Picky, picky
The messy truth behind a critic's choices, Part One
Whenever someone sees my galley shelves, or hears how many books arrive on my doorstep unsolicited, the first thing they ask is: How do you choose which books to review?
The answer, I’m afraid, has more to do with alchemy and intuition than methodology and logic. In one home office, I had special shelves built so that I could keep track of galleys and finished books by month. The trouble was, one month might not get filled while a month or two after the first month would be stacked tightly. Books migrated to months before and after their publication dates.
In another home office, I tried simply shelving by pub date from left to right, but even with more and longer and deeper shelves I couldn’t keep them all in place.
But all that was pre-pandemic. Recently I posted that I’ve reduced my galley shelves by half, and a longtime in-house publishing colleague responded that that corresponds almost exactly to what they’re sending out these days. In 2019 I would regularly get 10 to 15 books each day via USPS or UPS.
Now, as 2025 approaches, I receive one or two each day, along with at least a dozen PDFs or NetGalley widgets via email.
This, my friends and readers, has changed the way I choose books to review and feature and recommend. I can’t rely on shelves, organized or not. I loathe spreadsheets, not because I’m an old, but because I have ADHD and I find it difficult to focus and create them. However, I’ve had to learn to do so or I’d forget more titles than I already do.
I’m sorry, wonderful book PRs, for my manifold sins and wickednesses against you. I truly am! I hope this will help me atone. Part One of my answer to “How do you choose?” has to do with publicists and their outreach. The book-publishing PR teams who take the time to do virtual catalog walks with me tend to get my attention. How could it be otherwise? If I get to hear about a fantastic new novel while also looking at its corresponding catalog page and then receive not only a copy (paper or digital) of the book along with follow-up emails, I’m far more likely to keep it on my radar than I will a book that exists for me only on a website somewhere.
Most of us who cover books try to keep up with the advance-review publications, publisher catalogs, social-media buzz, and more. However, nothing can replace the efforts of a smart and savvy publicity operation.
NEXT WEEK: Part Two, The Book on the Bookshelf