ARC Essentials with Macmillan

ARC Essentials is a new feature here on the blog where I have interviewed several publishers about the process for requesting review copies and then what to do once your review is written and posted. Each publisher has their own way of handling things, so what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

Today we have:

1. What should I include when asking for a review copy (Page view stats? Follower count? All social media accounts)?

Please include the following:

your blog url (you’d be surprised how many people actually don’t)

stats (page views, how long you’ve been blogging, etc)

social media accounts

review of books we’ve published (if possible)

and a short list (if you have one) of any upcoming galleys you’d like to receive

We tend to not send out finished copies once a book has gone on sale.

2. How long should I be blogging before I ask for a review copy?

Ideally, at least 6 months. No joke, we’ve gotten requests from bloggers who have only been blogging like a week!

3. Who should I contact about receiving review copies?

We at MCPG have a general publicity inbox that gets checked very regularly. The e-mail address is: childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com

4. Should I email an author about obtaining a review copy and have them forward my request onto their publicist?

Sometimes bloggers will reach out to the author directly for review copies, which is fine, and when that happens, the author will forward those requests to us for us to handle at our discretion.

5. Do you expect me to review books I never requested, such as an ARC or finished copy I was sent but never asked for?

If you have received a book from us that you did not request, you do not have to review it. But if you do end up reviewing, all I can say is Thank You!

6. When is the best time to post a review?

Ideally, anytime between two months before pub date through the after-pub date. We understand that not everyone will be able to review everything before pub date, so we truly appreciate books being reviewed even after pub date.

7. Where can I send in review links?

If you’re already in contact with me, you can e-mail me directly with review links.

If not, you can e-mail review links to childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com

8. Do you want to see all reviews I’ve done—positive and negative?

Yes!

9. Am I more likely to get approved if I request an eARC of a book instead of a physical copy?

It honestly does not matter.

10. When is the best time to request a book or be asked to be put on a list to receive a review copy?

You can contact us for consideration for a galley copy usually four to five months in advance. But, again, please keep in mind, that we tend to not send out review copies once books are on sale.

11. Do you have a catalog mailing list for bloggers that I can request to be a part of?

We send out a catalog via e-mail to our blogger contacts three times a year. If you’d like to be considered for that outreach to receive galleys, please e-mail, for consideration, childrens.publicity@macmillanusa.com

12. If I want to interview an author or ask them to write a guest post for my blog, is it best to contact the author directly?

I see a lot of authors and bloggers already interacting directly (which is great) and setting up Q&As and guest posts together. If you’re ever uncertain about contacting an author for this, do feel free to contact us and ask. We can always forward your request to the author.

13. Anything else you would like to add that you think bloggers should/need to know?

I always try to stress this, whether on a panel or on a Q&A: Be a book blogger for the love of books and sharing your love of reading.

Giveaway:

As a special way to kick this series off, Macmillan is offering a massive ARC pack of books from their Winter 2014 catalog, including:

Drama Queens in the House by Julie Williams

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

Grandmaster by David Klass

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Sekret by Lindsay Smith

Something Real by Heather Demetrios

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Nil by Lynne Matson

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Must be over 13 and live in the US or Canada*

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