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McFarland is responsible for the sale and marketing of your
book. However, we welcome suggestions from authors. A few times
during the publication process, McFarland will automatically
prompt you for suggestions with form letters. Several common
sales and marketing concerns—reviews, signings,
conferences, and more—are covered here.
Book Reviews
McFarland automatically distributes review copies to the major
review media for U.S. libraries; the most well-known among these
include Booklist, Choice, and Library
Journal. McFarland also sends review copies to select
academic journals and popular magazines according to topic
(reference, women's studies, and performing arts are some
examples). Newspapers are not ordinarily a part of McFarland's
review efforts, although there are some exceptions.
If you are aware of special magazines in your particular field
that do review books, it would be very helpful if you could
provide us with titles, addresses and names of the book review
editors. Please rank your suggestions in order of importance.
Send your suggestions (preferably via e-mail) to:
Beth H. Cox
McFarland
Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
FAX (336) 246-5018
bcox@mcfarlandpub.com
It can be difficult to predict when published reviews will
begin appearing—it often depends on the nature of the
reviewing medium. Also, although McFarland books traditionally
perform well, reviewers make no promises that a book will
actually be reviewed. Six or more months after publication, an
author is better able to judge the review media's interest.
McFarland will automatically provide you with photocopies of
published reviews. Photocopies of simple published listings or
acknowledgments of "books received" will not be distributed.
Another way to learn of published reviews is by visiting your
local library and searching for citations in a periodicals
database. If you come across a review that McFarland may not be
aware of, please send a copy to Beth H. Cox (see
above).
Conferences and Trade Shows
McFarland regularly attends and exhibits at the major library
conferences. Major academic conferences are also part of
McFarland's exhibiting plans. Consult our current conference schedule.
If you will be present at a conference where McFarland is
exhibiting, please let us know. We'll make sure that extra copies
of your book are on display. If you are attending a conference
where McFarland is not exhibiting, it is sometimes possible to
arrange for the display of your book through another party.
Please notify Beth H. Cox (see above)
of your conference plans.
The Library Market
Libraries of all sorts form McFarland's main market. McFarland
regularly promotes its books to all public, high school, and
academic libraries in the U.S. and select libraries outside the
U.S. Many of these libraries make their purchases through
wholesalers and book jobbers. Authors should feel free to notify
their local public library or campus library of their book's
availability, but no special effort to contact libraries is asked
of our authors.
Other Markets
McFarland successfully sells directly to individuals.
Specialists, professionals and enthusiasts form an important
market for many kinds of books. For applicable books, college
classroom adoptions play a role in sales. Most major online book
retailers carry McFarland books—you may wish to keep a
watch on your book's listings. Chain book retailers will carry
McFarland books in their system for special order, but are
unlikely to stock books in stores (the same applies to the
majority of our academic publisher peers). Specialty bookshops,
on the other hand, can make suitable arrangements with McFarland.
We welcome sales tips from authors for the latter. If you know of
a mail-order distributor, museum shop, specialty bookshop, or
internet-based book dealer that handles a specialized line,
please provide addresses. Sales tips should be sent (preferably
via e-mail) to:
Adam Phillips
McFarland
Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
FAX (336) 246-5018
aphillips@mcfarlandpub.com
It is also perfectly fine for authors to introduce themselves
(and their books) to a local bookstore or other bookseller.
Encouragement from authors to stock their books can sometimes
make a difference in local sales.
Book Signings
For those authors who plan to do book signings (they're totally
optional and can be fun, but McFarland doesn't necessarily
encourage them), please contact your local bookstore or other
relevant signing host directly. In general, bookstores of all
sorts are happy to host signing events for local authors. The
bookstore will want to work out local arrangements (what day,
what time, what exactly will happen, etc.) with you. They will
want to work with McFarland to obtain books. The signing host
should contact Beth H. Cox
(see above) to obtain books at a discount. Although it is
fine to do some early planning for books that aren't published
yet, book signings should not be scheduled until finished copies
are in the McFarland warehouse.
Typos and Errors
If you have detected a typo or an error for your book's website description, please
write to the McFarland Database Department.
In most cases, website-related correction requests are addressed within five business
days. If you discover errors on other sites (such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble),
please notify us -- our Database Department will likely be able to provide assistance.
If you discover a typo or error in your published book, write to
corrections@mcfarlandpub.com.
Correction requests for the text of books will be examined within a couple of
business days, but may require a longer period of time for completion. McFarland
will contact you should further information be required.
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