the outcome was the same as a book with few pre-sales. Friends who pre-ordered told me they were receiving emails from Amazon asking if they wanted the cancel their order due to a two-month delay in shipping the book. I was horrified. BookBaby places all the blame on Amazon and its methodology for ordering books. But I see BookBaby as being the problem—they admit it takes them up to 10 business days to print books plus another 5 to 7 business days to get them shipped. I wouldn’t call that print on demand. So now I’m in the middle of my launch week scrambling to redirect buyers to BookBaby’s online bookstore because there is no other way to get my printed book into readers’ hands before the middle of November. This isn’t a one-time problem—it will continue to be a problem if my book sells more than the handful of copies Amazon will supposedly stock and there will always be the 1 to 2 month delay in shipping. I will be pulling my book from BookBaby and republishing with KDP, sacrificing quality for availability of product. I do NOT recommend anyone use BookBaby if he or she wants to put physical books in readers’ hands.

08/12/2019 – 04:17

A customer ordered 40 books and received ONE confirmation email. Bookbaby sent her THREE sets of 40 and charged her for 120 books ! They claim she ordered the other 80 books in 2 orders of 40 each from a second email and that their computers are NEVER wrong. They also advised me to purchase bulk copies to sell from home as the author when it is cheaper to buy them as a customer and then resell them. AVOID AVOID AVOID

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BookBaby Review: Is This the Best Platform for Self-Publishing?

This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you purchase through links I provide. Read the full disclosure .

Self-publishing is an intimidating experience if you are a first-time author. There are many things to consider like:

• Should you have a printed book or an eBook?
• How can you get a book cover that really represents what your book is about?
• Where do you distribute your book?
• How can you get people to buy it?

BookBaby makes the self-publishing process easy for you. Its experts help authors get to the marketplace by taking care of all phases of self-publishing. This support really makes the difference if you don’t know where to start. Many writers are skilled at expressing emotions and ideas in their writing but don’t necessarily have the promoting, editing, or design skills needed to create a final product that sells. That’s where BookBaby comes in!

This company will help you in every step from proofreading your work to paying out your royalties. Read on for a complete BookBaby publishing review. We’ll look at the available services, what they can do for you, the pros and cons, and how the company stacks up against other self-publishing platforms .

What Is BookBaby?

BookBaby launched in 2011 and its success is based on a print-on-demand business model. The company has helped thousands of writers publish their books. BookBaby has experts in each area of the publishing process including cover designing, formatting, editing, printing, global distribution, marketing, multi-store publishing, and obtaining ISBN (International Standard Book Number).

BookBaby promotes book genres such as:

• Fiction and nonfiction
• Religious & spiritual
• Children’s 
• Art & photography 
• Sci-fi fantasy & comic books
• Self-help & how-to guides
• Academic textbooks 
• Journals, magazines & booklets

In addition, BookBaby offers services in English and Spanish and commits to publishing your book or eBook in well-known stores like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Powell’s Books, Walmart, and many more. This way, you’ll receive higher profits from your book’s royalties.

BookBaby Packages and Services

BookBaby offers complete self-publishing packages depending on your needs. To take advantage of services such as design, editing, formatting, printing, and marketing, just send the files to the BookBaby platform and its team will do the rest. They will help create an eye-catching cover design and interior layout, as well as proofread and edit your entire book.

If you have a print-ready file in MS Word, Adobe InDesign, or PDF, you can go directly to distribution (in the US or worldwide). To help you get print-ready, BookBaby will advise you along the way, from making sure you have high-resolution images, the right margin size, a file free of sticky notes or comments, and error-free writing.

1. Print-on-Demand 

BookBaby’s print-on-demand business model is a convenient solution for self-published authors. It allows writers to distribute their books directly to retailers and readers, without having to buy and store thousands of books. With print-on-demand services, you make sure that: 

• Your book is always in stock . Your book will be in stock 365 days a year because you work directly with the printer. You have complete control over your expenses and profits. 
• Your book is always updated . You can easily make changes to your book and upload it again. Then, your next printed books and eBooks will reflect the changes you’ve made.
• The financial risk is lower . There’s no need to predict demand. This is a pay-as-you-go strategy, in which you can start with just one printed book. 
• No need for a big publisher’s approval. You have absolute control over your ideas and creativity. No one will tell you what to write. You take on all the risks and responsibilities for the promotion and marketing of your book.
• Faster printing. As you work directly with the printer , you can have your book on the shelves in a couple of weeks.
• You get higher royalties. With traditional publishing, you get low royalty rates (8 to 20 percent) and your publisher has creative control over your work, makes all marketing decisions, and takes on financial risk. With BookBaby’s print-on-demand services, you can receive 50 percent royalties on your book’s retail price.

BookBaby print-on-demand packages start at $149 for BooksShop (BookBaby’s own store) and $399 for global distribution. The company can print books from 24 to 840 pages, and all printing is done in the United States.

2. Editing and Formatting

One of the biggest perks is that BookBaby does offer extensive book editing services . This is great because even the best author needs a pro editor! The team will evaluate the structure of your ideas and writing style, and review elements such as grammar issues, misspellings, and capitalization.

Here’s a brief breakdown of BookBaby’s editing prices:

• Line editing: $10 per page 
• Copy editing: $7 per page 
• Proofreading: $3 per page
• eBook formatting: starts at $299

3. Publishing: Print and Electronic

Before your book is released, you need to decide where you want to publish it. Do you want to promote it in the US? Would you like to use international platforms to have a global reach? You also need to decide if you want only an eBook, a printed version, or both. BookBaby will take care of formatting your book to EPUB files or Mobi files, and for printed books, you can choose from predetermined sizes in hardcover or paperback.

Prices for publishing with BookBaby vary depending on the number of books you need (and additional services). There are three main publishing packages:

• Express: 25 softcover books and eBook distribution with two ISBN barcodes for $1090
• Complete: Express package plus book cover and interior formatting for $2190
• Deluxe: Complete package plus marketing services (BookShop promotion and advertising in social media) for $2890

4. Cover Design

BookBaby has high-quality cover design services for printed books and eBooks. Their prices are as follows:

• Printed Books: $599 (This option includes a free eBook cover as well)
• eBooks: $399

However, if you have your own book cover, upload it to the platform and you can skip this service.

5. Distribution and Shipping

BookBaby helps you analyze your target audience and its preferences. Also, they will ship your book to the delivery addresses you prefer. They also accept split shipping, so you can place orders for two or more locations. For instance, you can send some books to a distributor and to your house or to friends.

As soon as your order has shipped, BookBaby will send you an email with a tracking number. All shipping orders in the US use UPS, and shipping orders outside the US are delivered by DHL. You can place your orders from anywhere as BookBaby’s delivery list includes 170 countries. You only have to pay customs taxes according to your country’s laws. 

6. Marketing Services

BookBaby’s marketing and promotion services are tailored to each author and the team will help you create marketing campaigns for your specific genre and audience. Marketing packages come in three plans:

• Social media

All plans cost $399. The experts at BookBaby will teach you how to optimize your marketing campaign depending on the channel you choose. For instance, if you choose social media book promotion, they will help you understand and design the best social media practices for engaging readers, promote your books through Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and provide tips for tracking your social media analytics .

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Ads 

BooksBaby gives you the possibility to promote your book through the world’s largest social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Three of the biggest social media platforms, these are reliable markets for independent authors, and promoting your book on them will increase sales.

In any case, BookBaby’s marketing packages require a minimum campaign budget of $100, and the cost per ad is $199. This service includes ad-related design, strategy, keyword research , and real-time metrics. 

Review of BookBaby

BookBaby is a great solution for self-published authors during all publishing phases. Its customer service is one of the best in the industry, and its publishing specialists will guide you step by step. The available packages are easy to understand and have many advantages since the company takes care of the entire publishing process. As a result, BookBaby reviews are amazing, with 4.4 stars on Trustpilot . 

But you should consider some of the services may not be the most affordable if you are on a budget. It might make more sense for you to look at freelance platforms, like Fiverr or Upwork , where you can find book covers starting at $15 instead of $299, or you can hire writers and editors to proofread your work.

• Multiple services . BookBaby’s services are extensive and impressive. Each phase of the publishing process is covered.
• Quick turnaround. There’s an extra Rush Service that allows you to get your book on the shelves in a couple of weeks.
• BookBaby Learn and other free resources . As part of its service, BookBaby offers templates and guides with comprehensive information on how to publish and write effectively.
• Payment options. You can pay for services with your credit card or PayPal account. And after selling your books, you can receive your royalties via bank transfer, check, PayPal, or Payoneer.

Disadvantages

• Price. If money is a major concern, this is probably not the best option for you. Prices of some services are high. So, weigh up the investment and consider cheaper alternatives if your budget is small.
• Adding services racks up the bill. Some services are quite simple even for a first-time author and could save thousands of dollars if you do them yourself. Maybe you can learn how to transform your books from PDF to EPUB format, or how to upload your book to Amazon.

BookBaby Compared to Its Competitors

Before committing to any company, look into the pros and cons of different self-publishing services. Comparing BookBaby with its major competitors may help you decide which company best matches your needs.

BookBaby vs Lulu

BookBaby and Lulu offer similar services but Lulu works with third-party support as it connects with additional services such as Fiverr, ProWritingAid, and 99designs. Lulu’s production quality is optimal too, and it prints and distributes your books to popular stores such as Kobo, Scribd, Google Play, and Amazon.

However, compared to BookBaby, Lulu has mixed reviews. Lulu’s Trustpilot rating is 3.2 stars compared to BookBaby’s 4.4. Reading some of Lulu’s reviews online, it looks like their customer service is lacking, and if you have a complex project, you might not get much guidance.

BookBaby vs IngramSpark 

IngramSpark has lower prices than BookBaby, with eBook packages starting at $25. But you’ll need to have some publishing knowledge and experience to get the most out of the available services. With IngramSpark, you save money, but you won’t have support in every step of publishing your book. BookBaby’s customer service seems to be a better option. 

BookBaby vs Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing 

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing , or KDP, is Amazon’s platform for book publishing. It is the biggest player in the self-publishing industry. It’s a great option, and one many new authors turn to right away, but there is a do-it-yourself element involved.

With Amazon KDP, you won’t have any support beyond Amazon’s indications and requirements. So, if you are new to self-publishing, BookBaby offers more advantages with hands-on support whenever you need it.

BookBaby Is Definitely a Powerful Choice for Self-Published Authors

BookBaby is built to guide you in your first steps as a self-published writer. You choose when and where to publish and you’ll learn the basic steps to sell your book and earn more royalties.

If you already have experience publishing your own books, you can skip many of BookBaby’s services. But even if you have self-published before, you can still get a lot out of some of BookBaby’s services, especially when it comes to distribution and promotion. It’s a useful and efficient option if you don’t have the time to develop the creative processes of your book and can afford to put a bit more money into getting your book on the shelves.

Related Posts

4.5 stars? More like 1 star! My suggestion… Use great caution when working with BookBaby. The sales of eBooks on partner retailer websites do not show on the BookBaby website. I have witnessed purchases on partner sites, with reviews, that do not show in my BookBaby account. Therefor, i never know how my ebook is doing regarding sales and reviews.

It seems like a ploy to get consumers to invest more money in Boodbaby services, such as social media advertisement and other paid promotional plans. It’s appears that many people fall victim to this manipulative process.

I hope to spare as many people as i can from the headaches, frustration, and indecency that BookBaby has created and displayed to their consumers.

Bottom line.. You’ll spend a fortune publishing on Bookbaby and you do get anywhere close to your money’s worth

I would not recommend this company to anyone.

Omg wow that’s crazy

Thanks, Mario. I appreciate your review. I was thinking about using their service. Not now.

You are wrong. Book Baby is a nightmare. Perhaps it was good when you used it, but I am going through the formatting process with them and it is horrendous. They make formatting errors, galore, and every time you need a type of fixed they charge you 50 extra dollars. Recently, I got my draft back with 21 new formatting errors in it just as we were nearing completion. In addition, you can never get anyone on the phone, although one of the things they have advertised as their personal touch. It’s email or nothing. I have no idea where this company got their good reputation.

Do you have review information on Bookwritercorner publishing services – bookwritercorner.com?

Thank you so much – I found this article very helpful as I look into publishing my first book!

Very informative article! Easy to understand and it covers many important topics. Thanks so much!

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Lulu publishing, ingramspark.

BookBaby   Reviews

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Reviews 4.5.

4,864 total

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Normally I would give BookBaby a 5 star…

Normally I would give BookBaby a 5 star review. I have used BookBaby for the last 6 years and their service has been outstanding. This was the first time Bookbaby offered a hard cover for the 9x12 portrait book. The hard cover is great. But the entire book is bend.

Date of experience : 11 May 2024

Customer Service is Top Notch!

The responsiveness of the customer service team is unparalleled! Every phone call or email I sent was answered thoroughly and promptly. I highly recommend Book Baby!

Date of experience : 01 May 2024

The Possibilities are Endless!

Start to finish, my time with BookBaby was so kind, professional and courteous. Every call, every representative, EVERY time ended with a solution and an answer. I never imagined how easy publishing my first book would be; I can’t recommend this enough.

Date of experience : 26 April 2024

Horrible experience and unprofessional

There are several things that went wrong. most importantly, there is a process to generate a proof that demonstrates what the actual book will look like on the kindle through a file that requires a download of the kindle reader. I approved the proof but that is NOT what was published in the kindle store/amazon. There are over exposed graphics and graphics with borders that were not present on the approved proof. Making mistakes do happen but the WAY they handled this was very unprofessional. First of all, the responsiveness was horrible. They did not return emails or calls for quite a time and there appear to be 3 people that work for the company. The manager was not available to help and they appeared to not able to visualize the text on amazon products or kindles which was incredibly shocking that as an ebook publisher they could not see what they were publishing. They also could not fix the problems with the graphics and would not refund the money even though they could not fix the problem nor deliver what was approved in the proof. Very unprofessional, not tech savy and if you have problems you will not be happy with the responsiveness or service. DO NOT USE .

Date of experience : 27 April 2024

This has been a good experience

This has been a good experience. I would like to be able to make my own changes. There were a couple of items that needed to be updated but, I went ahead and published the ebook like it was.

Date of experience : 02 May 2024

Great Staff

I feel that your support folks know how to interact with customers is a respectful, knowledgeable way. They do everything they can to make me feel my problem has been solved. This is a great company.

Great service

Great service, quick response to any question, excellent tutorials, fair pricing. End result was an attractively formatted book I am proud to have my name on. Thanks to everyone at Book Baby for making my first book a reality!

Date of experience : 30 April 2024

Great experience, needs better templates

It was quick and relatively easy to use. The customer service is responsive and helpful. The only downside are the templates for publishing. Especially the one that is literally just a blank Word doc! If there was a more user-friendly way to do it, this would be a 10 out of 10 experience.

I enjoyed how helpful customer service…

I enjoyed how helpful customer service answered my questions and guided me of uploading my manuscript and book cover. It was very easy with their help. Thank you

Date of experience : 25 April 2024

I absolutely love this company

I absolutely love this company. This was my first book, and I was nervous about the publishing process. My conversations with the publishing specialist, Linda Hawley, as well as the editing, production and distribution teams made this experience a seamless, positive process. I loved that they all answered their phones, and answered all my questions. There were no hidden costs, just the ones that were explained to me, and I agreed on. The book arrived on time and is very professional. I'm very excited about it and the feedback from my readers has been extremely positive. I'll definitely recommend Book Baby to anyone looking to self publish.

Date of experience : 05 May 2024

So helpful and Great Quality

Had to print around 40 hardcover books, each around +300 pgs. Had some errors with quality and format, and Bookbaby was so great with helping me work through that and contacting me directly with steps of how ti fix my file. The publications shipped so quickly and quality was amazing

Date of experience : 19 April 2024

A truly positive experience!

I like it that I know my costs up front. I am new to self-publishing so I am testing the waters. It is a little on the pricey side, but then I opted for a hard-bound, glossy inner paper. I especially like the templates for the book cover and the feedback given after I uploaded my PDF file. The instructions for book formatting can be improved, but for a detail-oriented person like me, I was able to figure out most things. I appreciate the Sr. Publishing Specialist assigned to me, who answered all my questions! Thank you for partnering with me. I had the most positive experience with BookBaby.

Date of experience : 23 April 2024

First Time Customer

As a first time customer and author I have to admit the response time when needing assistance with my projects has been nothing more than excellent. Would recommend them to any author new or old.

Date of experience : 24 April 2024

Hassle Free Publication

This was my first attempt at writing a book and the publication process went smoothly. I only had one question regarding the editing of the book, and it was answered timely and clearly. Thanks!

Date of experience : 21 April 2024

CUSTOMER SERVICE and transparency are…

CUSTOMER SERVICE and transparency are two qualities that are necessary for successful dealings, and Book Baby delivered both when others have not. They are changing my structure as an indie publisher---for the better!

Above and beyond!

BookBaby has gone above and beyond to help me weave through the daunting process of self-publishing, thank you! They answer every phone call and answer every email. Every member of their staff that I have talked to has been knowledgeable, prompt, and kind. I cannot wait for my books to be released! LoLisa Marie Monroe

Date of experience : 17 April 2024

Professional and Friendly

The staff at BookBaby is professional, helpful and friendly. When I call I never feel rushed. Everyone is eager to offer an explanation to my questions and answer them truthfully. The staff also speaks English that I can understand !

Never Let Me Down

I gave the designers three concepts for the cover of my next novel. They came back with a design that included all three concepts. When I shared the cover with friends and family, they couldn't believe how well it captured the next novel. This is the same way I felt about the cover of my last book. They have a terrific design team.

Morgan and his editing staff were…

Morgan and his editing staff were particularly helpful with comments and questions that smoothed out the storyline.

This last communication from Book Baby…

This last communication from Book Baby only mentioned ONE problem, that of the dog drawing not on same page as poem. That is nothing compared with omission of dedication, no title for the "rainbow poem" and the title for poem "Perfection" (which has been corrected).

Date of experience : 16 April 2024

Reply from BookBaby

Hello, thanks for your feedback about the corrections process. For the sake of efficiency and timeliness we will only reach out if there’s something keeping us from proceeding, like if we have specific questions (which your designer did). Otherwise, any issues mentioned in your proof rejection will be addressed by the designer and reflected in the next set of proofs. We should have revised proofs posted for you in the next day or so.

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According to an email I was sent, my edited manuscript was supposed to be returned to me on the 23rd of April. A woman I spoke with, named Lori, said it would be completed on the 30th. It is now May 3rd and I still have not received my manuscript.

Date of experience : 18 April 2024

Reply from BookBaby

Hi Paul, I apologize for any confusion with your editing project. It looks like you spoke with a member of our team on Friday and your finished edited files were sent to you via email. Please reply to that email from Friday afternoon and let us know if you need further assistance with those files.

I want to marry this AI audio girl!

My first audiobook with BookBaby was easy as key lime pie! They have thought through the editing and approval process to make it efficient and easy. And the result, great! A completely satisfying and marketable book! The AI voice is pleasant and full of expression. I wholeheartly recommend BookBaby as a producer of audiobooks. They will get my next novel!

Date of experience : 06 April 2024

This is my first book

This is my first book. I chose to do everything on my own. Book Baby made it easy and has many tutorial videos to help you learn.

Date of experience : 08 May 2024

A great learning experience!

I love Book Baby and all the help provided in getting my project up and running! It’s a blessing to have this platform that will place your book on so many different sites. My name is Julia Rose, and I recently publishing a poetry book, He Is Faithful In Every Season. Book Baby was my first experience publishing a book, and I am so grateful for it. Everyone was accommodating and ensured my book was the best it could be before being released to the public. However, I did have a few issues with the process information (such as ebook files, cover files, etc.). Pamphlets were provided with all the instructions and details, so it wasn’t like I was just thrown to the sharks! But a lot of this information wasn’t right there when I needed it if that makes sense. While submitting my files, if I ever had a question, I’d have to go back to the pamphlet until I found out what I needed to do next. Which I’m assuming is the reason for the pamphlets. I say this for future reference to potential authors who choose the “ready print files” package. Be prepared to do a lot of the work! There were a few key instructions attached to the sections where the submissions take place. But some are a bit vague and require further research. Also, keep in mind although Book Baby is extremely affordable, there are many charges for changes, especially after having submitted files (which is understandable). I sometimes felt like I had to figure out things by myself. Some questions I asked weren’t always directly answered but eventually were in the future through action. But don’t misunderstand this because I had a LOT of questions, and Book Baby never failed to respond with helpful answers. I also was talking to a handful of different people, so I never knew who to contact if I had a question. The process didn’t feel personal (again, understandable because it’s self-publishing). Even so, before I submitted my files, I spoke to a real person over the phone, which deepened my love for Book Baby, knowing real people are working there who care about their authors. In the beginning, I had a great agent, Sierra, but after I submitted my files, I was transferred over to the publishing team. I was put out of contact with her, which is a bit disappointing because I felt like she understood my goals best (I still have her email, but it goes directly to Book Baby first, and so far, other people have been responding in place of her). However, these are not complaints but observations. Again, this is my first experience publishing a book, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I’m not sure if I’d publish with Book Baby again, maybe if the contact were a bit more direct instead of multiple people having to answer my questions. I would definitely consider publishing with them again. It’s evident Book Baby produces books only in top form, ensuring all files are correct and things appear as they should. I want to point out again that I chose the “ready print files” package, which may be the reason why I dealt with the above situations. I pretty much chose to be on my own, having had everything already prepared! But to clarify, Book Baby did an amazing job printing my paperback, converting my book to an ebook, and sending the data to different distributors and websites. I learned so much about this process through Book Baby and am grateful to them. I have more confidence to publish my books now than what I started with!

Date of experience : 29 April 2024

Friendly and Courteous Employees

I found the cost a little steep, but have used Bookbaby in the past and found otherwise they met all other expectations. The friendliness of customer service is a drawing card to want to continue to do business with this company. I know I needed to do more advertising to sell my latest book, "Stepping Stones to a Brighter Future, and trust through their professionalism my goal will be met.

Date of experience : 10 April 2024

It shouldn't have been so difficult

I bought the package for eBook preparation and marketing, and everything got carried out at the end. The meta-data synthesis was more polished than I could have prepared it myself, and I certainly appreciate that. What was not available to me (as someone who looks back to see his sixtieth year) was a "You're signed on now, let us tell you about each step that is ahead prior to your book getting published and sent out." There were many steps along the way that needed guiding, and me doing that by emails with time-difference delays between AZ and New England as well as weekend delays could have been avoided it BookBaby had put together a "user-guide." Having MANY links to many steps really doesn't work for a novice writer; I didn't even know where to look for those, and there's a straightforward process from first-steps to the end if you'd just have someone describe it step-by-step.

Date of experience : 26 March 2024

Hi Perry, thanks for sharing your experience with our eBook conversion and distribution. We do send several emails during the quoting and conversion steps as to how the process will work for proofing and then how distribution goes after proof approval. I apologize if those didn't have the guidance that you were looking for.

Value! I have done a number of books for various people. Usually one off books but this book will be many more and to have a prototype of what you do is very helpful. The book is 240 pages. My files were not final for the prototype which was ok, I am familiar with the printing processes and wanted to see things like binding, RGB vs. CMYK, alignment, trimming, etc. One thing I found out was I need to proof my final file better. Somehow when I converted to pdf, my application screwed up. No matter, it will make me look better next time. Bottomline, very pleased using your company.

Date of experience : 11 April 2024

BookBaby.com exceeded expectations in…

BookBaby.com exceeded expectations in customer service, delivery, and general look of the book that we ordered. This was a relatively slim book of art for a high school program, but it was the first time we tried it, and it was a rush order. I was very worried there would be production problems or delays -- there were none. All of my emails were returned within a day and there were no problems. The item was shipped to us early and exactly what we asked for, and as proofed using the websites automated system. I am instructing the next year's class to do it exactly the same.

Date of experience : 09 April 2024

Abigail and the entire staff have been…

Abigail and the entire staff have been more than helpful! We are still in the process of editing a few items and are excited about printing our first book in a few days! Our proof was more colorful than we expected. We can’t thank you guys enough. Our next book will be coming in a few months. Thanks again!

The review of my manuscript was very…

The review of my manuscript was very general. The editing itself was excellent. My contact, Cassidy was extremely understanding, efficient, professional and compassionate at the same time. She is a diamond in the rough for you guys. I would highly recommend anyone that is writing a book for the first time to use BookBaby. The Bulb Guy

Your staffs attentiveness and rapid…

Your staffs attentiveness and rapid turn around time. However the quality of printing and paper stocks was not quite up to muster. I have moved onto another publisher who has better paper choices. Many thanks.

Date of experience : 03 April 2024

Need better support…

The instructions on preparing the book were wrong, and after all was said and done, they printed it incorrectly—the 50 pages twice.

Date of experience : 23 April 2024

Hello, thanks for your feedback. I'm sorry to hear there are issues with your project. A member of our support team will reach out to you directly today for more information on any inaccuracy in our file guide and to follow up on the manufacturing problem.

I ordered one proof copy of my book

I ordered one copy of my book as a proof copy. When it arrived it looked great except for or one major problem. The PDF of the book was 218 pages long and included end notes and an index. However, the printed copy they sent me were missing the last 12 pages which meant the end notes and index were not there!

Date of experience : 19 April 2024

Hello Joe, I'm sorry to hear there is an issue with the book you received. I see you have been in contact with our support team today and we are already investigating. We will get a new book printed and out to you ASAP.

Easy First Time Experience

BookBaby has easy to follow guides and was available when needed. For me, this was a first experience. I was never treated poorly or pressured, and they babied my way through the editing process. Things that could be improved is not much. In editing care should be given to not edit Holy Bible scripture in any way unless it is fully inconsistent with the Holy Bible version used. Also, a person converting their manuscript from another word processor such as WordPerfect to Word should be warned that tables, indents, apostrophes and oddball things like that should be double checked, because it may not convert properly. Overall, you folks did a lot better than I did. You were the professionals, and I was the peon. dp

Date of experience : 20 March 2024

Stress Free Self Publishing

The process of self-publishing through BookBaby is quite simple and stress-free. Simply answer a handful of questions, attach you manuscript and cover, and they do the rest. My only feedback for improvement would be to send an email with more timeline information, ie. when the ISBN will be available (if purchased), a % complete indicator of the 'Preapproval' and 'In Progress' statuses. Once a writer finishes their book and completes the process to publish, we then sit back and bite our nails until it's available for sale so this would help relieve our anxiety. :-)

Date of experience : 07 March 2024

The time the staff took to explain the…

The time the staff took to explain the process helped any apprehension that I may have felt and helped me push forward faster to complete my portion

BookBaby gives tremendous global distribution of your book

The representations were extremely helpful. The publishing process was made very clear. The distribution of the book within the United States and the rest of the world has been tremendous. I have seen many websites within the United States and abroad listing my book for sale.

Date of experience : 22 March 2024

Book baby is doing a great job in…

Book baby is doing a great job in communicating with me. Cassidy is such a nice person in charge of my account. I enjoy working with her very much.

Date of experience : 02 April 2024

Horrible and really disappointed

Horrible and really disappointed. I spent more than a thousand dollars for my copy edit and it came back with so many errors that they couldn't be count. But since it was copy edit I though maybe that was a normal thing as they advertise so much the proofreading process. So I spent more money on their proofreading process and this time I trusted them as I saw that they had fixed thousands of errors of the copy edit so I gave it a brief reading and decided to format and publish. But after selling a few copies I decided to open a copy at random page and I saw an error there. So I continue reading and keep finding errors. Bookbaby fixes a lot of errors but they will keep a lot and then say that's acceptable when you contact them.

Date of experience : 21 December 2023

Hi Bryan, thanks for your feedback on your editing project. I see you sent a few examples to our support team, one of which was not present in the final edited file and the others that we do see were not caught. It is possible that the editor can miss a few things, as the industry standard correction rate is about 95%. If you have additional examples for us to look into, please reply to our team so we can continue our investigation for you.

Fast and excellent customer service!

I have printed two books with BookBaby. It was so easy and fast. The website is very easy to navigate and their customer service is excellent. I highly recommend!

Date of experience : 12 April 2024

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Book Baby Review

Sunday, May 19th

2024 Self Publishing Service Reviews

• Prices start at $1,090 for publication
• 0% royalties taken for eBooks
• 15% charged for sales made through BookShop
• 70-90% charged for sales through other distribution channels
• Editing is a separate cost
• Works with top distributors

BookBaby is a self-publishing company founded in 2011 and run by authors, poets, artists, and bloggers. The company aims to help writers across all genres to publish successfully.

Simple publishing guide

BookBaby offers a free guide that breaks down the publishing process into five simple steps, which include finishing your book, preparing it for publishing, choosing your products, selecting your book distribution options, and planning your promotion and marketing. The company also offers access to marketing professionals who can help with every step of the process, from cleaning up your copy to strategizing your marketing approach and publishing your book.

Pricing in three different tiers

Pricing for self-publishing depends on the services you choose, and BookBaby offers several different fee structures when it comes to royalties. The publication options are separated into 3 categories: Express, Complete, and Deluxe.

• $1,090 starting fee
• eBook conversion & distribution
• Print-on-demand distribution
• Two ISBN barcodes
• $2,190 starting fee
• The same benefits as Express
• Professional cover design
• Printed book and eBook interior formatting
• $2,890 starting fee
• The same benefits as Complete
• Ad campaigns for Facebook & Instagram, LinkedIn, and others
• Bookshop promo bundle
• Metadata optimization

Royalties and fees only apply to printed books

If you self-publish your work as an eBook, you won't pay any royalties to BookBaby, but if you sell your printed book through the company's BookShop, they will take 15% of your sales. For books sold at other retailers, BookBaby takes 70-90% of the proceeds. However, BookBaby also offers "the strongest guarantee in the eBook and publishing business," which means that if there are any quality or craftsmanship issues with your project, the company will work with you to make it right or issue you a full refund.

Editing isn't included

While we like the design and packages with BookBaby, we aren't so impressed that editing is not included in their price for how much they charge. Adding on editing for $3-$10 per page is fairly reasonable and falls within industry standards for copy editing. However, if you have a 150-page novel, you are looking at an extra $1,500 for a full stylized line edit.

Excellent reputation with reviewers

BookBaby has a strong reputation, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars across 1500+ reviews from authors who have used the service to publish their works. The company dropped to a "C" grade at the Better Business Bureau but still has 4 out of 5 stars in reviews on that site. Happy reviewers noted that they felt the sales reps and publication guides at BookBaby were knowledgeable and helped the authors easily through the process. Comments with the words "professional service" and "responsive" appeared repeatedly across review sites. Some of the lower reviews complained that BookBaby didn't do enough for them with off-site distribution at places like Amazon. However, this makes up a very small portion of the total reviews.

Top service with reasonable prices

BookBaby is a great option for self-publishing. Although it doesn't include editing in the price, you can get editing from their professionals at a reasonable rate. With their helpful guide and professionals who can assist with every step of the process, the company offers many options for getting published and has a terrific track record. Considering its reputation and high ranking among self-publishing services, BookBaby is an excellent choice for writers looking to self-publish their work.

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The 12 Best Self Publishing Services

What's the best place to self publish.

Congratulations! You're an author, and now you want to share your writing genius with the world. But working with a traditional publisher can be hard. With the extra step of finding an agent and the back-and-forth with editors, there's a lot going on in the publishing industry just to get your book on the publisher's desk. Lucky for you, there's a host of self-publishing options out there to support brand-new and established authors.

Self-publishing has become an increasingly popular option for writers who want to get their work out into the world without the assistance of traditional publishing companies. One of the biggest advantages of self-publishing is the control it gives the author over their work. Instead of having to conform to the demands of a publisher, authors can use self-publishing to retain complete creative control over their work.

Self Publishing Service FAQ

Can i really publish my own book, can i only self-publish in print or can i go digital too, why would i use a self-publishing service if i can do it on my own, are self-publishing services expensive, do i need to have a place to store my printed books, what are some of the extra services i should consider, what if i have questions can i speak with an actual person, are self-publishing services legitimate.

Continued from above...

There are several advantages to self-publishing a book. For example, an author can make decisions about everything from the book cover to the formatting of the text. This control can lead to a more authentic representation of the author's vision, which can be appealing to readers.

Another advantage of self-publishing is that it allows authors to reach a broader audience. Traditional publishers are often selective about the types of books they choose to publish, and many authors may struggle to find a publisher who is willing to take a chance on their work. Self-publishing, on the other hand, allows authors to bypass the traditional gatekeepers and get their work in front of readers who may be interested in their particular niche.

And the best part? Self-publishing can be more lucrative for authors than traditional publishing. Traditional publishing deals often involve the publisher taking a significant percentage of the book's profits, leaving the author with a smaller cut. With self-publishing, authors keep a larger share of their book's profits, which can add up over time. Additionally, self-publishing often allows authors to set their own prices, which can help them maximize their revenue.

Writing is a lot of work, but publishing doesn't have to be. To make sure you have the easiest path to getting your bestseller out to the public, we've researched the most popular self-publishing options so you don't have to.

If you're not sure where to start, here are several factors to keep in mind to find the best fit for you and your writing:

• Cost. What is the cost to work with this publisher and how much will you make as the author? Costs include fees and royalties, so it's important to check both.
• Specialty. Are you a poet or a playwright? Or maybe you prefer to write short stories or long sci-fi trilogies? You want to make sure the publisher you choose specializes in the kind of writing that's important to you. You want to be able to reach your ideal audience.
• User-friendly tools. Are you looking for complete control over the final publication, or do you want a publisher that helps you along the way with technology tools?
• Sales. Where does this self-publishing platform promote your work? Are sales integrated into the process or do you have to do all of the marketing yourself?

To help you make the jump from writer to published author smoother than ever, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best self-publishing companies out there today. We hope this information helps you get the book of your dreams in print and in the reader's hands ASAP!

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BookBaby Review: Legit Or A Scam To Avoid?

A lot of people dream of becoming an author, writing a book, getting it published, and earning money from the royalties whenever someone buys their book.

Now, it is one thing to write a book and it is another to get it published. This is one of the biggest hurdles that newbie authors face, getting a publisher to publish it.

Fortunately, there are companies and websites out there that offer opportunities for you to self-publish your book.

One such company that provides this opportunity is BookBaby. The company offers various services needed for publishing.

There are different packages available, you can get the package that will fit your need and budget.

The company can also assist in distributing your book and even has a site available where you can sell it. But is BookBaby a legit opportunity or a scam to avoid?

You can also check out the  step-by-step training  that helps me earn over $10,000+ per month working from home.

• 1 Is BookBaby A Legit Opportunity?
• 2 Who Uses BookBaby?
• 3 What does BookBaby Offer?
• 4 What Are People Saying about BookBaby?
• 5 What I Like about BookBaby
• 6 What I Dislike about BookBaby
• 7.0.1 Frank
• 7.0.2 Latest posts by Frank (see all)

Is BookBaby A Legit Opportunity?

Based in Oregon, the company consists of a team of authors, bloggers, and poets who decided to work together to help their fellow authors in need.

They will help you get your book published, as well as converted into an e-book so readers can also read it via their mobile devices.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, I can say that BookBaby is a legitimate site that can help you with publishing your book. The site’s services have already been proven to help authors.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any issues or problems with this opportunity. One of the main issues with this company is that there are a lot of complaints about the services they offer.

There have been complaints about the company’s lack of help and assistance. Complaints regarding delays in receiving money from book sales into peoples accounts. And, also that the prices the company charges for its services are also a bit expensive.

I’ll discuss these issues in more detail as we progress further in the review of BookBaby.

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Who Uses BookBaby?

BookBaby is designed for people who have written a book and are looking for ways to publish it without the need to sell it to a large publishing company.

The company provides services that can help you self-publish your book and help with its distribution.

BookBaby has several packages available for authors and the perfect package to get will depend greatly on the pre-publishing tasks that you can do on your own.

Only one of the packages offered is free, but the paid packages will have more inclusions, thus lessening the tasks that you need to do on your own.

In the next section, I’ll discuss in more detail what BookBaby offers authors and how much it will cost to avail of their service.

I’ll also discuss in more detail what people are saying about this publishing company.

What does BookBaby Offer?

BookBaby is a publishing company that offers a self-publishing service to authors who want their books published. The site provides you with an alternative to publishing your work through large publishing companies.

BookBaby will provide you with everything that you need to get your book published and distributed. They offer several packages that you can avail and each package will offer various combinations of the services they offer.

The company says that their most popular package is the Complete Self-Publishing Package, which costs $1,699.

This package includes almost all of the services that BookBaby offers, including cover design and formatting, e-book conversion, and more.

The editing service is all that is not included in this package. You also won’t get discounts, even if you want to print more than 25 books.

The next package they have is the Printed Book Distribution, which costs $299 plus the cost of a bulk printing order.

This package is ideal if you already have the cover and manuscript for your book, so you’ll only need the aesthetics of the book and the quality of the pages.

This package will also include distribution, but keep in mind that the $299 is still on top of the actual print order. So if your total print order costs $700 and you include this package, then you need to pay $999.

If you don’t need a hard copy, you can go for the E-book Conversion and Distribution package. This package costs $249 and BookBaby will just convert your book into an e-book and provide distribution.

The company also offers a service to create only the cover design of your book, this will cost $399 for a standard design and $549 for a deluxe design.

If you want them to do some editing, BookBaby charges $7 per page for copy editing and $10 per page for line editing.

As mentioned above, the company can also handle the distribution of your book, through its extensive distribution network. They also offer an opportunity to set up your shop on the BookBaby website.

The use of this service is free and they’ll only take a portion of the profits from the sales of your book. Just check out below for the comparison of what you can make if you sell it on the BookShop Store.

This could be another distribution option that you could look at if when it comes to selling the book you created.

What Are People Saying about BookBaby?

The reviews and comments about BookBaby have been mixed with some saying it’s good and others saying it isn’t. Two things are certain, though, the opportunity is legitimate, and the majority don’t recommend this site.

Now, a lot of people don’t recommend BookBaby and there are several reasons why.

There are some complaints that services were paid for but the company failed to deliver eg. editing or on-demand printing.

Others complained that the support team weren’t helpful, as issues and concerns failed to be solved or addressed or were even ignored.

There are also concerns that the company takes forever to credit the book sale to peoples account, resulting in delays in getting their money.

In relation to the complaint above, there are also complaints that BookBaby takes forever to release royalty payments.

The last issue is the fact that the company’s services are a bit expensive. If you check out the packages and prices above, you can see that you’ll spend a lot of money availing their service.

This is especially true if you are planning to have more than 25 copies of your books printed and distributed.

This puts you at a huge disadvantage since it means you also have to sell more books to achieve a good return on your investment.

What I Like about BookBaby

Now that we know what BookBaby is and what it is offering, it’s time to discuss what I like about this opportunity.

• The first thing that I like about BookBaby is that it is easy and simple to use. The interface on the site is easy enough to navigate around and you can easily figure out how it works and how to  place an order.
• Another thing I like is that it is a one-stop-shop website that can provide all the things you need when you are self-publishing a book, including assistance with the distribution. This means that you won’t have to worry about going to other sites or other service providers, this one will cover everything you will need.

What I Dislike about BookBaby

Of course, not everything about BookBaby is good and dandy, as there are also several things about this opportunity that I don’t like.

• The first thing that I don’t like about BookBaby is that there are a lot of complaints from people who have tried the service. Though complaints are natural and part of any business, it’s hard to ignore those involving not delivering services that were paid for. What’s worse is that the customer support appears to be poor in addressing issues.
• I also don’t like that the services that BookBaby offers are expensive. You will need a substantial budget which is especially true if you are planning to print a lot of copies of your book. If you don’t have the budget for it, don’t worry as there are other cheaper alternatives available.

Do I Recommend BookBaby?

After learning more about BookBaby and what it can bring to the table, I would say that this is an opportunity that I don’t recommend.

Yes, the site does provide everything you will need when it comes to publishing your book and making an order is very easy.

However, it’s hard to ignore the many complaints from people, not to mention that their services are also expensive.

I’m also not impressed with the payment delays. So if you’re an author that is looking to self-publish and distribute your work, then you may be better off checking a different opportunity.

Though BookBaby is legit and the service they offer is good, the bad experience of some people and the expensive price tag may not be worth it, especially if you are just a newbie.

You want to spend as little money as possible when you are just starting out. Look into it first before signing up with BookBaby  as there may be better self-publishing companies out there that can help you with your goal of self-publishing your books.

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2 thoughts on “BookBaby Review: Legit Or A Scam To Avoid?”

Your review was very helpful, I’ll continue searching for the right self-publisher.

Thank you for posting this. I am grateful for your work and the time it took to do it for us. We who are starting out n the writing business need this information,

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The 20 Best Baby Memory Books for Marking All Their Milestones

It’s the longest and shortest year of your life—or so they say. You spend months preparing for baby’s arrival, and before you know it, you’re singing “Happy Birthday” to a bright-eyed one-year-old. So how do you hold onto all those little moments that make up the first 365 days? Many parents turn to a baby keepsake book to record milestones , photos and stories throughout that all-important first year and beyond. Here, shop the best baby memory books available now, from easy-to-tackle one-liner journals to scrapbooks with completely customizable pages.

Classic Baby Memory Books

Not sure what type of baby book you’re looking for? You can’t go wrong with a classic baby journal. Here, check out our favorite timeless designs that are sure to become treasured keepsakes in your household.

Five-year baby book

Lucy Darling creates baby memory books with some of the trendiest themes out there; this version is just one shining example. The celestial journal is decorated with shining stars and has a neutral cloth-bound cover. The 48-page book includes two pregnancy sections for photos, ultrasound prints and notes, plus plenty of space to document baby’s growth and development month by month over the course of five years.

Camping-inspired baby book

Lucy Darling’s baby books are so charming we couldn’t resist adding another option to the list. This woodland book has a dedicated page for each of baby’s first 12 months, with concise writing prompts and a spot for a photo. There are also blank pages for you to use creatively, plus a section dedicated to your family tree that fits in with the whole forest theme.

Whimsical baby book

Log milestones and photos as your little one grows in this whimsical baby memory book. Boasting charming drawings and rhymes, it’s organized into handy sections for pregnancy through the first year. Additional envelopes are perfect for storing extra keepsakes, like a lock of hair from baby’s first haircut or a letter to your child. Other features we love include pop-up illustrations, a family tree page, a spin-wheel to display baby’s star sign and a pull-out growth chart for your little one’s room.

Cloth-bound baby book

This gender-neutral favorite makes recording memories easy on parents, thanks to prompt-filled pages. The fabric binder comes with a pen, adhesive for pictures and mementos and a free set of Everyday Prints to get you started. Choose from a range of timeless color palettes with luxe foil detailing.

Baby photo book

Think of this next option as a baby photo album and diary in one. The illustrated keepsake book has places for notes, pictures and other memorabilia from pregnancy through their fifth birthday. It also has unique charts to document baby’s first scribble, tooth and holiday celebration. Choose from boy- and girl-specific designs or gender-neutral animal themes. Bonus: This journal comes with stickers to customize each page.

Inclusive baby book

This baby photo book was created with inclusivity in mind. The binder-style format makes it easy to include only the pages that apply to you, with language and scenarios that accommodate LGBTQ+, adoptive and single parents. It’s adaptable for every type of family and captures your child's first five years.

Contemporary baby book

Searching for a modern baby book? Look no further than this aesthetically pleasing pick. The baby journal offers monthly sections where you can document the highlights of your child’s first 12 months, followed by spaces for annual updates up until the time they’re 5 years old. Simple and contemporary, the gender-neutral design would make for a perfect baby shower gift .

Baby book with writing prompts

This memory book is perfect for parents who want to keep track of baby’s first year, but feel overwhelmed at the idea of logging every last detail. The book features 50 guided journal pages with spaces for photos (along with a slot for baby’s sonogram on the front cover). There are pages to jot down memories and information about baby, as well as sections devoted to artwork and pictures. Not to mention the chic black, white and gold foil cover.

Personalized Baby Memory Books

Baby books come in all shapes, sizes and styles, and these personalized journals are no exception. From beautifully unique covers to customizable pages, these picks are sure to have a special place in your heart—and on your bookshelf!

Custom baby photo book

Leave it to Shutterfly to give parents an extensive amount of personalization options. Upload your favorite snapshots from baby’s first year, type in whatever text you wish and accessorize the pages with cute frames or digital stickers—it’s really all in your hands. This baby photo book is as customizable as they get.

Baby book with personalized cover

Personalize the front of baby’s first year book with their name, birth date and a beautiful illustration. There are different themes to choose from, but this stellar one is centered around baby’s zodiac sign. Interior pages include prompts and plenty of room for photos and big milestone memories, and vellum envelopes are spaced throughout to store mementos.

Custom adoption baby book

This Etsy seller makes beautiful personalized baby books for adoptive families. Pick the color scheme, and request additional customization on the cover. Better yet, all of the wording is gender-neutral—for baby and their parents. You can even tear out certain pages if they’re not applicable to you.

Collage baby book

Baby can star in their very own glossy with this completely customizable baby photo book. Pick the size, shape, paper type and cover type (from softcover to leather jacket-bound), then get to work designing what’s inside. This is the ideal baby memory book for ultra-creative parents who want to wrap up baby’s first year with the ultimate keepsake. (FYI: Mixbook also sells adoption photo books .)

Embroidered baby book

This baby memory book has a decidedly upscale feel thanks to personalized embroidery stitched on front. The cover features your choice of a multicolor, blue, or lilac toile cotton scene of children in a garden. Inside, flip through a three-ring binder filled with illustrated pages with space to record important events such as your baby’s weight, first steps and words all in one place. Add baby’s name, up to four initials or a monogram to create a treasured family keepsake.

Unique Baby Memory Books

On the hunt for a baby book that’s as one-of-a-kind as your little one? Look no further than these unique baby memory books. From prompt-filled journals to keepsake libraries, there are options for everyone.

Lifetime baby record book

If you love to journal, this is the baby record book for you. This prompted diary will take you from pregnancy through baby’s 18th birthday (there’s also a book for adoptive parents ). But what really sets it apart is the tech it comes with. Download the Promptly app to get reminders to add to your baby keepsake book, so you never forget to record special milestones. How genius is that?

Baby keepsake library

Next up on our list of the best baby memory books is something a little different. This unique keepsake library is just the thing to keep all of your precious mementos organized. It comes complete with labels, envelopes, files and acid-free drawers, so you can store everything from sonograms to their graduation certificate.

Letter-writing set

Capture baby’s first years with the help of this unique writing set, composed of a series of fold and “mail” letters. The letters can be post-dated for your child to open in the years to come. Helpful prompts make the words flow easily even for less-experienced writers.

House-shaped baby album

How sweet is this house-shaped baby photo album? It has slip-in sleeves to store notes, photos, cards and other precious keepsakes. Better yet, the hand-painted album is made from responsibly harvested wood, so it’s sturdy enough to keep all your precious memories safe. And, yes, it’s pretty enough to leave out on display. For an additional fee you can personalize this baby book on the Tree by Kerri Lee website.

Baby book gift set

Here’s a baby book gift set that offers serious bang for your buck. Each gift-wrapped set includes a baby record book, a scrapbook and sticker sheets. Parents can record their happy memories and create a custom scrapbook that they’ll cherish forever. Inclusive language is used throughout, making this set the perfect gift for all types of families. Browse the Little Pickle Memories storefront for even more great gift bundles.

Daily baby journal

Short on time? This one-line-a-day book will take you through baby’s first year, highlighting all of the early emotions and memories without too much pressure. It’s a great way to record the smaller, everyday moments you might not think to put in a traditional baby book.

Baby milestone book

Preserve precious memories over the course of baby’s first five years in this adorable baby book. The journal features spots where you can stick in favorite photos and prompted lines to help you document milestone moments in detail. Plus, thanks to the gender-neutral, inclusive language throughout, it works for all types of families. Choose between three whimsical themes: seaworld , wonderland , or adventureland .

How We Chose the Best Baby Memory Books

Baby’s first year goes by fast, and many parents will want to write down important milestones before they forget them. The best baby memory books allow a protected and easy to follow place to do just that.

To choose the best baby memory books and to help you find a book that meets your family’s needs, we considered a list of criteria, including ease of use, durability, design and value. We used our familiarity with leading brands to make sure the items we chose are from reputable companies. We also read user reviews to learn more about how these books work for families, and only chose products that have at least four stars.

Interested in learning more about our editorial process? Read about how our team develops and reviews all articles here .

Plus, more from The Bump:

Precious Baby Keepsakes to Capture Lasting Memories

Mom Hilariously Documents Baby’s First Year Using Slices Of Pizza

Amazing Personalized Children’s Books Starring Your Child

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Age-by-Age Guide to Reading to Your Baby

When should you start reading to your baby? Now! Here's the easiest way to get your child in love with reading at a very early age.

The Benefits of Reading to Your Baby

How to start reading to your baby.

• Top Books for Infants and Toddlers

When should you start reading to your baby? The answer is it is that it's never too early to start. In fact, some parents start as early as pregnancy, and others start as soon as birth. Reading to your baby is a wonderful opportunity to bond, but it's also an impactful way to help your baby build early pre-literacy skills, including a robust vocabulary, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

Reading is a healthy habit that parents should encourage well before their baby's first birthday. The bonding experience is unbeatable, says Patricia Cowan, national program coordinator for Reach Out and Read , a project that gives children books during medical checkups. When you read to children, they're getting your full attention, and that's what they just love. No TV show or toy is better than that.

Research confirms the value of reading to young kids. For example, babies and young children who are not read to at home by a relative will face a "million-word gap" by the time they go to school. That's because reading out loud creates the opportunity for kids to build their vocabulary, and without that precious time to hear, say, and build pre-literacy skills to eventually read those words, they may lose out.

But while it is important to read to your child every day, what you read may be equally important. We know that reading to babies and toddlers helps them develop logical thinking as well as pre-literacy, communication, and emotional intelligence skills—and much of that happens by choosing age-appropriate books that challenge your child.

Reading to babies is also a great way to immerse them in the sounds and rhythms of speech, which is crucial for language development. Compelling research shows that when parents read to babies under a year old, those same children grow to have larger, more complex vocabularies than their peers by the age of 3.

The research is in: Reading to kids is amazing for their development, and it's never too early to start reading to your baby. With that in mind, here's an age-by-age guide to getting your kids hooked on books.

Birth to 6 months

Since an infant's vision is still developing , you can start reading your baby books with little or no text and big, high-contrast pictures. Also, consider books with interactive features, such as puppets, mirrors, or peepholes, recommends Pamela High, M.D. , professor of pediatrics and author of the Brown University reading study.

The more ways you both have to enjoy a book, the better. If you'd like, read to your baby from grown-up books or magazines too. Comprehending the words isn't really the point with babies this young.

For infants, reading is about the tone of your voice and cuddling up to you. Here are a few books to read the next time you're snuggled up together:

• Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
• Look! Look! by Peter Linenthal
• Baby Beluga by Raffi
• Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver

7 to 12 months

Halfway through their first year, babies may begin to grasp some of the words read to them, says Cosby Rogers, Ph.D., a professor of human development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The most meaningful words are the names and things from their everyday life—words like "doggy," "mommy," "daddy," "milk," or "bottle."

Books with just one object or person per age are best; hearing you name something they can recognize reinforces your baby's vocabulary and slowly helps them realize that illustrations stand for real things. Point to the pictures your baby shows interest in. And act out what you read with your face, hands, and voice. Let your baby babble back to you in return, suggests Dr. Rogers. This "conversation" helps them learn to take turns and teaches them about focusing on the same thing as someone else.

As a practical tip, babies this age tend to be hard on their playthings, so try sticking mostly to board books , which can take rough handling (and even chewing!). Cloth or vinyl books are good, too, though turning the pages can be challenging for a baby. Touch-and-feel type books are super fun, but be sure to avoid any with ribbons, buttons, or other small choking hazards that can easily detach with a good yank.

Here are a few board books that are sure to capture your baby's attention:

• Llama Llama Nighty-Night by Ann Dewdney
• Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
• You're My Little Baby by Eric Carle
• Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz

13 to 18 months

At this age, you can begin to introduce books with a sentence or two per page. The sillier you are while acting out the story, the better. For instance, if you're reading about animals, make animal noises. Your baby will think it's really funny, Cowan says. Sooner or later, they will "moo" or "baa" back to you, and you'll be ready to fall off the couch laughing together.

Invite your baby's participation by asking questions such as "What does the dog say?" or "Do you see the cat?" Ask your baby to point to real-life examples of what's pictured (such as, "Where's your nose?"). At this age, you can show more pictures of things your baby doesn't encounter every day.

Also, at 15 to 18 months, your baby may be able to answer questions with a word, so give them the opportunity by asking them, "What's that?" If they answer, you can help boost their vocabulary by expanding on their thought: "Yes, car. That's a big green car."

Here are a few great books to get your baby interacting with the story:

• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• First 100 Words by Roger Priddy
• Babies Love Colors by Michelle-Rhodes Conway

19 to 24 months

Many toddlers find the familiar routine of reading reassuring and calming. The same goes for familiar books. This helps explain why starting at about 18 months, children may ask for the same book over and over and over—and why they won't let you change your reading performance by a single "meow" or "vroom." However, this dogged repetition has a learning benefit as well: Experts think it helps children make sense of and then remember new words.

Here are a few books that you might not mind reading over and over again:

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
• Just Go to Bed (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
• Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

More Book Picks for Infants and Toddlers You Might Love

When we asked our readers to tell us their baby's favorite book, the titles that got the most mentions weren't surprising: Goodnight Moon and anything by Dr. Seuss, followed closely by Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You .

Here are some other raved-about books to add to your wish list:

• Moo, Baa, LA LA LA by Sandra Boynton: "At under 2 years, my son can recite the entire book just by looking at the pages." —Michelle Speer, Edwardsville, Illinois
• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear ? by Nancy White Carlstrom and Time for Bed by Mem Fox: "I've read to my 5-1/2-month-old since birth, and he gets so excited when he sees these books, kicking his feet and waving his arms." —Judy James, Miami, Florida
• Maisy's Colors by Lucy Cousins: "My daughter Grace is 11 months old, but she's enjoyed this particular book since about 4 months. I don't know if she likes the mouse or the colors, but it's already completely worn out!" —Catherine Brainerd
• Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown: "My 4-1/2-month-old daughter, Cara, loves Big Red Barn . She even helps us turn the pages." —Sandra Schneider, Berthoud, Colorado
• I'm a Little Caterpillar by Tim Weare: "My 8-1/2-month-old son's favorite book is I'm a Little Caterpillar . He finds it so exciting because it has a cute little finger puppet attached." —Denise McKnight, Metairie, Louisiana
• On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier: "I still get chills when I read that one." —Cindy Long, Wellfleet, MA
• Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch: "It's the most heartwarming book I've ever read." —Gail Denker, Bayside, New York

Key Takeaways

Start reading to your baby as soon as pregnancy or birth to reap the most benefits of early literacy development. If you missed that early window, don't worry—anytime is a great time to begin a family habit of reading together. Find books that your children enjoy and help them develop a love of reading that will last them a lifetime.

When Children Are Not Read to at Home: The Million Word Gap . Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics . 2019.

Shared Reading at Age 1 and Later Vocabulary: A Gene-Environment Study . The Journal of Pediatrics . 2019.

Why Do Little Kids Ask to Hear the Same Story Over and Over? . Front Young Minds . 2017.

Related Articles

So THAT’s Why You Should Always Read To Your Baby Before Bedtime

P arents are often told to create a bedtime routine for their baby, the usual being ‘bath, milk, book, bed’ or some version of that.

But the importance of reading to your child before bed isn’t limited to getting them into a bedtime routine. It may seem like it’s just an activity to calm them down and get them ready for sleep, but it has so many more benefits.

Reading to your baby encourages them to develop their language skills and stimulates their imagination, according to Jessie who creates content on TikTok about teaching your child to read.

She said it also deepens your connection with your baby as a parent and the concept of reading can introduce your baby to new sounds, speech patterns and of course vocabulary. 

Starting from young, this can implement a lifelong love of learning!

If that wasn’t enough, once your infant becomes a toddler and starts to communicate more, reading can spark conversations and be the catalyst for improving social skills.

Publisher Penguin Books says it’s never too early to start reading to your newborn even if they cannot understand words. They revel in hearing their parents voice and it’s a great way to bond!

On what books to read to your child before bed, Penguin Books advises: “The best book to read with your child is the one they want to read, whether that’s a classic novel, an interactive picture book, or even a football annual.

“When they’re enjoying the story, you’ll enjoy reading with them. If you’re reading to a baby, why not pick a bright and touchy-feely book that they can play with as you read?

“Books with rhyme and repetition are also brilliant for babies. Say the words a little more slowly than you usually talk to help your baby hear the sounds you’re making. If they’re old enough to pick themselves, why not take them to the library or a bookshop to choose something? If you try out lots of different types of stories together you’ll soon find out what kinds you like, and you might be surprised by something new.” 

• So THAT’S Why Parents Are Letting Babies Sleep Outside In The Day Even When It’s Cold
• I'm A Dermatologist, These Are The Most Common Skin Issues In Babies
• I Asked A Baby Sleep Training Expert To Rate TikTok Hacks. Here's How It Went

1st 'It Ends with Us' trailer, starring Blake Lively, out now: Watch here

The film arrives in theaters Aug. 9.

The trailer for the upcoming film adaptation of Colleen Hoover 's bestselling novel "It Ends with Us," starring Blake Lively , has arrived.

In the Justin Baldoni-directed film, arriving in theaters Aug. 9, Lively plays the book's main character Lily Bloom, a young woman who has dealt with a traumatic upbringing and is now starting a new life and a new business opening a flower shop in Boston.

She meets Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), a neurosurgeon, and the two quickly fall for each other.

The trailer gives a glimpse of their characters falling in love, set to Taylor Swift's "My Tears Ricochet," before showing how Ryle's abuse impacts their relationship.

"Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything,” Lily says in the trailer.

'Fourth Wing' author Rebecca Yarros announces title of 3rd book in The Empyrean series

Hoover has previously said the book, which touches largely on domestic abuse, was inspired by her mother's own escape from abuse.

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"If one day you had a daughter, what would you say to her -- if she came to you and she said the person she loved was hurting her?" Lily asks Ryle in the trailer. "What would you say to her?"

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni appear in 'It Ends With Us' 1st look images: See here

The trailer also shows Lily reuniting with her childhood love Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar) and seeking support from him. It also flashes back to scenes of them when they were younger.

The cast of "It Ends With Us" also includes Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj and Amy Morton.

If you need help or need help supporting someone else, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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A powerful element of your book marketing plan should be getting book reviews. It’s not always easy to do, but here are some ideas for how to go about getting them.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Book reviews have been around forever. A 9th Century work of Constantinople Photius is composed of 279 reviews of books he read, which makes it the first set of book reviews on record.

Table of Contents: • Book reviews offer social proof • Amazon’s algorithms • Reviewers are influencers • Amazon’s review rules • Cheap fake reviews: A cautionary tale • Paid and unpaid reviews • Who can review your book? • How long do reviews take? • How to find great reviewers • Query package • Other considerations

While authors have what we might call a love/hate relationship with reviews and reviewers, book reviews are incredibly important to your book marketing plan, which should also include:

• distribution
• metadata optimization
• an author platform
• author website
• Twitter and other social media profiles
• your own blog
• a promotional budget

Book reviews offer social proof

Success begets success, and that’s basically what reviews do, they give you initial success, like priming a pump, but I like a much more recent term to describe what reviews provide: social proof.

So, yes, this is pretty basic stuff — you get a lot of reviews, you appear to be popular, it’s human nature that other people will be curious: “Oh, this book has a lot of reviews, I’ve got to check it out.”

This can lead to a snowball effect, even if they aren’t all five-star reviews.

Amazon’s algorithms

Amazon recognizes how important reviews are and they have brand-new, sophisticated algorithms that look for the number of reviews a book has and what the ratings are, and a large number of good reviews is going to bring you up in the rankings. So it’s not just about these reviews appearing on your book’s page, Amazon will help by putting your book in front of readers as you get more positive reviews.

And it’s not just individual readers. Book clubs, bookstores, blogging communities, even filmmakers looking to option books might take notice. So reviews can drive awareness, and it’s more than just making sure you have some nice things posted about your book.

Though, don’t forget, word of mouth is the greatest form of marketing.

Reviewers are influencers

85 percent of the books sold these days are selling through Amazon and other online portals, so getting validated by influencers/reviewers becomes increasingly important. So I advise that you spend some time and effort — and maybe even some money — to get reviews to start the ball rolling.

I encourage you to start by making a “review ask list” and spend 30-60 minutes a day trying to solicit reviewers. So, who’s on the list?

• Your buddy Mike
• An army of cheap fake reviewers
• Legit paid reviewers
• Other Amazon reviewers
• Complete strangers who I persuade to review the book

Amazon’s review rules

Looks good, except that Amazon has new and constantly changing rules in place, including this really important bit straight from Amazon’s community rules:

We don’t allow individuals who share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer Reviews for that author’s book.

This means Amazon is going to take a hard look at all of your reviews. I believe they know who you’re sending gifts to at Christmas — they look at your address list — so if you sent your buddy Mike a Christmas gift last year, even if he lives on the other side of the country, and you ask Mike for a review, it’s probably not going to be accepted by Amazon because his name and contact information are in your address book.

And this might hang up your other reviews, as you’ll draw more scrutiny. Even reviews that are legit will be looked at sideways.

So pay attention and review Amazon’s community guidelines before you do any serious work looking for reviews.

Cheap fake reviews: A cautionary tale

If you’re thinking you can get a bunch of cheap reviews and flood your Amazon page with them, let me tell you a story about an indie author named John Locke . About 10 years ago, he launched a self-publishing career. He had a very slow start, he self-published a few books, then all of a sudden his sales went crazy. He had four titles in the Top 10 Best-Sellers, he sold over a million eBook copies of his nine Donovan Creed novels, and he was celebrated by the publishing industry as the first self-published author to really achieve a high level of success.

The New York Times published an article in 2012, “The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy,” and cited John Locke as example. Turns out, he used a website called “Getting Book Reviews,” and for something like $5 each, he bought 300 book reviews that were just completely fake and loaded them onto his Amazon page.

That got the got the algorithm thinking, “Looks like he’s popular,” which caused it to serve his book to more people, which prompted folks to buy his books — and it was all a facade. Then he was vilified by the publishing community, which is when Amazon really went to work to determine which book reviews were legitimate and which weren’t.

Paid and unpaid reviews

Amazon does accept unpaid and paid reviews.

Customer Reviews are written by a reader — someone who ideally bought the book and who assigns a number of stars (1–5). Most authors are referring to Customer Reviews when they reference “Amazon reviews.”

An Editorial Review is a formal evaluation of a book, usually written by a professional reviewer or expert within a genre. These are also called blurbs, endorsements, and testimonials.

Who can review your book?

Here are four paid services that Amazon recognizes as legitimate:

• Readers’ Favorite*
• IndieReader

You’re probably going to get a favorable review from all of these sources, but it’s not guaranteed. I know people who’ve gotten bad reviews — these sources really do read the books, and their reviews will end up on the editorial section.

* As the official review company for BookBaby, BookBaby authors receive a guaranteed FREE review from Readers’ Favorite. Learn more on their website .

How long do reviews take?

You can expect to wait four to six weeks, though you might be able to expedite them, and the prices range from anywhere from $100–$600.

You can apply for a Publishers Weekly review for free, though there’s fierce competition and no guarantee you’re going to be chosen — though they do hundreds of self-published books every year.

There’s also Book Life, PW ’s side publication, and you can buy a book review from them. It’s completed in about six weeks, it’s about 300 words, written by a qualified reader. That’s all they do, all day long, is read books and write reviews.

How to find great reviewers

Do an internet search for “book reviewer,” or go to Amazon itself and it lists its Top Customer Reviewers. Filter them out for book reviewers, then click on the links to see what they’ve reviewed.

Avid readers actually follow their favorite reviewers. If a reviewer has reviewed five books a reader loves, they’ll start following where the reviewer goes and look to the reviewer to help them discover new books.

Look at the reviewer’s website and read the submission guidelines. All reviewers are different, some want a chapter, a sentence, a few sentences… give them what they want how they want it.

Query package

Compose what I call a query package, which includes a pitch message for the reviewers. Tailor it to make it as personalized as possible.

A sample letter might read:

Hi [Reviewer’s Name]

My name is Steven Spatz, my latest sports thriller, Duck Turns Into A Falcon, was released May 1st through BookBaby. I have attached the cover image.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

[Synopsis of this amazing football redemption story]

I’m currently looking for reviewers and wondered if you’d be interested in receiving an advanced reading copy (ARC) of the book for review. All eBook formats are available.

One nice thing is you can send eBooks out before the actual print books are dropping in your in your pre-sale period.

Other considerations

Know your genre. Don’t waste your time on any reviewer who isn’t experienced in your genre. The more you can narrow down in the niche, the better off you’re going to be.

Get professional editing. I shouldn’t even have to mention this, but if you’ve got an unedited book full of typos, you shouldn’t be talking to reviewers in the first place.

Don’t expect reviewers to pay for their review copy. They’ll give you free publicity, the least you can do is pay for review copies.

This is totally legit for Amazon. Amazon accepts and knows that these reviewers are not buying their books. And remember, these folks are very busy, they get dozens of requests a week, so give them a few weeks before nudging them gently with a reminder.

Send a thank you note. If you get a review, a thank you note is always a good idea.

I would recommend targeting 20 reviewers at a time, wait a week, and then go back in find another 20. If you get two or three of these people interested from each batch of 20, you’d be doing well.

There’s more! Watch the full BookBaby Live presentation.

How do I electronically send my book safely to a reviewer that I don’t know? Do I put a watermark or lock it somehow?

Having participated in a number of giveaway programs, I would like to make a suggestion to readers who have benefited from these programs. Consider that it can take an author a year or more to write a book. It is a real commitment to bring to life his or her story and see it through the publishing process.

If you have been given the gift of a free copy, and particularly if the book has uplifted you with its message, take a moment to say so. You don’t have to write an extensive review. A few words will do. “I loved it,” tells its own story.

Artists will create regardless, but it can be so satisfying to hear from readers who acknowledge that a book (or any work of art) has made a difference in their lives.

Not sure if this has helped (I don’t look at my reviews! lol) but in each book I sell or give out I place a small note thanking the reader for reading it and telling how important reviews are to authors, plus my email and my website addresses. I also belong to a large authors’ group and asked if anyone would be willing to read my latest novella and post a review. I got three 5 STAR REVIEWS from that. Or so I’m told. I still haven’t read them.

Great read. Definitely some good advice

I don’t have money but I need the book

Offer to review it for a free copy!

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This was my first time writing a book…

This was my first time writing a book and BookBaby couldn't have been more helpful. The process in setting up the book and doing everything myself was hard to achieve because of my lack of computer skills. BookBaby was patient and understanding with tips and ideas to help me finish my project.

Date of experience : March 20, 2024

They have great service, we only had a few issues with one rep but most of the process was very easy

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

BookBaby is the industry best!

BookBaby's site is very easy-to-understand, navigate and offers awesome stats/reports. Customer service responds timely and ensures the question is answered. Costs & royalties are super fair. I would highly recommend BookBaby for all your needs.

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

Very good service

Very good customer service. Helped me in making sure that my book comes out perfect. Once I received my book, I was satisfied with the outcome.

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

It Is What It Is…

The instructions for formatting were a little hard to decifer for me. I preformatted what my projected project developed into. Perhaps using the term layout might be a little more understandable. Other than this I am very satisfied with the support and design services as well as the reps I dealt with.

Date of experience : March 11, 2024

Not having a particular editor

Not having a particular editor, or team assigned to each project. Not being able to talk with the top people by phone. People want a predictable outcome.

Date of experience : April 05, 2024

Reply from BookBaby

Hello again and thanks for your feedback on this part of the process also. Your editing project was edited by just one person. You also have a specific publishing specialist assigned to your account to assist you with setting up your order. It is true that we have an extended team to assist there if your assigned specialist is unable to take your call immediately, but all of our specialists are fully capable of answering any questions you may have or any changes you'd like to make to your project quote.

The quality of work was exceptional and…

The quality of work was exceptional and every interaction whether it was via email or phone was met with prompt reponses and helpful guidance.

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

THE PROSPECT OF CONVERTING MY NOVEL TO…

THE PROSPECT OF CONVERTING MY NOVEL TO AN AUDIO VERSION OF ITSELF HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE WEREWOLF IN THE CLOSET ... OR MOTHER-IN-LAW, DEPENDING ON YOUR DEFINITION OF TERROR. AT ANY RATE,, YOU OF THE BOOKBABY STAFF MADE IT EASIER THAN LICKING THE FROSTING SPOON ... AND I LOVE THE RESULT! MANY, MANY THANK YOUS ~ TONY CANLIS

Date of experience : February 25, 2024

Phenomenal.

I was able to publish and print my first book "The Silent Descendents" with BookBaby and I couldn't be happier with the results. Not only did they print 121 phenomenal copies of the book for me as a first printing but they made the pathway to retail as painless and fruitful as possible. I cannot recommend these people any higher than I already do.

Date of experience : March 09, 2024

Good system but audio books instructions need more clarity

Overall, the system was easy to use. But I ran in to a few problems with file type for my audio book. I uploaded a series of 21 MP4 files but Bookbaby needed a single combined audio file in M4B format. I had to purchase and download software to reformat and combine my audio files. It took several days to get everything figured out. A simple pre-submission checklist could have eliminated this problem. If such a list exists on Bookbaby I couldn’t see it.

Date of experience : March 16, 2024

Penny's Dream - a senior BFA project SUCCESS!

I wrote and illustrated a children's book for my senior BFA thesis for school. The quality and customer service BookBaby provided was fantastic and blew my expectations away. After creating my project, I was reached out to by a BookBaby representative who offered her number if I had any further questions about printing and that process. 10/10 experience, and I have shouted their praises amongst my university - I know other students will be utilizing their services as well.

Fast and perfect

Date of experience : May 11, 2024

There was little guidance for an…

There was little guidance for an inexperieced self-published writer. It was trial and error all the way. I now regret that I did not sign up for an editor at the outset. The editorial process was a nightmare! Repeated and new errors keep showing even after correcting them. The process was too tiring to bother any longer with more corrections.

Date of experience : February 23, 2024

Excellent service and products.

I made a mistake with my design and spoke with a representative who walked through the process. I was very pleased with her and the product I received.

I was underawed

I was underawed. I write UK English and it was pretty obvious that they story took place in the UK (I don't believe they endured 'The Blitz' in the USA. The person who edited my work, changed my UK spellings to US spelling, which to be honest pissed me off. I write in Scrivener and when I compile the manuscript it automatically converts straight quotes to curly quotes. But, because I simply pasted it to Word, they hadn't yet been converted, so the editor took a lot of time doing that. I have no idea why. The bottom line is I wouldn't pay out money for someone to change my UK spelling to US. It was however a good experience because it shows I can edit myself, just as well as a professional. Maybe I should take it up as a profession!

Date of experience : March 19, 2024

Hello and thank you for your feedback about your free editing sample order. Our editing team uses the Chicago Manual of Style, which adheres to American English. Should an author need their manuscript to be edited for UK spelling, we would just need to notify the editor of that in advance.

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Overall, it was a good experience. I could never find a way to speak to a Book Baby representative for help, but eventually, I was able to figure out how to load my book and covers into the template. It took days of trying though and several rejections before I got it right.

Hi Michael, I'm sorry to hear you had issues reaching us but I'm glad you were able to get figured out. Our team is available Monday through Friday, 9am - 5pm eastern at 877-961-6878.

Basically, you have done a fine and prompt printing of my book. Your lack of communication is quite disturbing, especially when I receive $1.00/ book when I should have been receving $5/ book. Miss understanding on my part, total lack of communication on your part. Sincerely, Peter Ericson. look forward to hearing from you.

Date of experience : February 29, 2024

Hi Peter, thanks for reaching out. Your book's retail price was updated in November, which I do see resulted in the higher royalty rate you mention. The most recent report we received for inventory purchased by our POD partners was from October, which still had the original rate. It doesn't look like they purchased any inventory in November, so no report was posted to your account this month, but moving forward when inventory is purchased (and posted), it will have that increased rate.

Got the book and it looks great

Got the book and it looks great. Seemed like a timely manner as well.

Date of experience : March 12, 2024

Very happy.

I have received fast and friendly services and responses. Their employees are able to answer any questions I have had and I feel confident moving forward with my project with their help.

Date of experience : March 24, 2024

Great to Work With

It is always so easy to work with my sales representative, Morgan. He responds quickly and is always pleasant. I know I am always getting the best service from him. Thank you Morgan.

Date of experience : March 28, 2024

Grateful mom names daughter after clinic

Lindokuhle sefara's heart is full of gratitude after delivering her bouncing baby girl..

When Witkoppen Clinic introduced Tswelopele opt-in service in February last year, they had one vision – to make booking appointments for consultations easier for residents.

It has paid off and one of the patients Lindokuhle Sefara from Fourways, could not stop expressing her gratitude. She said she was able to give birth to her bouncing baby girl and it is all thanks to the service.

Sefara named her newborn Tswelopele. She said this is mainly because she experienced challenges before giving birth, however, the service gave her a leap of faith.

Read more:  Witkoppen clinic invites residents to observe World TB Day

“As my baby’s due date approached in January this year, I found myself experiencing labour pains and promptly headed to the clinic on January 23. Despite the severity of my discomfort, the nurses at one of the medical facilities I went to, informed me that I was not yet dilated and, unfortunately, sent me back home. As a first-time mother, I was overwhelmed, scared, and in pain.

Also read:  Witkoppen Clinic On the Road

“In our distress, my husband contacted Witkoppen’s Tswelopele Booked in Clinic WhatsApp number to communicate our situation. Thankfully, Sister Vero from the reception promptly returned our call. After hearing about our predicament, she directed us to Sister Nadia, who has been a consistent source of support and guidance throughout our pregnancy journey. Sister Nadia advised us to proceed to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.”

She said after enduring excruciating labour pains for over 24 hours, she underwent an emergency C-section. Her new bundle of joy was delivered safe and sound after being transferred to the hospital.

Read more:  Witkoppen Clinic exposes learners to careers in the medical field

“She is so healthy and strong. I am grateful to report that I also emerged safely from the ordeal. We continue to attend our monthly check-ups at the clinic, where we receive exceptional care from the compassionate and dedicated staff. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for saving both me and my precious daughter.”

The corporate and government liaison of the clinic, Sbonga Shange said this is music to their ears because when the service was launched, they also wanted to eliminate the inconvenience of early mornings and long queues with the service.

He said it has since garnered significant popularity among patients, who value its convenience.

Related article:  World Aids Day observed at Witkoppen Clinic

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