Welcome to SLJ Reviews

We hope this page provides the information you need to submit titles for review consideration

School Library Journal reviews new general trade books for children and teens (including Spanish-language materials), classroom and library books from institutional publishers, graphic novels, reference books, and professional development titles for librarians and educators prior to their first U.S. publication. We also review audiobooks, DVDs/Blu-rays, databases, and subscription services of interest to school and public libraries serving children and teens, and adult books with teen appeal. SLJ reviews are available online, and select reviews appear in our monthly print magazine. SLJ reviews are also licensed to book distributors and vendors.

Works are selected for their potential interest to a broad spectrum of libraries. Only a few areas of publishing fall outside SLJ’s scope: textbooks and adult books with no teen appeal (handled by our sister publication, Library Journal; LJ submission guidelines here. Books previously published abroad are eligible if they are being released in the United States for the first time and have a U.S. distributor.

To be considered for review, books must be of national interest. Review copies should be received at least four months prior to publication. Review coverage is not automatic; many books submitted are not reviewed.
 

Submission Terms & Conditions

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT

School Library Journal’s reviews are both positive and negative and make recommendations both for and against purchase. Our reviewers are encouraged to compare new titles to other materials that are already held in most library collections. Each title is evaluated on its literary and illustrative quality, its clarity and accuracy of presentation, and its appeal to the intended audience.

• Submission does not guarantee review. Due to space limitations and the great volume of material submitted to SLJ, we cannot review every work sent to us. The editors decide which books and multimedia materials to review based on potential interest to SLJ readers. All submissions of books and multimedia materials become the sole property of Media Source Inc.; requests for return of materials or other restrictions cannot be honored.
• Due to the volume of material SLJ receives, receipt or acknowledgment of submitted materials is not possible. Similarly, we cannot provide information on the status of submitted materials. Publishers may request a copy of published reviews by contacting their sales representative.
• All reviews are final and not subject to change. We will correct factual errors but not the editorial substance of reviews.
   

HOW TO SUBMIT

Due to the fact that all SLJ staffers are currently working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, publishers are asked to temporarily suspend mailing physical copies to our New York office (123 William Street). Instead, please send PDFs or shareable digital copies to SLJSubmissions@mediasourceinc.com. One of our book room assistants will ensure that the information and file get to the appropriate editor.

Some additional notes:

• Please clearly indicate the subject, genre, format, and age of intended audience of each submission.

• Non-watermarked PDFs are our preferred format.

• Your submission email should list: book title; author(s); ISBN; date of publication; publisher; imprint; format; price; age of intended audience; and number of pages. Please include a publisher contact in the body of the email.

• If sending very large PDFs, consider using a file transfer service, accompanied by an email with the required bibliographic information.

• If sending a link to a digital file on NetGalley or Edelweiss, please make sure it is an open, shareable widget, as it will need to be forwarded and viewed by the assigning editor and the reviewer. We will respect copyright, as always, as will our reviewers.
   

Books

We are only accepting digital galleys currently. We will update this site if that changes.

We generally avoid reviewing books later than date of publication, though we do make exceptions for reference, professional reading, and heavily illustrated works. Books that fall into those categories may be reviewed several months after their publication date. Please submit to SLJSubmissions@mediasourceinc.com.
 

Graphic Novels

We do not review single-issue comics, only hardback or paperback compilations. Please send titles for review consideration as close to the publishing date as possible. Bibliographic information and promotional materials should be included in your email. If advance copies of a title with color illustrations are in black and white, please send or make available sample color pages or a color PDF.
 

DVDs & Audio Recordings

DVDs and audio recordings (audiobooks, educational films, music albums) are eligible for review if they were released during the current year and designed for an audience preschool through the 12th grade. Please submit the material along with information on grade level, running time, copyright, release date, price, and an ordering address.

Send digital audio recordings (e.g., family music albums) and DVDs to: Shelley Diaz, sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com (digital submissions only).

Send audiobook submissions (digital only) to Amanda Mastrull, amastrull@mediasourceinc.com.
 

Online Resources, and Databases

Reference products and online resources, designed for students through the 12th grade and released during the past year, should be sent to Shelley Diaz, sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com (digital submissions only)