Reviewer Poll: Authors contacting critics

As regular readers of this blog will know, one of the things I do here on the Crime Fiction Dossier is talk about the world of the book critic, and try to shed some light on the process of book reviewing.

Last week I wrote about “How books get chosen for review,” specifying how the last several books I reviewed had gotten into my hands. Author Bob Morris then brought up an interesting point in the comments section:

I'm not quite sure how, or even if, I should approach reviewers. Some book critics I know have told me that it is bad form for a writer to contact a potential reviewer and that to do so will actually work against you. Rather, they say, we should rely on our publicists to get the books to the reviewers and hope for the best.

I always tell authors that it’s okay, that they should notify reviewers when they have a book coming out. (There are so damn many book published that it’s impossible to keep up with everything, so this can be helpful to critics.)

That advice is fine if writers want to approach me. But what about other critics? How do they feel about being contacted by authors? That, I did not know.

So, at this week’s meeting of the Super Secret Book Critic Cabal, where we all get together to decide which books we’re going to praise, which to pan, and which to make bestsellers, I asked.

Okay, actually what I did was email several of the more prominent critics who review crime fiction and ask them what they think.

The respondents were:

Dick Adler (Chicago Tribune), Patrick Anderson (Washington Post), Jon Breen (Ellery Queen), Oline Cogdill (South Florida Sun-Sentinel), Hallie Ephron (Boston Globe), David Lazarus (San Francisco Chronicle), Carol Memmott (USA Today), Lev Raphael (Detroit Free Press), Les Roberts (Cleveland Plain Dealer) and Sarah Weinman (Baltimore Sun)

The questions were:

• Do you mind if an author contacts you via email to let you know they have a book coming out that is available for review?
• Do you mind if an author speaks to you at a conference or other public appearance about their book?

The responses varied somewhat, but everyone thought that a personal email was okay (no phone calls, please) and that talking to critics at conferences was fine.

A few people, admittedly, aren't crazy about the idea, and would generally prefer to be contacted by publicists. But they understand the position that authors are in and are willing to be accommodating when they can.

The extreme end of the responses was simply, “it's not really productive for writers to contact me. I'll read their e-mail and look at their book but I would do that anyway.” That's as far as it went, though. No one said that authors should not do it, and no one said that it would hurt the author (assuming, as always, that you are polite and act appropriately).

So, according to these folks at least, it’s acceptable for authors to contact critics. However, it’s important to remember how you should contact them. “It's all in the approach: polite and professional (and brief!) always works better than long-winded, attachment-heavy and pedantic.”

It’s also important for authors to realize that a personal response might not be possible, and that getting your book read (much less reviewed) is always a crap shoot. As one critic put it, “I'm happy to get anyone's book (hardback, not self-published, and an upcoming release), but the hardest and biggest part of my job as a crime fiction reviewer is picking which books to review.”

One point that was repeated several times was that after you make that initial contact (or after you send the book), "let it go." Don’t follow-up, don’t pester and damn sure don’t harass.

Something else to remember is that your approach should be personal and individual. “A mass e-mail…would probably be deleted immediately.”

Speaking for myself, nothing turns me off quicker than an email from someone who clearly has no idea who I am, other than the fact that I review books. If you won’t spend 10 minutes learning a little about the critic, why should s/he spend a few hours reading your book?

Above all, whether contacting a critic via email, or speaking to him/her at a conference, the most important thing to remember is to “be brief.” Critics have many authors and many, many books seeking their attention. Please be respectful of that and allow the other guy his chance, too.

Comments

[Bob Morris]

Thanks for that follow-up, David. I'm sitting down to write my (very brief) notes ...

[Duane]

I'm sitting outside your house in a nondescript sedan. I keep checking your mail, but so far, your WHEELMAN ARC hasn't arrived yet. I'll you know when it does. Should be soon.