The Library Journal, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and ForeWord Reviews are the gold standard in book reviews. Some (Publishers Weekly, ForeWord Reviews and Kirkus have also created a paid for review service—this doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed a blue ribbon with your payment for it. It means that you are guaranteed a review, sometimes “wow”, sometimes not-so hot. Blue Ink Reviews (also an Author U member and Extravaganza Exhibitor) has garnered an excellent reputation, especially in the library sector. The paid component is usually post publication. All should get your attention. Also note that ForeWord Reviews participates in the annual American Library Association’s meeting and announces the winners of the IndieFab awards, including Book of the Year.
The Library Journal is one of the prestigious venues to get your book reviewed. Read cover to cover by librarians, if your book is “library friendly” … you want to submit your book for review pre-publication. Make sure you read all the info below… it’s directly from the Library Journals website. Good luck in your quest!
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/about/submitting-titles-for-review/
“Books are selected for their potential interest to a broad spectrum of libraries. Only a few areas of publishing fall outside LJ‘s scope: textbooks, children’s books, very technical or specialized works (particularly those directed at a professional audience), and books in languages other than English. We do, however, consider bilingual editions. Books previously published abroad are eligible if they are being released here for the first time and have a U.S. distributor.
“We prefer to receive materials three to four months in advance of publication date since our primary goal is prepublication review (although our collection development and readers’ advisory forums allow for rich post-publication coverage‚ submission info below). We will accept bound galleys, bound page proofs, or bound manuscripts (only one copy is necessary). Those publishers (small houses) that cannot supply advance bound galleys may submit finished books, but these should be sent as early as possible with the words “In lieu of galleys” and the publication date affixed to the cover. We generally avoid reviewing books later than date of publication, though we do make exceptions for reference and heavily illustrated works‚ if F & Gs are not available, send the finished book as early as possible.
Address materials to:
Book Review Editor
Library Journal
160 Varick Street, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10013
“Include the following information: Author, title; name, address, and telephone number of publisher; date of publication; price; number of pages; and ISBN and LC numbers if available. Please indicate whether any illustrations, an index, or bibliography will be included; also include a brief description of the book, its intended audience, and information on the author’s background.
“Library Journal Book Review is not able to confirm the receipt of galleys. However, when it comes to lead titles (and lead titles only, please), you are welcome to contact via email the Book Review editor most likely to handle your book. In your message, make sure to indicate the title, author, publisher, and publication date.
“The best way to determine if your book has been assigned for review is via our free LJ Review Alert email blast, which lists titles that are going to be reviewed in a given issue roughly six weeks before that issue publishes. LJ Review Alert also highlights recent Xpress Reviews and online collection development and readers’ advisory coverage (as showcased in our free, award-winning LJ Reviews e-newsletter).
“If you have not seen your book listed in LJ Review Alert and cannot find it on our web site at the time of its publication, it was not chosen for review.
“Books that fall into the following categories may still be reviewed up to three months after their publication date:
- Reference
- Coffee-table books that are heavily illustrated
- Art books
- Graphic Novels
- Crafts and DIY
- Library Science
- Poetry
“Please follow up review galleys with a copy of the bound book. Neither books nor galleys can be returned.”
School Library Journal
http://www.slj.com/about-us/review-submissions/
Submission Terms & Conditions
School Library Journal’s reviews are both positive and negative, and make recommendations both for and against purchase. Our reviewers are encouraged to compare newer titles to materials that are already held in most library collections serving children and young adults. Each title is evaluated on its literary and illustrative quality or on its clarity and accuracy of presentation.
Submission does not guarantee review. Due to the great volume of materials submitted and space limitations, we cannot review every submission. The editors decide which books and multimedia materials to review based upon potential interest to SLJ readers. All submissions of books and multimedia materials become the sole property of Mediasource, Inc.; requests for return of materials or other restrictions cannot be honored.
If a review is scheduled for publication, notification will generally be sent to the publisher shortly before the magazine is available; at this time, all reviews are final and not subject to change. Due to the volume of submissions and reviews in progress, it is not always possible to communicate with every publisher about the status of every review. However, should you like to check on the arrival of review materials or the status of a submission, please email Kent Turner kturner@mediasourceinc.com.
Books
School Library Journal reviews new children’s and young adult general trade books, original paperbacks, and reference books from established publishers. The reviews are available in our monthly magazine and online. In order to be considered for review, books must be of national interest and be readily available from national distributors at an institutional discount. Two copies of the book must be received at least two months before the month of publication. Books received later than that are generally not considered. Galleys and Advanced Reading Copies may be submitted; however, they must be followed by two copies of the finished book. Review coverage is not automatic; many books submitted are not reviewed, mainly due to limited page space.
Publishers on NetGalley may also submit egalleys to SLJ for review consideration, in addition to the regular print mailings. Though egalley submission does not guarantee a review, it may increase the chances of a review and/or speed the process. Publishers submitting egalleys are asked to follow up with print review copies as well as one copy of the finished book, when available.
It takes a minimum of three months from the time a book arrives for it to be reviewed. No review is published until SLJ has received two copies of the book and the following bibliographic information: author, title, binding(s), price(s), publication month and year, ISBN(s), Library of Congress number (or notice that there will not be one) and whether or not Cataloging in Publication data will appear in the book. Occasionally, a third copy of a book may be requested.
Send materials to: SLJ Book Review, School Library Journal, 123 William St., Suite 802, New York, NY 10038
DVDs & Audio Recordings
DVDs and audio recordings (audiobooks and CDs) are eligible for review if they were released during the current year and designed for an audience preschool through the 12th grade. Please submit the material along with information on grade level, running time, copyright, release date, price, and an ordering address.
Send audio recordings to: Stephanie Klose, 123 William St., Suite 802, New York, NY 10038; 646-380-0729; sklose@mediasourceinc.com.
Send DVDs (either screeners or the final copy) to Kent Turner, 123 William St., Suite 802, New York, NY 10038; 646-380-0751; kturner@mediasourceinc.com.
Online Resources
Reference products and online resources, designed for students through the 12th grade and released during the past year should be sent to Kathy Ishizuka, Executive Editor, School Library Journal, 123 William St., Suite 802, New York, NY 10038; 646-380-0727; kishizuka@mediasourceinc.com.
Welcome to BookLife, Publishers Weekly’s new website dedicated to indie authors! In beta now, meaning that the website is being built and program rolled out as you read this, Publishers Weekly encourages all independent publishers and self-publishers to keep checking back. They are promoting books now, there is a quick profile to complete (takes less than one minute, upload your book information … you will see a button titled “Submit Project for PW Review Consideration.” Click that and fill in the information. At the current time, this is different from PW Select, which charges $149 … this is FREE.
There are two entry points for submitting books for PW review consideration:
– BookLife.com – for self-published authors
– PublishersWeekly.com – for publishers
NOTE: Both lead to the same editors, and the reviews are published in the same place.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/publisher-services/
GENERAL GUIDELINES
SELECTION PROCESS
“Due to the volume of submissions we receive, Kirkus cannot review every book submitted. Our editors decide which books to slate for review or feature coverage first by referring to the submission guidelines detailed above and then by trying to predict which books will generate the most interest among our readers.
SMALL & INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS
“Kirkus’ editors take great pride in their coverage of books released by small and independent publishing houses. Each year, notable independent houses are included in our Best Books of the Year feature, and we routinely give coverage to publishers outside of the “big five.”
“Please note that all self-published books must go through the Kirkus Indie program to get reviewed. In order for a book to be considered for traditional review (following the submission guidelines described above), it must be published under an imprint that publishes multiple authors, and the authors must have zero financial responsibility for the book’s publication (note: this does not include marketing).”
Editorial Calendar
Kirkus Reviews magazine is published on the 1st and 15th of every month. In addition, we publish the following supplements:
BEA Guide – May 15th
Fall Preview – August 15th
Best Books of the Year:
Fiction – November 15th
Kids’ Books – November 15th
Nonfiction Books – December 1st
Teen Books – December 1st
Indie Books – December 15th
Book Apps – December 15th
Submissions Contact
Chelsea Langford, Assistant Editor
clangford@kirkus.com
212-209-1531
“Please note that due to the volume of emails and phone calls we receive, we do not reply to inquiries regarding whether or not a particular book was slated for review or feature coverage.”
Get Your Book Reviewed
Foreword Review
“You’re an indie author or publisher, and you have a new book at the printer or a recently published gem. It’s beautiful, polished, ready for the eyes of the world, and you’re looking to get it out there for readers to fall in love with. Your first stop is here with Foreword Reviews. Foreword offers beautifully written, objective reviews of indie books, and we’ve been doing it for a readership of librarians, booksellers, and book lovers for over 15 years. Along with flawless credibility and fantastic reach, earning a Foreword book review gives indie authors and publishers more meat on the bone and buzz in the air for publicity campaigns. We have the research to prove that book industry professionals and general readers buy books based on a review in Foreword.
“To be considered for a review in the pages of Foreword Reviews magazine, a review copy (printed or digital) of the title in question must be received in the Foreword offices at least two months prior to the book’s firm publication date. Once we have our hands on your book, our managing editor will carefully critique whether it meets our editorial standards. We receive hundreds of worthy titles every month. Due to space limitations, we’re only able to review 150 books per issue of the quarterly magazine. If your book did not make the cut, we also offer objective, 450-word reviews (including a star rating) by Clarion Reviews, Foreword’s fee-for-review service.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should include a fact sheet or press release. All review submissions should be sent to the attention of:
Book Review Editor / Foreword Reviews
425 Boardman Avenue
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
Submission information should include category, title, subtitle, author name and bio, publisher, page count, price, binding, ISBN, and publication date. Press releases or fact sheets should include a brief description of the title, why it is distinctive, etc., as well as contact information. Please also note on your enclosed fact sheet what type of review you are seeking.
eBooks are accepted in the following formats: .pdf, .epub, or .mobi. Foreword will not review titles that are only published as eBooks. Titles must have a print version with a firm pub date.”
Submit eBooks by email to ebooks@forewordreviews.com.
Blue Ink Review is designed for Serious Reviews of the Self-Published http://BlueInkReviews.com/
Self publishers face an uphill battle finding readers. Greatly increase your chances with an objective book review from BlueInk. Our critics have written for The New York Times, Washington Post and more; others have been editors at top publishing houses such as Viking and Crown. This is why, more than any other source, a BlueInk endorsement is your red hot ticket to reader and industry-wide attention!
READY! CHECK THESE GUIDELINES
“BlueInk considers for review any book that has been published at least in part through the efforts and payments of its author (commonly called a “self-published” or “independently published” book). Even if your publisher pays you royalties, if you financed the publication in some way, including, for example, by committing to purchase a quantity of books, your book would qualify for a review.
We review e-books, on-demand books, printed books in any format, English translations and English-language submissions from outside the United States, as well as galleys. We do not review manuscripts pre-publication.
SET! MAKE YOUR INITIAL CHOICES
“Choose below whether you would like a Standard Review ($395 for the review to be completed in 7-9 weeks), Fast Track Review ($495 for the review to be completed in 4-5 weeks) or the Self-Publishing Review Package ($595 for a Fast Track BlueInk Review, an SPR Lead Story Review and a PDF upload). Then make sure to read through our policies, decide whether you’ll be mailing your book or uploading it as a PDF* (there is a $19.95 handling charge for this service), and submit your order
GO! TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK AND SEND IT TO US FOR REVIEW
“After you push the “order” button, you’ll be sent to a page asking you to fill in more details about yourself and your book–this information is used to help your book Get Found by readers through our site search engines. You’ll then be guided through the process of uploading your PDF* or sending your book (2 copies) to the BlueInk offices.
That’s it! Once your review is finished, we’ll send it to you along with the means to activate and/or purchase some really nifty services. You’ll also be able at that time, or any time later, to opt out of running your review on our site.”
Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 34 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #34 was published this summer: The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers. Get your copy.
Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th. Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow .
Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre, during and post publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.
If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday. The number is 218-632-9854; Access Code 1239874444 … have your questions ready–there’s a full hour to ask and listen
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