Review Policy
Posted 18th June 2012
Category: Genres:
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The Bare Basics
Please note that I live in the UK. I receive many pitches so I’m unable to accept them all, and due to time restraints I am unable to respond to those pitches I will not be accepting. I read both solicited and unsolicited books – I prioritise books I have been contacted about and get to around half of the books I haven’t been contacted about within a couple of months of receipt.
Review ‘Style’
I aim to be as objective as I can be when reviewing. This means that I often give good ratings to books I may not have personally liked and vice versa. I try to write for both the general reader and the target audience. I refer to myself if and when it is necessary for clarity.
Fiction & Non-Fiction
I will accept advance review copies or final copies of most fiction books (no erotica). I reserve the right to speak my mind – I will point out what worked and what didn’t.
Short stories and novellas are welcome.
I’m more picky about non-fiction but will accept most biographic and historical accounts. No reference books.
Ebooks
In theory I can accept any ebook except AZW and Nook books, however my preference is for epub. I will also read PDFs providing the typeface is large enough to read on a small tablet screen. Please note I no longer use Netgalley.
Self-Published Work
I am open to reading self-published work. The best pitch I ever received was from a self-published author who had done his homework, told me why I was likely to enjoy his book, and pointed out where it fit in with other books I had read.
Everything Else You Ought To Know
I am more likely to accept the book if:
- You use my name – it shows you have taken the time to look at my blog. My name is not ‘Brit’ any more than an American’s name is ‘American’.
- You provide context, a link, between what I read and what your book is about – this shows you have read my blog.
- The author has an online presence – I like to have the ability to promote the author outside the confines of a review.
I tend to only respond to mass emails from those I have previously worked with.
Whether fiction or non-fiction, you might like to look at my review database to see what books I have reviewed in the past.
I no longer post my reviews to GoodReads and I do not post to Amazon.
Contacting Me
If you would like me to review one of your/your publishing house’s books please email me at books @ carnelianvalley.com with details as to the book’s genre and its release date so that I can decide when I need to have the review ready. If you have your own designs on when you’d like a review posted that’s of course fine too but please bare in mind I may not be able to accept the book if it is soon.
What You Can Expect From My Blog
Book receive attention either before or after the review has been posted, through my monthly round up posts. Every now and then I also highlight books in a latest acquisitions post. If I have a lot to say about the book and not all of it is appropriate for a review, for example an in-depth discussion, I may post a further thoughts piece on it. I update my recently reviewed list (the covers just under the header) when I can, and once added a cover generally remains on it for several weeks.
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