The author questionnaire is an essential tool for the Marketing team as we develop our plans for the sale, publicity, and direct and digital marketing of your book. We use your questionnaire to better understand your book, and we take into account each specific suggestion and contact you provide (for instance, when you list specific publication names as potential places to review your book, we consider adding those to our publicity list). The more detailed your author questionnaire, the better! Download the author questionnaire here (Word document).

Key contact: Shelby Connelly, Marketing Associate

Who will blurb my book?

We often extract comments from your Reader Reports. In addition, the marketing and editorial departments collectively decide if other blurbers are needed to effectively promote a book. In that instance, the Marketing Associate will often will draw upon the recommended blurbers you listed on  your author questionnaire.

Key contact: Matthew Smiley, Senior Sales Manager

When will I receive complimentary copies of my book?

Your complimentary copies are ordered by the editorial assistant assigned to your book and will arrive two to three weeks after the book reaches our warehouse. For example, if a book is delivered to  our warehouse on October 1, then books will likely be delivered to you between October 14 and 21.

How do I order copies of my book?

We recommend that authors based in the United States place book orders through the Chicago Distribution Center by calling 800-621-2736.

In Canada our warehousing and order processing is handled by University of Toronto Press Distribution (UTP Distribution). To place an order, call 1-800-565-9523 or fax 1-800-221-9985.  

In the U.K. and Europe our warehousing and order processing is handled by NBN-I. To place an order, call 44 (0) 1752 202 301or fax 44 (0) 1752 202 331.  

In Australia and New Zealand our warehousing and order processing is handled by New South  Books. To place an order, call 61 (02) 8778 9999 or fax 61 (02) 2 8778 9944.

With any questions, please contact our Senior Sales Manager. For information about author discounts, contact any member of our Marketing team.

Where will my book be sold?

Your book will be presented to major bookstore chains, book wholesalers, and independent stores, as well as online venues including the University of Minnesota Press website. We also actively pursue special sales opportunities. 

Your book will be presented to our sales force of nineteen sales representatives across the U.S. and  Canada, as well as sales representatives in Europe, the U.K., Japan, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand, who sell to buyers at independent bookstores, college bookstores, and regional and specialized wholesalers and chains.

Will my college/university bookstore have copies of my book? 

Generally, your college or university bookstore will order copies of your book. If you discover that this  is not the case, contact our Senior Sales Manager who can contact the bookstore and make sure that  they are aware of your book. Ultimately, however, the decision of whether or not to carry any book is  made by the bookstore.

How will I receive sales information about my book?

You will receive sales information when you receive your annual royalty statement in September. If  you have specific questions regarding your sales you can contact our Senior Sales Manager.

Will my book be for sale as an ebook?

If we have digital rights your book will be for sale through library aggregators ProQuest, EBSCO,  JSTOR, Project MUSE, Oxford’s University Press Scholarship Online / Minnesota Scholarship  Online (UPSO/MNSO), Overdrive (public libraries), Cengage (formerly Questia), and Ebooks.com.  It will also be available through a variety of retailers, including Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo,  and Barnes & Noble Nook. We aim to have the ebook available for sale at the same time as the print  edition.

Key contacts: Eric Lundgren, Outreach and Development Manager; Alena Rivas, Publicity Associate

Will my book be submitted for awards?

Yes, your book will be submitted for select awards based on the suggestions in your author questionnaire and the editor’s evaluation.

We make our best efforts to nominate your book for as many awards as possible, guided by the suggestions on your author questionnaire. Please review award guidelines carefully, as some awards require that nominations come from authors or their peers rather than the publisher.

We welcome additional suggestions for award nominations outside the author questionnaire as well. With suggestions or questions regarding scholarly awards please contact our Development and Outreach Manager, Eric Lundgren, at lundg030@umn.edu. With queries about non-scholarly or literary awards, please contact Associate Publicist Alena Rivas at rivas118@umn.edu. 

Please provide as much lead time as possible, ideally at least one month, to allow for shipping of books to the awards judges.

For a list of award-winning University of Minnesota Press titles, please click here.

Key contact: Carina Bolaños Lewen, Marketing Associate

At what conferences does the University of Minnesota Press exhibit?

The University of Minnesota Press regularly exhibits in person with a booth at the following conferences:

• American Anthropological Association
• American Association of Geographers
• American Educational Research Association
• American Studies Association
• Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present
• College Art Association
• Minnesota Library Association
• Modern Language Association
• Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
• Society of Architectural Historians
• Society for the History of Technology
• Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts
• Society for Phenomenology ad Existential Philosophy
• Society for the Social Studies of Science

The University of Minnesota Press also partners with combined or "co-op" display companies including the Scholar's Choice and, in Europe and the U.K., Combined Academic Publishers, to display books at conferences where we do not have a booth or staff attending.

I listed more conferences on my Author Questionnaire than I see on the marketing plan. Will my books be displayed at these additional conferences?

If a conference does not appear on your marketing plan, we do not have plans for display. Most commonly, this is because neither we nor those companies whom we hire to display our books will be attending the conference.

If you are speaking at a conference and it is not already listed on your marketing plan, please contact Exhibits and Marketing Assistant Carina Bolaños Lewen at bolan162@umn.edu for assistance.

If I am attending a seminar or conference can the Press provide flyers of my book?

Yes! We can provide you with a book flyer to distribute at relevant conferences, seminars, or events, or for presale promotion. To request flyers, please contact Exhibits and Marketing Assistant Carina Bolaños Lewen at bolan162@umn.edu. It is best to allow at least three weeks to for us to produce, print, and deliver flyers. You may also request a PDF flyer, in which case two weeks' notice is appreciated.

With flyer requests for events or conferences in Europe, please contact Rachel Shand, Marketing Manager at Combined Academic Publishers (CAP), at  rachelshand@combinedacademic.co.uk

Key contacts: Heather Skinner, Publicity Director; Alena Rivas, Publicity Associate

Will the Press arrange readings and events for me?

If you would like Press assistance arranging an event, please contact the publicist for your book a minimum of 3 months in advance of the target event date. Note that there are different models to consider, including in-person and online. 

Will the Press publicize events I have arranged myself?

We are happy to publicize your events on the Press website and social media channels. As early as you are able, please contact your book's publicist with:

• Event location, date, and time.
• Contact information for the person who is coordinating the event, including a name, telephone  number, and email address.
• If you have multiple books with the Press, please indicate which title will be featured.

How can we arrange sales of my books at a panel, speaking engagement, or similar event? Can I facilitate my own sales if I want? 

Given four to six weeks' notice, the publicist for your book can inquire about arrangements to have books for sale at your event. The four- to six-week window allows  adequate time for bookseller/host follow-up and book shipping via standard shipping methods. 

If you would like to facilitate sales yourself, you may buy books with your author discount and then resell them at the event for whatever price you deem appropriate (no royalties are earned  on these sales). You can return pristine unsold copies for a refund after the event. If this is how you’d like to proceed, call our customer service line at 1-800-621-2736 to place your order. Please verify that you are an author and share your event date upon ordering.

My local bookstore would like advertising money for an event they are hosting for my book. Will the Press provide that?

Please instruct the bookseller to email the publicist for your book to discuss "co-op" promotions along these lines.

Key contacts: Heather Skinner, Publicity Director; Alena Rivas, Publicity Associate

Where and when will my book be reviewed?

We send review copies and press releases to appropriate media for every book we publish. The review list will be sent to you with your marketing plan. We cannot control if or when a publication or  broadcaster chooses to review your book. 

What do I do if a reviewer contacts me and asks for a copy of my book?

Forward the request to the publicist for your book, and they will see that a copy of the book along with our press material is sent to the reviewer.

I saw a review of my book. Should I send a copy to the Press? 

Yes, please! We maintain review files for all of our books. If you see your book reviewed in any publi cation, please send us a copy or a link to the review. We receive tearsheets (copies) from many publications, but not all, especially not from daily newspapers. We also welcome links to video and podcast interviews.

My college/university has a PR department that will help promote my book. 

If your institution’s PR department is interested in working with us to promote your research and your book, they should contact the publicist for your book.

Key contacts: Margaret Sattler, Digital Marketing Manager; Shelby Connelly, Marketing Associate

How will the Press advertise my book?

Please find the advertising plan for your book included in the book's Marketing Plan.

What kinds of direct mail, online, and social media promotion can I expect for my book?

• Social media: Active presences on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We are @UMinnPress in most places. If you use any of these platforms, please help us amplify your book’s presence there by following us and tagging the Press on relevant posts.
• Seasonal trade catalog distributed to bookstores, sales reps, wholesalers, media, and libraries.
• Press release announcements to relevant websites and bloggers.
• Weekly e-newsletter.

I would like to record an episode of the University of Minnesota Press Podcast. How do I go about that? 

Please contact Digital Marketing Manager Maggie Sattler.