Wednesday, August 5, 2015

GOING FOREWORD

Foreword Magazine is the only national magazine that serves and reviews and promotes small presses and self-published authors exclusively; a publication that does not review titles from the Big Five Conglomerates or major University presses. It’s not been an easy road, but an honorable one, and Victoria Sutherland tells her story about its ups and downs, and ultimate survival and success.

*         *         *

Foreword Magazine’s story begins in Traverse City, Michigan, in 1998, when three women writers and magazine professionals launched a trade review journal to cover the rapidly growing independent, alternative, university, and self-publishing industries. We were employed by a book packager who bought Small Press Magazine, birthed by R.R Bowker in 1983—a literary journal exclusively devoted to the great work of the burgeoning small press community. Well, it was a great concept in theory, but we three had a different idea of how it should be carried out, and we left Small Press (now an e-zine called Independent Publisher) April 1, 1998, to start Foreword when our offer to buy was rejected. We quickly established a network of skilled reviewers around the country and connected with hundreds of publishers to access review copies of books and then, like most small businesses, the long slog to financial stability commenced.  

“As an entrepreneur in an industry that holds tight to its traditions, inspiration came from a healthy work ethic and sage business advice from my husband’s gumptious brothers.

“What began as a partnership quickly became a company led by myself as my two co-founders moved on to new projects. One of the women, Mardi Jo Link, authored a couple of true-crime books, and recently released her bestselling memoir Bootstrapper through Knopf. Another, Anne Stanton, became a busy freelance journalist, as well as research assistant to her NY Times bestselling author husband, Doug Stanton. I like to believe that had their personal financial staying power been as fluid as mine at the time, they might still be here. But after a few family loans and a second mortgage on our home I suddenly became majority owner.  Since 2003, I’ve been the primary creative force, publisher, and chief bathroom cleaner.

“Foreword Magazine, Inc. has first and foremost featured a print magazine that was delivered free to booksellers and librarians across the country and supported by advertising revenue. In addition to the reviews and feature stories highlighting great titles from indie presses, we also recognized books from independent and university presses annually with our awards program. In 2003, we introduced Clarion, the industry’s first fee-for-review service. Currently, we also give publishers their first taste of foreign rights business by showcasing their books in a co-operative stand at book fairs in Frankfurt, Bologna, Shanghai, and Beijing.

“As you can imagine, we have faced a number of financial challenges. In our early years, we were monthly and largely supported by ads from the tech industry as well as more established independent publishers. When the first bubble burst in 2000, it became necessary to re-strategize: we increased our page count, but reduced the frequency of publication to bi-monthly,

“We also got caught up with a “phantom” investor in early 2001 who came frighteningly close to pushing my hand toward closing our doors. When I realized after many months this money was not going to materialize, I spent some incredibly long days and nights considering my personal commitment and the continued potential of the independent press sector from whom we needed support. It was hard to turn away from the exponential growth in small press numbers, even back then. I borrowed funds from family “one last time” to get us through a tight spot in August of 2001. It’s a decision I’ve never regretted, and it happened at precisely the right moment...a month later, after 9/11, those funds probably would not have been available.

“In 2003, we partnered with Overdrive.com to introduce the industry’s first fee for review program. For a few years, they managed the backend and we took care of sales and providing the same quality reviews to new customers who couldn’t seem to land a review in a trade journal, primarily due to lack of space and overwhelming submissions. Of course, many industry leaders wanted to believe we had sold out, that Foreword Clarion would be providing great reviews to everyone who paid. I never understood why they thought we would jeopardize the trust of our readers and the good name of our magazine by doing this. In hindsight, it was an idea ahead of its time, and now most trade review journals offer a similar program.

“We also suffered a fire in our offices the weekend before the London Book Fair in 2004. Miraculously, we had adequate insurance and our computer hard drives survived, but the smoke damage ruined everything else and very nearly broke our spirits.

“At about this time, some great hiring decisions in sales and editorial began to coalesce and we began to see a shift that gave us the ability to correct our cash flow direction. We continued to deliver lengthy, quality, free reviews in the magazine despite the fact that we also had a separate fee service. I am especially pleased that we provide robust reviews as opposed to annotations or mere book summaries. More and more librarians are buying books from indie presses due to these reviews. Publisher ad support continues to expand. We aren’t going away anytime soon, and publishers look to us as a profitable investment for their shrinking ad budgets and publicity efforts.

“Traverse City has a rich literary history with notable contemporary authors like Jim Harrison, Dan Gerber, Doug Stanton, Anne Marie Oomen living nearby (Harrison and Gerber left a few years ago). Michael Moore also lives here, and hosts a Film Festival every August. The Interlochen Arts Academy, a world-renowned high school, teaches students from around the world in music, theatre and literary arts.

Foreword calls home the third level of the Traverse City Cigar Box Company. It was built in 1920 and refurbished after our purchase in 2011. It overlooks the Boardman River, and is a couple blocks away from The Ladies Library built in 1869, a Carnegie Library built in 1902, and across the river from our landmark Traverse Area District Library built at the turn of this century.

“Lucky to have Lake Michigan as a backdrop, our resort community in Northern Michigan is as beautiful as any place in the world. A higher than average number of intellectuals, cultural creatives, and the occasional Silicon Valley 30 year old “retiree” now call Traverse City home. I am able to hire a very talented team locally, and we have an excellent regional airport that provides affordable service to Detroit or Chicago hubs in 30 minutes.

“Since 2008, as other review journals fold or contract due to shrinking ad sales, Foreword continues to experience double-digit growth. Today, my co-conspirator and husband, Matt Sutherland, and I continue to haul suitcases of independently published titles to the aforementioned book shows around the world. In 2012 we acquired Children’s Books USA, a concierge service used by larger established publishers to maximize their foreign trade show presence. We currently employ 10 full-time staff members, a handful of freelance editors, and over one hundred reviewers.”

*         *         *

If you would like to contact Victoria directly, her email address is victoria@forewordreviews.com. As well, we hope you will leave a comment on this site.

COMING NEXT WEEK a personal blog from me, UNREQUITED LOVE, that I’m hopeful you will appreciate. I don’t want to say any more about it before it is posted—other than it relates to the business of books and mathematical probabilities.

22 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the great and very beneficial stuff that you have shared with the world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, you! Do you know how to write a persuasive essay? This outstanding blog https://samedaypaper.org/blog/persuasive-essay would lay a light of knowledge on you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting stories, how Victoria Sutherland go through ups and down. At the final she got her audience. This is the example of success. And need to remember when we talk about having great life it is not only about the success, but it also about fails. Usually, Everybody think that it is a luck, but it is hard work. I used to write an essay about the success, but for editing used this services https://essaypro.com/write-my-essay.html. I've accustomed that everything is work in our life. I wanna everything to be easy, but then I found out that it is not curious journey. So in order to get success you need to work, so it's a story how to go up and proceed to grow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Friends, I recently found an excellent essay service that offers a very low price and high quality work. masterpapers

    ReplyDelete
  5. The literary essay topics are reviews of the popular masterpices in litersture. The are good ideas for writing a literature analysis and may be taken as samples.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the topic, you have described it very well. I can advise assignment writing - this resource has helped me in learning.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the article. Very interesting. Your blog has helped me figure out many issues.

    ReplyDelete
  8. essay writing help. Academic essays are scholarly pieces of writing that end on a conclusion to certain affairs, experiences, topics or issues. Essays help express one’s opinion in the wider world, projecting the deep emotions in a person’s mind

    ReplyDelete
  9. Don't miss your chance and order one job from studybay reviews for inspection. I guarantee that you will become a regular customer when you see this quality of work. And for such a low price, it's just a great opportunity to raise your grades or pay off your tuition fees.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello, everyone, recently interested in finding a girl, https://yourmailorderbride.com/british-brides/ helped pick up. A survey was conducted, which revealed my priorities. Girls are very beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. hi,
    I have checked so many website, your website is very amazing. you should try this
    website

    ReplyDelete
  13. as the assignment’s delivery time gets very close, fear of losing marks develops a state of panic and distress among the students. The same students either complete the assignment hastily producing an unacceptable work, or go for Urgent Assignment Help help from expert assignment writers.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Shop from the best bluetooth earphones under 2000 in India for all your usage purpose and
    cheap in price. best bluetooth earphones under 2000 in india

    ReplyDelete
  15. One place for all your latest updates on what's going on across india in hindi. trending topics in india

    ReplyDelete
  16. The greater remember of Free subscribers you have, the more you may constantly obtain excessive views in your movies which not directly leads to cash technology. SignUp at ytbpals.Com without cost YouTube subscribers and find out about armslist tri cities fireamrms labeled armlist now.

    ReplyDelete

  17. We are a top rated university assignment help Online service here with experts specializing in a wide range of disciplines ensuring you get the assignments that score maximum grades.

    ReplyDelete
  18. With regards to the arrangement of a case study, it is vital that one should go through every one of the issues associated with the particular cases of the organizations. Indeed, one should discover every single detail identified with every one of the issues engaged with the separate business cases for which this case study should be ready. my assignment help

    ReplyDelete
  19. Features of education in civilian universities

    During demobilization, many young men strive to get into a university or return to the place from which they were expelled. If you are applying for the first time, it will not be superfluous to take special courses that last for 3-5 months. This will increase the chances of freeessaywriters admission and pass the competition together with other candidates.

    In addition, applicants who have served in the army are entitled to some benefits:

    Priority in the competition for free education;
    Provided free training courses;
    A special right to admission in case of disability received in the process of service (upon presentation of a medical certificate).
    The rights apply to everything, incl. and contractors.

    Demobilized candidates for admission to the university submit documents according to general rules, and if required, participate in entrance examinations, required for enrollment.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I just wanted to share my amazing experience with Assignment Help Malaysia. As a student, I understand how overwhelming it can be to juggle multiple subjects and assignments. That's when I decided to seek assistance, and I must say, it was the best decision I made!

    ReplyDelete