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Guest article by James A. Cox

I’ve been a book reviewer and a keenly interested observer of the publishing industry since the fall of 1976. My more than 20 years of experience as a reviewer, an editor of a monthly book review newsletter, a producer of radio and television weekly book review programs, and editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review (supervising the work of 37 volunteer book reviewers across the United States and Canada) has taught me a great deal about reviewing books, editing the reviews of others, and recognizing the needs and problems of the independent small press publisher with respect to being reviewed.

The main reason for a publisher to seek reviews is to collect quotes that can be used in publicity and promotional materials, which could result in increased sales for the book. The principal hazards facing the publisher with respect to reviews are being panned by an honest […]

Guest article by Patricia Fry

If you’ve been poking around at writing and publishing sites, attending writers’ conferences and reading about authorship, you’ve heard/read the term platform. You may even know what it means. It’s your way of attracting readers for your book. It’s your following, your level of notoriety and the power of your personal and professional contacts. The extent of your platform can be the defining factor in landing a publisher for your memoir, novel or self-help book. But the scope of your platform will also determine your book’s ultimate success.

You hear experts say, “The best time to start establishing your platform is before your book is ready to make the rounds of agents and/or publishers.” I maintain that hopeful authors should start building a platform before they write the book. Here’s how:

1. Build promotion into your book before it is a book. For fiction, choose your setting carefully. […]

Guest article by Tami DePalma and Kim Dushinski

Work with the bookstore. Your book signing coordinator, often called a community resource coordinator, has probably conducted many more book signings than you have. They usually have a good idea of what works and what flops in organizing an event. Rely on their expertise to get more people to your event and to buy books when they get there.

Tell the book signing coordinator what marketing efforts you are putting forth to attract people into their bookstore. Ask them what advertising and publicity they will do to get people to the event. Make sure that between the two of you, you’ve found ways to reach your targeted audience repeatedly. Ask to see the materials they distribute, and check for accuracy.

When sending releases to the media, remember, the media likes free events, especially when the event directly applies to their audiences. They don’t like what […]

Guest article by James A. Cox

A good review placed in the hands of the reading public by a competent reviewer is the most effective and least expensive publicity/promotion instrument available to the independent publisher. But the chances of getting your book reviewed can be drastically reduced if you do not understand what you are up against and do not take steps to improve your odds.

The Midwest Book Review receives approximately 50 books a day, Monday through Saturday. That works out to around 1,500 titles a month. I encourage PMA members to identify themselves as such when they submit their titles for review because Midwest Book Review has a policy of bumping small presses and PMA members to the top of the review list – a significant step when the line is 1,500 titles long!

Other book review publications or programs (with the possible exception of The Independent Publisher) do not have […]