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Jim Cox Report: May 2025
Dear Publisher Folk, Friends & Family:
Speaking of Editor-in-Chief perks -- here is another example of why I enjoy my job here at the Midwest Book Review so much that I refuse to retire altogether!
In a message dated 4/14/2025 3:19:24 PM Central Daylight Time, Blake S. writes:
Good Afternoon Mr. James,
My name's Blake, I'm a sophomore in high school, and I am currently writing a paper on the history of New York specifically, the financial history. I have been researching for about a week now, and I just recently came upon your Miscellaneous Websites page: www.midwestbookreview.com/links/rvchoice.htm I thought the Mapping History was really cool.
It has been an incredible addition to my research, so thank you! My teacher Mrs. McCleavy just did a lesson about citing sources and netiquette, I wanted to show her I took her lesson to heart, so I wanted to share this other resource I liked. I thought it would be a good fit for the history section I liked so much, I added it just below.
The History of Wall Street:
https://www.financecharts.com/pages/5723-the-history-of-wall-street
Do you also think this is a good resource to add? Wish me luck I have 3 more pages to write.
Thank you,
Blake S.
Dear Blake
It was very nice to hear from you. Please help yourself to any of the information and resources that you will find on our website at www.midwestbookreview.
If you would find it of interest, here is a link to all reviews for Money/Finance titles that we have archived on our website.
https://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=8779737&pid=r&mode=ALL&n=0&query=money%2Ffinance
Any of them can be obtained for free through your local community library's "InterLibrary Loan Service" program. Your local librarian can explain what that is if you are not already familiar with it.
Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
Here is a fascinating bit of speculation about the looming impact on the publishing industry of Trump's on-going tariff/trade war with China that was sent to my attention recently:
ICYMI-Source: Publishing Expert Says Tariffs May Lead to More Book Printing in the U.S.
4/10/2025 8:53:31 AM Central Daylight Time
Hi James A.,
In case you missed it, internationally acclaimed celebrity ghostwriter Joshua Lisec, a New York Times bestselling co-author who has ghostwritten over 90 books, says that the tariffs on Chinese imports may lead to more book printing in the United States. Many books sold in the United States are printed or bound in China, which means they will now face a 54 percent tariff rate, including a 20 percent tariff rate imposed earlier by the Trump administration and a 34 percent rate added last week.
Joshua weighs in more below:
"It makes sense to print books where they're read. The amount of fossil fuels necessary to ship books - especially children's books - from China to the United States is staggering and unnecessary. The publishing industry may need to reorient toward printing and binding more books domestically. It may even find that a "Printed in the USA" sticker on the cover is a selling point for some readers. In the meantime, more readers may find themselves gravitating towards e-books or even audiobooks."
Please let me know if you are interested in talking with Joshua directly to discuss this and other issues involving the publishing industry's reliance on China and the effects of the tariffs. He is available anytime.
Best,
Alison Beckwith
On behalf of Joshua Lisec
www.lisecghostwriting.com
Quote of the Month:
"If writing and publishing a book is like giving birth to a child, then book marketing is like rearing it." --- Heather Hart
Website of the Month:
The 16 BEST Self-Publishing Companies of 2025
https://blog.reedsy.com/best-self-publishing-companies
Now here are reviews of books that have a particular interest or value to authors and publishers:
The Author's AI Toolkit
Hank Quense
https://hankquense.com
Strange Worlds Publishing
9798989116355, $24.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Authors-AI-Toolkit-Concept-Publication-ebook/dp/B0DV4M13BH
The Author's AI Toolkit from Concept to Publication brings modern writers into the 21st century with a basic how-to guide on employing AI to improve writing. Even the subject is bound to attract critical attention, given the discussions over AI's pros and cons, especially as applied to human creative efforts.
From his book's opening lines, Hank Quense addresses the value in viewing AI as not a takeover prospect, but yet another tool in an author's toolkit of creative support systems.
This approach allows readers to reconsider their attitudes and perceptions of AI, encouraging understanding without the 'technospeak' that too often muddies the waters of AI's usage.
Examples of AI applications pair AI query methods with program responses to give writers a sense of what they can expect from an AI partnership in the way of better writing results. In fact, Quense's latest book is powered by his usage of Perplexity.AI as he documents the question-and-response dialogues and results writers can expect to see from their own efforts.
Yes, it's a learning curve for writers unused to modifying language to ask the kinds of questions that generate the most satisfying improvements and responses. Akin to the interview process, the difference lies in how and what questions an author creates to make the most of an AI session.
Chapters outline the development and possibilities of this special language and relationship, giving writers a better sense of exactly what is possible (and what is not) if they include AI in their efforts.
Keyword queries reinforce results via examples throughout the book, so there's no need to address a writer's fear that they won't be technologically advanced enough to use or consider AI.
Another plus is that Quense addresses many possible concerns, from safety and copyright to privacy and how AI's 'informal' discussion setting can actually provoke lively discourses rather than staid artificial responses.
From issues of ethical transparency to employing AI to generate ideas and restructure a book idea, chapters cover all kinds of ways in which AI technology can work with an author to produce a superior result. From initial writing (which is up to the author) to rewriting, plot development, outlining a book's structure, or fine-tuning its characters and concept, AI can be a winning partner. Its results are, here, reinforced by real-world examples.
No writer's library should be without this book. Quite simply, it's surprisingly accessible, unexpectedly lively, and packed with detail any author in any genre can readily apply to their own creative efforts:
Query:
How can a writer utilize AI to support their writing projects? Use an informal writing style.
Response:
Let's talk about something that might just blow your creative socks off: using AI to supercharge your writing. Now, before you roll your eyes and think, "Great, robots are coming for my job," hear me out. AI isn't here to replace your brilliant brain - it's here to be your sidekick, like Robin to your Batman or coffee to your late-night writing sessions.
Diane C. Donovan, Senior Reviewer
Donovan's Literary Services
www.donovansliteraryservices.com
How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing, 2nd Edition (writing/publishing)
Timothy G. Pollock
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035325887, $135.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/how-to-use-storytelling-in-your-academic-writing-9781035325900.html
Synopsis: Good writing skills and habits are critical for scholarly success. Every article is a story, and employing effective storytelling techniques enhances scholars' abilities to share their insights and ideas, increasing the impact of their research.
In this timely and updated second edition of "How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing: Techniques for Engaging Readers and Successfully Navigating the Writing and Publishing Processes", Tim Pollock draws on fiction and non-fiction writing tools and techniques to help academic authors enhance the clarity, presentation and flow of their scholarly work.
With new chapters focusing on the intricacies of writing developmental reviews and dissertations, the second edition of "How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing" provides comprehensive discussions illustrating the structural and stylistic factors involved in effective storytelling and how to apply them in writing each section of an academic article. The second edition also expands on important topics such as managing the co-authoring, writing and review processes.
"How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing" continues to be an invaluable resource for academics across business disciplines, particularly those in management-related sectors such as organizational behavior, organization theory, business and management history and corporate governance. It is also useful to those in adjacent social science disciplines such as sociology, psychology and economics.
Critique: One of the imperatives for a successful academic career (including the process of acquiring tenure at a college or university) is to become published. A major step toward that goal being achieved is to be able to be deftly creative and 'reader friendly' in presenting your work be it a paper, an article, or a book.
This newly updated and expanded second edition of "How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing: Techniques for Engaging Readers and Successfully Navigating the Writing and Publishing Processes" by Timothy G. Pollock is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Academic/Scholarly writing/publishing instructional reference collections.
It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers (and non-academic writers) with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "How to Use Storytelling in Your Academic Writing: Techniques for Engaging Readers and Successfully Navigating the Writing and Publishing Processes: 2nd Edition" from Edward Elgar Publishing is also available in paperback (9781035325900, $45.95).
Editorial Note: Timothy G. Pollock (https://www.timothypollock.com) holds the Haslam Chair in Business, and is the Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Kinney Family Faculty Research Fellow, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
"The Midwest Book Review Postage Stamp Hall Of Fame & Appreciation" is a monthly roster of well-wishers and supporters. These are the generous folk who decided to say 'thank you' and 'support the cause' that is the Midwest Book Review by donating to our postage stamp fund.
Ann Braithwaite
Roberta Samuels -- "Missing!"
Bob Adamov -- "Breakwater Bay"
Bonnie Solomon -- "Pearly Gates"
Noemi Figueroa Soulet -- "The Borinqueneers"
Alastor George -- "People Are Puzzles"
Raymond Johnson -- "Conspiracy Ignited"
Michael G. Williams -- "Children of Solitude"
Joe Canzano -- "Escape: Rune and Flash Book 2"
J. David Holt -- "The Mystery of Mushroom Valley"
Steve Frederick -- "The Bangle Bombers Blast Banks"
Linda Maria Frank -- "The Mystery of the Lost Avenger"
E. M. Schorb -- "Gravity Flow: The Jimmy Whistler Stories"
Diane B. Young -- "Wilderness Woman: A Triumphant Spirit"
Siona Talekar -- "I Know What You Do When I Go To School"
Daniel Abrams -- Immortality Bites: Digital Minds Don't Get Hungry"
Mr. Inside Sales
Gail A. Blohowiak -- Gab Publishing
Steve Frederick -- Lucrative Careers LLC
Elizabeth Frazier -- Waldmania! PR
In lieu of (or in addition to!) postage stamp donations, we also accept PayPal gifts of support to our postage stamp fund for what we try to accomplish in behalf of the small press community.
Simply log onto your PayPal account and direct your kindness (in any amount and at your discretion) to the Midwest Book Review at: SupportMBR [at] aol.com (The @ is replaced by "[at]" in the above email address, in an attempt to avoid email-harvesting spambots.)
If you have postage stamps to donate, or if you have a book you'd like considered for review, then send those postage stamps (always appreciated, never required), or a published copy of that book (no galleys, uncorrected proofs, or Advance Reading Copies), accompanied by a cover letter and some form of publicity release to my attention at the address below.
All of the previous issues of the "Jim Cox Report" are archived on the Midwest Book Review website at www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/jimcox.htm. If you'd like to receive the "Jim Cox Report" directly (and for free), just send me an email asking to be signed up for it.
So until next time -- goodbye, good luck, and good reading!
Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI, 53575
www.midwestbookreview.com
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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