Here's a book promotion opportunity for self-published authors that I don't necessarily endorse. But, as a book publicist, I do feel obligated to share it.
It's PW Select, and it seems to be an opportunity for self-published books to share the limelight with traditionally published books -- in Publishers Weekly, no less.
It sounds good, except that when you read the fine print, you discover that -- for self-published authors to take advantage of this book promotion opportunity, they have to pay $149. This fee entitles self-publishers to a listing that will appear in a supplement of Publishers Weekly and in an online database. PW promises that at least 25 of the self-published books they receive will receive a full review, all for that one low price of $149.
Wait a minute. Did PW say it would charge self publishers $149 for a listing and for the possibility of a full review? Hmmm. Since PW isn't offering that deal to traditional publishers, whose books are considered for review without a $149 fee, I'm somehow not excited about the book promotion opportunity that PW is offering self publishers.
It's not that a review in Publishers Weekly wouldn't be worth paying for. It's just that, ironically, if you have to pay for a review ... it isn't worth the paper it's printed on (most of the time -- there are a few exceptions to this rule), as far as this book publicist is concerned.
