Amazing Things Are Happening at Foreword Reviews This Summer

One of the reasons I love trade shows is the unexpected conversations in line for coffee or serendipitous meet-ups on the show floor, some of which result in lifelong industry friends. Another favorite is meeting someone who isn’t familiar with Foreword Reviews (egads!) and having them gradually realize that we can help them do their jobs better.

I had lunch on a park bench with a middle school librarian during the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in San Francisco at the end of June. She shared her frustrations about not being able to find good book recommendations in her current review resources, especially age appropriate graphic novels (“books without boobs”) or books that are hip and that her students actually enjoy. I shared a copy of Foreword Reviews, which now features a two-page spread on the best indie graphic novels, and another four pages on books for middle grade and younger kids. The next day she tracked me down at our booth to personally turn in her free subscription card, sharing how much she loved the mag, particularly the middle grade and YA offerings.

Our 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards was celebrated at ALA. If you missed that announcement, see a complete list, as well as our Editor’s Choice prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction. We also rewarded Lee & Low Books with our Indie Publisher of the Year Award for their diversity activism.

We have three important marketing deadlines for you to keep in mind for the next couple weeks:

  1. It is midsummer, but we are already beginning to plan our Winter issue (December 1 cover date). Review and feature submissions need to be in our offices by August 15. You can find guidelines and category focus here.
  1. We are already scheduling appointments for the Frankfurt Book Fair (October), and the Beijing Book Fair (late August). Indie presses that want title representation at either or both of these shows will need to act early. Space is limited and our shipping deadlines are coming up soon. Children’s picture book and YA publishers will get twice the exposure at both shows, as we will be hosting titles with our sister company, Children’s Books USA, at a separate booth.
  1. The Fall issue of Foreword Reviews in print has once again sold out of ad space. We have another hefty page count scheduled for these “coffee table” editions. If you want to get involved in the Winter issue, you’ll have to act fast. Contact your rep today to reserve your space they can talk to you about a package for the trade shows noted above or online reach for significant coverage. We have a lot of new bookseller and librarian subscribers who discovered us at the BEA and ALA shows and they definitely want to learn about your titles!

It’s hard not to go on, because we have so many amazing things in the works at the office this summer. Please reach out to us with a phone call and email inquiries if you have additional questions, or keep tabs on the indie publishing activity through our social media networks.


Victoria Sutherland
Victoria Sutherland is the publisher of Foreword Reviews. You can e-mail her at victoria@forewordreviews.com.

Victoria Sutherland

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