In the world of publishing, advanced reviews sell books. They sell them to bookstores and to libraries, two of the most important outlets for the consumer to get acquainted with new books by new authors and new books by not-so-new authors.
The Big Four magazines/journals for industry buzz are: Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and Library Journal. As my editor explained it to me, "a trade book will get 2 to 3 reviews out of four journals, rarely all four (Library Journal only reviews about 20% of the books published by a major press, usually reviewing something more academic/nonfiction.)"
But I have been more than pleasantly surprised in the last few weeks. I did, indeed, get reviewed by all four and they were all positive! The latest from Library Journal was, in fact, a starred review (a starred review means that it comes highly recommended by that journal). And here they are!
A "promising debut...an entertaining read that makes the prospect of sequels welcome." --Publisher's Weekly
"...This first installment in a planned series, introducing a conflicted hero and delving into the grim lives of ordinary people in medieval times, will appeal to mystery and history fans alike." --Kirkus Reviews
"...This authentically detailed medieval mystery has an intriguingly dark edge that will appeal to fans of both historical fiction and noir." --Booklist
* "...Brimming with historical detail and descriptions of life in 1383 London, Westerson's mystery debut is a brilliant tale of survival in a hostile environment, where anything can lead to death. Fans of medieval mysteries will put this on their reserve list. Highly recommended." --Library Journal (Starred Review)
Glad you got yourself reviewed. That's a big step forward, I should think.
Anne Gilbert
Posted by: Anne Gilbert | September 23, 2008 at 06:00 PM