In this episode, we’ll hear from Cevin Bryerman about his work with Publisher’s Weekly, one of the premier publishing magazines and leading voices in the book industry. Cevin shares insight into the role of trade magazines in support of your book, and discusses the changes he anticipates to see within the industry as the world of book publishing continues to evolve.

1:10 - To start, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at PW?

• I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years now
• I was more in financials, but as time moved forward I applied for the position of Publisher about 15 years ago
• I had a different look at the industry. I very strongly wanted to support independent presses.
• I’m not executive VP and Publisher of PW. I oversee the publication, strategic planning, partnerships, and I’m involved in a lot of everyday decisions and with the strategy of the company.

3:15 - For the folks who maybe haven’t heard of Publisher’s Weekly, can you give us some background on the publication itself?

• PW has been around for 150 years. We started back in the 1800s as a trade publication for book selling.
• I would say we’re the largest review medium of books in the industry
• We do about 10,000 reviews a year out of 50,000 books we get submitted for a possible review
• We have 7 leading newsletters spanning multiple genres
• We have a robust website that reaches 1.2 million consumers per month
• Our audience is mainly booksellers librarians authors agents distributor wholesalers and media.
• Overall we’re the go to trade pre-publication magazine to create buzz, awareness, and sales for publishers.

5:00 - As the self-described ‘Bible of the book business’, how does PW bring value to the books that they review?

• PW is still the mainstay for booksellers and librarians to get independent reviews.
• We can help create a buzz for a book for pre-sales and pre-ordering.
• Booksellers and librarians rely on our review as a trusted source.
• If the review is good, especially if it’s a star review, it can definitely drive sales of a book.
• Our reviews are also often used by authors on their book jacket and for advertising.

7:45 - How can an independent author get their book reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly?

• There are two streams with us, the traditional PW route, or our other business, BookLife, which we launched three years ago.
• BookLife is more for the indie, self-published author who maybe isn’t affiliated with a traditional distributor.
• BookLife helps the independent author create buzz around their book. It’s a free service where the independent publisher can go to PW’s BookLife website, create a profile about their book, and submit their book for a review.

11:00 - What are the rules of pitching to Publisher’s Weekly?

• The number one rule is to go to the website and look under the submissions tab and it will tell you how to submit your book for review
• During COVID we were only accepting e-galleys or other digital formats, because we weren’t handling physical books or ARCs.
• Once we come out of COVID we will change that policy back to more physical books, but you can submit both.
• It takes us a good 3-4 months to actually review a book.
• For submission guidelines, always send in the book with something about how special it is to you, and mention whether this is your lead title if you’re doing more than one book.
• The biggest disqualification is if you’re not following the guidelines that are set on the website.

13:24 - What are some of the features of Publishers Weekly that authors perhaps don’t know about but should?

• We reach more than just booksellers - we’re in the library and school library market.
• We have a strong international reach especially when it comes to the major trade shows.
• We have many different arms. We’re the only publication that I believe has this many different niches. We reach comics, religion, children’s and more.
• We have a lot of digital assets too. PW is more than just a print publication - we have digital content that’s going out every day.
• 15:30 - Are there other ways the scope of Publishers Weekly changed given what 2020 has brought us?
• It was a good time for PW to rethink our strategy
• We’ve pivoted more towards digital because less people were picking up the physical copies
• We kept PW open to support the bookstores and libraries that were going under some financial stress
• We’ve created more digital marketing products to help our clients get the word out, from Books On Tap Live, a live interview on youtube and facebook, or Live from the Library Lounge, which is more of a conversation with key speakers in the library community.
• We’re launching a virtual book fair in May to help create buzz about books
• We’re listening to the market and continuing to do what we do best, which is publish.

17:55 - As a person who’s been in the publishing world for many years, how have you seen the industry change and transform over the years? And what do you think the future might look like?

• We see lots of ups and downs in trends. Out of COVID and other issues that have happened throughout the year, it makes publishers rethink their business, which I think is a good thing.
• It’s gone through many transformations, but publishing is still flourishing. You’ll see lots of movement and consolidation over the next few years.
• The industry is always in transition, and I think that transition and disruption is always good for a business
• No one has a crystal ball, but publishers are definitely looking into the virtual world.
• Bookstores and libraries might turn to new formats to suit their consumers
• A lot of publishing houses saved a lot of money this year, and they can route that into AI, and digital, innovative products.
• Diversity will continue to move the industry forward.

24:30 - Is there any other advice you’d like to share with the authors listening today?

• I always believe that especially as an independent author, you need to educate yourself. It’s very easy to produce a book, but it’s really taking it to the next step of how you get that book to market.
• Know who your audience is and really create a plan around your book
• Join associations and educate yourself so that you don’t fall into the pitfalls of the process. Read about what’s going on, be educated, and network in the industry.
• It’s important to have a business plan for your book and to be realistic about it.

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About Cevin

Cevin Bryerman is the publisher and executive vice-president of Publishers Weekly, the international news platform of the book publishing industry. He has been in the publishing business for more than 30 years, working at the helm of both trade and consumer magazines in strategic planning, business development and strategic partnerships.