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
Today's blogger/publisher interaction questions are from St. Martin's Griffin.
What should I include in my review copy request?
Definitely your address, full name, and number of monthly unique visitors (that’s the most helpful stat, but feel free to include others).
When is the best time to post my review?
After the pub date (so people can buy the book after reading your review), but having it on the day or that first week is great.
Do you want to be sent reviews of titles I've bought?
If it’s a recently published title, sure!
Do you want to be sent reviews of titles that have been on the shelves for a while?
It’s not necessary. We have so many books to keep track of that after the first couple months a book is out, we’re already thinking about the next one.
Is it okay to have a contest for an arc that I've gotten from a publicists?
Sure!
How many months do you like to see someone blogging before they can request an advance readers copy?
Blogging consistently for at least 6 months really helps give a blog credibility. But what helps us most is stats about number of visitors and page views.
What criteria do you look for before you'll send a book blogger an advance readers copy?
Again, the visitor numbers really mean a lot – unfortunately since we have a limited number of copies we have to look at that first. But we also like to see what genres you’re interested in, features and interviews in addition to just reviews, being engaged in the publishing and blog worlds through social media/blogrolls/contacts with other blogs/etc, and well-written reviews. Also, not ALWAYS asking for giveaway copies (again, we only have so many!).
When you send a copy for review, do you like us to let you know it arrived?
No need, just send the link if/when you review.
Do you like sites that promote sharing advance readers copies?
Yes! We have a limited number of copies, so it’s great when one can be shared.
Is it better to contact an author for swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.) or should we ask the publicist?
Many authors create swag themselves, so it’s best to ask them.