Editorial consideration
BookLife submission to Publishers Weekly
Booksellers, librarians, and publishing professionals who read Publishers Weekly
In short
BookLife is the self-publishing division of Publishers Weekly, the American book trade's magazine, and this is the route you use to ask its editors to consider reviewing your book. It is the only way a self-published book, or one whose author paid part of the publication costs, can reach a Publishers Weekly editorial review. You submit it yourself through a free BookLife account for $25, and the file must be final, because a book can be submitted only once and a declined title cannot be resubmitted.
Submission does not guarantee coverage. The outlet decides whether and what it publishes.
BookLife is the self-publishing division of Publishers Weekly (PW). Self-published authors, and authors who paid part of their publication costs, cannot use PW's GalleyTracker system; instead they create a free BookLife author account and submit the book there for PW editorial review consideration.
The submission is digital only: a PDF or EPUB file, or a link to a file that opens without a sign-in (free Kindle editions do not work because Amazon requires a login). The book must be in English, commercially available in the United States, and carry an ISBN or an ASIN. Prepublication manuscripts are accepted as long as the version submitted is final, because the details cannot be changed once they are transmitted to PW.
There is a $25 fee per submission. PW says the consideration process takes six to twelve weeks, and a review is not guaranteed. Only a small share of submissions are chosen. A book can be submitted to PW once; declined titles cannot be resubmitted.
Why it may matter
This is the only door into a Publishers Weekly editorial review for a self-published book, and a PW review carries the same weight whichever door it came through. Booksellers and librarians who would never see an independent title otherwise may see it here. Most submissions are not selected, so treat this as a low-cost long shot, not a plan.
Do not confuse this with
BookLife offers two things that sound alike and are not.
- BookLife submission to Publishers Weekly (this record): $25, editorial consideration, not guaranteed. If PW picks the book, the result is a real Publishers Weekly review.
- BookLife Reviews: a paid, guaranteed professional review (its price is on the BookLife Reviews record) written by BookLife's paid review service. It is private by default, the author decides whether to publish it, and it is not a Publishers Weekly editorial review.
When you describe either result to a bookseller or librarian, use the exact name. Calling a BookLife Review a "PW review" is the kind of thing that gets noticed.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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