Who Knew How Important Pre Pub Reviews Are?

I didn't.

Of all the issues I was concerned about starting down this path, pre publication book reviews were no where on my radar screen.

Pre publication reviews are not those book reviews you see in the newspapers and magazines. Pre pubs are those reviews that go in your selling material and on the back cover of your advance reader copy (ARCs) when you're making that last stretch drive to promote your book before it's released.

Who are you trying to impress before the release? Independent book store buyers, wholesalers, distributors, potential book reviewers. The people that determine whether your book will have any chance at all in the marketplace.

But don't forget. If you haven't written a great book, had it professionally designed, professionally edited, an excellent cover design, well, the pre pubs won't matter because it's already doomed.

As the small publishing market has grown up a lot of consultants are out there in all categories. To me the strangest category is the book review for pay group. You pay to have someone review your book. Please don't do that.

When I was an editor if someone had tried to promote a book to me that had paid for reviews I'd have toss that thing across the newsroom. Fortunately, now that I've gone to the other side I can be more benevolent. But still you don't want to do it no matter how desperate you are to sell your book.

More on this later.

Michael LaLumiere
www.staggerleebooks.com