How it works

In this week's New York Times Book Review there is an ad for Spooner by Pete Dexter and on page 10 there is a review of the same book. In the September issue of The New York Review of books there is a long article on Clarice Lispector and on the last page an ad for one of the books mentioned. Does the publisher call the review and ask them to review the book that they are planning to run an ad for, or does the review call the publisher and tell them they about to run an article about their book and do they want to run an ad? Almost every issue of every review I've looked at has a similar pattern.

I ran an ad for my novel in a review this spring for three issues. I had also sent them a copy of the book to one of their editors. The book did not get reviewed, because self-published books NEVER get reviewed and probably it wasn't read or even looked at, or god forbid, the editor hated it. When the ad guy contacted me to renew the ad I told him if they could review the book I'd order another three months. He acted like I had told him his mother just died.

I wonder if it's driven by dollar amount? If I had a huge advertising budget, would I get the book reviewed?

What to expect if you self-publish (wish I had someone to tell me these things before I did):
1. No one will review the book.
2. Bookstores will not carry the book.
3. Services for foolish self-published writers will call and write you endlessly offering you everything you could possibily want to advertise and market your book as long as you have the money.
4. And even if you hire them, and spend lots of money, the book still will not be reviewed and it will not appear in bookstores.