If you've visited The Story, you might be familiar with a feature I do occasionally called "Dear Story Siren." If you not familiar with the feature, basically readers submit questions... personal questions, questions about blogging, author interview, publisher interaction, reviews, etc. It's my way of sharing some of the things I've learned during my blogging adventure. That being said, I am in no way a blogging expert, but I'd like to think I've picked a few things up along the way.
A lot of the questions I get have to do with publisher interaction. This is something that I think is very important for a blogger that is actively receiving review copies from publishers. I know that at a blogger myself, I want to continue to improve those relationships and be as beneficial to the publishers and authors as I can. The majority of the time I don't know the answers to these questions. I have my assumptions, but who knows if those are correct.
In turn, I was inspired to do something a little different with "Dear Story Siren." I'll be doing a special edition of "Dear Story Siren" geared specifically toward blogger/publisher interactions. I've contacted several publishing houses with a set number of questions to be answered, and I'll be featuring a different publisher each post.
Past Dear Publisher Posts:
Penguin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
HarperCollins
Bloomsbury & Walker
Egmont USA
Flux
Random House
Candlewick
St. Martin's Griffin
Today's blogger/publisher interaction questions are from
Abrams Books.
What should I include in my review copy request?
Book Title and author. If it’s an older book the month/year it came out.
When is the best time to post my review?
As close to the book’s on sale date or after.
Do you want to be sent reviews of titles I've bought?
Only if they are applicable.
Do you want to be sent reviews of titles that have been on the shelves for a while?
Sure!
Is it okay to have a contest for an arc that I've gotten from a publicists?
Of course you can, but only if you make mention that these are free, uncorrected proofs that cannot be sold to the public.
How many months do you like to see someone blogging before they can request an advance readers copy?
Doesn’t matter.
What criteria do you look for in a book blog before you will send you an advance readers copy?
That you are a legitimate reviewer.
When you send a copy for review, do you like us to let you know it arrived?
It’s helpful, but not necessary.
Do you want us to send you links of our reviews that are negative?
Not necessary, and I would actually prefer if you didn’t review a book you don’t like. This doesn’t mean we won’t still send you books, but there’s no point in wasting anyone’s time or bruising egos by writing about something you don’t want to recommend.
What if I can't get into a book that you sent me for review, do you want us to let you know that we won't be reviewing it?
Sure!
When is the best time to request an arc?
As early as possible.
Is it better to contact an author for swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.) or should we ask the publicist?
Always contact the publishers.