You know your book matters. We make sure others know it, too.

To submit your book for a professional published review, visit our submissions page and fill out the Critical Review form. This includes automatic entry into the CANREADS Book Awards and starts at $350. You can enter as many award categories as you like at no extra cost. This option is priced higher because it also includes a feature on our website with direct purchase links to your book.

If you’d prefer to enter the awards without a critical review, you’ll find that option on the submissions page as well. If you’d like to enter the awards without purchasing a critical review, that option is also available on the submissions page. Whether or not you choose to add a critical review has no impact on your awards evaluation.

Once your entry form is submitted, you will receive an order confirmation email with instructions to complete your order.

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.

Your review will also be featured on Lumedot, a new creator-centric eBook and audiobook platform committed to fair compensation and innovative storytelling. Lumedot makes digital publishing simple, fair, and interactive—and CANREADS authors earn 100% on their first 100 sales, plus receive free ePub conversion. Check out the CANREADS Book club here: https://lumedot.com/dot/bookclub 

We do not publish them on other third-party platforms, which would conflict with platform policies. 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 to-be-published books for review. However, the manuscript must be complete, as we do not review unfinished works. The book must also be set to be published within the eligible awards timeline.

Not exactly. CANREADS is not an editorial service and does not critique unfinished manuscripts. All of our offerings—whether promotional reviews or manuscript evaluations—are intended for completed works only, or those in the final editorial stages (published or to-be-published within the year).

Our critical reviews are designed to be shared publicly and focus on how your book may be received in the market. These reviews include thoughtful, honest feedback from a member of your target audience, and they are geared toward visibility, driving sales, and promotional use. Please note that this does not mean there will be no critical feedback—we value honest reviews above all. Disagreement with constructive criticism does not warrant a refund.

If your book requires extensive revisions, publishing support, or detailed manuscript development, we recommend working with a dedicated editorial service instead.

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 bookstore 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 criticism if necessary.

We prioritize confidentiality with the utmost care. 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 stores 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 will take 5 to 8 weeks from submission. We aim to provide thorough and timely feedback. Expedited options are available for delivery within 3 weeks.

Yes, we accept international authors for critical reviews. The CANREADS Awards program, however, is reserved for Canadian authors or those who have resided in Canada for at least one year.

Our team of reviewers and editors brings global market expertise, offering industry-relevant insights that extend beyond Canada. 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, we usually assign a reviewer with a strong 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 to the author 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 published reviews on our Critical Reviews page 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.

We reserve the right to withhold publication of a review if a book does not meet our quality standards. Our website is widely viewed by readers and industry professionals, and we are committed to maintaining a strong editorial standard in what we feature. If a submission contains significant issues—such as pervasive grammatical errors or readability concerns—we will still provide a constructive, private review, but it will not be published on the site, and you will receive a 20% refund. Submissions that are overtly offensive or include hateful or discriminatory language will not be reviewed. Context matters: language that reflects a specific historical period, character voice, or narrative framework is assessed accordingly and does not, on its own, disqualify a book from review publication.