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A Classic Example of Book Industry NONSENSE!!!


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Damn, Nah'Sun you came at home girl hard. How did you discover her as a reviewer? Where does she publish book reviews?

This is a perfect example of the state of the industry. In fact, it was never easy to get a book review written AND published where someone will see it. Today it is almost impossible.

On AALBC.com, if you want a guaranteed book review written, in 6 weeks or less, by someone with experience, and published where it will be seen by others; I offer a fee based service: http://aalbc.com/reviews/reviewer_guidlines.htm I also offer a manuscript review: http://edit1st.com/get-started/manuscript-review/

Book reviews are not "free". In the early days, when my Goldman gig subsidized this website. I would pay reviewers to review books author sent in. Ad sales NEVER subsidized book reviews.

Many of those books, reviewed at not cost to the author, were ripped to shreds -- In fact, Thumper (who this discussion board is named), built a following and reputation for brutally honest book reviews. Despite that he was also are most requested reviewer.

Today I can not afford to pay a reviewer to review a badly written book. There is no upside: the reviewer does not want to read badly written books, the reader does not care about some poorly written book by an obscure author, the author will not be happy the finished review -- and I'm out of real cash!

Charging authors for reviews had one BIG unanticipated bonus: the quality of the books received increased dramatically. See when an author sends in a book for review -- all they are risking is the wholesale cost of the book and postage, just a few bucks. Now that the financial burden is shifted from me to the author, I get far fewer books and those that arrive are simply better written.

I still publish reviews in which the author did not pay for the review. These are usually books the reviewer wanted to read and review. Sometimes I'll barter with a reviewer for a book I really want reviewed, if I can't pay cash.

To avoid the problem you ran into with the review Nah'Sun, I ask that authors simply email me a description of their book -- not the book.

At the end of the day the reader is really left up to word of mouth to learn about good books.

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@ Troy

Brandie Randolph is not a reviewer…she’s a radio talk show host on blog talk

She asked for a book to review before booking the show…60 days went by…no answer…so I had no choice to put her on blast

I’m just sick and tired of the unprofessionalism

From now on, I’m taking no prisoners…I don’t care who you are…if you screw me over, I’m letting the world know…point blank

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Oh I misunderstood. That explains why I never heard of her book reviews :-)

Take it from me, you'd spend more time putting people on blast than writing and selling books. Besides it will not get you anywhere. Have you even been interviewed by the sister that interviewed Wahida -- it seems like she would do a decent job. Are you up on 3 Chicks on Lit?

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@ Cynique

She's not a reviewer

She asked for a complementary copy of my book before booking me for her radio show...she failed to get back to us after 60-days when she said she would

Her word wasn't her bond

Somebody gotta speak up instead of acting too damn scared to point out those who did them dirty...there's too much ass kissin in the industry...authors fear ruffling feathers even when they get the short end of the stick

I didn't have money when I started writing for fun as a child...so burning bridges in the industry doesn't make a difference to me

I'm gonna write regardless

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  • 1 month later...

Major publishers push for reviews for books written by minority writers they think might win awards, but then don't do anything to get them book signing tours after they win. This is the true travisty of the publishing industry - the allocation of marketing dollars is based on and tends to reinforce the perception that African-Americans don't buy books and don't read.

BTW, Nikki Grimes, an award winning African American author, is coming to ATL and will teach an all day writing intensive on creating books in verse. If you want details, let me know.

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LoookAgainPress, please just post the information.

There are people here who just read and don't contribute to the discussion but would be interested in learning about the event. These pages are also indexed by search engines so people search on the subject can discover the information as well.

It is not likely the people will go through the additional step of trying to figure out how to reach you, then send a request and wait for a response.

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Links to registration and more Information about Nikki Grimes intensive and the conference where she will be speaking can be found here: www.southern-breeze.net

Lee & Low's annual contest: http://www.leeandlow.com/p/new_voices_award.mhtml

SCBWI's annual award: http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/On-The-Verge-Emerging-Voices-Award

The Anansi Conference is a free (with registration) event in NY. More info here: http://africanastudies.as.nyu.edu/object/IAAA-Anansi-2012.html

RE comments about writing/publishing the "true experience" of a black person ((e.g. writing about slavery whether the writer is black or not) authors might want to listen to

There is also an excellent article and good links to additional info at http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/shelftalker/?p=700

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The Anansi conference was this past November. I was unaware of it -- it looked like quite good with an excellent assemblage of authors. I ABSOLUTELY would have attended covered, and shared information about it -- if I knew about it.

I'm familiar with Lee Low Books but was unfamiliar with their New Voices Awards, which I see goes back over a decade.

The SCBWI On-The-Verge Emerging Voices Award looks like a really good program.

I saw the Adiche Ted talk which I've embedded below (you just post the link and program does the rest)

I'm up on Jacquline Woodson, the Library School Journal described Each Kindness as one of the best best for 2012.

LookAgainPress, thanks for taking the time to share all of this information. In today's world where only the "Big" books and award get any coverage it is really up to us to spread the word. I use this site to learn about the industries happenings so TRULY appreciate the type of contributions. -- Thanks!

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