Nine Tips for Improving Your Chances at Editorial Coverage

Unless you deliver our mail (and we appreciate the brave souls who do), it’s probably hard to imagine the ever-increasing number of books that come through our doors. Each book is the product of hard work by a number of people, and each one deserves a fair assessment. We look at every book that we receive. The sheer volume of submissions, however, demands a streamlined screening process. As an independent publisher, you can improve your chances of being reviewed by ForeWord by following these ten tips:

1. Familiarize yourself with the magazine. Pick up a copy at BookExpo America, the American Library Association Annual Conference, or any of the foreign trade shows we attend. Print subscriptions and digital copies are also available at online.

2. Get into the information flow. Check out our Web site at www.forewordreviews.com. More than 4,000 book reviews, submission guidelines, blogs, an e-mail newsletter, and more are available 24/7 on the Internet. Follow ForeWord Reviews on Facebook and Twitter. Register for a free subscription to our weekly email newsletter, ForeWord This Week, which also includes a calendar of events.

3. Read the Submission Guidelines. Otherwise, how would you know, for example, that we only consider reviewing books that arrive at least four months before their publication dates? Every review journal has different specifications: ignore them at your own peril. The Guidelines are found at http://www.forewordreviews.com/get-reviewed/submission-guidelines

4. Familiarize yourself with our editorial calendar. Each issue of ForeWord Reviews contains three or four ForeSight feature articles covering trends and special genres. Calls for submission are sent four months in advance of the cover date, but any book published within the last six months will be considered. Our editorial calendar is available online.

5. Mind the gap between you and the competition. If you’re submitting an ARC, does the cover look like other covers in its genre? Does the interior follow standard layout guidelines? Be warned: an unprofessional cover or layout will guarantee a trip to the recycling bin. A professional design for your book is well worth the cost.

6. When you submit a book, include information, but don’t worry about bling. We don’t need fancy bookmarks or expensive folders. We do need a one-page press release, no more than 200 words, about what makes the book special, and a short biography of the author. We also need a fact sheet that includes the title, author, publisher, page count, price, publication date, and ISBN. We also need a publisher contact name and e-mail address in case we need to call for cover art or more details. This information is crucial during our screening process and also helps us to keep track of the book once it’s been sent to a reviewer.

7. Make a personal introduction. Look for us at BookExpo America, the ALA Annual Conference, and fairs in London, Bologna, Beijing, and Frankfurt. We exhibit at these trade shows, speak at educational programs, represent publishers at foreign rights fairs, and cover events that affect the industry. Create a lasting impression with a face-to-face introduction and tell us what you’re up to.

8. Consider a Digital Review. We created the Digital Review to provide opportunities for all the great books that come to us too late or for which we don’t have room in the print magazine. Like the print reviews, Digital Reviews are published on our Web site and licensed for use by our partners at Ingram’s iPage, Baker & Taylor’s Title Source III, Bowker’s Books In Print, and Gale’s licensed databases. We guarantee a swift turnaround at a reasonable price.

9. Consider Clarion. New publishers might want to start with a Clarion Review or a Clarion Preview. We guarantee a fair estimation of your book by the same editors and reviewers who work for ForeWord Reviews magazine. Clarion Reviews average 400 words and are licensed for use by our partners at Ingram’s iPage, Baker & Taylor’s Title Source III, Bowker’s Books In Print, and Gale’s licensed databases. A Clarion Preview provides quick, objective feedback about your book’s layout, content, editing, and how well it will compete in the marketplace.