Clarion / ForeWord Reviews vs. Midwest Book Review: Premium Paid vs. Free Library Reviews

Clarion (ForeWord Reviews) and Midwest Book Review are both professional review services that reach the library market — but they do it at completely different price points and through different mechanisms. Clarion is a premium paid service with guaranteed reviews and triple wholesale distribution. Midwest Book Review is a free nonprofit that publishes reviews for the library community with a 2–3 month unpredictable timeline.

The comparison is genuinely interesting because both services can reach the same audience (libraries) via different routes. For some authors, using both is the smart play.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Clarion / ForeWord Reviews	Midwest Book Review	City Book Review
Cost	$579 ($376 IBPA members)	Free	$199 (or free)
Guaranteed Review?	Yes	No (selective)	Paid: Yes. Free: ~40%
Standard Turnaround	7–9 weeks	2–3 months (not guaranteed)	3–4 weeks
Review Length	400–600 words, 1–5 star rating	Descriptive, recommendation-oriented	350+ words
Ingram Distribution	Yes	No	No
Baker & Taylor Distribution	Yes	No	No
Library Community Credibility	Very high (trade wholesale)	Very high (direct library audience)	Moderate (regional/online)
Reviewer Type	Professional critics	Volunteer (library-focused)	Professional critics
IBPA Discount	Yes ($579 → $376)	No	No

What Clarion / ForeWord Reviews Actually Delivers

ForeWord Reviews has been covering indie and small-press books since 1998. Its 1.5 million annual visitors are primarily trade professionals — not casual readers. Clarion reviews run 400–600 words with a 1–5 star rating, written by professional critics with journalism and librarianship backgrounds.

Clarion distributes to Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Bowker — the three wholesale channels that library acquisition systems and bookstores depend on. When a library committee searches Ingram or Baker & Taylor for acquisition candidates, a Clarion review surfaces in that workflow. This is systematic, not relationship-dependent: the review embeds in the tools buyers already use.

What Midwest Book Review Actually Delivers

Midwest Book Review is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that has operated since 1976. It reviews books for free and distributes those reviews to community and academic libraries across the US. The service has genuine credibility with library professionals who have relied on it for decades.

The mechanism is different from Clarion: Midwest Book Review publishes reviews in its own publications that are read by librarians as editorial content, not database entries. A librarian who reads Midwest Book Review is encountering your book as a recommendation from a trusted source, not a database search result.

Reviews tend toward descriptive recommendation — "librarians should consider this book" — rather than detailed critical analysis. They won't generate press kit copy the way a 400–600 word Clarion review does, but they carry library acquisition weight within the communities that follow the service.

The limitations are real: turnaround is 2–3 months with no guarantee of selection, you submit a physical copy, and reviews can't be planned around launch timelines the way paid services can.

The Library Reach Question

Both services reach libraries, but the path differs. Clarion reaches library buyers through their acquisition databases when they're actively searching. Midwest Book Review reaches librarians as readers of a trusted editorial publication they follow proactively.

Neither is definitively "better" for library acquisition — they operate through different channels that sometimes complement each other. An author with library placement as a primary goal might submit to both: Clarion for the systematic database distribution, Midwest Book Review for the editorial recommendation.

When Clarion Makes More Sense

• You need a guaranteed, timely professional review for a launch, press kit, or marketing deadline.
• Systematic wholesale distribution through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Bowker aligns with your distribution strategy.
• You're an IBPA member and the $376 rate fits your marketing budget.
• Detailed critical review (400–600 words) with a star rating is important for your marketing materials.

When Midwest Book Review Makes More Sense

• Free is the necessary price point and you can absorb the timeline uncertainty.
• Your book is a strong fit for library collections — nonfiction, educational, community interest, children's.
• A 2–3 month timeline doesn't conflict with your marketing plan.
• Library recommendation credibility is more important than having a detailed press-kit review.

The Case for Submitting to Both

Clarion and Midwest Book Review reach the same audience through different channels and don't compete. Submitting to both — Clarion for guaranteed paid coverage and Midwest Book Review at zero additional cost — gives library-focused authors two separate pipelines into library acquisition consideration. The combined cost is just Clarion's price ($579 or $376 with IBPA discount); Midwest Book Review is free.

The Bottom Line

Clarion delivers guaranteed professional reviews distributed through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Bowker — systematic wholesale library reach. Midwest Book Review delivers free editorial recommendations directly to the library community — but on an unpredictable timeline without guarantees. For deadline-driven trade marketing: Clarion. For supplemental library outreach at no cost: Midwest Book Review. For library-focused authors: both are worth pursuing.