Publishers Weekly Reviews and BookLife Reviews
Which Review Is Right for My Book?

Both are written by Publishers Weekly reviewers, and both appear in Publishers Weekly, but they have distinct differences.

BookLife is sponsored by Publishers Weekly, and BookLife Reviews are written by PW reviewers, but a BookLife Review is not the same as a PW review. There are some key differences:

Length

PW reviews are brief and condensed, about 200 words. A BookLife Review is three full paragraphs (about 300 words) and includes information designed to help in the marketing of your book.

Audience

PW reviews are geared toward booksellers and librarians who want to know which books to stock. A BookLife Review is crafted to assist you in marketing your self- or independently-published book, and to appeal to readers looking for their next read.

Which books are reviewed

PW primarily reviews traditionally published books, as well as a small selection of self-published books. BookLife Reviews are primarily for self-published books and books published by independent publishers.

When and whether a book is reviewed

You can submit your book to PW for review consideration, but there is no guarantee of a PW review, and it can take months for a book to be reviewed. When you purchase a BookLife Review, you get a guaranteed review by a PW reviewer and a review within six weeks (or four if you purchase expedited service).

Where reviews are published

All PW reviews, whether for books by large publishers, independent publishers, or self-pubishers, are published together in the same section of the magazine. If you choose to make your BookLife Review public, it will be published in the BookLife Reviews section, which immediately follows the PW reviews section in every issue of Publishers Weekly. Both PW reviews and BookLife Reviews are syndicated to retailers and reviews database services.

Accepted formats

Either digital or print review copies can be submitted to PW. BookLife Reviews only accepts digital review copies.

Cost

BookLife Reviews are a service provided for a $399 fee ($499 for books over 100,000 words). There is no fee to submit your book to PW for review consideration.

In conclusion...

BookLife Reviews and Publishers Weekly reviews meet different needs for independent authors and publishers. That's why we make it easy to submit your book to either or both.

For more information, see our FAQs about BookLife Reviews and Publishers Weekly reviews.