How do I build a reviewer list without spamming people?
Plan, draft, edit and pitch the same book in one project.
Start free in the Market studio- Relevance first: only approach reviewers who cover your genre.
- Personalize every message — reference a specific review they wrote.
- Respect stated review and submission policies.
- Ask permission; never add people to a list without consent.
- Track outreach so no one is contacted twice or pestered.
Build a reviewer list on four principles: relevance (only approach reviewers who actually cover your genre), personalization (reference a specific review they wrote, never a mail-merge blast), permission (respect their stated policies and never add anyone to a list without consent), and tracking (log every contact so no one is messaged twice or chased). Done this way, outreach reads as a fitting, respectful ask rather than spam — and gets far higher response rates.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Mass, generic reviewer outreach not only fails — it burns reputation, gets you blocked, and can sour reviewers on your name for future books. Reviewers talk to each other. A relevant, personalized, permission-based approach respects their time and policies, which is both ethical and effective: the response rate on a tailored ask to the right reviewer dwarfs that of a blast to a scraped list.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A relevance filter: reviewers who cover your genre and comps.
- Personalization referencing a specific review they wrote.
- A read of each reviewer's stated policy before contacting.
- A permission-based ask, never a forced add.
- A tracker logging who was contacted, when, and the outcome.
- A no-pestering rule: one follow-up at most.
Chapter iii·Example
An author building her ARC reviewer list finds reviewers who rated her comps highly, reads each one's review policy, and writes individual notes referencing a specific review ("your read of [comp] caught exactly what I was going for"). She logs each contact in a tracker. Her response rate is strong precisely because every ask is relevant and personal — nothing about it resembles the blasts reviewers delete unread.
In WriteLoom
A launch plan, not a launch day
WriteLoom's Market studio helps you find genre-relevant reviewers and tracks every personalized contact, so outreach stays respectful and organized.
Not ready for a workspace yet? Get the free six-part series on winning the writing game: finishing drafts, editing in the right order, querying with real math, and launching on a runway.
Chapter iv·Related questions