How to Get Your Book Reviewed | Submitting Books for Review

We have to confess that we have yet to figure out how to read books sent electronically, so-called e-Books. We need the rich smell of the binding, the print bleeding in on our hands. Thus we ask that you only send us hard copy books, either proofs or - - - better - - - finished copies.

We have traditionally been receptive to any and all types of books, no matter the subject, whether fiction or non-fiction, whether elaborately or simply designed.

We are not concerned with that literary fiction called publication date, an anachronistic hold-over from the days when it took a year-and-a-half of planning for a book to get in print and into the bookstores. All we are concerned with is the date the book was or will be printed and available to the public.

Bill Ott, editor at ALA/Booklist, recently reported that that book review magtazines receives almost 80,000 titles a year for review purposes. With so many volumes being published in the United States each year --- with even more coming in from abroad --- many fine and worthy books slip through the cracks.

Therefore, if you or your publishing company put out a book many months or even a couple of years ago, and if no one seemed to notice, please feel free to send a new copy to us so we can look at it.

At the same time, we ask that you remember that we cannot, as much as we would love to, review all the books sent in to us.

You can, however, assist us with our assessment of your book by including a clearly printed one-page sheet with the following information:

Title;
Author's name;
Publisher's name, address and contact person (address, telephone number, e-mail address);
Planned printing and distribution date;
Price and ordering information, including name of distributors (if any);
A brief (one page) summary of the contents of the book, along with a brief biography of the author and --- if available --- copies of reviews of this book or his or her previous books.

Rather than sending proofs, we suggest you send us the final printed copy, hot off the press. And please understand that even smaller book review magazines like ours receive dozens of titles in our mailbox every week. We ask your indulgence. Follow-up letters or e-mails don't help.

If we feel the book is worthy, we'll try our damndest to get it reviewed and online ASAP.