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Jim Cox Report: November 2020

Dear Publisher Folk, Friends & Family:

I was born on November 6, 1942 so this month I have now turned 78 years of age. My father lived for five days over his 98th birthday. So based on family genetics, if the current Covid plague doesn't take me out I can look forward to 20 more years of doing what I love best -- helping out authors and publishers by bringing good books to the attention of librarians and the general public.

It has always been my policy to archive the reviews we generate on our web site for at least 5 years. I don't know how many reviews there are currently archived on the Midwest Book Review web site -- but by now it must number in the tens of thousands.

The Midwest Book Review archive of book reviews is so vast that the only way to navigate it in search of a particular title, a particular author, a particular publisher, or a particular genre is to use the on-site search engine 'Freefind' that is located on our website's homepage. It costs us a few bucks every month but it's well worth it.

My webmaster has made a simple and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction guide called "How Do I Find a Specific Review on the MBR Website?" You'll find it at:

https://www.midwestbookreview.com/findareview.htm

What prompted this little topic to this month's Jim Cox Report is an email I recently received from Jennifer Baum.



In a message dated 10/10/2020 4:17:06 PM Central Standard Time, Jennifer Baum writes:

Hi James,

I hope you are doing well. I was looking at your website -- do you have all the most recent reviews published?

Jennifer Baum
Publisher, Scribe Publishing Company
Chair, Midwest Book Awards



Dear Jennifer:

Thank you for your inquiry.

Yes. The most recent reviews being done for the October 2020 issue of our nine monthly book review publications are all automatically archived on our Midwest Book Revies website for at least 5 years.

Our book review database is so massive that you really need to use the on-site search engine to find a particular title. Just type in the title of the book with " before and after it (e.g. "Simply Easy Everyday Dishes") -- and then hit Find.

Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review



In a message dated 10/10/2020 4:17:06 PM Central Standard Time, Jennifer Baum writes:

Thank you!

Jennifer Baum
Publisher, Scribe Publishing Company
Chair, Midwest Book Awards



Next to bringing good books the attention they deserve, I enjoy helping out authors and publishers with their questions in these email Q&As. If you should ever have a question on any aspect of the publishing/reviewing/marketing process, please always feel free to ask me.

Now here is a review of a book that is of particular and special interest to writers and their publishers:



The Organised Writer
Antony Johnston, author & narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
Tantor Audio: 9781705256794, $24.99, CD
9781472977182, $22.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Organised-Writer-projects-never-deadline/dp/1472977181

Synopsis: "The Organised Writer: : How to stay on top of all your projects and never miss a deadline" is a practical, no-nonsense system that allows you to write without worrying about administration, business affairs, or scheduling. This straight-talking guide will help you become more productive, cope with multiple projects, and make time within your life to write - while also dealing with non-writing tasks more efficiently.

It includes advice on how to: Manage your schedule; Prioritize your writing time; Take notes effectively; Work with a 'clean mind'; Get more written every day; Deal effectively with non-writing tasks; Set up a foolproof filing system; Organize your working space.

Spend a weekend setting-up the system described, and you'll make the time back with interest. You'll get more written every day and complete more of your other tasks without being overwhelmed by all the things you have to do, forgot to do, or don't want to do.

Critique: Also available from Bloomsbury Yearbooks in a paperback edition (9781472977182, $22.95, 272pp) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), Tantor Media has produced "The Organised Writer: How to stay on top of all your projects and never miss a deadline" narrated by the author Antony Johnston in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (6 CDs, 7.5 Hours) that is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections.

Editorial Note: Antony Johnston is an award-winning author and creator of the hit Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde, which was based on his graphic novel. His work spans books, film, graphic novels, videogames, podcasts, music, and more, with titles translated throughout the world. He lives and works in England -- and is highly organized.



Finally, "The Midwest Book Review Postage Stamp Hall Of Fame & Appreciation" is a monthly roster of well-wishers and supporters. These are the generous folk who decided to say 'thank you' and 'support the cause' that is the Midwest Book Review by donating to our postage stamp fund this past month:

Mike Martin
Yuliya Perch
William Kovacs
Martha Masinton
Bob Prevost -- "Mallast 2"
Felicia Farber -- "Ice Queen"
Chess Britt -- "Seek to be Wise"
Steven Burgauer -- "Moon Beam"
Avraham Azrieli -- "The Elixirist"
Jessica O'Dwyer -- "Mother Mother"
Judy Prescott Marshall -- "Still Crazy"
Mark Zvonkovic -- "When Mermaids Sing"
Carl Roberts -- "The Trial of Connor Padget"
Robert Fergusson -- "Are You Getting This?"
Lansh Radau -- "Myth, Religion and Reason"
Holly Trechter -- "Even Goats Need Closure"
Jett James Pruitt -- "Through the Eyes of a Young American"
Tricia Saunders -- "Zephrum Gates & The Belly Of The Beast"
Larry Alex Taunton -- "Around the World in (More Than) 80 Days"
B. Mirthy & Sons
James Marienthal -- Silver Wave Records
Joseph Brient -- Commonwealth Publishing
Mylo Carbia -- Ellison Public Relations
Elizabeth Waldman Frazier -- Waldmania!
Barbara C. Wall -- The Barrett Company, LLC

In lieu of (or in addition to!) postage stamp donations, we also accept PayPal gifts of support to our postage stamp fund for what we try to accomplish in behalf of the small press community. Simply log onto your PayPal account and direct your kindness (in any amount and at your discretion) to the Midwest Book Review at:

SupportMBR [at] aol.com

(The @ is replaced by "[at]" in the above email address, in an attempt to avoid email-harvesting spambots.)

If you have postage stamps to donate, or if you have a book you'd like considered for review, then send those postage stamps (always appreciated, never required), or a published copy of that book (no galleys, uncorrected proofs, or Advance Reading Copies), accompanied by a cover letter and some form of publicity release to my attention at the address below.

All of the previous issues of the "Jim Cox Report" are archived on the Midwest Book Review website at www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/jimcox.htm. If you'd like to receive the "Jim Cox Report" directly (and for free), just send me an email asking to be signed up for it.

So until next time -- goodbye, good luck, and good reading!

Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI, 53575
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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