Reviews
In general, I post reviews of books I read and enjoyed. As a teacher/librarian, I told students all the time, “Not every book works for every reader.” If I try something and it doesn’t click, I don’t want to post a negative review that might dissuade the right reader from trying it out.
The only time I’ll post a negative review is if I feel it’s a “Buyer Beware” situation (like a “mystery” where there’s no actual mystery) or if I have promised an honest review in exchange for a review copy of a book, and I didn’t care for the book.
I will NOT review books written by people I know personally – friends, family, former co-workers, church acquaintances, etc.. There’s too much that could become awkward and uncomfortable if the book doesn’t click for me. I’d rather preserve relationships by keeping a firm, clear boundary between those personal relationships and my work as a reviewer. Thank you for respecting that boundary.
What I Read
I would love to be the sort of reader who reads everything and anything, but I am not. I am comfortable passing on a book that just isn’t clicking for me, or if the summary doesn’t grab my attention. Here are some guidelines about my reading habits:
I will almost always read: picture books (fiction or nonfiction), early/transitional chapter books, middle grade books, YA novels, and adult cozy mysteries. I love reading romance, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery, although the story still has to grab me for me to pick it up much less review it.
I will almost never read: horror, history, business.
I will rarely read: self-published materials that I have not personally requested. I am also reluctant to review material written by friends/co-workers. This can get really awkward if I didn’t enjoy the work, so I rarely review the self-published work of people I know personally.
Within those general guidelines, I prefer stories – no matter what genre – where there is a puzzle to solve, something to discover/uncover, a major issue to overcome or a race against the clock. I also usually prefer genre fiction to literary fiction. Stories with long, lush descriptions or that explore nuggets of story in beautiful, extended detail are less of a good fit for me as a reader.
For Authors and Publishers
I will happily accept offers of review copies under two conditions:
a) I am interested in reading the story. Authors and publishers share review copies in order to develop raving fans and to get those fans sharing their book with the world. I want you to have the best opportunity of finding a raving fan. Please check “What I Read” above to be sure your book and my reading interests are a good match.
b) I have the time to read the book and post a review within a reasonable time. I don’t want your book to get lost in the shuffle! You have worked a long time to bring it to life; I don’t want to hamper that process. I accept physical ARCs, and I’m also on Netgalley. *I am backlogged with reviews, especially reviews of books for adults, so I am not currently accepting requests except from publishers and authors with whom I already have a relationship.*
I hope these guidelines will help you build a connection with The Neverending TBR that helps you get the word out about your book!
I am willing to host blog tours or other book-related or reading-related events on the blog. Please just send me a request and we’ll see what we can work out. I prefer to do events for either books I have already read and enjoyed or authors I have already read and liked, even if I haven’t read this particular book. That makes it easier for me to get other folks excited about your work.
If you aren’t looking for a review, but you would like your book added to the “Book News” release calendar, please send a request with information on the book and I’ll see what I can do.