Reviews are important for your book's success, whether you like it or not.

To submit your book for review, visit our Shop page and purchase a critical review. Our team will then reach out to you to collect your manuscript and provide more details.

After your book has been reviewed, you will receive a comprehensive review via email. You can use this review for editorial, promotional, and marketing purposes, and it will also be featured on our website. Additionally, we send promotional stickers for you to place on physical copies of your book. These stickers have been shown to boost in-person sales by drawing attention and signaling credibility to potential buyers.

We do not publish them on other third-party platforms, which would conflict with platform policies. These reviews are designed for your use in promoting your book—whether on the front or back cover, in press releases, advertising, or as part of your book description on third-party platforms. If the assigned reviewer is personally inclined, they may choose to leave a separate review on third-party platforms. We always encourage them to if they enjoyed the book.

Yes, we accept both published and unpublished books for review. However, the manuscript must be complete, as we do not review unfinished works.

CANREADS is a publication focused on offering editorial insights, promotion, and exposure for authors. Our primary goal is to provide feedback that helps you understand how your book might be received in the market. We provide an objective assessment of your book from a target audience or industry professional, highlighting its strengths, weaknesses, and market appeal. Unlike editorial services, which focus on detailed revisions, a critical review offers high-level feedback without restructuring or in-depth analysis.

In short: We do not offer editorial services. A critical review is not a comprehensive evaluation of your book-in-progress, but rather, intended for finished works (published or unpublished). If you require extensive revisions, publishing support, or detailed manuscript development, an editorial service would be a better fit. 

Although we make sure to include promotional lines for marketing purposes, we ensure these reviews are entirely honest and provided by readers from your target market, or industry professionals. As outlined above, our reviewers are carefully vetted and include avid readers in your genre, book influencers, former and current Indigo employees, and industry professionals with deep knowledge of the market. While our reviews emphasize your book's strengths, they remain genuine and unbiased. We always include constructive feedback if necessary, which you can request to omit in your promotional materials.

We prioritize confidentiality with the utmost care. All of our reviewers are bound by strict contracts to maintain full confidentiality, and many of them work in the publishing sector, fully appreciating the sensitivity of pre-publication materials. Access to your manuscript is limited exclusively to our team, who store it securely on a locked drive, and to the single reviewer assigned to your book. If additional security measures are desired, we can provide a legal agreement confirming that everything remains confidential on our end and under your full ownership.

The review process usually takes 4 to 6 weeks from submission. We aim to provide thorough and timely feedback. Expedited options are available for delivery within 14 days.

Yes, we accept international authors for reviews. Our team of reviewers and editors brings global market expertise, offering industry-relevant insights that extend beyond Canada.

The CANREADS Award is reserved for Canadian authors or those who have lived in Canada for at least one year, but our review services are open to writers worldwide. While we primarily focus on the Canadian market, our reviews help international authors expand their reach and gain visibility across North America. We are committed to supporting diverse voices and helping authors engage with Canada’s literary community.

At CANREADS, we have a team of over 50 experienced reviewers with diverse backgrounds in various industries. Many hold relevant degrees and years of professional experience in literary and/or relevant fields, ensuring high-quality and insightful reviews. For example, if a book’s subject matter deals with the sciences (chemistry, biology, etc.), we usually have a reviewer with a science and communications background. Authors can request a reviewer bio, however, in line with industry best practices established by leading review platforms, we do not disclose reviewer names.

We maintain reviewer anonymity to promote unbiased, candid feedback. This practice protects the professional relationships of our reviewers—many of whom are active in the publishing sector—and safeguards the integrity of the review process by preventing external influence or bias. While we encourage our reviewers to reach out if they particularly enjoyed a book, this remains entirely at their discretion. Each reviewer undergoes a rigorous vetting and editorial process, and you can find examples of our reviews under Featured Reviews on our website to see the standard of writing we expect.

Although we cannot guarantee a specific reviewer, you are welcome to indicate your preference, and we will make every effort to accommodate your request. Rest assured, we carefully pair each manuscript with an industry professional or reader who specializes in the target market and has ample experience with your genre.

We reserve the right to withhold publication of a review if your book does not meet our standards. Many readers and industry professionals browse our website, and we aim to maintain a high standard in what we showcase. If your book has issues such as a large number of grammatical errors or readability concerns, we’ll still provide a constructive review for you, but it won't be posted on the website. However, if the material is overtly offensive or contains discriminatory content, we will not review it at all, as we do not tolerate hateful or discriminatory language.