I just received great news from fellow writer Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot Gerald Ford.
Last year after reading my post about a new publication called the New York Journal of Books, which was looking for reviewers, she contacted the organizers.
She writes:
New York Journal of Books has stormed the book publishing industry. I've reviewed nine books for them so far. Out of the four thousand applications they have received so far, I think they have fewer than 300 reviewers.
However, they are launching a major new Web site October 1 and have just about every publisher lined up already. I get any review copy I'm qualified for via NYJB. They are getting exclusives as well.
The CEO, Ted Sturtz, left his Wall Street Financial Analyst job with Lehman Bros. last year... and decided to begin this new business as he loves books and wanted to give more visibility to writers.
Rick and I met him on our last trip to New York and we had lunch with Ted and his wife. He is a very personally powerful guy. He has taken an idea and built a major company.
What should be noted here is that Geri saw an opportunity and took it. If you'd like to be such a person, here's what she says about...
Becoming a reviewer
Reviewers must have credentials regarding the type of books they review. Geri, for example, said she's qualified to review nonfiction in the following areas: political, general, current, and in some cases, historical--recent history. There are 500 total genres, sub-genres and sub-sub genres.
But don't attempt to send her your book! Instead, follow the right submission procedure, which leads us to...
If you want your book reviewed
Here are the NYJB guidelines:
To request a review please email us at nyjb@nyjournalofbooks.com with a brief description of the book. Include publisher/publicist contact info. No self-published books currently considered for review. In general, books should be submitted a minimum of four weeks ahead of release.
Geri also adds, "Finally, of course you understand, (there are) no guarantees on what the reviewer will say."
Thanks, Geri, for the great information and for encouraging others to make the most of opportunities that come our way.
Happy writing!
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