Launching a nonfiction book soon -- pay for reviews?

[Apollo Zeus]

Wondering if anyone has experiences to share about paying for professional reviews?

I have the first round printed proof and we have dummied a couple of review quotes onto the top of the back. I wold love to have real reviews to quote from when the book is finally released for sale. It is a non-fiction book aimed at the thousands of people who have worked as Extras, aka "Background", in films and streaming series so I will be looking for reviewers who have covered other books in that space.

If you have paid for reviews:

How much did you pay? Do you feel it was worth it? and, Did the reviews get you enough sales to justify the cost and the delay?

TIA.


My stand-in quotes are:

"A whitewater rafting trip from 1980s Hollywood to
the Streaming Wars of the 2020s..."

"Breezy, in-the-moment style that puts you right
in the middle of the action"

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. I paid

I joined pubby and paid about $25 a month. It's a reciprocity thing, where you read other peoples' books and review them, and they do the same for you. It;s hit and miss, a lot of people don't actually read the book, but review based on the little they glean from your cover, or other reviews. I did get a few sales, and I did get some good positive criticism and critiques, so I would say it was worth it but just barely.