The other day, my publicist . . . (doesn't that sound hoity-toi? Mind you, I share her with at least 99 if not 9,999 other authors) sent me a review for Bookplate Special.
Okay, what's so special about yet another review?
This one happens to be from Booklist.
So, big deal, you're probably saying to yourself.
Well, it is a big deal. Booklist is one of the BIG FOUR reviewers. With budgets being slashed for books, many libraries make their book-buying decisions from reviews in one of the big four review sources: Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and ... BOOKLIST. Believe me, if you're a small press author, a big four review can make or break you. (I didn't get one for my first hardcover and the book sank like the Titanic, which absolutely broke my heart.)
The BIG FOUR review primarily hardcover books.
Bookplate Special is a mass market paperback.
The best part of all: Booklist liked it, hey, Mikey! They said, in part, "Small-town New Hampshire life, the sisters' turbulent relationship, a
budding romance, and plenty of cooking (includes recipes) provide the ambiance in this satisfying series. A good bet for readers of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries."
Not bad, eh?
