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Booklist launches Booklist Reader for library patrons and the public

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Booklist Reader

For Immediate Release Tue, 09/07/2021

George Kendall

Editor & Publisher

Booklist Publications

[email protected]

CHICAGO – Booklist , the review publication of the American Library Association, proudly announces the launch of Booklist Reader , a new digital library patron–facing magazine featuring diverse readers' advisory recommendations for readers of all ages.

Each month, Booklist Reader will showcase top-10 lists, must reads, interviews with (and articles by) top authors and illustrators, and adult, youth, and audio recommendations for all communities and all who love to read.

In addition to great recommendations, Booklist Reader seeks to highlight authors and books that library patrons may not have otherwise discovered and to encourage all to explore these offerings in their local libraries.

“Reading outside our comfort zones is one of the most effective methods to grow minds—and hearts,” insisted Terry Hong, Booklist’s Advisory Board Chair. “Patrons will quickly recognize, and come to rely on, Booklist Reader as an excellent enabler of exciting, enjoyable, empathic new reads.”

Booklist Reader is also partnering with LibraryReads , an organization that each month publishes a list of the top 10 books read by library workers across the nation.

“LibraryReads is particularly excited to be part of this new Booklist product,” said LibraryReads Executive Director, Rebecca Vnuk. “We share the same goal of bringing great books to readers and of harnessing the power of library staff recommendations, and this is a perfect way for libraries to expand their readers' advisory reach.”

The first issue is now available at www.booklistonline.com and freely available to all.  Additionally, Booklist Reader will be freely available to all from now through the December 2021 issue.

Booklist Reader is supported by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and supports Booklist’s core mission to connect library and education workers to the books and resources needed to support and enrich their communities. 

About  Booklist Booklist  is the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication. Since 1905,  Booklist  has been proud to publish thousands of book and audiobook reviews each year, helping library and education workers decide what to buy and how to guide patrons and students of all ages in choosing what to read, view, or listen to.  Booklist  Publications includes two print magazines, an extensive website and database, e-newsletters, webinars, podcasts, and other literature-based resources that support librarians in collection development and readers’ advisory. For more information on  Booklist Publications , including how to become a  Booklist  reviewer, visit booklistonline.com.

About the American Library Association American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

The Top Library Journals and Magazines That Publish Quality Book Reviews

What Journals Publish Credible Book Reviews?

There are several library review journals and magazines that accept books for review. These publications play a crucial role in helping librarians and readers discover new titles. Keep in mind that submission guidelines and preferences may vary, so it’s essential to check each publication’s specific requirements. Here are some well-known library review journals and magazines:

• Website:  Booklist Online
• Published by the American Library Association (ALA), Booklist provides reviews of a wide range of books, audiobooks, and media.

School Library Journal (SLJ):

• Website:  School Library Journal
• Focused on books for children and young adults, SLJ is an important resource for librarians working in schools and public libraries.

The Children’s Book Review:

• Website: The Children’s Book Review
• An online platform that reviews children’s books, making it a valuable addition to your list of review submission targets.

Kirkus Reviews:

• Website:  Kirkus Reviews
• Kirkus Reviews is known for its comprehensive book reviews, covering a broad spectrum of genres.

Publishers Weekly (PW):

• Website:  Publishers Weekly
• While not exclusively a library review journal, Publishers Weekly includes book reviews and is widely read by librarians, booksellers, and industry professionals.

VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates):

• Website:  VOYA
• VOYA focuses on books for young adults and is a valuable resource for librarians working with teen readers.

Horn Book Magazine:

• Website:  The Horn Book
• The Horn Book Magazine reviews children’s and young adult literature and is respected for its insightful critiques.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries:

• Website:  Choice Reviews
• Choice provides reviews for academic libraries, covering a wide range of disciplines and subjects.

Approach the pursuit of book reviews with resilience, understanding that each review, whether praise or critique, is a step toward greater visibility and growth as an author.

When submitting books for review, it’s important to follow each publication’s submission guidelines, including format preferences, contact information, and any specific requirements they may have. Additionally, be aware that the landscape of review journals and magazines may evolve, so it’s a good practice to verify the latest information and guidelines .

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

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Book Reviews: A Finding Guide: Online Resources

• Introduction

Online Resources

• Print Resources
• Resources by Date
• Need Help? Ask A Librarian
• Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) Covers 1975 to date with some earlier coverage. Academic Search Premier indexes more than 13,000 journals and magazines with the full text of 4,700 titles. To limit your search to reviews, on the Advanced Search page, under Document Type, you can choose Book Reviews.
• Amazon Free online resource. Date coverage unknown. Primarily a bookselling site, Amazon.com sometimes includes the full text of some published book reviews--"Editorial reviews". Their "Search inside the book" function allows viewing of selected, scanned pages--usually the covers, table of contents, index, and an excerpt from the main text. Also includes user reviews, of highly variable quality and usefulness. Overall, a very useful site for evaluating recent trade and academic books. Access to the scanned table of contents and index is very useful for nonfiction titles.
• America: History & Life Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio. Covers 1954 to date. Book reviews in U.S. and Canadian history only. Indexes about 6,000 book and media reviews from over one hundred academic journals. NB: there are no reviews in the sister database, Historical Abstracts. To limit your search to reviews, enter the book title in quotes in the default Advanced Search box.
• Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL) (Part of ProQuest One Literature ) Covers 1920 to date. "ABELL, which can be accessed via the Criticism screen in Literature Online's Search: Criticism and Reference, contains more than 860,000 records covering monographs, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews , collections of essays and doctoral dissertations published anywhere in the world; unpublished doctoral dissertations are covered for the period 1920-1999. The bibliography consists of 77 volumes, beginning in 1920 and issued annually; a number of items published between 1892 and 1919 have been indexed retrospectively. All aspects and periods of English literature are covered, from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day. British, American and Commonwealth writing are all represented. Coverage is international.
• Articles & Full Text This powerful search engine works across many databases and pulls together a wide variety of resources. Enter a book title in the search box to find reviews.
• ATLA Religion Database [S.l.]: American Theological Library Association. Covers 1949 to date. Book reviews in religion only. Incorporates the printed Index to Book Reviews in Religion (IBRR). Primarily academic titles. Book Review Digest Plus is canceled. For online searching, use Academic Search Premier's Advanced Search and choose Book Reviews under Document Type.
• Bowker's Books in Print New York: R. R. Bowker. Coverage limited to titles in print or recently out of print. A database of bibliographic records for books, audiotapes, and videos from over 44,000 North American publishers. Many records include full-text reviews. Titles with reviews are starred. Click on the book title to open the record, then click on the "Professional reviews" link at left. The full record also may have synopses/annotations, book jacket text, media mentions, and a list of awards.
• caa. reviews (College Art Association) Coverage begins online in September, 1998 . caa.reviews "publishes timely scholarly and critical reviews of studies and projects in all areas and periods of art history, visual studies, and the fine arts, providing peer review for the disciplines served by the College Art Association. Publications and projects reviewed include books, articles, exhibitions, conferences, digital scholarship, and other works as appropriate" [Mission Statement]
• Cairn.info: cherchez, repérer, avance French-language collection of journals and magazines. To find books reviewed, search the title of the book.
• Choice A searchable journal of reliable reviews of academic books for community college, college, and university libraries. Covers 01/01/2011 to date. Older reviews are available in the print version . Published by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).
• IBR: International Bibliography of Book Reviews. Osnabrück, Germany: F. Dietrich. Covers 1988 to date; see the print version (Olin Stacks + AI 9 .I612) for earlier coverage; print version canceled in 2011. Emphasis on reviews appearing in European social sciences and humanities journals. German or English interface. For coverage of 1911-1943, see Bibliographie der Rezensionen under the print resources section in this guide.
• JSTOR: The Scholarly Journal Archive A large collection of searchable and browseable full-text scholarly journals. Covers from the beginning of the journal (earliest is 1665) up to within two to five years of the present [the "moving wall": https://support.jstor.org/hc/en-us/articles/115004879547-About-the-Moving-Wall ]. To find book reviews, select Advanced Search . In the Advanced Search page, type one or two keywords from the book title in the first search box. Under Narrow Your Search to "These Types," check the Review box. Click Search.
• Latin American Newsstream ProQuest Coverage and format: Mostly mid 2000s to date, some coverage from the late 1990s. Plain text. In English, French, Guarani, Portuguese, and Spanish. 92 titles from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
• Latino Book Review Covers 2019 to date.
• Library Literature & Information Science Index Covers book reviews in library and information science periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere. Indexing starts in 1981.
• London Review of Books Covers 1979 to date.
• New York Review of Books Covers February 1, 1963 to date.
• New York Times Book Review Covers January 3, 1988 to date . Access via the ProQuest publications list.
• Oxford Bibliographies [Online] Oxford University Press. Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies (essentially thumbnail reviews) of books and journals on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browseable by subject area and keyword searchable. Contains a "My OBO" function that allows users to create personalized bibliographies of individual citations from different bibliographies.
• Periodicals Index Online [was PCI: Periodical Contents Index] Covers 1770-1993. Searches can be restricted to book reviews only. Click the box under "Scope" on the search page. Provides comprehensive indexing to the contents of 4,250 periodicals in the humanities and social sciences, from their first issues (some as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries) to 1993. The scope is international, including journals in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and other Western languages. Journals that are indexed in PCI which have full text available in JSTOR are linked at article level.
• Project MUSE Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Coverage varies by title, beginning no earlier than 1993, and running through the current issue. Project MUSE covers the full text of over 200 journals in literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and others. To find book reviews, choose Advanced Search and use the pulldown menu under Limit Search and By Type to select Review.
• ProQuest Digitized Newspapers Links to 36 major and regional U.S., Canadian, and UK newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. Coverage starts from 1/1/2008 with a three-month embargo on full text.
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers Coverage varies by title but begins with the first year of publication. Full image access to reviews appearing in major U.S. and international newspapers. Useful for access to the drawings and illustrations that sometimes accompany New York Times reviews as well as reviews in Le Monde, the Irish Times, and the Globe and Mail. Searches by document type can only be limited to "reviews." This includes theatrical and musical reviews.
• ProQuest Recent Newspapers: Regional Collections Links to five multi-title regional newspaper collections covering 30 newspapers in all. Coverage starts from either 1/1/2008, 1/1/2009, 1/1/2010, 1/1/2011, or 1/1/2012 with a two-week to three-month embargo on full text.
• ProQuest Research Library Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Coverage varies . Indexes general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. Also included are citations and abstracts for some newspapers and selected television and radio programs. The full text of some articles is provided. Under Document type you can click Reviews to limit your search results.
• Reader's Guide Retrospective,1890 to 1982 Bronx, NY: H.W. Wilson and Ipswich, MA: EBSCO Publishing. Book reviews appearing in popular magazines. Entries are sometimes labeled Book Review or Review. Beware of alternate spellings of international authors' names.
• Reference Reviews Europe Online Firenze: Casalini Libri. Covers 1994 to 2014 . "Each year Reference Reviews Europe offers around 300 English-language reviews of European reference titles. The journal is published in two forms: the electronic Reference Reviews Europe Online (RREO) and the printed Reference Reviews Europe Annual (RREA) (Uris Z 1002 .R32, 1995-, latest volume in Olin Reference). Much of the content consists of abstracts in English of reviews that originally appeared in the German journal Informationsmittel : IFB (IFB) [previous title Informationsmittel für Bibliotheken ]. IFB, edited by Klaus Schreiber of the Württembergische Landesbibliothek in Stuttgart, and formerly published by the Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut in Berlin, currently is available only online. Since its inception in 1993, it has reviewed more than 500 titles per year, covering reference materials in all subjects and formats. Although German-language publications predominate in IFB, titles in other European languages, including French, Icelandic, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish are also covered. The reviewers for IFB are mostly German librarians and academics. The abstractors for Reference Reviews Europe are mainly North American librarians." [adapted from the RREO Website ]
• Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive Covers 1902 to 2014 .
• TLS, the Times Literary Supplement Covers 2010 to date via Exact Editions.
• Web of Science Core Collection Philadelphia: Institute for Scientific Information. Web of Science Core Collection includes Science Citation Index (1945 to date) , Social Sciences Citation Index (1956 to date) , Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975 to date) , and more. A multi-disciplinary set of databases indexing thousands of titles. To limit your search to book reviews, select Advanced Search and highlight "Book review" in the box under "Restrict search by languages and document types."
• << Previous: Introduction
• Next: Print Resources >>
• Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 2:10 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/bookreviews

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Booklist is a book review magazine that has been published by the American Library Association for more than one hundred years, and is widely viewed as offering the most reliable reviews to help libraries decide what to buy and to help library patrons and students decide what to read, view, or listen to. It comprises two print magazines, an extensive website and database, e-newsletters, webinars, and other resources that support librarians in collection development and readers’ advisory.

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• Subject-Specific Encyclopedias
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• Government Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
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• Recreational Reading
• Can't Find It? This link opens in a new window

Book reviews are short articles that can tell you about the contents and scope of a book.  They are published in peer-reviewed topical journals, popular newspapers and magazines, and in publications that only contain reviews.

Find Articles

Full Text Reviews

• Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window The world's largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database. Dates of coverage vary by title and go back as far as 1887.
• Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) provides access to thousands of news, legal and business sources, including access to print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs, as well as local, regional, national and international newspapers, legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, business information on U.S. and international companies and executives.
• Choice Reviews This link opens in a new window Brief reviews of academic books, electronic media, and Internet resources.

Reviews in Newspapers

• New York Times Historical
• Boston Globe
• Los Angeles Times
• Times Digital Archive, 1765-2010 This link opens in a new window Full-text replica of the premier British newspaper, including graphics and ads, searchable by article type.

Citations & Abstracts of Reviews 

• MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window Index to publications on literature, linguistics, film, and folklore, from all cultures, 1963 to present. International in scope, it includes citations to journal articles, books, articles in books, series, translations, scholarly editions, websites, and dissertations.
• Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new window Index of over three million articles from more than 550 US and Canadian magazines.
• Periodicals Index Online (PIO) This link opens in a new window Index to articles published in over 4500 journals in the humanities & social sciences in 40 languages, 1665 to 1995
• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Interdisciplinary subject searching of scholarly articles in the social sciences (1898-present) physical & life sciences (1899 to present), and arts & humanities (1975 to present). Search for articles that cite known journal articles or books.
• Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals [social sciences] Clapp Ref Z1035.A1 C64 - 1886-1974
• Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals Clapp Ref Z1035.A1 C63 1982 - 1886-1974
• Book Review Index Describes reviews from 1965-2010. Clapp Ref Z 1035 .A1B6.

Using SuperSearch

SuperSearch is a great place to start for journal articles, books and almost everything else the library has, in one easy to use interface.

For searching with  more focus and precision , try one of the databases recommended on this guide.

Book Review Journals

• New York Review of Books 1963-present, in Opinion Archives
• New York Times Book Reviews 1981-present
• London Review of Books on campus only - September 2000-present; 1981-four years ago in microfilm
• TLS Historical Archive This link opens in a new window The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) is a weekly literary review published in London, containing literature, criticism, and reviews. TLS Historical Archive contains every page of every issue of the Times Literary Supplement published from 1902 to 5 years ago.

Key Websites

• H-Net Reviews scholarly reviews in the humanities & social sciences
• Arts & Letters Daily
• AcqWeb's Directory of Book Reviews on the Web
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• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 10:33 AM
• URL: https://libguides.wellesley.edu/sources

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Top 25 Book Review Magazines & Publications

• Bookforum Magazine
• Asian Review of Books
• Foreword Reviews | Book Reviews and Coverage of Indie Publishers
• The New York Review of Books
• London Review of Books
• Quill and Quire » Book Review
• Chicago Review of Books
• Jewish Review of Books
• The White Review
• Booklist Online
• Locus Online » Books
• US Review of Books
• Cleaver Magazine
• America Magazine » Books
• Foreword Reviews
• Los Angeles Review of Books
• American Book Review
• Publishers Weekly PW KidsCast
• The Horn Book » Book Reviews
• PANK Magazine » Book Reviews

Book Review Media List

• Book Review Magazines Newsletter

Book Review Magazines

Here are 25 Best Book Review Magazines you should follow in 2024

1. Bookforum Magazine

2. Asian Review of Books

3. Foreword Reviews | Book Reviews and Coverage of Indie Publishers

4. The New York Review of Books

5. London Review of Books

6. Quill and Quire » Book Review

7. Chicago Review of Books

8. Jewish Review of Books

9. The White Review

10. BookTrib

11. Booklist Online

12. Locus Online » Books

13. US Review of Books

14. Cleaver Magazine

15. America Magazine » Books

16. Foreword Reviews

17. Los Angeles Review of Books

18. American Book Review

19. Publishers Weekly PW KidsCast

20. The Horn Book » Book Reviews

21. PANK Magazine » Book Reviews

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Getting Started

Reviews for a general audience, reviews for a scholarly audience.

• Film Reviews
• Music Reviews
• Theater Reviews

Do you want to know how a book was received by scholars? Are you trying to determine the quality of a particular book? Or, are you just interested in knowing if a book is worth reading? Book reviews are a great place to start. This guide provides guidance on finding two types of book reviews, those for a general audience and those for a scholarly audience.

Literature and popular works (memoirs, travel writing, manuals, etc.) are often reviewed by journalists or fellow authors upon publication in newspapers or magazines. Use the following databases to find reviews in these publications.

• Book Review Index This link opens in a new window & more less... A comprehensive online guide to book reviews with over five million review citations from thousands of publications.
• Book Review Digest Plus This link opens in a new window & more less... Book Review Digest is a reference database that provides review excerpts and book summaries for current English-language fiction and non-fiction books. Limit of 1 simultaneous user.
• Book Review Digest Retrospective This link opens in a new window 1903-1982 & more less... Indexes and abstracts reviews of English language adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction titles. Reviews are selected from journals in the humanities, sciences, social sciences and library review media.

Other Sources for Book Reviews

Many reviews are published in newspapers and magazines. Use the guides below to find the best databases to search for reviews in these publications.

• How do I find magazines? by Ask a Librarian Updated Feb 17, 2024 273 views this year
• How do I find newspapers? by Ask a Librarian Updated Apr 3, 2024 4009 views this year

Scholarly books are reviewed in academic or peer-reviewed journals and are written by academics. As these reviews place the work in the context of current scholarship, they can take several years to appear after the book was published.

Starting Points

• JSTOR This link opens in a new window Recommended Starting Point . Use Advanced Search and limit to "Reviews". You can also limit by discipline. & more less... A database of back issues of core journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. All issues of each journal are included in full-text except for the most recent 2-to-5 years.
• IBR Online This link opens in a new window & more less... Multilingual and interdisciplinary index to book reviews, chiefly in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Conduct your search for book or author, and then limit to "Book Reviews". & more less... Authoritative, multidisciplinary content covers over 10,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide, including Open Access journals and over 110,000 conference proceedings. You'll find current and retrospective coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, with coverage available to 1900. Includes the Science Citation Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index. Web of Science is especially useful for its citation linking.
• Periodicals Index Online This link opens in a new window & more less... Part of Nineteenth Century Index. Indexes the contents of thousands of periodicals in the humanities and social sciences from 1665 to 1995, including many European titles. Includes links to some full-text articles. Dates of full-text coverage vary by title.
• Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window & more less... Database corresponds to International Index, 1907 - March 1965; Social Sciences & Humanities Index, April 1965 March 1974; Humanities Index, April 1974 March 1984; and Social Sciences Index, April 1974 March 1983

Other Databases for Book Reviews

We strongly recommend searching the article database or index that covers the academic literature in a specific field for reviews. Use the Advanced Search option and limit to "Book Reviews" or "Reviews".  Find the best database for book reviews in your field by using our subject guides.

• Library Subject Guides

Book Review Indexes in Print

Below are a few print sources for finding book reviews.

• Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals, 1802-1974 & more less... 10 vols. Ed by Evan Ira Farber. Woodbridge: Research Publications, 1982-1984. Covers 150 literature, philosophy, classics, folklore, linguistics & music journals, from England and the US Organized by primary authors or editors and then by book titles.
• Literary and Historical index to American Magazines, 1800-1850 & more less... Ed by Daniel A. Wells & Jonathan Daniel Wells. Westport: Praeger, 2004.

Ask a Librarian

Publications with Book Reviews

• London Review of Books Library has on microfilm 1979 - present.
• New York Review of Books This link opens in a new window » more less... New York Review of Books reviews contemporary books in all subject areas.
• New Yorker Library has in print 1925 - present.
• Publishers Weekly Library has in print and microfilm 1873 - present. Recent issues available online via Find It!
• TLS: Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive This link opens in a new window » more less... Covers 1902-2006. This easy-to-navigate, fully-searchable resource is a witness to the cultural revolutions of the last 100 years and offers unparalleled opportunities for tracking the views of influential opinion-makers, the response of their peers, the controversies of the day and how they developed. --Publisher's website
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• Updated: Feb 17, 2024 12:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uchicago.edu/reviews
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Book Review Sites To Help You Get Into Libraries & Stores

The number one way to impress librarians is reviews from established book review sites and periodicals.

When we start working with new authors, they are (rightfully) focused on getting Amazon reviews. While that is a necessary and valid endeavor, don’t forget the OTHER kind of reviews necessary for the success of your book. Book Review Sites To Help You Get Into Libraries & Stores

According to the  American Library Association (ALA),“Librarians depend upon reviews, especially those found in the following professional review magazines, journals, and newspapers when making purchasing decisions.”

Book buyers, bookstores, librarians, and industry professionals all rely upon the opinion of a set number of third-party, independent, reviewers whose opinions are very hard to get. Thousands of books are submitted each month to the top reviewers. The books chosen for review are a very small percentage of those.

But for those chosen? A good review often means hundreds or even thousands of booksellers and librarians deciding to stock the book. There is no way to guarantee of reviews from the book review sites that help you get into libraries & stores, but there ARE things you can do to increase your chances of being the one reviewed.

Research Book Review Sites Who Match Your Genre

First, choose the book review sites that are most likely to review your book.  Do your research and send to those sites that review your genre.  Once you have a good list, the submission process for each reviewer is should be followed. Some reviewers ask for submissions 4 months in advance. Some ask for your book to be sent in electronic format. Others request that the books be submitted in printed and bound book form. (ARC's/Advance Readers Copies can be used for this)

Many reviewers ask to see your marketing plan and others only request a copy of the book. Whatever you send to the reviewers, a cover letter is a nice touch. The cover letter should include a VERY short description of the book along with your request that it be considered for review. Include the title, author name, ISBN, publication date, price and publisher name.

Top Book Review Sites & Magazines

Here are the top book review sites to help you get into libraries & stores.  

• PUBLISHERS WEEKLY  –  http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/corp/submissionguidelines.html
• BOOKLIST  –  http://www.booklistonline.com/get-reviewed
• KIRKUS  –  http://www.kirkusreviews.com/publisher-services/
• LA REVIEW OF BOOKS  –  http://lareviewofbooks.org/about/contact/
• FOREWORD  –  http://publishers.forewordreviews.com/
• LA TIMES  –  http://www.latimes.com/about/la-editorial-staff-directory-htmlstory.html
• THE NATION  –  http://www.thenation.com/about-us-and-contact/
• NY BOOK REVIEW  –  http://www.nybooks.com/about/faq/   ( click on EDITORIAL )
• NY TIMES  –  http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/site/books/books.html
• AMERICAN BOOK REVIEW  –  http://americanbookreview.org/FAQ.asp
• SEATTLE TIMES  –  http://www.seattletimes.com/html/books/?from=stnv2
• WASHINGTON POST  –  http://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006746348-How-to-submit-a-book-for-review
• BOOK REPORTER  –  http://www.bookreporter.com/book-submission-inquiry
• NPR  –  http://help.npr.org/customer/portal/articles/2086545-how-do-i-submit-books-or-music-for-review
• RAIN TAXI  –  http://www.raintaxi.com/submitadvertise/rain-taxi-submission-guidelines/
• THE COMPULSIVE READER  –  http://www.compulsivereader.com/submissions/
• CITY BOOK REVIEW  –  http://citybookreview.com/submission-guidelines/

ALA Recommended Reviewers

The ALA also recommends these book review sites:

• Choice Reviews print and online scholarly works recommended for college and university libraries. See the Choice Submission of Books and Electronic Media for Review (Guidelines for Publishers) webpage for more details.
• AudioFile reviews unabridged and abridged audiobooks, original audio programs, commentary, and dramatizations in the spoken-word format. See Contact AudioFile for further assistance.
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books  reviews new children's books. See the Bulletin  Information for Publishers for further assistance.
• The Horn Book Guide  and  The Horn Book Magazine both review children's and young adult books that are published in the United States. The Horn Book Magazine also reviews audiobooks. Books produced by publishers that are not listed in  Literary Market Place  are not considered. See  Horn Book Submissions for further assistance.
• School Library Journal reviews new children's and young adult general trade books, original paperbacks, and reference books from established publishers. In order to be considered for review, books must be of national interest and be readily available from national distributors at an institutional discount. Also reviewed are DVDs & audio recordings (audiobooks and CDs), and reference products and online resources. See the School Library Journal  Submitting Review Materials for additional details and mailing addresses.
• Science Books & Films (SB&F) reviews science-based books, videos, software, and websites for all age groups (K-College, Teachers, and General Audience). See  SB&F FAQ/Reviews & Reviewing (at the bottom of the page) for further assistance
• Video Librarian reviews both theatrical and non-theatrical DVDs, including Blu-ray, that are new to the marketplace for public school, university, and special libraries. See  How to Submit Titles for Review in Video Librarian  or  Video Librarian Online  for further assistance.

So, to recap, decide which book review sites to approach, create your review request kit (print and electronic version), print your Advance Readers Copies (ARC's) and start submitting to each review venue.

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3 responses.

[…] YOU can get reviews for your book. […]

[…] (submit book to Kirkus, Booklife, […]

Greetings! My name is Ivan Perez and I am the author of a children’s book titled “Pepito The Cricket. The book was recently released and published. I’m looking to get my book into libraries and schools. I will be looking forward to your professional input.

Best Regards, Ivan Perez

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