Guaranteed paid review
Kirkus Indie
Independent authors and publishers who want a Kirkus-branded review; readers and retailers who see the published review
In short
Kirkus Indie is the paid review service Kirkus Reviews runs for independently published books: you pay between $399 and $750 depending on the option, and a Kirkus freelancer writes the review. The review is guaranteed to be written, not to be positive, and you decide whether it is published, so a good one becomes quotable copy on your cover and retail pages. Authors and independent publishers buy this themselves, at any time before or after publication. Call it a Kirkus Indie review: that is the name of the paid program, and trade buyers may weigh it differently from an editorial Kirkus review.
Payment guarantees a review, not a positive one.
Kirkus Indie is the paid review service run by Kirkus Reviews for self-published and independently published books. The author or publisher pays, uploads a PDF or Word file, and receives a review written by a Kirkus freelancer. The review is guaranteed to be written; it is not guaranteed to be positive, and the reviewers are told to be honest.
The current options: a Traditional review of about 250 words at $450 (seven to nine weeks) or $599 express (four to six weeks); an Expanded review of about 500 words at $599, or $750 express; and a Picture Book review of about 200 words at $399, or $450 express. English and Spanish are accepted; other languages are not. Audiobooks are not reviewed in any format.
If the review is negative, the purchaser can choose not to publish it, and it will not appear anywhere. Published reviews go on the Kirkus site and may be selected for the magazine. Unlike the editorial program, Kirkus Indie places no restrictions on publication date, so backlist and unpublished manuscripts are both eligible. Traditionally published authors whose books were not previously reviewed by Kirkus may also use it.
Why it may matter
A Kirkus Indie review gives an independent title a review with the Kirkus name on it, which is quotable on covers and retail pages and visible to the readers and professionals who browse the Kirkus site. Payment guarantees a review, not a positive one, and Kirkus publishes it under the Indie name, so trade buyers may weigh it differently from an editorial Kirkus review. Its main value is marketing copy and an honest outside read. A star is possible but not common.
Do not confuse this with
Kirkus Indie and the Kirkus editorial program are different things.
- Kirkus Indie (this record): a paid service. A review is guaranteed to be written, the purchaser controls publication, and any publication date is fine.
- Kirkus Reviews editorial program: free, publisher-submitted, prepublication only, and selective. Self-published and print-on-demand books are not eligible.
Paying for a Kirkus Indie review does not enter the book into the editorial program. When quoting an Indie review, call it a Kirkus Indie review. That is what Kirkus calls it, and a bookseller or librarian who looks it up will see which program produced it.
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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