Midwest Book Review
Encyclopedia
Midwest Book Review is an organization which maintains several book review publications. Established in 1976, the organization's Editor-in-Chief is James A. Cox. Midwest Book Review produces several book review publications per month, with a goal of encouraging small press
and increasing literacy
. It selects about 450 books to review out of the 1,500 submitted each month. The organization has a focus on serving community and academic library organizations located in California
, Wisconsin
, and the upper Midwest.
All reviews produced by Midwest Book Review are indexed by Gale Research. Online Computer Library Center called the organization's website a resource for book reviews, and Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook published by the American Library Association
recommended the organization's website for information on writing.
, Wisconsin
, and the upper Midwest. The organization maintains a website at www.midwestbookreview.com.
Publications produced by the organization include: The Bookwatch, California Bookwatch, The Children's Bookwatch, Internet Bookwatch, Library Bookwatch, MBR Bookwatch, The Midwest Bookwatch, The Reviewer's Bookwatch, Small Press Bookwatch, and The Wisconsin Bookwatch. The Children's Bookwatch is a newsletter made as a resource for librarian
s. Some reviews from Reviewer's Bookwatch are provided in greater depth at the organization's website. Midwest Book Review is made up of volunteers, and frequently seeks additional individuals to serve as book reviewers for the organization. The organization is located in Oregon, Wisconsin
. It has a motivation of increasing literacy
, public utilization of libraries, and fostering small press
, to which it gives priority. Of the 1,500 books submitted to Midwest Book Review for consideration per month, the organization chooses to review approximately 450 of them.
A visitor to the website Amazon.com
emailed Cox in 2006 and asked about the organization's practice of giving all reviews posted to the site a five-star recommendation. Cox replied explaining that he disagreed with the star-rating system in general, and noted, "If a book isn't good enough to pass our initial screening then it doesn't get reviewed in the first place." In 2007, an author asked Cox about the organization's position with regard to Amazon.com ratings. Cox explained, "for a book to make it all the way through the Midwest Book Review process. ... it merited the highest recommendation available under the Amazon rating system. Inferior books, flawed books, substandard books are assumed to have been weeded out and never made it to the 'finish line' of publication in one of our book review magazines."
In a 2001 interview with The Denver Post
, Cox stated that Midwest Book Review considers submissions from print on demand
(POD) publications. "When 1st Books, iUniverse and other POD titles cross my desk, I make sure to look at them, not out of regard for these publishers - but out of regard for the authors," said Cox. Cox does not believe that book reviewers should be fee-based, and said, "Any reviewer that wants money from you for any purpose whatsoever is operating a scam, engaging in unethical behavior that is in violation of the publishing industry etiquette norm." In 2008, Midwest Book Review had gained reviewers as a result of cutbacks in print media publications. Cox noted, "The drastic cutbacks in newspaper and magazine space for reviews has redounded to the benefit of the Midwest Book Review and other online review sites. These displaced reviewers have turned to us as an outlet for their reviews previously published in print sources. Over the past few years we have gained at least ten reviewers this way." After stating that charging fees is a scam, mister Cox now charges a reading fee in 2011.
indexes reviews for the Midwest Book Review publications Bookwatch and Children's Bookwatch. Online Computer Library Center described the website of the Midwest Book Review as "a resource to locate book reviews, resources and advice for writers and publishers". Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook published by the American Library Association
recommends Midwest Book Review as a resource for information for writers.
Midwest Book Review is listed as a resource, in Doris Booth's Writer's Handbook of FAQs. According to The Complete Guide to Self Publishing by Tom Ross and Marilyn Heimberg Ross, the reviews of the organization "are welcomed and respected". In Book Design and Production, author Pete Masterson listed the organization as a resource. He noted that the website for Midwest Book Review has "lots of useful information" for authors. Mayra Calvani of Blogcritics
noted that the organization is "popular among small publishers, self-published authors, and academic presses".
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
and increasing literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
. It selects about 450 books to review out of the 1,500 submitted each month. The organization has a focus on serving community and academic library organizations located in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and the upper Midwest.
All reviews produced by Midwest Book Review are indexed by Gale Research. Online Computer Library Center called the organization's website a resource for book reviews, and Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook published by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
recommended the organization's website for information on writing.
Organization
Midwest Book Review was established in 1976. The Editor-in-Chief of the organization is James A. Cox. The review puts out several publications on a monthly basis, with a focus on community and academic library organizations located in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and the upper Midwest. The organization maintains a website at www.midwestbookreview.com.
Publications produced by the organization include: The Bookwatch, California Bookwatch, The Children's Bookwatch, Internet Bookwatch, Library Bookwatch, MBR Bookwatch, The Midwest Bookwatch, The Reviewer's Bookwatch, Small Press Bookwatch, and The Wisconsin Bookwatch. The Children's Bookwatch is a newsletter made as a resource for librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
s. Some reviews from Reviewer's Bookwatch are provided in greater depth at the organization's website. Midwest Book Review is made up of volunteers, and frequently seeks additional individuals to serve as book reviewers for the organization. The organization is located in Oregon, Wisconsin
Oregon, Wisconsin
Oregon is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The current population of Oregon is 9498. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a suburb of Madison. The village is located mostly within the Town of Oregon....
. It has a motivation of increasing literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, public utilization of libraries, and fostering small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
, to which it gives priority. Of the 1,500 books submitted to Midwest Book Review for consideration per month, the organization chooses to review approximately 450 of them.
A visitor to the website Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
emailed Cox in 2006 and asked about the organization's practice of giving all reviews posted to the site a five-star recommendation. Cox replied explaining that he disagreed with the star-rating system in general, and noted, "If a book isn't good enough to pass our initial screening then it doesn't get reviewed in the first place." In 2007, an author asked Cox about the organization's position with regard to Amazon.com ratings. Cox explained, "for a book to make it all the way through the Midwest Book Review process. ... it merited the highest recommendation available under the Amazon rating system. Inferior books, flawed books, substandard books are assumed to have been weeded out and never made it to the 'finish line' of publication in one of our book review magazines."
In a 2001 interview with The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
, Cox stated that Midwest Book Review considers submissions from print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
(POD) publications. "When 1st Books, iUniverse and other POD titles cross my desk, I make sure to look at them, not out of regard for these publishers - but out of regard for the authors," said Cox. Cox does not believe that book reviewers should be fee-based, and said, "Any reviewer that wants money from you for any purpose whatsoever is operating a scam, engaging in unethical behavior that is in violation of the publishing industry etiquette norm." In 2008, Midwest Book Review had gained reviewers as a result of cutbacks in print media publications. Cox noted, "The drastic cutbacks in newspaper and magazine space for reviews has redounded to the benefit of the Midwest Book Review and other online review sites. These displaced reviewers have turned to us as an outlet for their reviews previously published in print sources. Over the past few years we have gained at least ten reviewers this way." After stating that charging fees is a scam, mister Cox now charges a reading fee in 2011.
Reception
Every review produced by Midwest Book Review is indexed to the review index maintained by Gale Research. Book Review IndexBook Review Index
Book Review Index is an index of book reviews and literary criticism, found in leading academic, popular, and professional periodicals. It has been published since 1965. For most of its history it has been owned by Gale and part of the Thomson family of information businesses.-Publication...
indexes reviews for the Midwest Book Review publications Bookwatch and Children's Bookwatch. Online Computer Library Center described the website of the Midwest Book Review as "a resource to locate book reviews, resources and advice for writers and publishers". Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook published by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
recommends Midwest Book Review as a resource for information for writers.
Midwest Book Review is listed as a resource, in Doris Booth's Writer's Handbook of FAQs. According to The Complete Guide to Self Publishing by Tom Ross and Marilyn Heimberg Ross, the reviews of the organization "are welcomed and respected". In Book Design and Production, author Pete Masterson listed the organization as a resource. He noted that the website for Midwest Book Review has "lots of useful information" for authors. Mayra Calvani of Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
noted that the organization is "popular among small publishers, self-published authors, and academic presses".
See also
- American Book ReviewAmerican Book ReviewThe American Book Review is a nonprofit, internationally distributed publication that appears six times a year. ABR specializes in reviews of frequently neglected published works of fiction, poetry, and literary and cultural criticism from small, regional, university, ethnic, avant-garde, and...
- Kirkus ReviewsKirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
- Publishers WeeklyPublishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
- The New York Times Book ReviewThe New York Times Book ReviewThe New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...