A few posts ago I complained about the Chronicle of Higher Education ignoring messages from me and my editors about my new book.  After several more futile attempts to contact them, I finally posted my frustrations on the Chronicle’s online forum.  Within a few hours the scholarly book editor replied. Since the book has been out for a year though, it won’t get listed.

Now, the online publication, Inside Higher Education, was more on the ball — and published an interview with me in February 2008.  And folks wonder why print media is dying. . .

Added later:  So, here’s the full story.  Shortly after the book came in December 2007, the UMP marketing department sent a copy to the Chronicle, along with copies to other periodicals including IHE.  The first copy never got to the right person, so noticing that the book had not appeared in the list of scholarly books, we sent another copy  in August.  Still no listing.  No answers to my follow-up emails to the book editor (the excuse –the editor was out of the country.  Yeah, well so was I but I still managed to get back to people on my return!).  No response at all until I posted on the online forum.

So, the lesson here for other authors out there — be obnoxious proactive from the get go.  Call the editors the week after your press sends the book to make sure they received it.  Call every week until the book appears, and follow that up with an email so that you have a record.  Raise a stink until you get results.