Kirkus Reviews
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Kirkus Reviews is an American book review company located at 770 Broadway in New York City. Founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893-1980), it serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. It is owned by the Netherlands-based media and data company VNU.
Kirkus Reviews is published 24 times annually and reviews, three to four months pre-publication, approximately 5,000 titles per year: fiction, mysteries, science fiction, translations, nonfiction and children's and YA books. Kirkus has long been a respected, authoritative pre-pub review source within the literary and film industries.
Kirkus Reviews is part of VNU's US Literary Group, along with Kirkus offshoots Kirkus Discoveries, Kirkus Reports and the Virginia Kirkus Literary Award, as well as the publishing-industry trade publication The Book Standard.
As of August, 2005, John Kilcullen is the group's president and publisher. Jerome Kramer is the managing director and editor-in-chief of the VNU US Literary Group; Tim O'Brien is its associate publisher; Chuck Shelton is its managing editor.
[edit] Founding and practices
In 1933, Virginia Kirkus (1893-1980), once the head of the children's book department of Harper & Bros., launched the book review service that bears her name. She arranged to receive advance galleys proofs of books from publishers, initially only 20 or so at first but eventually nearly every firm of any size in the industry. Kirkus read the galleys and wrote out brief, critical evaluations of their literary merit and probable popular appeal, which she distributed in a bimonthly newsletter published the first and 15th of each month. Initially the newsletter was sold by subscription to bookshops only but soon it was made available to libraries as well. The reviews gave bookstores an informed opinion on soon to be released books without the inherent bias and conflict of interest of the publishers. Kirkus reivews remain concise (approx. 320-word) reviews of forthcoming books, normally appearing two or three months prior to publication. Because of the large number of books released each week, a Kirkus review may be the only notice a new book has.
Currently each newsletter covers approximately 200 titles. Extensive as it is Kirkus is unable to review all the books it receives. The books reviewed cover fiction, nonfiction and children's and young adult books.
