THIS SITE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED. WE HAVE MOVED TO tabbyafae.com!
REVIEW POLICIES
Everything You Need to Know
PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF REVIEW REQUESTS, IT IS TAKING SOME TIME TO READ, POST, REPLY, AND SO ON. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME. ON ANOTHER NOTE, THERE ARE NO BOOKS BEING ACCEPTED FOR REVIEW AT THE PRESENT TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.
We certainly realize by now that you’ve bounced around from blog to blog trying to see if reviewers are accepting books for review. Now you've landed here. Well, we have good news and bad news and I’ll get to that in a moment. Firstly, we are going to ask that the first thing you do is to please take the time to read all of the information our page will impart before contacting us with questions or submitting books for review. Our hope is that we will provide you with all the information you need to know as quickly as possible within these pages alone. If they don't, by all means feel free to contact away via email.
How does this process work?
Here is how the process will work effective immediately. As with most reviewers, we are inundated with requests for reviews just like yours. However, it just isn’t humanly possible to take them all as much as I would like to – especially since I am a one woman show over here save those times when I can garner the help of some guest reviewers (Yes, that means you! Volunteer!!). Having said that, I will say this doesn’t mean that there is no possible way you can have a review done. So, let me tell you how things work at the present time…
The way my blog is running currently is by genre. The genre changes each month based on reader’s votes. Yes, in case you missed it, there is a poll on the Welcome page where you actually have the ability to vote for the genre we will be reading the following month. SO VOTE! (Again, this means you!) Because we do things this way, it often allows us to be open to new requests for certain genres even if we are closed to others. This is the way, at the present time, things work best for us. If you are still interested, please keep reading.
If you’re to this point and are still interested in requesting a review, please follow the processes herein to initiate the process and inform us that you are interested in our reviewing your book. This includes giving us access to the book – with a few exceptions I will mention in a bit.. (Please note: Neglecting to follow any of the policies stated herein in any way will only delay your review request and/or review from being completed.) Now again, I will remind you that at this point that review requests will be handled based solely on genre and the time a request was added to the queue.
The following is specifically for authors interested in a review. Please follow all the guidelines that follow in order to have your request reviewed quickly. NOT FOLLOWING THESE POLICIES WILL ONLY DELAY YOUR REQUEST GETTING SEEN.
How to Submit a Request for Review
Review requests should be submitted via email only. In order to have your requests reviewed quickly please initially include the following in your email:
How to Submit a Request for Review
Review requests should be submitted via email only. In order to have your requests reviewed quickly please initially include the following in your email:
- author’s name (If you are representing an author, please indicate such in your email to me. I do work with representatives, but the same policies apply. If you use a nom de plume, please indicate so there is no confusion).
- name of book
- genre of book
- blurb about book (This is super important so don't leave it out!)
- word count
- acknowledgement that deadline for review is not necessary and will not be given
- AFTER REQUEST IS APPROVED advise how file is being submitted for review (mobi attached, gifted on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited) and attach it
- AFTER REQUEST IS APPROVED include cover art (prefer jpeg)
- any other pertinent information you feel I need to consider your request
What We Accept
At Truth About Books, we'd love to TRY and review every genre that we receive a request to review. However, this just isn't possible. After being active for quite some time, we've been able to figure out what genres work best for us. Therefore, we'll be accepting the following genres for review ONLY: contemporary fiction, chick lit, general fiction, mysteries, thrillers, paranormal romances, paranormal/supernatural, science fiction (very limited), horror, urban fantasy (limited), fantasy (limited), dystopian fiction, crime/detective novels, historical fiction (limited), fan-fiction (provided it falls in line with one of the other accepted genres), humor, suspense, YA fiction, and some others we may have forgotten to mention. If your book doesn't fit neatly into one of these genre boxes, please feel free to email us a blurb and we will let you know if we can accept it. If there is any reason why we can't review your book, you will be notified. There are two genres we absolutely WILL NOT accept; nonfiction and erotic fiction. The latter of the two is a regulation that has had to be placed due to my blog being accessible for all ages. Adult content is still allowed, just not erotic and I will mention in my review if there is any reason a reader might want to be cautious of the book. As I'm sure you noticed, some genres are limited. It is cases like those that make your book blurbs that you include in your review request so important. This goes for all authors!
For books, we accept mobi files only. In order to review your book it must be: gifted through Amazon; sent directly to us in mobi format; or available for free or through Kindle Unlimited. WE DO NOT PURCHASE BOOKS! We don't charge for our book reviews, so we won't buy books. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. AS AN IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: please do not send a book or cover art until you have received word that your review request has been accepted.
AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE, if you are gifting your book through Amazon please wait until your request has been approved before gifting it since not all requests are approved for a variety of reasons.
What Happens Now
Once your request is received with proper details, it will be considered for review. In addition to the first-come-first-serve policy we also base requests on genre. PLEASE NOTE, if I have too many books in line of a particular genre, I will most likely decline your request until a later date. Please don’t think of a declined review request as something that is permanent. My best advice would be to watch the bottom of this page where I often list the genres we are looking for so please check back. Regardless, once I've reviewed your request I will reply to your email with the outcome of your request, and further instructions on how to proceed. Right now based on my current inbox, you should receive an acceptance or decline within a week but other factors in my life could cause it to be longer. Looking at our current queue of those requests that have been accepted, you can probably expect confirmation that your review has been completed within 8 -24 months. I wish I could be more specific, but I just can’t.
PLEASE NOTE as a part of the review process we do not typically do cover reveals, blitzes, interviews, or any type of book promotion before the book is reviewed. We cannot, in good conscience, promote a book we've yet to read. However, we'd be happy to participate in those types of events after your book has been reviewed.
The Queue
The way we handle review requests in the queue has only changed slightly. We will continue to pull books from the queue based firstly, on the genre choice of the month, and secondly, on the time request was submitted. Please know that the genres will vary and I will ensure that the same one isn’t voted on each month by taking out the previous two genres if need be.
A Note About Book Reviews-The Pass
I feel it only fair to warn authors and their representatives that just because I accept a book for review does not mean a review will actually be done. Previously I would attempt to read everything I was requested to read no matter how difficult or time consuming it may be. However, in the new year I simply can't waste the time doing this while there are so many other authors and books awaiting reviews. Therefore, I'm implementing THE PASS. With THE PASS, an author will receive a vague, template-type email that will be sent out to them advising that I cannot/will not complete the book for one reason or another.
If you happen to be the recipient of THE PASS, you are welcome to question VIA EMAIL ONLY why the decision was made. I try to take notes on each book I look at so I can attempt to give you some reasons why I couldn't/wouldn't complete your book. Please know that I won't be posting the books I pass on to my blog nor will I be discussing them in any matter with anyone but the author via email. Perhaps this is not fair, but I have my reasons. Keep in mind that this is different from someone receiving a very low rating on a review. The books I pass on are just different and you'll have to take my word on it!
Review Scale
Reviews are ranked on a 5-butterfly scale. Although the 5-butterly scale can vary due to each book, it pretty much works as follows:
I am looking at editing, storyline, character development, true to genre, not a ton of fluff just to fill pages and such. Did your storyline take me there? Could I feel your characters? Did I feel like I could actually pull myself away from the book? Were there so many dang issues that I had to stop reading because it was making my head hurt? Those are some, but not all, of the things I look for when reading a book.
As with most else on this site, if you’d like more specifics, please feel free to ask. However, I will not answer questions about how or why your book was rated within the comment section of the blog. This should be handled via email only. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
At Truth About Books, we'd love to TRY and review every genre that we receive a request to review. However, this just isn't possible. After being active for quite some time, we've been able to figure out what genres work best for us. Therefore, we'll be accepting the following genres for review ONLY: contemporary fiction, chick lit, general fiction, mysteries, thrillers, paranormal romances, paranormal/supernatural, science fiction (very limited), horror, urban fantasy (limited), fantasy (limited), dystopian fiction, crime/detective novels, historical fiction (limited), fan-fiction (provided it falls in line with one of the other accepted genres), humor, suspense, YA fiction, and some others we may have forgotten to mention. If your book doesn't fit neatly into one of these genre boxes, please feel free to email us a blurb and we will let you know if we can accept it. If there is any reason why we can't review your book, you will be notified. There are two genres we absolutely WILL NOT accept; nonfiction and erotic fiction. The latter of the two is a regulation that has had to be placed due to my blog being accessible for all ages. Adult content is still allowed, just not erotic and I will mention in my review if there is any reason a reader might want to be cautious of the book. As I'm sure you noticed, some genres are limited. It is cases like those that make your book blurbs that you include in your review request so important. This goes for all authors!
For books, we accept mobi files only. In order to review your book it must be: gifted through Amazon; sent directly to us in mobi format; or available for free or through Kindle Unlimited. WE DO NOT PURCHASE BOOKS! We don't charge for our book reviews, so we won't buy books. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. AS AN IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: please do not send a book or cover art until you have received word that your review request has been accepted.
AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE, if you are gifting your book through Amazon please wait until your request has been approved before gifting it since not all requests are approved for a variety of reasons.
What Happens Now
Once your request is received with proper details, it will be considered for review. In addition to the first-come-first-serve policy we also base requests on genre. PLEASE NOTE, if I have too many books in line of a particular genre, I will most likely decline your request until a later date. Please don’t think of a declined review request as something that is permanent. My best advice would be to watch the bottom of this page where I often list the genres we are looking for so please check back. Regardless, once I've reviewed your request I will reply to your email with the outcome of your request, and further instructions on how to proceed. Right now based on my current inbox, you should receive an acceptance or decline within a week but other factors in my life could cause it to be longer. Looking at our current queue of those requests that have been accepted, you can probably expect confirmation that your review has been completed within 8 -24 months. I wish I could be more specific, but I just can’t.
PLEASE NOTE as a part of the review process we do not typically do cover reveals, blitzes, interviews, or any type of book promotion before the book is reviewed. We cannot, in good conscience, promote a book we've yet to read. However, we'd be happy to participate in those types of events after your book has been reviewed.
The Queue
The way we handle review requests in the queue has only changed slightly. We will continue to pull books from the queue based firstly, on the genre choice of the month, and secondly, on the time request was submitted. Please know that the genres will vary and I will ensure that the same one isn’t voted on each month by taking out the previous two genres if need be.
A Note About Book Reviews-The Pass
I feel it only fair to warn authors and their representatives that just because I accept a book for review does not mean a review will actually be done. Previously I would attempt to read everything I was requested to read no matter how difficult or time consuming it may be. However, in the new year I simply can't waste the time doing this while there are so many other authors and books awaiting reviews. Therefore, I'm implementing THE PASS. With THE PASS, an author will receive a vague, template-type email that will be sent out to them advising that I cannot/will not complete the book for one reason or another.
If you happen to be the recipient of THE PASS, you are welcome to question VIA EMAIL ONLY why the decision was made. I try to take notes on each book I look at so I can attempt to give you some reasons why I couldn't/wouldn't complete your book. Please know that I won't be posting the books I pass on to my blog nor will I be discussing them in any matter with anyone but the author via email. Perhaps this is not fair, but I have my reasons. Keep in mind that this is different from someone receiving a very low rating on a review. The books I pass on are just different and you'll have to take my word on it!
Review Scale
Reviews are ranked on a 5-butterfly scale. Although the 5-butterly scale can vary due to each book, it pretty much works as follows:
I am looking at editing, storyline, character development, true to genre, not a ton of fluff just to fill pages and such. Did your storyline take me there? Could I feel your characters? Did I feel like I could actually pull myself away from the book? Were there so many dang issues that I had to stop reading because it was making my head hurt? Those are some, but not all, of the things I look for when reading a book.
As with most else on this site, if you’d like more specifics, please feel free to ask. However, I will not answer questions about how or why your book was rated within the comment section of the blog. This should be handled via email only. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
What Happens Next
Once your book has been reviewed you will receive an email to advise you that the review has been posted on my blog as well as the other sites we try to post on such as Amazon, Goodreads and so on.
Because we are getting busier and busier with the popularity of indie authors and our blog, I need to stress for you to please not contact us to ask where your current place is in the queue.
By your requesting a review from Truth About Books, you acknowledge that you realize no exact time frame is being given on how long it will be before your book is reviewed. We receive a ton of email, so please just be patient and realize that we will get to you as soon as we can - I promise! Just know that every email I have to stop and respond to about when I’ll be getting around to their review is minutes my head isn’t in a book or getting around to yours.
Unfortunately, we are unable to access anything that is on Amazon UK, although we have no problem reviewing international authors. We will accept the reviews but as aforementioned, we will only be posting reviews to the US Amazon.
Once your book has been reviewed you will receive an email to advise you that the review has been posted on my blog as well as the other sites we try to post on such as Amazon, Goodreads and so on.
Because we are getting busier and busier with the popularity of indie authors and our blog, I need to stress for you to please not contact us to ask where your current place is in the queue.
By your requesting a review from Truth About Books, you acknowledge that you realize no exact time frame is being given on how long it will be before your book is reviewed. We receive a ton of email, so please just be patient and realize that we will get to you as soon as we can - I promise! Just know that every email I have to stop and respond to about when I’ll be getting around to their review is minutes my head isn’t in a book or getting around to yours.
Unfortunately, we are unable to access anything that is on Amazon UK, although we have no problem reviewing international authors. We will accept the reviews but as aforementioned, we will only be posting reviews to the US Amazon.
Caution: At this time we aren't taking any additional review requests. Please continue to check back. Thank you.
Those of us here at Truth About Books love what we do; however, did you realize we do it without any compensation whatsoever? We are a not-for-profit blog. Reading books, writing reviews, maintaining our website, and all the administrative stuff that goes along with running a blog like this is done for the love of the indie book, author, and reader. Although it will have no bearing on whether your book is accepted for review or the outcome of the review, your donations can be used to keep us running. If you’d like to donate, please do so. Thank you for your support
|
|