Frequently Asked Questions
About Kirkusreviews.com
About Kirkusreviews.com/indie
Subscription Questions
Billing Questions
Account Management Questions
ABOUT KIRKUSREVIEWS.COM
What content does Kirkusreviews.com offer?
Kirkus Reviews publishes more than 500 pre-publication book reviews each month, including fiction, nonfiction, children's and young adult books. Kirkus content is written by specialists selected for their knowledge and expertise in their particular fields. Kirkus is a review service for bookstores, libraries, TV producers, movie studios, newspapers, and anyone else who wants to be informed about writers & books.
Since publication began in 1933, Kirkus has brought to the attention of the reading public countless classics by then unknown books, including Gone with the Wind, The Caine Mutiny, The English Patient, Angela's Ashes, and thousands more. Readers of all types, booksellers, libraries, online retailers, and library-service companies rely on our reviews to help determine which books to sell, stock or include in their databases.
With Kirkusreviews.com you'll have access to everything in the current review base, plus access to our archive database, which includes more than 300,000 titles, dating back to 1933.
What do the stars accompanying some book reviews mean?
A star is assigned to books of remarkable merit, determined by the editors of Kirkus.
Can I post book reviews from Kirkus on my own site, or reprint them elsewhere?
All material on this site is copyrighted by Kirkus Media LLC. Further reproduction without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. You may license the Kirkus book-review database for use in your products.
How do I get my book reviewed by Kirkus?
Please click here for submission guidelines.
ABOUT KIRKUS INDIE
- Since I’m paying for the review, will it be positive?
- Kirkus Indie reviewers are experienced professionals who give honest, impartial evaluations of the books they receive. The resulting reviews can be positive (even earning a Kirkus Star, one of the most revered designations in the industry), negative or anywhere in between. What we do guarantee is that you'll receive a fair and unbiased assessment of your work and its potential in the marketplace. If the review is negative, you will have the option of keeping it private and simply using the assessment as feedback to improve your craft. If it’s positive, you will be able to use the review to market your book to consumers or to catch the attention of a literary agent or publisher.
- Does publication date affect my ability to get a review?
- In the interest of introducing consumers and industry influencers to self-published books they may otherwise never discover, Kirkus Indie does not put any publication date restrictions on submissions. You may order a review for a book that’s been on the market for 10 years or for a book that doesn’t even have a publication date set yet.
- How does Kirkus decide which Indie reviews get published in the magazine and in the email newsletter?
- Our editors select 17-20 reviews to feature in each issue of the magazine, which is published twice per month. The selections are 100% at their discretion, and they typically choose the strongest reviews in a variety of genres. They also choose two Indie reviews to feature in each edition of our email newsletter, which is distributed to more than 50,000 industry influencers and consumers each week.
- Will a cover design, marketing plan or any other collateral affect my chances of getting a positive review?
- No, our professional reviewers assess merit based on the value of the content and reading experience alone.
- Will it hurt my chances of getting a positive review if I publish exclusively in eBook format?
- No, our professional reviewers assess merit based on the value of the content, reading experience and market appeal alone.
- My book is intended for a niche audience. Will that affect my chances of getting a positive review?
- No, we will assign your book to a qualified, professional reviewer who will assess the work’s value to consumers interested in reading your particular type of book. Our editors go to great lengths to match each submission with a reviewer who has deep experience or expertise with the book’s genre.
- Does Kirkus Indie review all genres?
- Yes, in our Indie program, Kirkus reviews everything from poetry and genre fiction to religious studies and specialized how-to books.
- Does Kirkus Indie review audiobooks?
- At this time, we do not review audiobooks in any format.
- Does Kirkus Indie review foreign language books?
- We do not currently review foreign language books, but if you are interested in this service, please email indie@kirkusreviews.com and let us know which language interests you, so we can keep an eye on demand.
- I’m not self-published, but my book did not get reviewed by Kirkus prior to publication. May I purchase a review through the Indie program?
- Yes. Even if you are not self-published, you may order a review through the Indie program. This is common for authors whose publishers missed the galley submission deadline, whose books did not fall into the categories reviewed through our traditional program or whose books simply weren’t slated for review due to the volume of submissions our editors receive.
- How should I format my manuscript before submitting it?
- We will accept any format, but here are our preferences:
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Margins: 1” all around
- Spacing: 1.5 or double
- Page numbers: bottom of page, centered
- Printed single-sided
- Please either have your manuscript bound after printing or separate the two copies you submit with a sheet of colored paper.
- I own or work for a self-publishing company with multiple titles. Do you have discounts or partnership programs available for companies like mine who purchase multiple reviews?
- Yes. Please email indie@kirkusreviews.com for details.
- Will you accept payment by check or money order?
- This site is secure for credit card payments, and we prefer to process orders online to support an efficient workflow process. If you must pay by check or money order, however, you may email indie@kirkusreviews.com for instructions.
SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS
How much is a subscription to Kirkusreviews.com?
For subscription information, please click here.
I'm nervous about sending my credit card information over the Internet. How secure is it?
All payments are processed on our secure website. This means your order cannot be read as it travels over the Internet, so your name, address and credit card information are secure.
May I purchase a Kirkusreviews.com subscription by check or money order?
You can purchase 12-month print/online combo subscription with a check or money order in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank. We are unable to accept check or money order payments for monthly subscriptions. We will activate your subscription when we receive your check or money order, and notify you by email when this occurs. When sending a check be sure to include your first name, last name, company, job/title, address, phone number, email address and a username and password you would like to use (between 4 and 15 characters). Also, please include a hint question with answer to help retrieve your password in the event you lose or forget it.
Payments should be forwarded to:
KirkusReviews.com
Kirkus Media LLC
Attn: Kathy Cuff
6411 Burleson Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
What is your cancellation policy?
If you have a problem with Kirkusreviews.com's service, please let us know by sending an email to customercare@kirkusreviews.com and we will do our best to resolve the problem for you. Please call 1-800-316-9361 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm CST Monday through Friday, or email customercare@kirkusreviews.com with your full name, address and daytime phone number. To help us improve the service for all of our subscribers, we would also ask you to let us know why you want to cancel.
Can I order a gift subscription to Kirkusreviews.com?
Yes. You can order an annual print/online gift subscription to Kirkusreviews.com by contacting us for instructions at customercare@kirkusreviews.com.
If I sign up for a subscription to Kirkusreviews.com can I share my username and password with my friends and colleagues?
No. That would violate the terms of service that you agree to when subscribing, and thus be grounds for termination of your account. In addition, anyone who signs on to Kirkusreviews.com as you could change your username and password, preventing you from using your account. They would also have access to your credit card information.
I have a large group of people for whom to purchase this service. Is there a program for groups?
If you are interested, email us at customercare@kirkusreviews.com and we will send you information about this program.
BILLING QUESTIONS
How long does it take for my membership to be activated from the time payment is made?As soon as your payment is authorized and you choose a username and password, you have immediate access to the Kirkusreviews.com book review database.
What is the billing schedule? Annual subscribers are billed the day they sign up.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS I've forgotten or lost my password. What do I do? Go to the Forgot Password page, which is accessible on the Account Login page, and enter your user ID. You will then be prompted to enter the answer to your "hint question" that you chose at the time of sign up. We will email your username and password to you at the email address with which you first registered. If that doesn't work please email
customercare@kirkusreviews.com.
If you have forgotten both your user ID and password email
customercare@kirkusreviews.com stating your first and last name, and customer service will assist you.
How do I update my account information (email, name/address, user ID/password, credit card information)? Any information that you entered upon registering to Kirkusreviews.com can be accessed and updated. First, log in to the system with your user ID and password. Then click on "Manage Account".
