Review Policy

UPDATE (October 2012):

Because of real-life commitments and time constraints, I need to greatly restrict the number of books I can accept for review for the foreseeable future. If you are not a publicist/author with whom I’ve worked in the past, or whose books I have previously read, unfortunately I will not be able to accept your book for review at this time.

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If you have a book you would like me to review, please first read this page, and then let me know about your book! (Books only, please; I keep things biblio-centric around here, and am not interested in featuring your website, diet program, or new flavor of gum.)

What kind of books do you accept for review?
I read a variety of books in most genres, although my favorites are fantasy and sci-fi, young adult fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction (especially science and microhistories). I don’t often read crime/legal thrillers, heavy horror, and most memoirs, and I am not interested in self-help books or Christian fiction.

Additionally, while I understand how difficult it is for authors to promote their work, I am not accepting self-published books for review at this time.

What about e-books and audiobooks?
I greatly prefer paper review copies, but I am willing to consider e-books (Kindle format) for review in exceptional cases. I’ll happily consider audiobooks for review.

What should I do before making a request?
Take a look through my archives! Personalized requests that come from people who have clearly spent time browsing through my site are always appreciated, and are taken more seriously than generic form requests.

What if I don’t hear from you?
Real-life time constraints means that I can’t always respond to every query e-mail as quickly as I like, and that I can’t accept every book that looks interesting. If you don’t hear from me, or if I can’t in good faith accept your book for review, this does not mean that I am not interested in hearing about other books you may have on offer in the future, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have something you think would be a good fit.

What do you do other than reviews?
I’m happy to host author Q&As, giveaways, etc. to go along with my review. However, please note that I do not do “book features” for books that I haven’t read and reviewed. This site is a first and foremost a venue for me to share my opinions about what I read, and I’m not comfortable featuring books about which I have no personal knowledge.

What if you don’t like the book?
I do my best to accept only books that I think I will enjoy. However, I honestly review every book that I read, and my acceptance of a review copy does not guarantee a positive review. In cases where I did not enjoy a book as much as I thought I would, I always do my best to describe my reasons in such a way that my readers can draw their own conclusions about whether or not the book would be a good fit for them.

What if you really don’t like the book?
In the very rare case that a book and I don’t get along to the extent that I can’t finish it, I will make every effort to pass it along to another reviewer for whom it might be a better match. I will also occasionally hold giveaways to pass along ARCs that I have already read and reviewed. If you would rather I did not re-send your review copy, please let me know this when you send it.

Where will your review be posted?
All reviews will be posted here, as well as at LibraryThing.

When will your review be posted?
Although I cannot guarantee how quickly I will read and review books, I do my best to review ARCs before or shortly after their publication date; other review copies are reviewed in the order they are received. If the date I post my review is important, let me know, and we can work out a schedule, although sufficient lead time (books received at least a month before the desired review date) is always appreciated.

Okay, I’ve read this page. How do I submit a request for a review?
I appreciate your taking the time to check out my blog! If you would like me to consider reviewing a book for you, please contact me by e-mail at fyrefly98 [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

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