Reviewers’ Guidelines
(Please read thoroughly and carefully.)
The Bloomsbury Review accepts submissions of book reviews, essays, poetry, interviews, and other book-related articles. TBR asks for first-time print rights and nonexclusive electronic rights for all accepted submissions. The print rights revert back to the writer after publication in TBR. If the article is subsequently reprinted in another publication, we ask, as a professional courtesy, that TBR, the reviewer’s name, and the date when the article was published in TBR be acknowledged. TBR rarely publishes simultaneous submissions.
EDITORIAL POLICY: The Bloomsbury Review does not announce reviews prior to publication. We always send copies of the issue to the publisher if and when a review appears. With that in mind, writers should never contact the publisher or the author of a book when they have submitted a review to TBR. Also, we cannot guarantee to the reviewer or interviewer when her/his article will appear.
Please do not paraphrase or quote directly from the book’s press materials or dust jacket in your reviews.
When submitting an interview, please make sure that the individual being interviewed has signed off on the piece you are submitting. If possible, please also include his/her contact information.
If a book has very little to recommend it, please do not review it for TBR. Reviews can be critical, but a book’s strengths must be covered as well. There are 275,000 books published every year in the USA alone. In a good year we can review 1,200, so we prefer to publish reviews of books that warrant attention.
QUOTED MATERIAL: It is extremely important to include a photocopy of all materials quoted in a review or to indicate in square brackets at the end of the sentence the page number of the book under review from which a quote is taken.
If you are quoting from a book other than the one you are reviewing, indicate the title of the book, the author, and the year of publication as well as a photocopy of the page with the quoted passage in brackets.
If you are quoting from a journal or magazine, please indicate the title of the periodical, the title of the article, the author of that piece, and the volume and issue date, as well as a photocopy of the quote.
TIPS ON WRITING A BOOK REVIEW:
As in any good writing, there should be a strong introduction and conclusion, and smooth transitions between paragraphs. The writing should be intelligent without being too pedantic, critical without being condescending, and lively and colorful without being frivolous.
A good book review should tell the reader what the book is about, why the reader may or may not be interested in it, whether or not the author is successful in his/her intent, and why the book should be read.
Never review a book on a subject you are not familiar with. It is not necessary to be an expert on the subject, but a good working knowledge of the author or subject matter is imperative.
Be objective. Never review the work of a personal or ideological friend or enemy. If the work is by your college professor, a classmate, a close colleague, a family member, or if the work is one with which you are associated in any fashion, please do not review it for The Bloomsbury Review. We do not want to put your reputation or ours at risk by publishing reviews whose credibility can easily be questioned. As Shakespeare put it:
. . . he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.
Othello, III, 3.
Never review a book you haven’t read at least once and understood.
Review the author’s ideas, not your own. Do not compete with the subject, but instead respond or react to it.
A review should be more than just a summary of the book’s contents. It should be an involved and informed response to the style, theme, and content.
If you have any questions regarding the writing of a book review or any other feature, please do not hesitate to contact one of our editors. It is our obligation to provide our readers with informative, entertaining statements about books and the ideas presented in them.
FOR STYLE: Follow the most recent Chicago Manual of Style. It is our policy to use nonsexist language. TBR’s editors will make minor editorial alterations, if necessary, to conform to the house style. If substantial editing of your review is required, you will be notified and a copy of your edited review can be sent to you for your approval or final changes prior to publication.
LENGTH: Upon assignment of a review or feature, an editor will assign an approximate length (usually from 100 to 1,000 words, as some subjects or books may warrant more or less space). If you find that a book you have been assigned does not warrant the time and effort it would take to review it, please contact your editor. This does not mean, however, that we will not publish negative criticism provided it is properly substantiated.
REVIEWER INFORMATION: Please include a bio/byline of 30 to 60 words at the end of each submission.
HEADLINE: Writers are welcome to suggest a headline for their reviews, interviews, or essays, although such will be subject to editorial discretion and space limitations.
FORMAT AND ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSIONS: We use PCs. Our preferred format for submissions is via e-mail, as an attachment, in a reasonably current version of Word or WordPerfect. Please include in parentheses citations to all quotations or facts included so we may easily fact-check the review. Send submissions to the editors. Handwritten or typed reviews will not be considered for publication.
Please include your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number on page 1, and your name only at the top of each following page. If you are submitting poetry, please send copies of your poems and make sure that your name and address are on each poem. Allow 12 weeks for reply.
FORMAT FOR BOOK REVIEWS: At the top of the first page, include the following information:
1. Title of book
2. Subtitle (if any)
3. Author / Editor / Translator / Illustrator / Photographer — names in ALL CAPS (i.e., Illustrated by FIRSTNAME LASTNAME)
4. Publisher / price / binding / 13-digit ISBN (please include price and ISBN for both cloth and paper editions, when available, as well as the address for small presses)
5. The year the book was published
6. The number of pages in the book
Also see STYLE GUIDELINES
PAYMENT: Reviewers may opt for gift subscriptions in lieu of cash payment. The scale is as follows: book reviews (of 600 or more words) = $10 to $15 (1-year subscription); poetry = $5 to $10 per poem (1-year subscription); essays, features, and interviews = $20 to $50 (2- to 4-year subscription). Payment is made upon publication. Submissions of less than 600 words in length are welcome but not paid.
The book business is an exciting field, and we welcome your thoughts, comments, and submissions.
Thank you,
The Editors of The Bloomsbury Review
(6/05)