[From the diaries by susanhu. Great idea!]
ePluribus Media Calls for Nonfiction Books and Reviewers
As the publishing industry evolves, so should book reviews. In the past, book reviews have been tightly controlled. A narrow range of reviewers took in an even narrower range of books, providing predictable responses to standard publications.
In the last few years, publishing possibilities have exploded. Anyone can publish a book on the Web, using Print on Demand (POD)technology, offering their books for sale even on Amazon. But review possibilities have not. “Regular” reviewers aren’t interested — and neither are bookstores. Some POD publishers have developed co-op marketing possibilities, but expense puts them beyond the reach of many new authors.
More “How To’s” below the fold.
In our reviews of nonfiction books, we look for works of merit outside the mainstream and try to give enough information about them to make informed reading decisions. In keeping with our philosophy, we look for care in research and documentation and for meticulous argument.
If you are an author with a book you would like considered for review, contact us at reviews@epluribusmedia.org; we’ll tell you to whom to send it. If you would like to write reviews for ePluribus Media, contact us and we will send you information to get you started.
Guidelines for ePluribus Media Book Reviews
- All books must be nonfiction.
- Reviews must have a strong descriptive element. Remember, these are not books easily browsed at a local bookstore.
- Evaluation must center on the care of the argument as much as on the validity of the conclusion.
- The review cannot be a soapbox.
- Each review must contain comment on the book’s research methods.
- Any claim made in the review must be verifiable by ePMedia fact checkers.
- Some information on the author is generally useful for readers of reviews.
- Each review must contain a brief description of the reviewer.
- Reviews must be between 600 and 1200 words.
- Publishing and ordering information (including a link) must be provided.
Cross posted at the ePluribus Media Community site.
A helpful rule of thumb in writing non-fiction reviews came to me some years ago from an editor at the NYT Book Review.
Treat it as you would a news story, he said, with a lede that addresses as much as possible the classic points of who, what, why, when, where, and sometimes how. That approach ensures that you will cover the pertinent points early on in the review; your reader may not have time or inclination to read more, or you could be severely edited for space reasons.
To which I would add, don’t write about someone else anything you would not want applied to you in print. No personal attacks. And remember, even if you hate a book and think it’s the biggest piece of trash you’ve ever read, writing a book is not easy. It’s one of the hardest things to do, ever. Trust me.
What great advice! And you always amaze me with what you’ve experienced in your interesting career.
If I’m so smart, why aren’t I rich, she said snarkily. 🙂
Here’s another bit for reviewers: To make it easier for the ePluribus fact-checkers, when you refer to something in the text, or make a statement based on text, put the page reference in brackets.
Thus, “The author’s contention that the world is flat [ page 271 ] is diametrically opposed to reality [ page 85 ].”
I space it out, with room between the reference and the brackets, to make it clear that this should be removed from the final text.
Thanks Susan and Mnemosyne for the support and excellent advice!!
Want to join our review team?! 🙂
Great suggestions! It’s like with skaters or rock climbers, the joy the viewer can take from watching a natural do what comes naturally such as those ‘tips’.
Thanks
I didn’t know that any of this was possible. Thanks for the info.