Self-published Book Review of the Week

Rooms of the Mind

Rooms of the Mind
Terry M. Brown
9781432755126, $12.95

The teacher has possibly the most important role in a child’s education. “Rooms of the Mind: Quadrants for Success” is an advisory for teachers and administrators who often have contact with children, giving them advice and tips on how to encourage and flourish their educations on the matter. A thoughtful read with plenty of sage advice on the matter, “Rooms of the Mind” is a top pick for any teacher.

Logan’s Bookshelf
Carl Logan
Reviewer

Self-published Book Review of the Week

Lucifer Rising

Self-publishing Review of the Week – Lucifer Rising

The author shows the power a religious cult can have over an individual’s life. Elsa Eldridge works for the local paper in Daytona, Beach Florida. Her assignment by her editor is to profile the head of a local faction of a holy group. She begins to find that she is mesmerized by this man and that she will do anything for him. The novel shows the frightening hold groups like this have on people, no matter what their level of education is. The novel is a warning that should be heeded.


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On Self-published Book Reviews

Every Saturday I post self-published book reviews on this blog. What you won’t find in those is critical review in the vein of James Wood or the New York Times book review. (I am a fan of both.)

The reviews posted here are not intended to be on par, mimic, or compliment a James Wood. The reality is book marketing is changing as fast as book publishing – exponentially. As Stephen Marche noted in a recent Esquire, “…written criticism — literary, music, and movie reviews by trained professionals — has never been less relevant. There is no Lester Bangs to announce to the cool kids that the Doors actually suck.”

Learning to view this as neither good nor bad, but instead different, is the key. It’s not a fight anyone is going to win, after all. For those literary buffs out there, I encourage you to read some James Wood. And I hope you find our book reviews here at the very least a good resource for learning about new titles and relevant niche reads.


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Self-publishing Book Marketing: Magazine Reviews

The following list comes compliments of ForeWord magazine in the interest of helping you secure reviews with not only their magazine, but all magazines you pursue.

1. Become familiar with the magazine
2. Read the submission guidelines for each magazine before submitting your book for review
3. Create a good cover letter
4. Include a sales sheet (ask your self-publisher or publishing rep).
5. Follow-up

The best way to familiarize yourself with a magazine you want to review your book is to read the magazine first.

You can usually find submission guidelines for magazines on the magazine’s website.

When sending your book out for review, always include your contact information so the reviewer can get in touch with you if necessary. This should be a part of your cover letter. You can also politely request that a reviewer notify you when/if they review your book (but realize that many may choose not to do this).


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Getting your self-published book reviewed

A standard procedure for book promotion is mailing copies of your book out for book reviews. You can conduct a search on Google for “freelance book reviewers” to find reviewers, sometimes categorized by subject. Freelance reviewers often have writing assignments for larger media venues and it is often more successful to contact them directly than through larger magazines or newspapers.

As you seek out reviews on your own, remember that some magazines are more inclined to only review books that have not yet been published while others will want the chance to review it immediately after publication, so it is in your best interest to start this part of the process right away.

If you are serious about getting book reviews, you should send out copies to these publications sooner rather than later.

Also, ask yourself what the specific market is for YOUR book. Once you know your answer, ask yourself what sort of magazines, newspapers, websites, or periodicals those people read.  The more you narrow down your audience, the more efficient and cost effective your book marketing campaign will be.  Send a review copy to every magazine, newspaper, website, blog, or newsletter your potential audience may read.

When you send out a book for review, always include a complimentary copy of the book, a professional cover letter, and a sales sheet and/or a press release.

To get you started, here is contact information for a syndicated book reviewer who is known to write reviews for self published books:

Gary Roen

Syndicated Reviewer

1600 Hull Circle

Orlando, FL  32806