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Cox Report: November 2003 |
Jim Cox Report: November 2003
Another month has passed. Crammed from first day to last with paperwork, deadlines, phone
calls, snail-mail, email, book selections and assignments, staff and volunteer reviewer liaisons, bill
payings and post office visits, slaving away at a computer keyboard while viewing (and reviewing)
videos on my desktop tv, listening to audiobook cassettes and CDS on my desktop player
systems, handing out editorial and reviewer assignments, discharging publisher correspondences
and notification letters, surveying the new fall catalogs, filling out reviewer request forms and
lists, ordering stationary and office supplies, replacing printer cartridges, paying bills, tracking
expenses, balancing the company checkbook, laying out the November newsletters and
magazines, and then during my spare time -- reviewing books.
Being the editor-in-chief of a multinational (we have reviewers now on virtually every continent in
the world), multi-faceted (newsletters, magazines, radio, television, interactive CD-ROMs, and
the Internet), multi-personnel (reviewers, senior reviewers, editors, senior editors), book review
organization is a very busy, complex, sometimes complicated, job -- and one of the best in the
world that I have any knowledge of!!
I turn 61 on November 6th and I've basically held this job since 1976. That's about a 33 year stint
-- with (thankfully!) no end in sight. I've been here since the days of a electric typewriter and then
at the helm as we plunged headlong into the computer age. From a beginning of 61 publishers to
numbers that now exceed 12,000. From an average trickle of maybe a hundred books a month to
a steady flood of 1500+ titles every 30 days. From a handful of reviewers all just starting out
together and learning our trade from scratch (and each other) to a roster of 76 and climbing.
If longevity is any measure of success and solvency any criteria for accomplishment, if having the
highest ration of books reviewed to books submitted, if the virtual weekly flow of fan mail and
thank you notes from authors and publishers, are of any validity in documented success -- then the
Midwest Book Review is one of the most successful book review operations in the history of the
publishing community.
While I can justifiably claim a portion of the credit -- most of the reasons for this remarkable
record don't really have much to do with me at all. They are those men and women who have
volunteered their services as book reviewers and editors, who spend hours and hours every week
reading, evaluating, and writing about the books produced by self-published authors, small press
publishers, the academic and regional presses, as well as the major New York based houses.
It's thanks to the loyalty and enthusiasm of the small press community whose willingness to
submit their titles for review make everything else possible.
So this particular issue of the Jim Cox Report is in fact a kind of birthday "thank you" letter to all
of the publisher folk, and all of the MBR volunteers, friends and family members who have help
me to create what the Midwest Book Review has in fact become now that we are approaching
almost three decades of dedicated service to writers, publishers, librarians, Now here's some email
based commentary on various aspect of writing and publishing:
Subj: Thought I would say thanks
James -
I have to say that your site is the best resource for publishing information I have ever seen. I have
only been in the business for about four years, beginning at Jones and Bartlett Publishers in
Sudbury, MA and now at Addison-Wesley in Boston, MA, however along the way your site has
lent me guidance and suggestions.
Thanks again.
Nathan J. Schultz
Marketing Manager. Computing
Addison-Wesley
I want to use Nathan's very kind comment to underscore that the Midwest book Review was (and
continues to be) specifically designed to assist writers and publishers whether they are newbies
and novices just finding out about ISBNs or experienced professional publishers needing new
ideas (or to refresh themselves on ideas previously encountered) for fine tuning their marketing
efforts. Whether it's a self-published "one title wonder" author -- or, like Nathan, an publisher
employee for a major publishing firm -- the Midwest Book Review website means to be a
continuingly invaluable (and free) informational, instructional, and advisory resource open
24/7.
Incidently, tomorrow (Sunday morning while my wife's at church) I'll be putting the finishing
touches on a batch of new "how to" articles that will be going into the "Advice For Publishers"
section -- especially one dealing specifically with the subject of "Peer Reviews". And I'm also
taking an hour out of my schedule tomorrow to check out more than 225 new internet resources
for publishers, writers, and readers (a list of URL addresses have been piling up for the past four
months and I will just drop everything else until I'm caught up with these) and pass along the best
of them to my webmaster daughter for adding to the Midwest Book Review.
Subj: Thanks, Jim!
Jim, thanks so much for the "enthusiastic" rec. for The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark! And,
thanks for sending the hard copy! I'll forward it on to where it needs to go and many, many
thanks!
Just got back from my first BEA-PMA U--good experience -- all the way around! Met quite a few
listserve people and you are one of the resources mentioned regularly!!!!!
Again, my thanks. All the best!
Mary Gunderson
"The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition"
Mary's nice little note (from last June) give me an opportunity to point out the importance of
paper trails when doing business. The reason I send a "hard copy" of the review (accompanied by
a publisher notification letter -- which is also a form of "hard copy") is to establish a tangible
record for the publishers (and through them, the authors, editors, illustrators, etc.) of just what
happened to the book they entrusted to the Midwest Book Review when that book manages to
make the final cut and get featured in one or more of our publications. When books are featured
in my radio show I send a copy of the script. When they are included into the library CD-ROM
"Book Review Index" -- a notice to that effect is added as a part of the publisher notification
letter process.
The policy of always sending publishers copies of the reviews of their book and a cover letter
explaining where that review is going to appear may be the single most important contributing
factor to the enduring success and popularity of the Midwest Book Review within the publishing
community. And I including the Penguin-Putnam and Random Houses of the industry right along
with the POD published little guys struggle to just break even on their expenses.
I'm personally appalled by how many of my book reviewer colleagues in this industry are so lax on
this point that many a publisher feels the necessity for subscribing to a clipping service in hopes of
keeping track of reviews for their titles.
Record keeping (read "paper trails") are indispensable for authors and publishers for many other
reasons as well. IRS deductibility documentation; contract dispute resolution; and constructive
measurement of publishing success/failure just to name three.
Keep your records simply, accurate, timely, and complete. It could (quite literally) be the
difference between success and bankruptcy.
There is already a sufficiency of confusion in most of our personal lives -- good record keeping
will help keep it minimal in our professional dealings.
Subj: Life In The Last Lane
Dear Mr. Cox,
I just received the review of my book, Life In The Last Lane and I want to thank you very much
for taking the time to review it. Now I see it online on Bookwatch and it is give me
encouragement to continue with my several writing projects. Thank you and your reviewers.
Barbara L. Mahoney
Barbara's thank you note give me an opening to explain why I feel so passionately about passing
along to reviewers the author and/or publisher comments that I receive. Reviewer's appreciate
feedback as much as any author or publisher. It helps the reviewer to become aware of the impact
their reviews (and reviewing styles) have upon real people in the real world. One of the most
lamentable things I routinely seem to encounter is sitting through a review of a book or a movie
where the reviewer is simply using their moment of limelight as a platform upon which to show
off a caustic vindictiveness unnecessary to the literary analysis of a given work. My second
biggest pet peeve is when the reviewer apparently is reviewing the book or movie he (or she)
thinks should have been written or filmed -- rather than the one that is directly before them and
awaiting comment.
What truly pleases me is when a reviewer (as in the case of Barbar's "Life In The Last Lane") does
a professional quality assessment which the writer (and/or publisher) take to heart and finds truly
helpful. In this case, providing encouragement to keep at it. Writing and publishing are a lot like
piano playing -- the more you practice the better you get. Slack off for a while and you begin to
lose your edge.
Incidently -- this also holds true for book reviewing!
Subj: RE: Unable to Open Reviewers Bookwatch Sep03
>We have triple-checked our website and have no problems opening our website or the
September 2003 Reviewers' Bookwatch. It works just fine in Netscape and in AOL, 28k dial-up
connection.
Thanks, B.
Just tried to access again. This time, instead of 'page not found,' the page opened properly. Must
have been HEAVY traffic on your site at the same time. (Good for you.)
Robert Brenner
Brenner Information Group
This email reminds me to note that sometimes (depending on your computer, your ISP, the time
of day, and the gremlins inhabiting Internet cyberspace) access to the Midwest Book Review
website can develop glitches. When notified of that seeming possibility (as Richard did in his
original email of which the above was basically our follow-up and his subsequent response) I
always forward the communique to our webmaster. She then checks it out. Almost always it has
been a problem at the other end. But once or twice it was something at ours -- and readily fixed. I
truly don't understand such things -- I'm a reviewer not a computer expert! My point is that I
always welcome inquiries when things don't seem to working as they should -- and that's good
advice for publishers! Always respond to your customer base, your vendors, your website visitors.
You never can tell but what that particular inquiry might be an early warning tripwire that
something has gone wrong on your end and should be fixed so as to not impede doing profitable
business!
And if the problem is on the other end -- it wins you points of appreciation for being a "consumer
oriented" and/or "vendor friendly" professional quality operation.
And then there is this:
Subj: Joel Hochman
Date: 9/13/03 10:43:28 AM Central Daylight Time
From: MWBOOKREVW@aol.com
Dear Mr. Hochman:
This is to inform you that the review copy of "The Last Call" by Darryl Johnson and published by
TFG Press has arrived safely.
Unfortunately it doesn't have a prayer of being accepted for a review assignment. The problem is
the big "Review Copy - Not For Resale - Review Only" sticker plastered directly in the middle of
the front cover.
I understand this was in an attempt by TFG Press to prevent an unscrupulous reviewer from
selling a review copy to some used bookstore.
But as a strategy to secure a review is was self defeating.
The reason is that we have only 76 reviewers to cope with an average of 1500 titles a month
being submitted for review consideration. That means an average of 50 books a day (Monday thru
Saturday) crossing my desk.
All of our reviewers are unpaid volunteers. That means that their only compensation is that they
get to keep the books they review. And that means that almost inevitably a reviewer will pass over
defaced review copies in favor of a book that has not been marred, marked, or rendered otherwise
unpleasant by stickers, marker pens, etc.
The Midwest Book Review is one of the most "small press friendly" book reviews in the country.
I thought I'd better alert you as to how your book was received and evaluated. If your oversized
stickering dismissed it from our consideration -- can you imagine the reception by one of the
major review publications who historically are not nearly (if at all!) so appreciative of the small
press community?
Publishers make a significant capital investment in each copy of their print run. It's a shame for
any of them to be a wasted effort because of deliberate defacement.
The way to insure clean copies are not simply scammed and dumped is to screen ahead of time the
various and diverse reviewers and review publications to whom they are to be sent.
Incidently, your rejected copy will join other similar rejects, galleys, uncorrected proofs, and
pre-publication manuscripts in the paper recycling bin.
Incidently #2: Your accompanying publicity release material was excellent.
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Self-published authors and small press publishers must simply be aware that they are in direct
competition with literally thousands of other authors and publishers. The great New York houses
never deface their review copies. The university and academic houses never deface their review
copies. In deed, most of the established and successful regional and specialty publishers never
deface their review copies. The ones who do are almost invariable those from self-published
authors and novice small press publishers. The motivating factor seems to be a fear of losing
money through being cheated by the reviewer or review publication -- of losing not only their
capital investment in the production and mailing of a review copy -- but the additional financial
harm of losing a sale in the market place to an underpriced review copy in competition with their
commercially "for sale" copies.
And to a very real point that can and does happen.
The answer is not to deface review copies -- but to screen those to whom you send a review
copy. It's part of a strictly business commercial transaction. You are gambling. You are waging
the cost of that book against the value of increased sales that the resultant the publicity,
promotion, and marketing of a positive review can do for your financial bottom line.
Usually I'm not moved to take the time to point this out on a title by title, case by case basis. This
particular time it was just so egregious and disqualified a title that would otherwise have been
almost guaranteed a review because of its content and a particular reviewer on my staff that
would have picked it up as an assignment in a heart beat.
So when you are having to count your pennies (as do we all) and simply can't afford to have a
review copy go astray -- then do your homework before sending it out! Otherwise all of your hard
work and invested expense are at risk -- and your stickered, marked, defaced review copy would
probably end up in a used book store anyway!
Here's some November MBR statistics for you:
36 reviewers have contributed reviews of books, videos, cd music, and audiobooks for our
November review publications.
Seven of them contributed one review apiece. The rest anywhere from 2 to 30 and more (can you
imagine having the time and luxury of reading a book a day!).
And here's a bit of personal news: I have an article "How Do You Stack Up?" published in the
December 2003 issue (page 42 and 43) of "Write & Publishing" which is a magazine published by
Writer's Yearbook. They sent me a very nice check which I contributed to the Midwest Book
Review postage fund.
Speaking of the postage fund -- Here is a list of those wonderful and appreciated folk who
contributed stamps during October as expressions of support for what the Midwest Book Review
strives to accomplish in behalf of the small press community:
Afton Ridge Publishing
Chamion Press
Latitude 21 Press
Trish Ross - Big Bean Publishing
Robert D. Miles - "Safespace"
George L. Bilbe - Sine Wave Press
Lois Center-Shabazz - CenNet Systems Publishing
Suzette Buhr - "Dictionary Plus for Women"
Bob Levin - "The Pirates and the Movies"
Mary Ilorio - Vocalis Ltd.
Jan Axelson - Lakeview Research
Priscilla Wegars - "Polly Bemes: A Chinese American Pioneer"
Paulette B. Maggiolo - "The Guilty Teacher"
My personal thanks and heart-felt appreciation to each and every one of you! Although our policy
prohibits authors or publishers from making financial contributions to the Midwest Book Review
(in order to avoid any conflict of interest issues), anyone who simply wishes to make a greatly
cherished gesture of support for our work and effort is invited to send us postage stamps which
will be used when we send out tear sheets and publisher notification letters.
Well that's all for now! Until next time -- goodbye, good luck, and good reading!
Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
www.midwestbookreview.com
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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