Book Journey

How Do You Receive Advanced Reading Copies of Books for Review? (Or…how do I get books for FREE?) ;)

Published on May 11, 2014May 11, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

For new book reviewers, this can be a big draw…. a chance to receive books (Glorious books!) in the mail not only before they are released to the public (insert squueeee here) but also at no cost to you.

When I first discovered that publishing houses and authors would offer you their books to read in exchange for hopefully a review on your blog… that was so exciting. And for the record…

I totally blew it.

By blew it I mean…. when offers started coming in for books I said Yes. I said Yes to just about everything – books I may or may not be interested in, self published books because I wanted to help the author… and when the books arrived… I knew I had agreed to read them and now it felt like work. A few of those books… I never did review and I still feel bad about that.

For the record – you do not want your love of reading and enjoying books to feel like work.

So – with that little trip down memory lane, let’s get back on track here and let me share with you a few tips to bringing books to you for review. 😀

First and foremost, I am not an expert. I am not the first person to write about this topic and I am more than likely not the best source for this topic. I am mainly writing this post because I am often asked through email and through posts, how does a newer book blogger connect to the authors and publishers, and for those who are asking for the right reasons – to be able to read a book prior to publication and post reviews on these books, I am more than happy to offer what little knowledge I have gathered through the years. I hope something here is helpful.

Before you start looking for publishing houses to start pounding down your blogs door… ESTABLISH your blog and its name. How do you do that? Do what your blog was set up to do… write reviews. Write reviews on books you have read, write reviews on new books you have purchased, write reviews on books you check out from your library. Basically write reviews. A publishing house usually likes to see several months of reviews happening. They like to see what you are reviewing and how you review. It’s your blog… do it proud. *insert chest bump here*

Write a review policy. That may seem premature. Maybe it is – but I know once I started looking at the blogs that I admired, they all had one. And you will find out it is a life saver at times to spell out exactly what your policy is. Here is mine, tweaked and re-tweaked through the years but it is a necessity for those interested in you reviewing to know what you are able to do and what you are not.

Have a way for people to email you that is not hidden. A contact me area on your blog is essential. If a publishing house likes what you are reviewing, they need to be able to connect with you. Make it easy to find your “contact me” area. Most people will not work for it.
- As a side note here – I created a new email for all of my bookish/bloggish emails to go to. I personally would recommend that. It is nice to have one email to go to for all my blog conversations and book review requests. It is also nice not to have the book emails mixed into my personal emails.

Post frequently. It does not have to be every day, but 3 -5 times a week is a good standard to set. If a blog sits idle, it is hard to increase readership. It is hard to establish good connections with publishing houses if you do not have a readership. During your start up period this is a great time to work on your readership as well. How? Write interesting reviews and bookish topics. AND – read other blogs AND comment. Your interest in other blogs does bring readers to you – it is how I established this blog… I set a guideline of visiting and commenting on twenty blogs a day and I did it. Most of those bloggers, visited me in return. I believe it works. Put yourself on social network sites – Facebook, Twitter… it is hard to make your blog grow if you write a post and then sit back and wait for people to notice. Keep up these practices – your blog will grow.

Now you may be thinking, “Wow Sheila… all I wanted to know is how to start receiving books for review in the mail and I get all this extra stuff to do!” Well, that extra stuff is important and should help you to start building relationships in the publishing world to start receiving the books you wish to read and review.

Ok…. so you have done all of the above. You are excited…. in fact, you may have already had contact from an author or publisher and you about wet yourself. Been there… I get it. But remember what happened to me…. proceed with caution.

Remember you are a professional. Maybe you didn’t think you were… you are just writing a fun blog about books… but once you are making contact with the publishing houses and authors- surprise…. you just upgraded to professional. This basically means…. act it. Do not approach a publishing house with your long list of book requests – ESPECIALLY when you are new. Introduce yourself. Link to your blog. Tell them a little bit about what you review, how often you review and your readership. You may be thinking, “Really Sheila? Isn’t that a bit TMI?” In which I look at you dead pan and say, “It is not.” This is information many may ask from you anyway. After introductions, request an advanced copy of a book (yes one). If they send it…. READ IT. REVIEW IT. Then – email the person who sent it to you thanking them for the opportunity to read the book and link your review. Relationship established… or at least the beginning of one.

Always ALWAYS be professional when inquiring about books for review. At the Book Expo one year publishing houses told horror stories of how some bloggers have made requests for books – practically demanding books, or as I mentioned before, requesting long lists of reads and even to the point of becoming angry with the publishing house when their request was refused. You would think common courtesy would be a no-brainer but as a book blogger; this sort of poor behavior gives us a bad name. So – I say it out loud. Introduce yourself – inquire nicely – if you are turned down – do what has been asked (establish blog more, have more reviews, work on readership…) and politely try again at a later date.

Do not make promises you can not keep. Sure things come up occasional that were unanticipated, however if you are telling an author or publishing house that you can review within a certain amount of time or on a certain date – you should do your best to do so. This is an important piece of my review policy – with my busy schedule I no longer can give a time frame when I will be able to review a book. As an established blogger, I suspect I have a bit more leeway because most of the publishing houses know me. When I started blogging however, my policy said I would read and review within 6 weeks.

As I mentioned – it is easy to get in over your head and as book lovers it is not hard to act like a kid in a candy store and want and want and want. Start slow…. receive a few books, review them… repeat. As you do this – you may be surprised how the publishing houses start to find you. Remember – you never know who is looking at your blog…. maybe they found it by searching for a particular book title…. so keep it professional. I dont mean don’t have fun… of course have fun…. just remember if you want to grow the blog – your reviews need to be something that publishing houses want their books on.

Here are a few suggestions of places other than the publishing houses to possibly pick up a review or two:

TLC Book Tours – A great group to work with that connects to book reviews to books to review on specific dates

Netgalley – books to download to your phone or e reader.

Blogging For Books – the more established you become – the more book choices will be offered.

Library Thing – you can request books and they go into a drawing to see who receives the copies, a lot like Good Reads Giveaways.

Booklook Bloggers – a lot like blogging for books.

BookBrowse.com – sign up and receive a monthly list of available books

Audio Jukebox – for those who like to listen to and review audio

Receiving great reads and reviewing them can be a lot of fun. I really enjoy it and I have been doing this since 2009. I still am not as organized as some with their contacts list and knowing which books I want to pursue months in advance. Some day… I hope to get there 😀

Fellow book reviewers – please feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments – I am sure there are vital steps I should have mentioned and neglected to 🙂 Newer bloggers, if I didn’t answer something – please inquire about it in the comments and I will answer it then. 🙂

Morning Meanderings From Mankato

Published on May 11, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Good morning! We are still in Mankato this morning, having brunch for Mother’s Day with the College Grad before we head back home. The past two days have been fun hanging out with our youngest, chilling a bit in Mankato and trying out a few restaurants.

Not much reading happening but I am about half way through with Molokai by Alan Brennert and the book just took an interesting turn… I will be digging back into it this morning.

Happy Mothers Day to everyone out there 🙂

Bob Harper Skinny Meals / Weekend Cooking

Published on May 10, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

You know him from the show Biggest Loser when he is pushing contestants to their limits. Bob is also a personal trainer, as well as some one who takes care of their own body and what they put in it.

As Bob says in the forward of this book, what he is sharing here is the same foods and meals he eats and encourages those he works with to eat. Healthy eating habits and working out are the keys to a fitter, fuller life.

As soon as I seen this book on-line I knew I wanted to own it. Lots of delicious looking recipes that did not seem to be above my cooking skills. No recipe over 350 calories and balanced so your carbs are eaten by mid afternoon and your suppers are balanced with the fiber and calories you need for burning them through the night.

The forward to the book are basic steps for balancing your meals and not over eating. Bob says always drink a full glass of water before any meal. Even take a glass of water by your bedside so first thing in the morning you can drink it. Not only does it help you feel fuller before you eat, it also helps flush out the things your body does not need. He also suggests no eating after 8 pm and go to bed hungry. Your body starts to burn fat around 3 hours after eating. Why not deal with those “hungry hours” while you are sleeping? 😉

Since purchasing the book I have made several recipes out of it, planning to use it more in the future as well (there is a spaghetti squash recipe filled with vegies I have my eye on to try).

Here is the Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce I tried. Or I would like to call it, “you had me at avocado!”

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 large zucchini (approx. 2 cups worth)

Avocado Cream Sauce

1/4 avocado
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup low sodium broth (either veggie or chicken)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz roasted, boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions

Slice zucchini very thinly lengthwise. Then cut each piece into thirds, lengthwise so that they are like thick noodles. Steam “noodles” for 2-3 minutes or until they are just cooked through.
In the meantime, blend avocado, basil, broth, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan in a processor or blender.
Toss “noodles” with sauce and cubed chicken, and serve.

Nutritional Information

258 calories, 27g protein, 19g carbs, 11g fat

My thoughts – I love the use of strips of zucchini as the “noodle”. It just felt fresher. The avocado sauce was delicious! I enjoyed this very much, it was easy to make and I will make it again. 🙂

This recipe was posted for Weekend Cooking. Stop over and see what other people are cooking up!

Straight Flush by Ben Mezrich

Published on May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

When a group of College Frat boys in Montana stumble across an idea from taking their weekly poker game to an online game where people all over the world can play for real stakes, they had no idea what they were about to unleash.

Absolutepoker.com became one of the biggest online poker sites in the world, at one point making nearly a million dollars a day. The group of misfit college boys took the business to Costa Rica where they lived a high life of booze, women, and cars dodging accusations of the United States of illegal handing of the games and new laws coming in to play for online gambling.

Nothing that grows that big that fast can stay on top forever….

I wanted to listen to this audio because I really enjoyed and recommend the movie 21, which is based on this same story. A group of college guys create something they think will be fun and maybe bring them in a little spending money and of course what happens in much bigger than any would have dreamed.

While based on a non fiction take of what happened, many online articles and reviews grumble at the accuracy of this book. I for one enjoyed the listen, finding it interesting, just as I did with Social Network. If not for the move 21, and this book, I would know nothing at all of this scandal that all came crashing down in 2007.

Going To Mankato – NOT Little House Style

Published on May 9, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Good morning! Happy Friday. Miserable and wet here all week in Minnesota. I really am looking for anything in the forecast that is not cold or wet.

Anyhoo… in brighter news, College Son graduates tomorrow in Mankato Minnesota and Hubby (Pa) and I will be heading to Mankato this afternoon for the weekend. This will be fun but a 3 1/2 hour car ride… need to pick out a good audio that maybe we both will like 😉

Every time I mention Mankato I have flash back to Little House On The Prairie and the Ingalls’ family going to Mankato for supplies or for a doctor for Mary.

1caa — **We however will be going by car….**

Also – if you are friends with me on Facebook you may have seen my saga with the bird. For two days he keeps hitting my windows. I am so afraid he/she is going to hurt or kill himself but I can not get him to go away. I have shooed him, put tape on the windows, covered them with post its… he just keeps coming back. Sigh.

Books going on the trip are the Book Club Book Molokai and Chevy Stevens new read, That Night.

The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert

Published on May 8, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Bay Singer knows nothing of her past. She lives alone with her mother Nan who is mocked by the community as a “witch” of sorts, putting out shoes all over the lawn with flowers planted in them. While Bay is protective of her mother, she is getting to the age where she wants to know more about her life and about her secretive mother. Nan is just not sure if Bay really knows what she is asking… the secrets of her birth… the caul… the box… and of course Nan’s own teenage past and the tragedies it holds within.

Reading The Memory Garden was like walking through a fairytale that shimmers with fantasy but at the same time feels so real. I liked Bay, and I liked Nan, and I really liked the two mysterious friends of Nan’s who come popping out of the past to help set things right after so many years.

The chapters each start with a flower or budding plant and gives you a little sample of what this flower can be used for:

PUMPKIN The round, edible fruit of a trailing vine, pumpkins are a symbol of fertility. Dead spirits are invoked by the pumpkin when faces are carved into it, and it is lit from within. The spiral of life is represented by the pumpkin; the harvest brings death, but the seeds bring birth.

It is a delightful fun romp of friendships and fantasy, secrets and celebrations, and well worth a read!

The Accidental Book Club by Jennifer Scott

Published on May 7, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Recently widowed Jean Vison never dreamed she would be running a book club. Yet when you gather a few friends together to come over and bring food and wine, you pick a date, and you talk about a book…

Jean guessed that it what it was.

Loretta finds what she is lacking in her marriage within the pages of the books she chooses to read.

Dorothy’s home life with her out of control sons makes book club the idea l place to take a break from the norm.

May is always good for sharing her latest dating disasters.

Mitzi who always finds some underlying political agenda in every book – EVERY book.

And quiet Janet who keeps her voice low, her nose in the book, but can speak up when she needs to.

When Jean’s life takes an unsuspected turn and she is asked to take care of her delinquent granddaughter Bailey while Bailey’s parents try to salvage their marriage… things in book club become real very fast.

There’s something about a book club that brings everyone to a deeper level….

It’s not hard to please me. Put a word in a book title like “book Club, book store, _____________’s wife”, and I take a closer look. Yes, The Accidental Book Club drew me in by its title…. but it held me, with the story line.

Set with a cast of mismatched characters (as any book club will have) The Accidental Book Club is just what it should be…. a hot mess of women centered around a good or not so good book. Toss is a little teenage angst and you have yourself a story!

Our protagonist Jean is still recovering from the loss of her husband. Inviting a group of women in to her home and into her life is a big step for her but she is enjoying it. Add in a granddaughter she barely knows and things become a bit crazy not only for Jean, but for the rest of the book club as well.

Hey… we all have our stuff right?

The Accidental Book Club is a quick fun read with a cast of assorted characters that will keep you wondering, what will they read next?

The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Published on May 5, 2014May 5, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

“Endings can be happy or sad. I don’t care anymore as long as they are earned”. ~ The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey

A.J Fikrey once had it all. He and his amazing wife Nic’ ran the book store, Island Books together and the store, as they, thrived. Now, after Nic’s untimely death, A.J. Has taken to drinking and the store is suffering for a lack of vibrancy as it once had. A.J. has given up on everything and is planning to sell a very rare book of poetry he owns to take him away from the book store to start somewhere new.

When A J discovers that the book that was supposed to be his ticket out has been stolen, he despairs that there is nothing good left in the world. And just as he has reaches his lowest of lows… something incredible happens. Something; that changes everything.

As someone who has often dreamed of owning a little book store in a remote place such as described in this book (and also when this dream began for me when I read Dance Upon The Air so many years ago…), the setting of this book is all so appealing to me.

The Storied life has a simple setting to it, yet drew me in to it with surprising dialogue that I liked the feel of on my tongue. There are several passages that are quotable and I savored every one if them.

Kudos to Author Gabrielle Zevin who wrote this delightful book in a way that has left me still thinking about it after that final page was turned.

Interestingly enough, there is a certain buzz around this book. Since I mentioned I was reading it, people are curious about it and asking what I thought. It is hard to say what I thought, while I didn’t find the story itself to be anything exception – there is something about the writing that is. I can not quite put my finger on it but I have a feeling this is a book I could read again and come away with an even deeper appreciation of it. ~ Sheila

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on May 4, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list!

What a busy week but I am on the other side of it. I think after today I will feel rested and ready for whats next. 🙂 (Myself and an amazing team ran a GIANT garage sale this weekend that raised $5,300.00 (lets just say…. I ache from moving stuff 😉 )

Not a lot of reading or computer time this past week but this is what I posted:

The Unbearable Book Club For Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green – 2nd time around and still FANTASTIC!

Sleep Donation by Karen Russell

I have reviews to write just need to get on it 🙂 Here is what I am planning on for this week:

For My Ears

Paintings have been falling off of walls, a loud and loyal dog has gone missing, a specter has been seen walking the pier at midnight — strange things are happening all over the town of Stain’d-By-The-Sea. Called upon to investigate thirteen suspicious incidents, young Lemony Snicket collects clues, questions witnesses, and cracks every case. Join the investigation and tackle the mysteries alongside Snicket, then turn to the back of the book to see the solution revealed.

Billie Breslin has travelled far from her California home to take a job at Delicious, the most iconic food magazine in New York and, thus, the world. When the publication is suddenly shut down, the colourful staff, who have become an extended family for Billie, must pick up their lives and move on. Not Billie, though. She is offered a new job: staying behind in the magazine’s deserted downtown mansion offices to uphold the “Delicious Guarantee”–a public relations hotline for complaints and recipe inquiries–until further notice. What she doesn’t know is that this boring, lonely job will be the portal to a life-changing discovery.
Delicious! carries the reader to the colourful world of downtown New York restaurateurs and artisanal purveyors. And from the lively food shop in Little Italy where Billie works on weekends to a hidden room in the magazine’s library where she discovers the letters of Lulu Swan, a plucky twelve-year-old, who wrote to the legendary chef James Beard during World War II. Lulu’s letters lead Billie to a deeper understanding of history (and the history of food), but most important, Lulu’s courage in the face of loss inspires Billie to come to terms with her own issues–the panic attacks that occur every time she even thinks about cooking, the truth about the big sister she adored, and her ability to open her heart to love.

Paula McLain’s New York Times–bestselling novel piqued readers’ interest about Ernest Hemingway’s romantic life. But Hadley was only one of four women married, in turn, to the legendary writer. Just as T.C. Boyle’s bestseller The Women completed the picture begun by Nancy Horan’s Loving Frank, Naomi Wood’s Mrs. Hemingway tells the story of how it was to love, and be loved by, the most famous and dashing writer of his generation. Hadley, Pauline, Martha and Mary: each Mrs. Hemingway thought their love would last forever; each one was wrong.

Told in four parts and based on real love letters and telegrams, Mrs. Hemingway reveals the explosive love triangles that wrecked each of Hemingway’s marriages. Spanning 1920s bohemian Paris through 1960s Cold War America, populated with members of the fabled “Lost Generation,” Mrs. Heminway is a riveting tale of passion, love, and heartbreak.

I think that is the plan. What is your plan? Please add your Its Monday What Are You Reading post link below where it says click here.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

For those of you that read mainly middle grade and children’s books, be sure to also link to the younger version of It’s Monday by using the link below!