ARC Essentials with Simon & Schuster

First off, so sorry for the delay, guys! I took a bit of a break for the holidays and to recoup, but we're back with this feature everyone seems to love!

ARC Essentials is a 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)?

Yes, please include a link to the blog, page view stats, follower count, and all your social media accounts.

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

It doesn’t matter how old the blog is as long as the content is geared toward the appropriate audience for our books.

3. Who should I contact about receiving review copies?

Please e-mail the children’s publicity inbox (ChildrensPublicity@simonandschuster.com)and each request will be forwarded to the appropriate publicist for the titles requested.

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

No, please e-mail us directly for requests as that will expedite the process.

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?

We would appreciate if you review such books but it is not expected.

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

The ideal time is at least a month before publication and in the weeks leading up to publication. But any time after that is fine if you still would like to.

7. Where can I send in review links?

Please send review links to ChildrensPublicity@simonandschuster.com

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

Yes, we would like to see all of them.

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

Yes.

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

Any time is fine to request it, but please note that review copies are sometimes not available until a few months before publication and we have them in limited quantities.

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

Yes, we have a digital catalog link you can use to browse. Please feel free to request it at any time and we can send you the link.

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?

If you have an established relationship with the author, please feel free to contact them directly, though it would be helpful for us if you CC the children’s publicity inbox (ChildrensPublicity@simonandschuster.com) Otherwise, please contact that e-mail address with your request for interviews with specific authors and we will handle.

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

Please note that review copies are intended for review only and should not be resold.